Originally Posted by Hallatauer

Ok, was getting some vibration from the front end... intermittent and would get worse when braking... then go away from a while. Brought in to the service department... figured warper rotor. Well, the brake caliper was freezing up... ok, I can understand that... I've had that happen before on other cars. But at 66K miles, that seems awefully young for a caliper to fail.
Cost to fix... $1400! Because the caliper failed, it need to be replaced as well as the pads and rotor, on both sides. Holy $h!t So much for buying the extended maintenance... they must have looked right past the rotors when it was in for Inspection I recently.

Anyway, told them to put the wheel back on and bring it around front. I wasn't paying $1400 for a caliper and brake job. $75 charge for their time and got the job done at a local import car shop for $850. Saved $500 by not letting the stealer hose me.

Finally, what goes next? The transmission? $4000 or $5000 for this??? Sorry to say but time for this car to get a For Sale sign. It drives great but the difference in performance for the difference in price and maintenance just don't add up. I think BMW has become all hype... it has become just another car company that over charges on their name not in thequality and performance of their cars. I won't buy another BMW again until they come down to reality, distance themselves from the other car makers and put oil dipsticks back in their engines. Only a dip$hit would buy a car without a dipstick.

I don't know if the service dept realizes what they do in the back affects what happens in the front. The car I was going to get for my wife this year... I was thinking a 3 series... sorry.. no BMW for her... I think a nice Toyota. I'm looking to switch to an AUdi to replace the Crap 5.

Anyone interested in a 2003 X5, 67k miles in excellent condition?