new to the Forums think I bought a lemon

lord4play · #1 08-22-2013, 12:58 PM

Hello everyone,

I bought a 03 X5 3.0i about 5 months ago. I thought it was a great deal because the place I bought it couldn't figure out why the brake lights didn't work. turned out to be the sockets were wrong. a $24 fix after a month the low oil light came on needed a quart.

after having the X5 for 3 months and not finding anything major wrong I took it on vacation 3500 miles total before I found myself sitting on the side of the road unable to move but the engine purred like a kitten. Turned out to be the front drivesaft. $1300 later I get the X5 back get 4 miles away from the shop on the interstate and the temp starts to climb while sitting in rush hour traffic. pulled it over and shut it off. just before shutting it off the low coolant light comes on. So I walk to the nearest gas station to grab a couple gallons of water so I can at least get it off the interstate. by the time I get back I see 2 cops and my X5 sitting at a 45 degree angle on the back of a flatbed with two tire marks about 50 yards long where the tow truck driver dragged my X5 down the road. I then notice that only 3 tires were on the flatbed and one was hanging off I also see a large long mark along the guardrail where the driver of the wrecker smashed it against the guardrail.
So after almost getting arrested because I wanted the tow truck drivers head. I had to walk 9 miles home after a 10 hour work day in 100 degree weather. it's been 3 weeks while I got parts to hopefully fix the overheating issue.

I am currently working on removing the radiator only to find out some backwoods repair had been done to parts of the X5. the fan shroud is held on with nylon zip ties, cheap hose clamps holding power steering hose, and wood screws holding plastic belly pan on.

So after finding this out and reading info online. about bmws are gold when there are working and a nightmare if they break. Sadly I don't think I will be owning this X5 long and may never buy another unless it's new and with my job I couldn't afford a new one.

I've also learned I'm not allowed to own nice things. Since I have almost lost my job over this and used up all sick, vacation, holiday, and comp days.

I'm not even sure if it will be drivable after I replace the radiator because of the wrecker situation. The transfer case might be shot.

Well back out to lay on the hot concrete and work on the x5 in the sun...

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lord4play · #2 08-22-2013, 01:00 PM

OH btw 2 weeks after buying the x5 the key fob died and a day after that the drivers door handle broke

motordavid · #3 08-22-2013, 01:48 PM

Remarkable set of events...
back at the Used Car Buying Ranch, everyone on this board would have rec'd a PPI done by a well versed BMW Indie. I bet there are several in Austin,TX area.

You bought a very used/abused car, with little to no 'history', from a joint that couldn't fix the simple rear taillight situ.

Not giving a lecture, but you bought a crap version of an X, or of any car, imo.

Must be a weird situ where a car gets towed by a redneck/don't care wrecker driver, 30 mins after you leave it to go for help. They don't tow them that quickly in midtown Manhattan.
GL, mD

tmv · #4 08-22-2013, 01:51 PM

Ouch! What a rough start. Best of luck.
Did you have the SAV check out before you buy it?

TerminatorX5 · #5 08-22-2013, 02:40 PM

i think most of us had a clunker at the one time or another - i had a car die on me for various reasons, even stupid ones, like running out of gas... i would stick a piece of paper with time and date to the driver's side, saying that i went for oil/water/gas and will be back... in couple cases, it was just a rag... In many states that i drove (PA/NJ/VA/MD/NY), the cops will tag the car first, they will indicate the time and date when the car was "found" abandonded and from that time there are 48-72 hours before a wrecker could legally tow it away... it feels that the cops were either breaking the law, or the law is written differently in TX...

good luck with your repairs

lord4play · #6 08-22-2013, 02:49 PM

it was a 1 owner car with "service records"
sadly I figured out the hard way. I did leave out a bunch of events because I didn't want to waste your time.
I checked it out best I could but the truck I had just before was on the way out transfer case/transmission 178k miles
the x5 was washed and detailed so I didn't find any leaks and without pulling stuff apart it looks perfectly fine.
never made any strange noises till the teeth on the driveshaft shredded off. when I bought it the only flaw other then a couple scratches on the paint and the tail lights not working was the rear wiper bolt needed to be tightened.

the oil leak is the oil pan gasket. mainly i see a bunch of redneck repairs that can be fixed correctly fairly easy. I can do all the work myself and I intend to do it myself. hell if I can turn a stock 97 chevy s10 with a 4.3 into a 9second twin turbo v8 monster. I only need 3 things to fix this. time, money, tools. my exgf took and pawned almost all of the tools when she walked out on me ( that's part of the reason she is in prison!)

no worries I can't be beaten down forever. I ALWAYS get back up

lord4play · #7 08-22-2013, 02:51 PM

Austin has a 0 tolerance for broke down cars during rush hour. Also that wrecker was 1/4 mile behind me when I pulled it over. and soon as I got out of sight and the cops showed up he began wrecking my x with the wrecker. lol

DillonInCO · #8 08-22-2013, 03:27 PM

Wow, this is one of the most bizarre posts I think I've ever seen. I only have one question. Why did you buy an X5?

upallnight · #9 08-22-2013, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lord4play

Hello everyone,

I am currently working on removing the radiator only to find out some backwoods repair had been done to parts of the X5. the fan shroud is held on with nylon zip ties, cheap hose clamps holding power steering hose, and wood screws holding plastic belly pan on.
(

Sounds like you brought a X from a previous owner that had no right in owning a BMW. If they couldn't afford to repairs a BMW then a BMW is not the car for them.

Some thing are unforeseen such as the door handle breaking after a couple of months or the radiator overheating. That's why when I take the family on a long trip I rent an almost new car from Avis or Enterprise. If the car break down along the way I just give them a call and tell them where their car is sitting.

Wow glad I don't live in Texas. The state trooper in our state normally tag a car if it is left on the highway and if it isn't removed in 24 hours they tow it.

motordavid · #10 08-22-2013, 03:47 PM

I understand better, now...though a couple three hundred dollar PPI would have caught some of the probs, imo.

A used X, with nearly 180k miles, is a huge freakin leap. While there are a dozen posters on the Board, with that mileage or more, most are Orig owners, and much of the maintenance and repair/replacement has been kept up with. 'They' know 'their car'...

Our '01 has a piddling 88k miles, but have had it since new, and I know/trust the sumbitch.

Classic on the redneck/don't give a crap tow driver pulling up and dragging your car, 5 mins after you walk away. Maybe you can pound their biz a bit, but I suspect not, in Texas. I wish you some resolve.
GL, mD

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