Good driving habits make for long lasting cars/SAVs. Poor habits = lots of parts!

On my own 4.8is front struts replaced at 40K, Upper arms in the rear gone at 64K.

The same drivers got a heck of a lot more life out of suspension parts on other vehicles. Including other BMWs. The E53's suspension is just not very durable.

They made some of the parts tougher vs. the 5 series it's based on but the bushings; not so much.


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Same applies to E70.



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Fragile is the term I use on our E53's

All BMW's needs a complete front suspension by 100,000 miles. I just did my Dad's F10 5er though and the whole front end was shot by 80,000 miles. Struts wouldn't even rebound.

I find the rears last longer... but +100,000 miles it's good practice to do all suspension related components if you want to experience the way the vehicle is supposed to feel. BMWs are hard on suspensions... is what it is, and why they drive the way they do. You can upgrade to poly bushings or other aftermarket solutions if you want more longevity and are willing to give up a small amount of compliance.

Actually that's a hugely valid point. Worn out to the point of shedding tires and worn out to just not handle like it should are two very different things. I'll be doing some related testing soon and maybe proactive upgrades will be coming.

* my experience with poly bushings has been that the lifespan is usually less than rubber. Also, if they are installed in a pivot point, they require regular regreasing. I mostly recommend sticking to rubber with limited exceptions.

With all the weight e53 have the suspension parts take a beating. How long can you dive on worn out parts? Forever. I had a drop off of a 200K mile one. Everything was original except tires and brake pads.

You can't drive very long on worn wishbone joint! My rear tires wore through the steel belts in two weeks!