I'm no stranger to timing belts, water pumps, piston swaps, head removals, very large spiders that walk by as you work under the car at night (I swear to god it was so big it looked like it was walking in slow motion).

Honestly I can tolerate a fix or two every year. But I'm from the camp that once it breaks you fix it properly and shouldn't have to do so again for a long time, if not the life time of the vehicle. Timing belts and associated parts should last forever and if not there should be a long term fix in place. Same for all the other nagging stuff I've been hearing about.

I'm just really wondering how much of the stuff I've been reading, told and heard are true or just exaggerations. Again, I just find it very difficult to believe that BMW would release such a car--especially with the Japanese makes breathing down their necks and starting to infringe on BMW's territory (performance luxury).

My fiancés RX is about as bullet proof as I've ever seen any car, but when it does break it's expensive. But at least its a once and done endeavor, until eons later or the life time of the car. But it handles like...well a Lexus.

Are there permanent fixes for a lot of the nagging repairs I've been reading about. How long does the timing chain last? Valley Pan gasket? etc., etc.