A Simple Honest Question
 

I realize that I am reading a forum where people come to get help with problems that they are having with their X5s. That leads to a feeling that these cars are continually in need of repair. So my question is, do you have long periods of time when your Xs run fine? I ask because I am used to driving cars with 100, 200, or more thousand miles on them that rarely give me trouble. General maintenance must be done on every vehicle if you want it to live a long and healthy life, but you shouldn't need to repair and replace parts all that often. I'm just wondering as I make the decision whether this BMW experience is really going to be worth it. I love, love, love, driving this car, but I do need something that is reliable too. Just an honest question, looking for an honest answer, from those who know.

I think very few people come to the forums to report that their car is running fine, so you're more likely to read of issues rather than compliments on any car forum. As long as you keep up with appropriate maintenance you should be fine, as with any other car. For BMW's in general the cooling system requires special attention as that is their weak point (all plastic components that deteriorate with heat and age). If you're a DIY kind of person, you should be able to really keep the car running fine for longer periods as I think for the average DIY, they're relatively easy to work on.

All the best!

I'm not too familiar with the 4.6is, but I do know that it is possible to take the E53 for a long ways with out issues that would impede your travel. I've got two that have around 300K miles on them and they both have had about the same problems. Mostly small things like window regulators, door handles, and some suspension parts.

In my experience, to answer your question: It comes down to the previous owners of the vehicle. If it was properly maintained and continues to be maintained, you can easily get 300K miles out of a 3.0. If it's had a rough life and has been Frankenstein'd back together like one that I know well and daily... :rolleyes: it may take a few more parts. From what I understand the V8's normally have transmission issues from lead feet and timing chain guide issues. But I have seen a 4.6 go more than 200K miles.

I agree with X5only, The only people that really hang around the forum are the ones that have issues and need answers. If there's nothing to report, why report?

Just my 2 cents, I'll leave the floor open to the big guns.

Not only is this a forum for those that are having problems, but I've always found that internet reviews are generally skewed negative. Happy people seldom take time to tell you how great their car, motorcycle, or hotel room is.

Glad to hear what you guys are saying, just thought I'd ask. I do all of my own maintenance, and a lot of moderate jobs. I have someone else do the things that are too complicated for me, or that require very special tools.

I have replaced wheel bearings (hub module), axels, wiring harnesses etc., on my Outback. I generally would do alternators, starters, obviously hints like plugs, wires, filters, oil changes, transmission drain and fills. But I'm probably not going to pull the transmission, or dig into the engine past valve cover gaskets.

In my recent situation, I was headed out of town for 10 days, so I had a good shop replace the alternator that left me on the road. Who ever heard of a water-cooled alternator?:yikes:

Anyway, you are all giving me some good encouragement. Thanks.

On my 2004, nothing was needed (other than basic maintenance) for the first 8 years. I decided to overhaul the cooling system on year #8 (waterpump, T-stat, hoses, belts, expansion tank, fan clutch, etc.) - still nothing broke...just doing it as precaution. Then minor stuffs (valve cover gasket along with Vanos overhaul, oil filter housing gasket, crankcase vent, alternator, window regulator, etc.) about every other year after that. The Vanos overhaul wasn't really necessary - it was one of those "while you're in there" sort of thing during the valve cover gasket job.

The only time that the car almost left me stranded was with the dying alternator. But it got me home on that outing.

I too, almost didn't buy the X5 13 years ago due to all the negative reliability reviews on it. I'm glad I had ignored all those nay-sayers because I would have never get to enjoy this beast otherwise.

As has been said, the single most important factor when buying a used BMW (not just e53) is how well the previous owner(s) cared for it. If it was well maintained you will spend about $1000/yr in maintenance. If it was poorly maintained you will spend $2000-4000 the first year, and less than $1000/yr after that.

The above are just rough observations/figures from owning 15ish BMW's. Once they are up to date on maintenance/repairs/upgrades they are as reliable as anything else.

The fact that we have a few X5's with well over 200k miles is a good indicator. My X5 4.6is has 214k miles on it, and that's on the original engine. I did have to do a chain guide rebuild at 213k miles, but the fact that the engine made it to 213k miles without any major work is quite impressive. The original transmission made it to 200k before its rebuild as well. The i6-powered X5's last even longer.

From what I've learned and has been stated, the forums will rarely have people chime in saying the car has been great and nothing else. I did a bunch of research before buying my X and knew what the major problems where and associated cost to fix them. I'm a big DIYer and will tackle most things. The one thing with Bimmers I've noticed is parts are relatively cheap and if you DIY, up keep cost is not that bad. If you can't DIY you have to have deeeeeppp pockets. Once the major issues are addressed these things will run a long time. Big things being cooling system, alternator, timing guides, tranny, tacse/front drive shaft issue. After that there will always be little things but every car has them. I personally enjoy working on cars and "driving" them, so for me having a estroil 4.6 is awesome. It's rare, looks awesome and driving it is sublime. I would put it like this if you need transportation get a honda, if you want to actually drive get a bimmer, but having a back up car isn't a bad idea.

You're more than likely going to run into some type of problem if the PO didn't already fix the problem before selling the X. I've had mine since January 2014 and so far my back door outside handles have been broken, my passenger window regulator has broken (due to horrible tint by PO), sunroof leak and broken guide, and the front driveshaft clunks due to the AC drain. Other than that the car runs fantastic, haven't had any major engine problems besides a coil pack going out which was replaced the next day.

Here's my ditto...pile on...beat dead horse contribution.

If you hang out in front of the hospital everyday...then you're gonna see a lot of sick people...and may soon feel that everyone is dying! But how long have the staff (doctors, nurses, volunteers, etc) been working at the same hospital and are doing fine?

If you work in law enforcement/court system...you can become jaded into thinking that the world is all full of scum bags, theives, and degenerates...and loose hope in humanity.

Hanging around here is similar to hanging out around a hospital...must come here because they have a problem that they're trying to solve. But some of us (usually the regular posters that actually respond to posts) are not having issues...and either bought and maintained their BMWs, or shopped around for good examples and have gotten on a routine maintenance schedule...or found a project and brought her back to life. :)

If buying a used BMW...know that you may be getting a deal (as far as buy in price)...but even 10 years or more later...the vehicle is still a LUXURY vehicle and the cost of upkeep stays in that catagory. There's a lot of "extra" stuff that some brands/models don't have and are easier to maintain because they are simpler vehicles. The more "goodies" you add...the more it will cost to maintain that vehicle.

So yes, a 16 year old may be able to get into a formally $65K vehicle for $2500...but the cost of maintaining a 10-20 yr old used luxury vehicle is not for the faint of heart or heft of wallet or lack of mechanical experience or aptitude (especially if you're not a DIY'er or "hands-on" owner). :)

PPI's are a good start (pre-purchase inspection or post-purchase inspection) is highly recommended...from either a BMW dealership or good Indy. Even if the dealership's
"list" causes you to go into slight heart palpitations...at least you have an idea of the condition of the car. You can look at it multiple ways...run because it's more than you want to take on...or you can look at the things that need to be done immediately...determine if you can do them or if you'll need to pay to have it done...then look at the things you can put off to do later in the near future as you shop & collect the parts to do the work...and also know what maintenance/repair work that may be looming in the next few years. You may also be able to negotiate the price downward if the PPI reveals a lot of work needed. Again, its the best $100-$200 dollars you can spend...you'll know whether to walk away, run away, or buy. :)

I think I have one of the most complete repair summaries in the forum for a 3.0 model so here goes:

On a regular basis:

> Rotate tires, inspect pads & Rotors, CV boots, general lookover every 5000 miles
> Oil / Filter change every 8000 miles
> Brake fluid flush every 30,000 miles
> Replace belts and clean CCV every 100,000 miles
> Replace differential and transfer case fluid every 100,000 miles
> Replace sparkplugs every 120,000 miles
> Replace expansion tank, coolant and hoses every 150,000 miles
> Replace bake pads every 163,000 miles (Akebono ceramics)
> Replace rotors??? (241,000 miles on current Brembos)

My unplanned repairs have included:

> Front axles at 60,000 miles (Prior owner didn't maintain CV boots)
> FSR at 78,000 miles
> Two sparkplug coils and accessory belt tensioner at 124,000 miles
> Alternator at 126,000 miles
> Front driveshaft at 136,000 (used a salvage transfer case for cost savings)
> FSR (again) at 159,000 miles
> Thermostat and OFHG at 176,000 miles
> Rear differential seal at 200,000 miles
> Secondary air pump at 224,000 miles
> Rear suspension bushings and upper control arms at 242,000 miles
> Thermostat (again) at 245,000 miles - at least it was warranty this time
> Steering column double U-Joint shaft at 245,000 miles
> Valve cover gasket at 245,000 miles
> Both fuel tank sending units, fuel pump and canister at 245,000 miles
> Aux fan when the harness got chewed up in the mechanical fan and shorted out at 259,000 miles
> Pre-cat O2 sensors at 260,400 miles
> Water pump at 262,800 miles
> DISA Valve and MAF at 263,800 miles
> Thermostat (again) at 299,000 miles (don’t know what’s going on with these)
> Driver door handle carrier replaced a second time at 310,600 miles (thought they had these fixed finally)
> Intermediate accessory belt pulley at 310,600 miles
> Valve cover (not just the gasket) and oil filter housing gasket at 317,000 miles



The "Expected" replacements have been:

> All four window regulators
> Driver door handle carrier
> Front axle outer CV boots (each side one time)
> Front tension struts

All in all, except for the front driveshaft job that cost $4200, I have really been happy with the vehicle. It doesn't get babied, but I do monitor and maintain it. I think a lot of my good fortune is due to four things: I live in Texas with short winters so I don't have a lot of the CCV condensation problems, my daily commute is 60 miles so the engine oil always reaches full operating temperature, I run the "M" series viscosity engine oil from May through September when I my driving includes 3000 miles of towing a 1400 pound Waverunner and trailer, and I stick with Shell gasoline.

Additionally, I don't change the transmission fluid! I'm a firm believer in leaving it alone and simply installing a full re-manufactured transmission if it ever becomes necessary.

You'll have to pay a little closer attention to your cooling system and CCV because of your cooler temperatures, but a long life with these vehicles can be enjoyed!


And I have realized that each of my thermostat failures has occurred after a long period of idling (2-3 hours) in gridlock traffic during snow/ice storms here in Dallas. So I'm thinking that the thermostat is being "worked hard" electrically to restrict water flow to try and maintain the engine temperature and provide heat to the interior.



2002 X5 3.0 323,000 miles
2014 428i 27,000 miles


2004 325i sold at 123,600 miles
2001 325i sold at 66,000 miles


1970 Firebird - Under restoration

My Bmw's sometime go a few years without issues. My 545i seems to have problems pop up every few years. Last year the battery and voltage regulator went out. I replaced the battery with a Walmart one for 125.00 and the VR for 41.00 with a Valeo part. I did both of these myself and saved about 1500.00 since the dealer wanted to replace the entire alternator. This year my window regulator and door carriers are failing on my X5's. And to make things worse the door actuator had the section that holds the Bowden cable super glued together and it broke while removing the door card. Now I get to replace that with a Dorman brand for 114.00. Personally, if this is your only car and you do not have time or patience to be a DIY guy, these will get expensive fast at high miles. Otherwise it is just parts and your time.

The previous owners took very good care of the vehicle, and were very knowledgeable about BMWs and car maintenance/repair in general. That's one thing that increased my confidence to make the purchase.

Thanks for your reply,

It's not our only car, but it will be our long trip car. I don't like getting left on the road in some of the remote locations that we travel.

Thanks. Great reply. I'm struggling because in order to keep it, I have to sell our dead reliable Subaru that gets us everywhere, and through everything, without a whimper. But this X5 is SO nice!

Great answer, thanks. I did have the vehicle inspected. It was after I bought it because I know the PO and his level of skill very well. The transmission in this one has no issues at all thus far, all of the drive train is very solid, and most of the other expected issues here have already been done, including the valley pan recently, and now the alternator. The only one I keep seeing that has not been addressed, or been a problem yet, is the timing guides. I'll keep that in mind and look into symptoms and repair. I would assume it would be a rattle at start up when the problem starts, but I'll check that out.

Thanks for all the great replies everyone.

Most reliable and cheapest car in term of maintenance that I ever owned was my Ford Ranger pickup truck. Most expensive and unreliable cars were/are the Lotus. Good thing I don't drive those cars any longer.

:iagree: with ALL of the above....:thumbup:

You can't count on any answer to be what you will experience. The best takeaways are the suggestions how to minimize the risk prior to purchase----PPI, Maintenance history, clean Carfax, buy as low mileage as you can find, be much more picky if you can't DIY, don't get emotionally involved in the purchase, search out low mileage southern vehicle as risk of higher cost repairs goes up quite a bit after 100,000 miles, look for an X5 that shows that owner valued the vehicle more than just as transportation, one or two owners---go overboard on due diligence. Regardless of how great the find have an annual budget for repairs.These are old vehicles in the stage of their lives where they are more prone to get sick. IMO I will wear out before long before my 4.6 does.

I think the most important point made is that forums are scary if you inhale all the negatives and expected to hear anything remotely close to a balance of positives.

I am one of those that has had a great experience with a 4.6 I bought new. I have 118,000 miles racked up and it looks and drives like new. I am a very happy owner.

I wish we bought a 3.0l one.

We had ours for 9 years now and I should tell you that it was and is a complete money pit,but I like that it's a relatively easy vehicle to DIY and that's the only thing that kept me somewhat calm and away from driving it down the cliff,or burning it down.

Last summer I convinced to get a non-runner donor and it's stored at the cottage for odd spare parts and as a powertrain rebuilding project.

Does it last long between the repairs?...not really,maybe 3 months on average.
Definitely not a good option as an only vehicle for a family.

Guys are right that most of us here complain about issues which many people may not even experience.I think it's not so,as just recently I saw(locally) two E53s being sold with blown trannies and failed guides,both under 200,000 kms,and I leave in a tiny city.
0.02 :)

Yeah, unfortunately, the more I read about the frequent and expensive repairs that seem so common on these, I think I'm going to sell the one I just bought. It has no issues at all right now, so that may be a good time to sell it.

I do a lot of my own work on my cars, but some of what I read on here is more involved than I want to get. I may do the work, but its not something I do for a hobby. I'd rather be doing many other things than working on cars.

It is a wonderful vehicle, but I don't think I am going to get to where I can actually trust it, so why have it. Someone else can enjoy it. I hope it serves them well.

If you cannot trust it though it's offered no reason, getting rid of it ASAP is a very good idea. The first bit of trouble will have you telling yourself you should have listened.:thumbup:

Leaving me on the road 100 miles from home the first time I took it out of town was a reason. But, I can forgive that. It's more that so many of the people on this very forum, people that love their X's seem to have very frequent problems. If I could keep it as a third car, I probably would, but that's not practical for us for several reasons.

The problem is that I am somewhat addicted to driving it, and having a hard time letting it go.

Ahhh, the pretty face and ungodly nice a$$ syndrome! We know that one well. Most BMW owners suffer this malady. Only shrugged shoulders and money help. But make no mistake:

There is no cure! :D

It's nice to be understood.:D

Yeah, you are NOT alone... ;)

I don't have frequent problems, bought it new.

^ I've also not had frequent problems. I am the third owner and bought at 90,000 miles.

I do lots of preventative maintenance however rather than waiting for failures. I throw many fully functional/serviceable parts into the trash bin. Especially when it comes to suspension and cooling system parts as those are on a ~100,000 mile service interval for me.

If you bought yours used, and you wait for things to start breaking, they will, and that will of course affect reliability. If you are proactive then you can avoid the headaches but not the work if DIY or expense if not.

The others are right, BMW's are high maintenance girls. And you are not alone in your loving the way they drive. We feel your pain. My wife and I solved this issue by owning 4 of them (not a brag, they are all older). :yikes: 2 X5's, 1 X3, and a 325i convertible. When one goes down for service, we have others we can jump into without missing a beat. I realize that's not a luxury everyone has or is practical for everyone either.

At the end of the day you have to decide what your priorities are as to whether to keep or sell. Good luck, breaking the BMW habit is not an easy thing to do. Ask anyone here. :thumbup:

This.

This has been the secret to my success with the E53 as well. Like any unexpected repair, I've been delayed, but never stranded. Neither of the '04's I've driven for 13 years and over 200k miles has seen a flatbed. Proactive maintenance- getting in front of known/expected issues before they explode is central to this experience.

But then of course, the '01 is the 3rd E53 I've had lots of time with. We bought it new for my mother-in-law. It's been towed 2-3 times in 16.5 years and 110k. It's even the more 'reliable' 3.0 driven- literally- by a little old lady. :rofl:

For the second time in two years, I will send my wife, my daughter and a group of 'BFF's' out of town for a birthday celebration in the '01 3.0. I don't expect to have to rescue anyone. :fishing:

+1 on the preventive stuff. I've had to do a bunch of maint on my '05 but as you learn the vehicle (and read this forum!) you can keep ahead of any issues that might lead to a breakdown.

I've replaced items like thermostats, wheel bearings, brakes rotors and engine breathers etc. - items which all gave plenty of warning that their time was up, either by symptoms appearing or by mileage/time in service.

And like PropellerHead, I've recently sent my wife and daughter off in the X5 for a multi-day road trip without any concerns about reliability. :thumbup:

And +1 on what crystalworks said - "If you are proactive then you can avoid the headaches but not the work... " ;)

I did replace the radiator, thermostat and all hoses preemptively. The Valley Pan, water pump, VC Gaskets, plugs, and a number of other things had just been done. The brakes are fairly new, and all of the suspension, steering, and driveline components show no signs of problems. The alternator showed no sign of an issue until it froze up.

The one that has me so nervous is the chain guide issue. That's the one that is making me wonder if I want to stick with the vehicle or not. It is in prime shape right now to either enjoy or sell. And I did just add roadside assistance to my insurance for the first time in my life - so that is proactive I guess. :-)

I appreciate all the input.

The alternators are hard to diagnosis and sometimes they just crap out. In reality if all you have left is the tranny and chain guides. Those are both items you can be proactive with. The guides are something that you can do now and not worry about for a very long time. Yes, its a very intense undertaking, not cheap even to DIY, but once it's done you should get plenty of miles. Tranny is a toss up, but when you start having issues it's obvious. Worst case you can find rebuilds for about 3k. To do a service on them isn't hard and is about $200 for parts and fluid. At the end of the day though it's still a performance vehicle and will need more things than just a car. Really only you can make that choice of if it's worth the driving pleasure to trade some maintenance cost. Brakes are more, tires are more; everything is more but you get a hell of a lot more enjoyment out of driving it. Personally, if I was in your shoes I'd sell it, look at getting a 3.0 X5, 4runner or something more daily friendly. It's great vehicle but I wouldn't daily mine, would rather beat on my jeeps!

This pretty much describes where I am with the whole thing right now. I have decided to put 3 to 5 thousand miles on it, and see how we are feeling about it. If we are going to keep it, it has to be used in our daily lives. We don't have the room, time, or finances for a garage queen. The car is in such fine shape, I can tell already that I won't want to take it some of the places that I go in the Outback, even though their off pavement capabilities are about the same. I couldn't bear to get any brush scratches on this paint - etc. So, in the long-run, I will likely sell it to a good home. But I plan to enjoy it for a few months first.

I added all Dinan products available for the engine after the 'break in' period. I added meth and 150 shot of nitrous several years ago. I have driven it hard for 118,000 miles.

I have replaced the chain tensioner with the updated design but have not done the timing guide PM. I am aware I could have a catastrophic failure and the risk is higher because of mods. I do have a pre PM routine that I think is thorough if there is warning.