New skiddish X5 owner

[comeflywithlee]

Hey everyone! Have always wanted a BMW and finally found a decent deal on 2000 X5 so I jumped on it. It was leaking a little antifreeze so I took it to the dealer and $1600 dollars later it was fixed. Does anyone have any good stories about the 2000 model or did I buy a money pit. Thanks, Lee

[X5 in AK]

Congrats on the new purchase!
Whether or not you have a money pit depends on a lot of things, most important, the condition of the X5, what kind of care it was given by previous owners, and most of all, if you can do any of the work yourself. Your $1600 repair bill could have been $500-700 in parts (new radiator, water pump and a few hoses) and a few hours of not-too-difficult labor if you had done it yourself.
There's lots of good info on DIY on this site.
If you have to take your X5 to the dealer for every little thing, then yes, its probably going to be a money pit.
Do you have any previous service info on your new ride?

[comeflywithlee]

Thanks AK. I love the ride, and you are right. If I keep it, I am going to have to become a mechanic. $1100 of that was labor. I dont know much about the service history. Seems sound, and it has been garage kept. Just a few minor annoyances that probably should be expected with a 7 year old car with 60000 miles. I am just kind of in sticker shock and worried that the next thing will be 3 or 4 thousand. Like I said, Im just skiddish. I am hoping for some good stories about people having good luck with the 2000 model.

[Michelle]

:xoutpost:

[noncom23]

:xoutpost: Also find a good independant mechanic.

[X5 in AK]

Read through some of the articles on the homepage, they address alot of the common minor things that happen.
I have an '01, which is basically the same as the '00 model. No major complaints.
There are a few things to watch out for: window regulators (roll all your windows down and up at least once a week to 'exercise' the regulators), front outer CV boots (tend to rip), water pump and radiator failures (sounds like you have one or both taken care of already: ALL BMWs have water pump and radiator problems ), and a few misc electronic glitches. And if your battery is original, its past the end of its service life and should be replaced right now. Most major parts stores, Costco and Sam's Club all sell replacement batteries for the X5. And if you have any of the pixels on your dash display not working, BMW will replace the instrument cluster for free, you just pay an hour labor.
And yes, if you want to own a used BMW, you either need to pony up the cash for an extended warranty, be prepared to get fleeced at the dealer, or, do what a lot of people on this site do, turn a few wrenches. Most of the stuff that goes wrong with used BMWs are minor and not too complicated to fix, especially with all the infomation available here as a resource.
Good luck!

[comeflywithlee]

I DO have bad pixels in the dash display. Can you give me more details about getting it replaced? I Did get an aftermarket warranty and it will help with the major items if they arise. This is a great sight. I feel like I am part of the family now. Thanks

[djbock]

Originally Posted by comeflywithlee

I DO have bad pixels in the dash display. Can you give me more details about getting it replaced?

Here is the thread for the pixels.

http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e53-forum/...ht=dead+pixels

Welcome:xoutpost:

[comeflywithlee]

Thanks DJBOCK and AK. Just called BMW and a rep is going to call me back. Sounds too good to be true.

[X5Jay]

Welcome Lee! The best thing to do before purchasing a used car (especially one that is very expensive to repair) is to have an independent mechanic give it the once over. If you did that, perhaps you could have talked the seller into lowing the price a bit to get that repair done. Did you get a warranty with your X5? Regardless, you've come to the right place. If you're interested in becoming a pro DIY'er, there are lots of folks here who can help. Congrats on your X and post some pics!!!