Not going to rant. Want an honest answer

[dragoncoach]

Originally Posted by bnw

Not fair Dragon. I was asked to tell what drove me over the line. Secondly, I was fortunate to have service records. Everything repaired by the PO is common to the X as is well documented here, and all the other X related forums. I suppose you think I should have been the one to spend the thousands on these repairs? That wouldn't have been too smart on my part, would it? I thought I chose a car where most of the aggravating and expensive repairs had already been performed, but as my SA reminds me, it's something new every week. BTW, how much have you spent?

Actually, I've spent a fair amount on the X. I've actually spent more on my M5. However, I don't complain because I expect to spend money on our German cars. It's a trade off for the fun and performance. You, of all people should know BMW's aren't cheap to keep. You have an advantage over some owners in that you own a shop. BMW dealers will usually give you a copy of the service history if you ask nicely. They sometimes resist because the service records usually have owner's name on them. If a car I was considering buying had an extensive service repair record, it would be a red flag that the car may have either the same or more repairs in the future. One more thing, your car is 11 years old and has 122k miles. More repairs are coming....

BTW, when did you buy the X and how many miles did it have?

[southwold]

To be honest. I have driven Toyota, Lexus, and Infinity..... yes these other SUVs are alot more reliable... compared with my 2008 X5 E70 Turbo Diesel....even though I have alternator failure, front baring replacements, firm ware reset and upgrades and weather seal replacemnts..... its performance out weight its troubles.....I am just glad I got all those replaced under warranty with the exception of the rear wiper that just seem to fly off on its own..... oh yes all the plastic kick plates are snapping off one after another too......So far... I consider its a labor of love!

[JCL]

I agree with MD, for $8k to $12k you are just buying a worn out excuse for a vehicle that you will be maintaining and repairing regularly whatever it is. If low purchase cost is the criteria, buy whatever brand you can get parts for cheapest, since I assume your labour is free.

I have had good luck with my last 5 BMWs, no maintenance expense at all, but I make sure to sell them to people who want out-of-warranty cars. I leave happy just prior to 4 years, they get the problems. Costs $$, but never had to worry about fixing anything. And that is even though I have access to a shop, can do all the repairs myself, and get parts at a discount. It just isn't worth the trouble.

Your list is somewhat telling. Window regulators don't wear out from cycles, I believe that they wear out more often from slamming the door with the windows down. It is often the clip that is broken. Just don't slam the doors, or raise the windows an inch first to put the glass further back in the track. You don't need to change the brake fluid every two years, you can leave it and just rebuild the calipers instead. Cheaper to change it though, and that isn't a BMW issue, they all use the same brake fluid. All of us who bought new BMWs got free MIDs and displays when the pixels went. Poor design or manufacture, but they stood behind it. BMW doesn't give out free displays for people who aren't their customers though, so if you bought used you are hooped. If you have the condensate building up under the oil filler cap, then the solution is to drive it harder and longer. If you can't do that, and you have to do a lot of short trips, then expect to have to maintain the CCV. If you keep it cleaned out every few years there is no reason for it to freeze either open or closed. CV boots split on many vehicles. You need to catch them when you do your annual inspection. If you don't, you will end up buying axles. Not necessary if you keep on top of it though. Suspension bushings are not uncommon at that mileage. It sounds like you expected everything to have just been done, and it to be pristine now. Doesn't work like that, they require regular attention.

Buy a CRV. Dead reliable. Boring as hell though.

[anthony1k]

Let me first say that my 02 X5 at almost 210k miles has been super reliable and a joy to own and drive. I suppose I have been lucky. However I do understand other owners' frustration expressed in this forum. For example, window regulators have been failing for years. So have plastic water pumps, plastic DISA valves, lock actuators, etc. So instead of coming up with better designs, BMW chooses to use the same lousy components year after year.

At some point a few years back this company started to shift focus from excellence in engineering to maximizing returns. Although some could argue that it has gone too far, it should not come as a surprise. Most other manufacturers, from automobiles to washing machines are following the same philosophy today. My 1986 535is had well over 300k when I gave it to charity and was still running well. The X5 might come close. But my wife's 06 330i is falling apart at 70k miles. I can clearly see a difference in the built quality between this car and the seven other BMW's that I have previously owned.

In my view BMW no longer builds cars for people like me, who buy them new but keep them for many years. And perform their own maintenance once out of warranty. Their ideal customer is someone who turns it in as soon as the warranty runs out. Their cars are made to appeal to customers in the showroom, Not to go 300k miles. And this is also the case with all high end cars, including Mercedes, Lexus and others.

So, do you want a dead reliable and cheap to maintain BMW? Find a nice e28 or e30. They are still out there. Own a late model high end automobile out of warranty? Be prepared for possibly some pain.

[SlickGT1]

I have all the service records for my X5 4.8is.

Lets put it like this, I am not impressed. I also see the previous owners complaints about certain things, that it seems BMW did not address. And these were right before I got the car. It's warranty ended right as I bought it.

I didn't spend $12k. I paid $26,011 after taxes.
So far I had done the following.
1. New tires all around, $1200.00
2. Seat belt button, that makes the buckle stay when not in use. $5
3. Front door seal, torn to shit on bottom $80
4. Thrust bushings both sides $75
5. Pass mirror wobbly, Free with help from this site.
6. Couldn't find blue tooth code until getting much needed help from site, Free
7. Trans oil drain and fill, filter, pan drop. Around $200. Chose original ZF fluid
8. Missing floor mats by the time it got to me from Florida. $200 for winter and summer mats.
9. Tail light error. Free, re-soldered the burnt out contact.

Shit I need to do.
1. PDC effed up, one sensor $100
2. Wind noise from Pano Roof, so probably looking at a seal, don't even want to think what is involved
3. Some oil leak from engine oil pan. Didn't get to yet, just started.
4. I might be looking at engine mounts.
5. Probably need end links
6. Most likely will need control arm bushings
7. Replace Nav screen. $200
8. Pass window goes up slow. Might be in for a new motor.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

A lot of maintenance was done on it before I got it. So I am happy about that.
1. W AIR SUSPENSION - AIR SUPPLY UNIT PERMANENT MALFUNCTION
2. Air supply system for air suspension (LF) permanent malfunction
3. W AIR SUSPENSION - AIR SUPPLY UNIT PERMANENT MALFUNCTION
4. BRAKE FLUID CHANGE- FULL MAINTENANCE PROGRAM
5. W ACCUMULATOR/VALVE UNIT, AIR SUSPENSION (LF) PERMANENT
MALFUNCTION
6. ALTERNATOR/WATER PUMP DRIVE BELT- MAINTENANCE PLAN
7. W AIR SUSPENSION - TRACK ROD LOOSE
8. W TIMING CASE COVER, TOP LEAKING
9. W BELT TENSIONER-NOISY
10. W SUCTION LINE FROM OIL TANK TO PUMP LEAKING
11. W RADIATOR COMPENSATING TANK LEAKING
12. W Wheel bearing, front unpleasant noises
13. W OUTPUT SHAFT, FRONT UNPLEASANT NOISES
14. W Wheel bearing, front unpleasant noises
15. W PUMP, WINDSHIELD CLEANING SYSTEM PERMANENT FAILURE
16. W PUMP, REAR WINDOW CLEANING SYSTEM PERMANENT FAILURE

I have to say what I would never rent (Lease)a new BMW. The car was at the dealer every 4 months. If I dropped $75k (or $1300/month) on a new BMW and had to go to dealer so often, I would kill myself. My previous Lexus GS430, which you can trust me, I made it really fun to drive, was driven hard for 145k miles, didn't have 1/100th of these issues. The only time the Lex saw a mechanic was to get an inspection, or get tires mounted. In all that time, I only did the door lock actuator rebuilds $10. Oil, brakes, maf, and get fuel. Not mentioning the $5k in suspension work because that was to make it drive better and nothing was broken. Oh it was a 2001, and I still sold it in MINT condition for $10,700, yea 11 year old car. BMW has a lot to learn. A damn lot, it is a shame that the ultimate driving machine is the Ultimate money headache for some people.

Same way Lexus needs to learn some. If Lexus made their cars perform more out of the box, I guarantee BMW would loose a ton of sales. Most people don't want to buy a lexus to replace diff with LSD, drop a ton on suspension just to get it to stop acting like a pig on ice. Also a shame.

So these two brands are on opposite ends of the spectrum. What would you rather have? Let me tell you this though, if you get a Lexus or Toyota truck, you will not be able to do much to improve the driving dynamics.

With all that, the 4.8is is solid, super fun to drive, and doesn't seem to bother me all too much with the maintenance. I just hope the list doesn't keep getting bigger, just smaller as I bring it back to 100%. I am willing to give the car a chance. I had a bunch of 3 series before, so some issues are common. I also now have a garage so working on the beast is much more pleasant.

Does it bother me that the car needs maintenance. A little bit. We will see how it behaves once I get it to 100%.

If it continues to break shit on me non stop, it will go.

If Lexus comes out with a performance truck that looks good, the X will go as well. But for now, after all the test drives, and comparisons, the 4.8is is the car for me. There is really nothing else out there that does it for me like the X. Deal with it or sell it.

Sorry for the long post.

[bbultman]

I drove a RX330, X3, CX7 and Edge before buying my 4.6is Dinan. The 4.6is was the cheapest but the oldest with the most miles (by far). It drove better and tighter than the rest. It has more features. IMO, looks better. And forget about the others, it will absolutely blow the doors off them. It was probably the worst decision from a problematic/expense view but my X5 is sweet and I feel like the sh!t driving it. I had a Subaru Forester - arguably very reliable. The engine detonated with less miles. I had an Expedition with air suspension - lots of repair dollars. They all break down, some more than others. Decide what's important to you, understand the risks and buy accordingly. If it's BMW, I'd try to stick with what they do best - 3 series.

[weekend camper]

Originally Posted by JCL

Buy a CRV. Dead reliable. Boring as hell though.

Ahem, had one, sold it for the 03 X5. 5 years of ownership and I barely saw my mechanic for anything but oil changes. No soul to it whatsoever though. I might look at them again if they ever get sparkling V6's.


Coming into the third month of ownership with a few fixes already (door handle carrier, tail light solder). Heading out soon to see what the noise in the rear suspension is all about.

This is my first German car and the first car in a long time (not since my first) that I've enjoyed driving it, AND fixing it. Hopefully the small stuff stays small and I can continue to enjoy the V8 goodness for many years.

[Contigo]

Originally Posted by bnw

First off, I had the PO's service records when I bought the car. I couldn't believe what I was reading. Rear window regulators, (come on, how many cycles on the REAR WINDOWS?) CV boots, axles, batteries, trailing arm bushings, sway bar links, dash pixels, mid pixels, front window regulators, CCV service, fuel injection service, brake fluid flushes, coolant expansion tank, door lock actuator(s) , etc, etc. Thousands and thousands of dollars, as many of you have mentioned. (Actually, I would love a bunch of X5 owners for my business) . I lost another expansion tank a few weeks after I bought the car. The passenger door lock will not always work with the remote even though it was replaced once. So far, so good. Mental masturbation. Then, as soon as it got cold, I found myself driving to work holding on the driver's door because it froze up. Couple that with the horror stories related to the CCV freezing up with a hydraulic lock up and the mayonnaise on my oil filler cap and dipstick and quite frankly, I've had it. complete cooling system replacement on the way? No thanks. Hydraulic lock up due to frozen CCV? No way. Window stuck down in Northern Michigan winter? No way. Carry enough tools to pull a door panel, replace a battery , thaw out a frozen door, on every trip? No way. Can't read the radio display, waiting for the fan sensor to quit, etc etc etc. This is total BS. I've had two Z3s and currently have an M Roadster so It's not a BMW thing. It's an X5 thing.

Completely agree but I own Audi's and they are just as bad, honestly no car is trouble free but I do agree that the X5 is built out of chocolate and sub standard parts. Alot of the NA people on this board will hate me for saying this but because this is NA made the build quality is not to the same standard as some of the Bavarian built vehicles and European models for that matter. How the heck can a NA buillt SUV suffer from frozen door handles when it's colder there than most other places in the World?

Anyway sorry to hear about your trouble but you are not alone, going through a major headache with the Missuses E53 at the moment and as soon as it's good I'm going to trade it in for either a Cayenne or something I like to drive like an Stype R.

[Contigo]

Originally Posted by dragoncoach

And you still bought the X, with that many problems!? If you aren't ranting, what do you call it? I see two problems. First, you ARE ranting. Second, if you are in the repair business, you should know which cars are the most reliable...the ones you don't see many of. And the ones you do see only come in of a routine service. Sell your "POS" and just go high end Japanese and forget about the satisfaction you get from driving German.

Believe me there are far better German Marques than the BMW!

[Ghost-Flame]

Someone said it there is a new problem every other week. So far everything on mine has been DIY which is good, but, I don't work so fast and I'm getting tired of wrenching almost every week.
That said I love this car. I want to get another when this one goes but, I don't know. Lexus is reliable suv but, I don't like the styling and the inside is boring IMO.
If they made one that is like the x5 to drive I might consider a Lexus. Maybe do a bunch of performance mods to make it fun.