A Simple Honest Question

[crystalworks]

^ I've also not had frequent problems. I am the third owner and bought at 90,000 miles.

I do lots of preventative maintenance however rather than waiting for failures. I throw many fully functional/serviceable parts into the trash bin. Especially when it comes to suspension and cooling system parts as those are on a ~100,000 mile service interval for me.

If you bought yours used, and you wait for things to start breaking, they will, and that will of course affect reliability. If you are proactive then you can avoid the headaches but not the work if DIY or expense if not.

The others are right, BMW's are high maintenance girls. And you are not alone in your loving the way they drive. We feel your pain. My wife and I solved this issue by owning 4 of them (not a brag, they are all older). 2 X5's, 1 X3, and a 325i convertible. When one goes down for service, we have others we can jump into without missing a beat. I realize that's not a luxury everyone has or is practical for everyone either.

At the end of the day you have to decide what your priorities are as to whether to keep or sell. Good luck, breaking the BMW habit is not an easy thing to do. Ask anyone here.