Monkey off my back!!!

[FSETH]

Originally Posted by bigwave2255

see thats where i find it confusing, take for example the rear wheel alignment and people complaining about tyre wear on the inner edge, and not being able to get enough adjustment out of the suspension .

with my 285,s on 19 in rims, the concentric adjustment is mid point, and my rear tyres are wearing very evenly across.

did i get lucky or does my mechanic know what he is doing.

or are those with problems, trying to align suspension that really needs OTHER repairs done as well

i appreciate that these are complex cars, but how much of the problems experienced is due to sloppy workmanship and or previous users abuse???

i dont know, but at 57 years of age and having had many cars both good and bad in the past i dont get all the negativity towards X5,s maybe some have bitten off to much car maybe they are trying to live above there means!!!! and cant really afford the maintenance, take shorts cuts or simply put stuff off

the other thing that comes to mind is that maybe people dont put enough miles on there cars, i bought mine to use it, and should average around 39000km per year, so i expect to pay for 4 services, usually a set of tyres and probably one brake down, and by that i mean a battery , water pump , noisy bearing or what ever, does that sound realistic??

for me yes it is

We bought our X5 with full knowledge of what repairs cost. It would just be nice if they needed a little less, imo. We have put between about 15,000 to 20,000 miles a year on it since purchasing 4 years ago.

I am not sure how much preventative maintenance I could have really done to limit the vast majority of my issues such as window regulators (we don't slam doors), alternators locking up(???), fuel pump failing, (we use only Shell and Chevron premium grade from what appear to be reputable stations), thrust rod bushings twice (we drive slow over speedbumps and the roads are like glass in here), etc. These are just some of the repairs we have been faced with. Not to mention having to replace just about every engine seal imaginable including the valve cover gaskets twice in 60,000 miles. How could I have prevented my air conditioning evaporator core from leaking, the very common corrosion in the tail lights that causes the bulbs to stop functioning, my power steering hoses from leaking, my final stage resistor from failing, etc. I am not sure how I could have prevented much, if any, of that. As much as I like BMW's, this list should be much shorter, imo and it doesn't include all of the issues I have had like a complete overhaul of the cooling system and it's brittle plastic components. Luckily, the majority of these items were replaced under an extended warranty.

[bigwave2255]

guess i better keep my fingers crossed then!!

[RickM5X3]

Originally Posted by bigwave2255

guess i better keep my fingers crossed then!!

To your point, my high maintenance costs on my X bought at 79k miles have something to do with catching up on maintenance that might have been deferred by prior owner (or maybe the reason they dumped it). Whatever the case I keep it b/c nothing else meets my needs as well as this complex machine does. But my M5 was, and my x3 is, comparatively bulletproof compared to the E53. This board continues to be a great X5 grief counselor.

[bigwave2255]

im in for the long haul, so i guess time will tell,

oh i guess i should also say that i get paid $22,000 a year tax free to provide a vehicle (car allowance)

that makes it a little easier for me,

[FSETH]

Originally Posted by bigwave2255

im in for the long haul, so i guess time will tell,

oh i guess i should also say that i get paid $22,000 a year tax free to provide a vehicle (car allowance)

that makes it a little easier for me,

Yes, that will help tremendously. Hopefully you will have better luck than I.

[RMak]

Originally Posted by FSETH

We bought our X5 with full knowledge of what repairs cost. It would just be nice if they needed a little less, imo. We have put between about 15,000 to 20,000 miles a year on it since purchasing 4 years ago.

I am not sure how much preventative maintenance I could have really done to limit the vast majority of my issues such as window regulators (we don't slam doors), alternators locking up(???), fuel pump failing, (we use only Shell and Chevron premium grade from what appear to be reputable stations), thrust rod bushings twice (we drive slow over speedbumps and the roads are like glass in here), etc. These are just some of the repairs we have been faced with. Not to mention having to replace just about every engine seal imaginable including the valve cover gaskets twice in 60,000 miles. How could I have prevented my air conditioning evaporator core from leaking, the very common corrosion in the tail lights that causes the bulbs to stop functioning, my power steering hoses from leaking, my final stage resistor from failing, etc. I am not sure how I could have prevented much, if any, of that. As much as I like BMW's, this list should be much shorter, imo and it doesn't include all of the issues I have had like a complete overhaul of the cooling system and it's brittle plastic components. Luckily, the majority of these items were replaced under an extended warranty.

I agree you really can't prevent alot of issues. But at least having some knowledge of what the problem is, you won't be taken to spend more money than you have to. Or even at times it could be a quick DIY. I'll go back though to having a trusted indy. My mechanic allows me to hang around the shop, watch them work, walk around look at other rides. I guess because the shop I go to is more bmw enthusiast oriented. These guys love bmw's and they take pride in working on them. If i'm not at the shop and they need to do something, he'll take a picture and send it to me on my phone or email me. How many bmw shops will do that?

I've heard that with the window regulators for example, it's good to roll your windows down once in awhile. I actually always roll my windows down first thing in the morning when I take the x5 out.

[CT_X5_Joe]

I would love to know what the OP purchased as a replacement for his E53. Guessing maybe a Hyundai Santa Fe w/ 100k warranty...

[RickM5X3]

Originally Posted by CT_X5_Joe

I would love to know what the OP purchased as a replacement for his E53. Guessing maybe a Hyundai Santa Fe w/ 100k warranty...

Or perhaps a 1984 308 GTSi. Probably similar in terms of care and feeding needed for an X5.

[CT_X5_Joe]

In fairness to the OP, X52002, has been a long time member of this forum, an extremely helpful contributor, and a long time ambassador of the E53. I wish him well with his vehicle.

[Fraser]

Originally Posted by X52002

bigwave2255 for one you have had your truck for 9 months, and the 3.0 doesnt has as much problems as the 4.4 or the 4.6is for that matter. They are heavier and have more power and have more problems. The two can't be compared. For some it's driving styles and for some is just the luck of their vehicle or thow it was previously handled by other owners. Many people have bought X5's second hand as I. My problems with mine can be due to numerous reasons....but hard to know the truth. At the end of it all....as the car ages repairs will go up....every case is different...but I don't think you can judge because3.0's and x5's are not to be compared.

Just my experience

Bigwave2255 is talking about about a 3.0d. It's a completely different thing to a 3.0i. It's almost as heavy as the 4.4i and has more torque.