How Often Does Your E53 4.4 Leave You Stranded?

[tempest411]

Hello,

I'm thinking of purchasing one of these and have read much about their weak points. Of course internet forums being what they are, if judged soley by what people talk about here, an E53 capable of moving under it's own power would be an oddity. I'm already pretty sure I want to NOT buy the vehicle first, but rather an engine and transmission first and take care of them first (rebuilding as neccessary), then find a chassis to put them in. I find lots of these things on Craiglist that have lunched their engines due to the ignorance and neglect of previous owners. But what about other areas of these SUVs? What about all the modules that control all the gadgetry these are laden with? I had to replace a climate control and a 'door' module in my wife's '98 Mercedes C230, and while the cost of the parts was bad enough (over 3k for both) diagnosing the problem was the worst part. Even the dealer couldn't figure out the climate control one until they tried swapping it out with one from another customer's car! I hope BMWs aren't as bad as that...

Any advice is much appreciated!

Rick