What are the issues with the 2005 X5 4.8IS ?

eyeiieye · #1 07-06-2011, 11:50 PM

I am about to buy a 2005 X5 4.8IS and was wondering what issues should I look for when test driving one?
It has 85,000 miles on.
What are the most costly items that I need to research in order to see if they have been taken care of before I make my decision?

The car is in UAE (Middle East, so it will be Europe standards.)

Thanks.

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Roadkill · #2 07-07-2011, 12:01 AM

Transmission and air suspension to start.

eyeiieye · #3 07-07-2011, 02:57 AM

A heavy start

jst2878 · #4 07-07-2011, 08:17 AM

Intermediate levers. Common cause is rough start up. Air suspension

cannan · #5 07-07-2011, 06:11 PM

85,000 miles your looking at the start of suspension bushings and cooling system as well.

eyeiieye · #6 07-08-2011, 10:49 AM

But are the E53 2004 models and above more reliable than earlier models.
i had X5 4.4 2002 model and it was fairly ok.

X5Sport · #7 07-08-2011, 11:42 AM

Allegedly yes, but.........

I had a complete transmission failure at 42,000 miles. Other areas to watch are valley pan gaskets, breather hoses and oil separators.

Check all of the electrics very carefully and be prepared that a serious failure in these cars costs real money. My transmission is the same as the one in the 4.8, except for the torque converter, and costs around £7,000 for a replacement or £3,000 for a repair.

You should also probably be mindful of dust penetration into drive shaft seals, CVJ boots, wheel bearings, fans, and electric motors.

c4racer · #8 07-08-2011, 02:41 PM

2004 is the first year of the 6-speed transmission. Seems like you hear more about premature failure of these than the ZF 5-speed used in the 2001-2003 years. I tend to think later in a model run is better, even for a refresh. So by that logic the 2003 is your best bet in a pre-facelift and a 2005-2006 is your best bet in a post facelift models to at least give them 1 year to get out the bugs. Many things did not change, but trans and suspension are 2 things that did and interesting that those are both known trouble spots.

rneedham1979 · #9 07-08-2011, 05:43 PM

I have an 054.8is. Overall it's been a great vehicle. We bought it with 30k, transmission was replaced at 45k. It was not a complete failure and it actually worked fine but under light load it would squeal.

We also have a leaning air suspension, the right front strut was leaking and it took the dealer 4-5 visits to actually fix it.

We also have the oil cooler fail out of no where. It was in December 2010, I started the car and it shot oil out of the front. The oil cooler just split.

Other than that we've only done regular maintenance... brakes, oil, tranny flush/filter, diff fluid and spark plugs.

The X now has 96k miles on it, it runs great and the vehicle remains our family vehicle. For the past 10k I've been towing a 7klb trailer without any issues. The 4.8is is a lovely vehicle!

I recently installed the OE tuning flash tune and a K&N. It bumps power to 380bhp and raises torque as well. It is the best money I've spent! The X5 is way more responsive and picked up tremendous power throughout the power band.

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