10 used car clunkers to avoid/By Forbes.com

[theblue]

Originally Posted by TiAgX5

My '03 4.4 sport with 155k miles has only needed a waterpump, belts, upper hose ass'y, FSR and coolant tank along with regular maintenance items.

I have a friend with a civic with 180k and it's had brake pads, tires, and oil.

so I'm sure you can see how such an owner would look at an X5 like your one and think that's extreme.

Big heavy luxury automobiles will always be high maintenance. I still love the X5, but for the person who's going to the repair shop for everything it's going to be a nightmare.

[TwinsPoppa]

Originally Posted by TiAgX5

Mis-read the OPs post, saw his owned vehicles list with the '02 4.6 X on top. Have not had my coffee yet this morning.

No, prob. I totally understand since sometimes the E53 gets a bad rap. Just wanted to clarify things.

[TiAgX5]

Originally Posted by TwinsPoppa

No, prob. I totally understand since sometimes the E53 gets a bad rap. Just wanted to clarify things.

Those E53s that became 1st cars for new drivers especially. Having my coffee now.

[TiAgX5]

Originally Posted by theblue

I have a friend with a civic with 180k and it's had brake pads, tires, and oil.

so I'm sure you can see how such an owner would look at an X5 like your one and think that's extreme.

Big heavy luxury automobiles will always be high maintenance. I still love the X5, but for the person who's going to the repair shop for everything it's going to be a nightmare.

I had a new, unmodded Civic CRX in the mid-80s that would pop main fuses and leave me strranded in the winter (over a dozen times), usually at the Whitestone Bridge toll on my way to work in College Pt, Queens. My GFs '05 Accord (purchased new) with 65k miles has already needed 3 sets of tires, rear wheel bearings, 3 batteries, belts, 2 sets of brakes and alternator (NIGHTMARE!!! Went to Honda for the part, got one that had a bad internal regulator that would cut off output when up to summer underhood temp. Honda would check the part cool and tell me it operates fine, causing me to do the job 3 times and troubleshooting the entire system for days!!!!!! Finally wore down the parts manager and got it swapped, problem solved!) Bad OE parts in a sealed box from a dealer is total BS in my book. Needs R134a topped off each summer too.

NONE of my BMWs (four to date, with around 3/4 of a million miles) have EVER left me stranded!!! Just the 2 Hondas above have had me roadside over 15 times.

There's also the fact that Jap cars are made with machined parts and sheet metal stampings that are not deburred (razor sharp edges) and plastic molded parts with sharp edges and mold flashings. BMW deburrs machined parts and molds radiuses on all plastic parts, also molds that flash are removed from production and repaired. My hands and arms look like I was attacked by a pack of wild ferrets after DIYing on Jap crap!

The CRX even left me stranded 2 miles from the Honda dealer because they "forgot" to fill the tank with fuel after charging me on the purchase aggreement. You can keep their sales/service experience too, it SUCKS!

[watchurself]

OUCH - and its cold up there on that bridge in the WINTER!!! LOL

[TwinTurboGTR]

I concur with TiAg. I did the same thing with my 01 and the new 4.8is. Thankfully the back seats were new, hell, the front seats looked new too. But what I have come to realize, and this is only me, is this. Most new BMW drivers have money, don't care about maintenance, and normally lease. Now this is good and bad. Good because BMW calls them and says they need to bring it in for service, bad because... BMW calls them to bring it in for service. So by the time their lease is over, they flip the car over to the dealer and get into another lease. The car is then CPO'd and then sold to people like me. Don't make crazy, make you wanna puke so much money, but enough to have toys. Then ANAL people like me tear it down and start fixing all the stuff after it is out of CPO. Hell, during CPO, if there is a tiny problem, I'm on the phone with the dealer and trying to make an appointment. I'll take every full advantage of the CPO before it wears out. lol. But I'd like to think I keep on top of everything on the X just like ALL of the the enthusiasts on here. But sometimes it goes on to people who have not a clue. They take it to Jiffy Lube every now and again and get the oil changed, throw some Prestone in when the coolant light comes on, and dump Bar's Radiator Stop Leak when the $5 for coolant becomes too costly. Now it's those cars that are going to see the most problems because of the lack of care. So I completely agree with the earlier statement about Pop's giving Jr the keys to the whip and wish him the best of luck.

So the way the article was written, I am assuming it is talking about once it comes off of warranty and maintenance and now the owner is on the hook for repairs. I am sure most of the complaints come from Maintenance stuff. Like when they have to take it in for a brake service and they have to pay for it, they get surprised when they look at the bill and it is $2K to do 4 brakes. Or when a CV boot tears and grease is going everywhere and they are presented with a bill for $800.00. But I bet these numbers are based at the dealership and not an Indy. Hell even with my 4.8is, when I looked at the repair history, in March of 2012, the last owner spent $6700 for misc stuff. Both rear suspension air bags, brake rotors and pads on all corners, oil service, coolant service, water pump etc... I'm sure she wasn't happy and I am sure that is why she decided to get rid of it. (I found out my 4.8is was traded in for a 2013 X5M BTW! lol. Gonna be looking for that when she comes time to dump it. But not looking forward to the turbos) Now I know it talked about fit and finish as one of the complaints, but I have owned 2 and I haven't had a single problem with fit and finish. Only mishap I had was I cracked the lower plastic portion of my seat and my pant leg ripped the damn thing off. Otherwise all the seams are still true, fit fine and finish awesome.

Again, only my opinion and not saying that some people on here haven't been fed the short end of the stick. There are some mishaps that happen, but that is with all cars. Someone mentioned a Honda with high miles but only maintenance was tires, oil, and brakes. I have a friend who had a Honda Civic, every problem you can imagine for a little 4 banger and only 67K miles. No accident, dealer maintained. I had 2 Nissan Z32 Twin Turbo's, Those were a nightmare! So now I am being biased, lol.

In any case it is an anomaly. Some X's run forever and some just die a painful death. Whenever I look for a new car, I always try to get a one owner and get the records on everything. This way I know what had been done and what needs to be addressed and I won;t have any surprises. Knock on wood, but my 4.8is, no problems. Some funny things going on, but as far a massive problems, I got nothing.

Ok, BTW I am tired, I didn't have coffee for the day, I ran out and I just read the above and some things are hard to follow. Sorry in advance, but... yeah you all can get the picture. lol

[theblue]

Originally Posted by TiAgX5

I had a new, unmodded Civic CRX

I had a beat 91 CRX Si that I got for a $1000 as my winter beater when I have my Lancer Evolution. It had 140k on it and ran great for the couple years I had it. I replaced the shocks because they were so cheap and easy to do.

Loved that car, wish I never sold it. what a go cart.

I currently have 3 BMWs and while non have stranded me on the side of the road, they all are always need something no matter how much I do. It's just comes with owning expensive cars as they get old.

[TwinsPoppa]

What's with all the people not getting their coffee today?! Its Friday. Did everyone start the weekend early?!

[TiAgX5]

Originally Posted by TwinsPoppa

What's with all the people not getting their coffee today?! Its Friday. Did everyone start the weekend early?!

I can't recall Senator! GFs B'day yesterday, Rangers game, beer, Capital Grille for dinner and drinks, Omni Hotel for more drinks..........kind of fuzzy after the Omni.

[TwinTurboGTR]

I was helping the CEO grade tests and inputing grades in. Woke up at 430 to discover, no coffee. We dont have a D&D open 24 hours. They open at 7. By the time it was & I was half away and didn't feel like getting coffee lol