Thinking out loud: It'll stop when I sell it!

[giodog2000]

Please share your experience. When was the last time you said to yourself that it was enough. What made you decide to keep it and do you look back and regret that decision?


Here is my story.

February 28 2013 bought the 4.8 and it was in great condition. Really, the previous owner pampered it. It looked great , smelled great , engine bay was like if it came out of the dealer when new. No leaks , no funny noise....WOW!

A few weeks after and to this day:

-Air suspension leak (arnot replacement) ......1000$ + a few hundred labor.
-oil leak .......................1200$
-Actuator gear (DIY)........150$
-Angle sensor repro.........200$
-A few diagnostics ..........200$
-windshield washer pump (DIY)..50$ (if I remember corectly)
I'm not mentioning the normal stuff like break pads , oil , battery , tires, etc.

A few days ago coolant leak coming from the bleeder screw..... 7$ plus 20$ for coolant

Today the expansion tank failed..... I need it Monday morning so I'll have to order from dealer not sure how much they go for and I'll DIY....

Just about the same story for my wife's E70 but thats another story and lots of the repairs were done under warranty before it ended.... so basically you can almost say it caused us lots of trouble in the past year without counting 4 to 5k in repair.

So, today it's my "It'll stop when I sell it (them) " moment. A few weeks ago I announced that if the X failed again before spring , that would be it. Well it happened again. So before I sell it, I'd like to hear from the ones that have been in this situation before and what made them change their mind and did they regret keeping it...
On the positive side, In a few months I'll have a private garage to bring them in if they fail and do most of the work myself but is this enough to convince me.??????

Whats your story....

[Brandon002]

When you buy a 70K dollar used car for around 10 grand, you can expect to throw some money at it.

Every time I swear because of a new problem, that anger is erased when it's repaired and I go for a drive. No other SUV on the road drives like an X5. That alone is enough to keep me throwing bandages on her and patching her up.

[bcredliner]

How many miles on it? Did previous owner have all the maintenance and repair records?

[Ricky Bobby]

Well gio here's my list after I bought in December 2011, within 18 months I did the following:

-Arnott front air struts (1300)
-New compressor (gently used 250)
-Belts and tensioners, fan clutch (500)
-Driveline fluids change (300)
-Brake and clutch flush (150)
-Front suspension control arms, thrust arms, ball joints, front sway bushings, rear sway links and bushings (800)
-New tires and staggered 168s (1800)......For what its worth I could have just gotten new tires on the stock 18's, but I sprung the extra few hundred to buy a set of 20s with the Toyos pre-mounted, much more worth it


That was year 1.

This past year I did the following:

-Tie rods and front wheel bearings (450)
-Oil filter canister lid (30)
-2 new PDC sensors (35)

My second year was basically not bad besides the wheel bearings issue, but now at 10 years old my CCV system is done. Just ordered 450 in parts to do the CCV, rebuild my DISA, refresh my PS reservoir and fluids, and should be good for a while.


Note that the previous owner did the expansion tank, thermostat, hoses, and coolant flush, as well as front and rear brake pads/rotors, and new height sensors/ EHCII module before I bought the X.


The first two years are the worst with a used car as you are catching up on maintenance and aged parts, but at this point I can't see myself saying "enough is enough" unless the motor blows. I'm on top of my maintenance and anything that fails is either from a random occurrence or me not paying attention to what I should be preventatively replacing or paying attention to.

It gets better man!

-J

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by Brandon002

Every time I swear because of a new problem, that anger is erased when it's repaired and I go for a drive. No other SUV on the road drives like an X5. That alone is enough to keep me throwing bandages on her and patching her up.

QUOTED FOR TRUTH Brandon, well said. No other vehicle I'd rather own or drive than my E53.

[motordavid]

Could be bad luck, could be fate, could be the car was a powder puff hiding a time bomb...
none of us can know.

I haven't spent that dough on our '01, that now has ~93k miles, over a 12 1/2 year time frame. Just luckier, I guess.

I have had a few used cars in my 50+ years of cars: some were dogs but fun 'learners', some were just damn dawgs. Haven't had used car in decades; they are often someone else's previous problem.

None of us can tell you what to do or understand your situ, but it may be time to throw in towel. An every couple three months repair, and costly at that, would not enamor me to keep the car(s).
GL, mD

[giodog2000]

Originally Posted by bcredliner

How many miles on it? Did previous owner have all the maintenance and repair records?

It has 170K km (just over 100K miles) , Yes previous owner had the repair records. A few minor things done here and there and mostly tie-rods, bushing , very frequent oil changes etc.

[Brandon002]

I got mine in October of this year.

Valve cover gaskets
Trans was slamming from a rolling stop, trans service fixed this
Oil pan gasket
brakes at all four corners
CCV's
Fuel filter
Alternator bracket is leaking, not bad, but will be repaired when it gets warmer
Tail light problem, fixed free
Needs thrust arm bushings
Pano roof problems, just disabled the rear portion
Cold start/intermediate lever problems
Spark plugs (was misfiring at low RPM's when warmed up)
Self level suspension needs calibrating

But you know what, I wouldn't give this car up for anything. I absolutely love everything about it, even it's quirks and problems.

I could understand an owner getting frustrated if they can't do major repairs without a mechanic or can't afford to keep up with it. Luckily I have been a mechanic for just over 17 years so most repairs I can do on my own.

Sell it, buy another SUV and we will see you a few months later when you realize that no other SUV on the road compares when it comes to driving pleasure.

[bcredliner]

Originally Posted by giodog2000

It has 170K km (just over 100K miles) , Yes previous owner had the repair records. A few minor things done here and there and mostly tie-rods, bushing , very frequent oil changes etc.

I have 110,000 miles on an X I bought new. At around 75,000 I made the decision I would keep mine and go through the mile range where more parts wear out. This is not unique to the X5--stuff just wears out after several years and thousands of miles.

At 100,000 miles I would have a very thorough inspection done to get a read on the state of repair of your vehicle and take a look at the 100,000 mile maintenance check list to see what BMW suggests be done. With that information you can make a more informed decision. While the previous owner took great care of the vehicle he may not have begun to replace the common wear items that at 100,000 miles are due or coming due soon.

From what I have read, I have had far fewer problems than most. I am very satisfied with cost of maintenance and repairs.

[giodog2000]

Originally Posted by Brandon002

Sell it, buy another SUV and we will see you a few months later when you realize that no other SUV on the road compares when it comes to driving pleasure.

These are not my first BMW's and I love driving them. I've had many other suv's. Most of them are MUCH better in snow and off road and most of all MUCH more reliable. But I've said it many times , like you say , once you get back behind the wheel after a FIX , it's love again. ADDICTIONS are never a good thing.