Is it worth it?
 

Hi everyone,

I'm Steve and I find myself in a unique position. I am shopping for a car and have recently found the process of buying a car in 2022 to be... appalling. So, I have decided to forgo purchasing a brand new car or a slightly used one that cost as much as a new one and look for something I can buy with cash. While there are a few Toyotas and Hondas out there that will be reliable, I find myself drawn to the luxury and style of the E53 X5.

So my question to the forum is, is it crazy to buy a 18 year old BMW for a daily driver and road trip car? I have found a couple candidates in my area with roughly 100,000 miles. They are all facelift models with the M54 inline 6-cylinder. This car will mainly be a commuter, but occasionally tow my utility trailer on runs to the hardware store for the house and road trips that will range from 600 - 2000 miles round trip.

I fully expect to do the following things after purchaser to hopefully ensure reasonable reliability. This is a car that I'd like to drive for the next 2 - 3 years and probably put sixty to eighty thousand miles on.

In summary, is it worth it to daily an E53 and will it be reasonably reliable?

List of work I plan to do after purchasing the X5
- Oil Change (x2 within 500 miles) to flush the engine
- Transfer case fluid service
- Diff fluid service (front and rear)
- Engine tune-up (plugs and coils)
- PCV valve and hose replacement
- Alternator
- Brake flush
- Belts and tensioners
- Entire cooling system replacement
- Transfer case repair (plastic gear)
- Wipers, bulbs, other miscellaneous items
- Inspect brakes (replace if needed)
- Inspect CV axles (replace if needed)

Thanks for your help!

60-80k in 2-3 years? That’s quite a daily.

I don’t think the E53 is particularly pleasant on the highway.. it will likely have a fair amount of wind/road noise and if it has a sunroof (most do) it will have more wind noise.

You can make an E53 reliable. I would add the hard coolant pipes and a brake line refresh to your list.

Unless you have the time and interest in fixing the many niggling issues - some serious- I do not think an E53 is a good choice.

I chalk some of the E53 issues up to the fact that it was an early US-made car.. quality was not as good as the European-made BMW’s IMO…

I have owned two E53’s and drive one daily now…

In short, yes I think its worth it. If you can find a decent one for a good price and do the maintenance yourself, it's not a bad choice. The M54 is a reliable engine, a bit lethargic in the X5 but still enough to be satisfying.

The cooling system is the most important in my opinion.
Radiator, water pump, housing if plastic, thermostat, expansion tank, hoses, fan clutch, etc.

Coil replacement isnt necessary in my opinion, just carry a spare. You may want a code reader to reset transfer case adaptation values after the fluid change. Some may argue you don't need it but I disagree. I used my Foxwell NT520. The only other thing you may want to consider is a trans filter change, and be prepared for some suspension component replacements.

For what it's worth, my second vehicle choice was a 2001-2007 Toyota Sequoia or an LX470. I also have an Avalanche and would consider replacing the X5 with another one. Those 2 vehicles are in similar price ranges and fit my needs in a daily driver.

Yes, a ton of miles for sure. I love a good road trip. A few times a year I'll make a 600 mile round trip and a couple times a 2,000 mile trip.

I can definitely add the lines to my list. My #1 E53 that I am looking at is a one-owner that spent its entire life in North Carolina. It is very clean with 130,000 miles and a factory tow package which is important to me.

I don't mind doing all my own maintenance, so long as the car is not calling for it every weekend. Preventative and as-needed maintenance does not scare me.

The M54 is the only power plant I'll consider. It seems dead reliable and even the VANOS parts seem easy enough to repair in my garage. If I could find a 6-speed manual, I'd be set, but those are definitely hard to find.

I'll definitely have a code reader ready for whatever. Good point on the trans service, easy enough while I'm down there for everything else as well. I'm looking at non-sport package X5s to avoid the air suspension to keep it simple on that front as well.

I'm toying with the idea of a good 3rd gen 4Runner or GMT800 truck. But, the 4runner is hard to find in good condition and all the GMTs are just a little too big for what I need. I have always love the looks and simple cleanliness of the late 90s - early 00s BMWs and keeping one on the road seems like something special to me. Before too long, they will all be computers with 4 wheels and no soul. So, I think that is why my excitement might be out-weighing my logic a bit. Because if I was logical, I'd be buying a Toyota, no questions asked.

Thank you both for your replies!

I don't think it's logical at all to pay those prices for used Toyotas. And I am a born-and-bred Toyota guy. Our dilemma was that anything Japanese (such as a 4Runner or Xterrra) was $15-20k for the same year/mileage as an E53, which we paid $6k for with only 93k miles, six years ago. Even 20-year-old 4Runners with 200k cost twice that around here. There is a huge value proposition in the E53 platform, IMO, since it is far nicer than any Japanese car of its vintage and costs much less. You just have to be prepared to do a lot of preventative maintenance if you want to make it reliable. Plus, the E53 drives and feels much less like a truck.

Definitely stick to the M54 if you want reliability. Unfortunately with the facelift models, you can't avoid at least rear air suspension, and some cars have it at all four corners. That is one guaranteed maintenance item that can strand you if you don't get to it first. (EDIT: I believe 2004-2006 non-sport models did have air suspension in the rear but I might be wrong.)

You have the PCV valve listed, but the entire PCV system needs to be torn apart and cleaned or replaced. It depends on how bad the sludge damage is. In Mississippi you may be OK because temperatures are not very low, but if the PO only drove short trips it may still have caused sludge buildup. BMW calls it the CCV (crankcase ventilator) in literature.

I also opted for a manual transmission to avoid having any issues with the automatic. Definitely find one if you can (and if you want it). The manual transmission is bulletproof and the 5MT/6MT cars actually have higher tow ratings than the autos.

Speaking of, if you want to tow at all, ever, find one with the factory hitch AND towing module. It is difficult and expensive to retrofit unless you find all the OEM hitch hardware on a junkyard car. The factory hitch is very complicated and has many pieces, and it's so big and heavy that it's difficult to ship. If you don't use the OEM towing module you will have alarms on your dash when you tow.

Also, buy a Foxwell the day you bring the car home. Don't mess around with anything else.

Hope that helps. I have had mine for six years, I tow a camper trailer over mountain passes with it all summer, and have never had a breakdown-stranding-driver. I just checked my maintenance spreadsheet and I've spent almost $4,000 in those six years on maintenance (including tires). Adding in the $6,300 purchase price it is still cheaper than the 200k-mile, beat up 4Runners I was looking at originally.

My April ‘06 is a non sport model. No air suspension on it. The one key option I didn’t find when looking for an X5 was a towing package. M54 was my only preference. I chose mine based on info gathered from this site. A Foxwell Pro has served well. To complete my set up, I need software to code new modules and make changes. Good luck. Finding one under 100k miles is sweet. You can base maintenance on items needed as they wear out.

Good to know, sounds like I had bad information. Hopefully OP can find one like that as well.

I owned an ‘05 and an ‘06.. still own the former. The ‘06 had the sports package, but no airbag suspension. The ‘05 (no sports pkg) also does not have air suspension.

Of all the woes that an E53 can bring into your life, I would consider the rear air suspension to be the least woeful. I replaced both rear bags immediately after getting mine because one blew on the transport from CO to TX. The pair cost me under $300 and took about 4 pretty easygoing hours to swap. That said I have pretty skewed view because now that I've done the timing guides on my m62 I fear not even fear itself, except maybe doing any work in the driveway in the middle of summer, I do fear that.

The major issues on an E53 can be solved with aggressive maintenance. What you’re missing on your list is a suspension refresh. The service life of E53 suspension bushings and many of the balljoints is about 80k.

Avoid the panoramic roof.

There were about a thousand 6MT X5s built. I’ve got one and love it. I wouldn’t be in an E53 without the stick.

I’m the original owner and have done a lot of preventive maintenance as well as repairs over the years, but I still love the vehicle and it runs as well as new, I would not be concerned about taking it on a long trip. I have the M62 and gaskets have been a recurring problem, timing chain, valve cover, and the most challenging gasket- the dreaded valley pan gasket. Also, rear brake lines are prone to urgently fail due to rust at the exposed connections and bends, ask me how I know that. I don’t think suspension components are more vulnerable than other vehicles, bushings and ball joints wear out, and at 100k will need replacement. Welcome to the group.

LOL!


I think all E53 owners will eventually develop this mentality, having to do so many repair tasks you will start to develop feelings of invulnerability. I have found myself planning out my road map to a fully-depreciated Cayenne GT-S with the flat-plane V8 and six-speed manual as my next family camper tow vehicle.

My '03 has been an absolute maintenance hog since passing 90k miles. I bought it in '06 with 43k miles and have had pretty much every failure that is documented on XO. Now at 145k it is well sorted and I have not had anything happen since the beginning of 2022 but the intervening 50k miles have taught me more about the e53 than I ever wanted to know. However, it is a great car to own and I am not considering parting with it.

My kids pretty much use this as a DD to their respective colleges and it serves as the grovery-getter since it is the smallest vehicle we own and hence easy to park.

Is it worth it? Only if you have: a. another backup car, b. ample time on your hands to wrench, c. know how to use the BMW software on a PC and d. you can spare the 3k a year (on average even with DIY) to keep it running. It is a hobby object more than a car.... :-)

I own an '06 with the M54 3.0. I have 268,000 miles on it. It is my daily driver. I have put as much as 30,000 miles a year down to my current 10,000. There have been some on this board with over 300,000 miles. It is a great daily IMHO. As long as you get a good price, with only 100,000 miles I think, if you're realistic and it sounds like you are, they're good cars. I love mine. Your list of work sounds like the items that should all be addressed in an X5 of that age. I would add a full suspension refresh if none has been done by the PO. Those parts are only good for about 100,000 miles, especially the rear ball joints. You can also expect the oil filter housing to start to leak and eventually the pan gasket. My pan gasket is leaking and I have to replace it, but need a big block of time to do it as it is a PITA and not a job that I would pay anyone to do as it will probably cost more than the X is worth at this point. I would also take a look at the motor mounts. Good luck with your new ride!

the 2000-2006 BMW X5 is the worst vehicle that BMW has made.

If one was given to me in pristine condition that did not need any work i would sell it the same day.

If you are looking for a reliable vehicle, this is not it.

Also avoid the 2007-2013 ones.

If your looking for a daily driver, consider a 2016-2017 X3 N20 Motor, or a 2012-2015 with its Timing Chain and Turbo replaced already.

I would say the title of worst bmw ever made is without question held by the E65 745i what with engines eating themselves from both ends and all. Calling an engine that requires a turbo and timing chains replaced to be dependable is kind of an oxymoron though. The old M54s have in many chassis been proven to 300k+ miles with no major intervention.

I disagree. I have been daily driving my X since 2016. I put about 120,000 miles on it in that time. The M54 engine when properly cared for is practically bulletproof. 300,000 miles is definitely doable. Now the V8's are unreliable. Only time I've ever been stranded by my X is when alternators and batteries have died. The other times it was my own fault.

lol. The E53 isn’t that well built, but you recommend an N20? :lol:

I think I might have been in a similar position to the OP when I bought my first X5 in 2018, a 2002 with just over 20k on the clock.

At the time, I needed to buy a car for my business, but didn't want the cost, depreciation, or truthfully all of the automated features of a new car. I wanted something that for the most part I could maintain myself.

I was certainly not unfamiliar with the ongoing maintenance costs of an aging BMW but the asking price and condition of the particular car I was looking at made it seem like a worthwhile gamble. I knew what I was getting into to some extent, having previously owned a 2006 X3 (bought new) with the same M54 engine. It was super reliable right up until the time I sold it at around 167K. In retrospect, I wish I had kept that car for my son to learn to drive with, but I was out of garage space. In a perfect world I would have just built a bigger garage. :-)

Another factor for me was that the the GVWR of the X5 put it just over the threshold for the Section 179 "Heavy" vehicles that allowed a 100% bonus depreciation in the first year. Can't beat that!

My wife liked the car so much that early the next year when we happened to find a one-owner 05 X5 3.0 being traded in at the local dealership with under 19K on the clock (!), we snapped that one up and haven't looked back. So for better or worse, we've now got two of them in the garage for less than half the price of, say, a new Honda Pilot.

Even with the ongoing maintenance costs, those numbers are working for me so far, and I plan to keep the X5s as long as I can continue affording the maintenance costs. And the cost of filling the darn tanks.

Chris

Compared to what I'm used to, the X5 gets pretty good fuel economy. It also has a fuel tank sized for its fuel consumption. I don't mind the fuel cost to fill as long as I don't have to go to the station that often.

In comparison, I've always known that the fuel consumption of the E90 M3 was terrible, but the small tank will never not be annoying. It's so bad that BMW throws the low fuel light at a quarter tank. City driving with a 16.6 gallon tank and 9mpg isn't great. It's pretty common for me to get the low fuel light before the trip odometer hits 100 miles. :rofl:

All BMWs are maintenance hogs because they’re complicated and arguably over engineered. If you stretch financially to buy one and then can’t afford to do maintenance on it, you’re going to have big problems.

But if you’re buying cheap for cash and then plan on spending money on upkeep, it’s probably cheaper than buying new or newer. It’s always cheaper to repair than buy new.

My daily driver is an X5 I bought for cash and and I’ve had minimal issues. I love it. I do put money into it on upkeep and preventative maintenance. I’ve had it for 8 years now and spent $8k initially with about $4k maintenance total. Not counting tires. So, about $1500 per year in cost. Dirt cheap.

That's been my experience as well. It works out much better than a car payment and I get to drive a car that is fun to drive. I also happen to enjoy working on it, so that's another plus.

Exactly. I enjoy driving it and also enjoy working on it.

Same here... I am in about $10,500 for purchase price plus six years of maintenance. For reference, on my local craigslist there is a private-party 1999 4Runner with the 3.4l and 251k miles for the exact same price!


Or I could choose a 2009 4runner with 97k miles for ... wait for it ... $27,500!


There is NOTHING logical about used Toyota prices anymore.

Hahaha… :bustingup

I am pretty sure maintenance and repairs are a common practice for motor vehicle ownership.

When it comes to the E53.. It’s simply amazing the capabilities of this SAV. The P75 version has thoroughly proven this!

https://youtu.be/enG-XzZrg68

Nothing wrong with an E53 as long as it hasn't spent time in winter salt use environments. Following is my complete replacement activity prior to selling my 2002 at 389,000 miles. At that point, I lost reverse gear - probably a solenoid as absolutely nothing happened when I moved the shifter into reverse, yet it still had all five forward gears. The buyer said he knew what it was and was happy to get a rust free vehicle with the factory hitch.



On a regular basis:

> Rotate tires, inspect pads & Rotors, CV boots, general look over every 5000 miles
> Oil / Filter change every 8000 miles
> Brake fluid flush every 30,000 miles
> CV Boot replacement generally every 75,000 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 brake pads every 163,000 miles (Akebono ceramics)
> Replace rotors-once at 63,000 miles (325,000 miles on current Brembos)
> Automatic transmission fluid – leave it alone in the GM 5L40-E

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 and transfer case at 136,000 (used a salvage TC for cost savings)
> FSR (again) at 159,000 miles
> Thermostat and OFHG at 176,000 miles
> Front tension struts and power steering pressure hose at 192,000 miles
> Rear differential seal at 200,000 miles
> Secondary air pump at 224,000 miles
> Rear suspension bushings and upper rear 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 264,000 miles
> Thermostat (again) at 299,000 miles (don’t know what’s going on with these)
> Driver door handle carrier again at 310,600 miles (thought they had these fixed finally)
> Intermediate accessory belt pulley and oil level sensor at 310,600 miles
> Valve cover (not just the gasket) and OFHG at 317,000 miles (No measurable wear on camshaft lobes)
> All spark plug coils, MAF and fuel filter at 342,400 miles
> Third FSR at 347,000 miles
> Fourth FSR & harness connector at 357,000 miles – warranty this time
> Engine mounts and rear driveshaft guibo at 357,000 miles
> MAF, Thermostat (again!!!), All front CV boots 361,700 miles
> Pre-cat O2 sensor (Bank #1) at 366,000 miles
> Secondary air pump at 368,000 miles (prior was a used one off eBay)
> Air injection check valve at 377,000 miles
> Front brake tension struts at 378,000 miles
> Catalytic converters at 383,000 miles



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.

I do believe I’ve figured out what goes on with the thermostat failures. Each one occurred within days of an extended idling period (3-4 hours) while commuting home at a crawl during very cold, icy weather. Under these conditions, every bit of engine heat was consumed trying to keep the windshield clear and the interior warm, so the engine thermostat would have been powered to stay closed or nearly closed most of the time. I suspect a higher current flow to the thermostat for that amount of time simply “burned it up”.

it's the unplanned repairs that I worry about
 

srmmm- I can't guarantee that I can (or will) maintain my 2001 E53 3.0i as well as you did your 2002, nor need to, as I only drive very little anymore. And the previous owner already did the "regular basis" items over the 3.5 years that he spent rebuilding the X5, prior to our agreed car-for-car swap last year, so I won't need to for awhile, since I've only put <800 miles on it in 13 months.

He also replaced/rebuilt the cooling system (but left the mechanical fan for me to upgrade to electric), the suspension (not a loose bushing or bad bearing to be found), put in new axles & CV boots where needed, and replaced O2 sensors and even the complete rear exhaust system, and lastly, the Vanos, timing chain, and guides. So, there hasn't been much under the hood or body to mess with, except for lean codes, caused by a failed MAF, since I got it.

I'm keeping your list of "unplanned repairs", as a sorta guide to watch-out for. At my current 2.01 "miles driven-per-day owned" rate, my X5 will reach your 2002 X5's mileage after 242+ years.
Attachment 82260

What a record! Nice write up! :2thumbs:

I bought mine a couple of years back and have spend more than the purchse value in maintenance. This was partially neglected maintenance, some unplanned failures (clutch fan, coolant pump) and ugrades (android head unit, hitch and a set of winter wheels)

is it good value... not sure. But I love driving the car, I feel it has more character than newer cars with double the price tag, and since I mainly use it in the winter and for hauling stuff, I don't mind filling it up with all sorts of junk. Also the wife loves it now so I can't get rid of it :D

I've really enjoyed reading all of the different perspectives in this thread. The only opinion I can't really relate to is that the E53s are somehow "the worst vehicle that BMW has made." Hell, who knows ... maybe in time I will come to feel this way as well, but I hope not. :-)

One thing that stands out to me is that if you're considering owning one of these cars (or, really, any car of this age), you'd better (1) be willing to do most maintenance items yourself, (2) be pretty diligent about those maintenance items, and (3) actually enjoy doing them and learning about the car! Alternately, I guess, you could just have tons of disposable income that you don't mind parting with often and freely.

If I had to take my X5s into a shop every time something popped up, I would certainly not enjoy owning them nearly as much. As it is, in my 4 years of E53 ownership I've enjoyed learning about the cars and all of the interesting idiosyncrasies of German engineering. For the most part, I've found mine to be a pleasure to work on. And the collective wisdom of this list has been a HUGE help.

I guess in some sense it might be a "hobby" as some have mentioned, but I think it's more of a self-reliance/preparedness mindset. I consider time spent learning about vehicles to be very well spent and valuable, regardless of the vehicle.

What's that old saying from the John Muir VW manual? ... Come to kindly terms with your ass, for it bears you? :-)

Chris

Love this thread. Especially that it didn’t spiral downhill like these tend to on other boards.

I’ve had my 2002 since new and it’s moved from my wife’s daily driver, to the third car, to my kids beater, and now my project car. The 4.4 had 153k on it when I swapped it out. It needed a full re-seal and was indicating lower compression in two cylinder
S, but was running strong. Never did the timing guides but plan on a rebuild into a M60B44 project at some point now that it’s out and will be interested in what I find. I wouldn’t shy away from the M62 necessarily, but it would need to have had the timing guides and all the usual seals and gaskets done recently. It’s a fun motor.

The biggest expense I had for the car before the new motor, was a reman ZF tranny and torque converter. Mine failed at around 120k but had been showing signs of failure for 20k or so. My air suspension has been great, and I chose to keep it (rear only on mine) when I put the lift on. Some guy in Europe sells, or used to sell, a rebuild kit for the compressor that guys liked a lot, and new bags from Arnot are available.

If the following hasn’t been done, and in addition to basic service items, Id expect to have to work your way through:
Complete vacuum line/component refresh
Complete cooling system refresh, including pump
Complete suspension refresh (all four corners)
Brake system flush and bleed
Rear subframe bushings
Engine mounts
Axles and or CV boots if you catch them in time

The winds regulators and plastic clips that carry the glass are terrible. Speaking of plastic - 20 year old German plastic doesn’t age well and can tend to explode when you look at it wrong. Invest in zip ties and find some good eBay sources for stuff.

I neglected mine for many years while my kids were driving it and have had to throw a lot of parts at it over the past year. I’m shooting for daily driver status, but just when I think I’m there, she stumbles. The cooling system has been the big issue, and most of the problems have been my fault. I’m down for a blown hose (which I didn’t replace during my swap and likely routed incorrectly) and will do the steering double joint at the same time.

There’s a good thread on the bimmerforum with guys long term feedback on the early X5s. Worth a read maybe.

i have a ton of parts ready to sell thats not been in installed my car e53 because the transfer case just went .. and its for sale as well s any other parts that are needed [email protected] if anybody needs anything soe stuff is free other stuff for sale

What year and what engine?

i think you are forgetting that the X5 also comes with the same N62 engine option as the E65? And I would be happy to inherit a 2012-2015 N20 that had its timing chain and turbocharger replaced already, or just look at the 2016-2017 as i originally recommended that doesnt have known timing chain issues. If you dont think driving a car that has had its achillies heels fixed before purchasing it is dependable then i would hate to see what you think about an E53 that had all the common issue parts replaced and honestly labelling that as "dependable"

Some car owners in general keep a spare quart of oil and coolant in their normal every day cars. The average E53 M54 owner should have Gallons of oil(maybe even a tanker), coolant, door lock actuators, window regulators, axle boots, brake lines, expansion tanks, blower resistors, tail lamp assemblies in their emergency kit. LOL

Totally disagree with what you think an e53 owner needs in their kit. While my truck leaks a little oil from the pan, it uses very little oil, especially since getting rid of the CCV. I use a quart in 5000 miles. By the time it needs to be topped up it's time for an oil change. I don't use coolant as my system is tight. Yes, I've had to replace an expansion tank a radiator and thermostats, who hasn't on a car over 100,000 miles? Certainly don't need to carry spares. Never had a door lock actuator failure (door handle carriers, yes), never had window regulator failure, axle boots will crack on any car that has them eventually, no problem with my brake lines, never had an FSR go out on me. Yes, the tail lamp assemblies are weak, but once you put the "fix" on them, they're fine. I haven't had one burn out since I did it. 268,000 miles and still going strong.

The e53 with the M54 has been quite reliable as a daily driver for me. It just has to be maintained. The problem now is most of the older X5's on the market haven't been properly maintained. If I were to buy an old one now I'd only buy it cheap and plan on putting several thousand dollars into it.

The 4.8is is a small sampling of the E53 model run and for some reason had less issues than the e65, possibly because people with the 4.8is cared for them better.

By your logic any M62TU vehicle with the timing chain guides done is at the top of the reliability spectrum, so is any recent S-series engine that has had the rod bearings replaced, or any N62 that has had the valve guide issue treated. An N20 turbo replacement is what $2k in parts? If we're talking cost for remediating the "Achilles heel" of any of the aforementioned vehicles then every E53 is cheaper to own, hell an S85 bearing job is WAY cheaper. In stock form the M54 is hard to beat in reliability and cost to maintain.

All BMWs, nay all German vehicles leak oil sooner or later, every single one.

you are mistaken. the 2004-2006 4.4i is also a N62. and they made plenty of them. If they are in cold climate states, then its even worse especially with intermediate levers. The E65 didnt suffer as much as the E53 did.

i dont consider any E53 that has had any of its common parts replaced already dependable or reliable.

I've seen repeat failures on timing chain guides on 400k mileage plus on M62TU. Seems like the parts design has not changed or improved.

But on a N20, the new timing chain/guides have held up.

comparing for example E9x vehicles. The 2008-2013 M3 is more reliable when compared to a 2006-2013 N52 motor. you will spend more on the regular series vehicle than the M3. Most M3 owners do rod bearings 1 time only. For any E53 x5, let me know how many gaskets have been replaced over and over again, valve covers that crack, how much oil consumed, cv boots/axle boots replaced, window regulators failed again, door lock carries, window regulators. repeat failures over and over again.

Lots of opinions offered. So what did you decide? Are you in or are you out?

-Chris

I'm not reading this whole thread but I had a couple of things to add. First, I consider the car to be pretty high maintenance...in spurts that is. I've honestly had more issues with things other than the drivetrain which I find relatively dependable and low maintenance.

Most of the discussion here is around the cooling system, suspension etc. That's a given. Some of the stuff that may not have come up, which has been discussed ad nauseam in this forum and which I have experienced multiple times.

Broken Door handle carriers - 6 carriers on two cars
Broken window regulators
Broken window regulator clips
Dead pixels in radio/cluster
Headliner failure
Key cylinder failure
Mind-altering squeaks from rear hatch bump stops
alternator voltage reg failure
power steering hoses WILL leak
Oil filter housing gasket will leak - replace once with Viton version
aux water pump is toast on 90% of junkyard cars - albeit not critical
oil pan gasket WILL need replacing ($1500-$2000)
the car will EAT brakes depending on your pad and rotor combo - 30k mile intervals
you will likely need a brake caliper refresh during your proposed ownership period.

YMMV. My older e53 is still kicking with the OEM ignition coils. 220k miles.

The problem with something like a broken window regulator clip ($4 part) is that it can wreak all kinds of havoc even though it is relatively simple to fix ...like yesterday when my wife took my car (hers is getting a dent fixed), the clip broke, somehow jammed up the door handle works (don't ask me how) and the window stuck down. she had to drive home in the rain with the window down.

I was able to fix it, but if you are on a 2000 mile trip, you either pay somebody $600+ to fix that (because you aren't going to find an indy who will shoot you straight) or you drive with your window stuck down, OR get in through the passenger side if the window is stuck in the up position.

and the number of tools and gadgets that have to come out to fix something like this never ceases to amaze me. a small hammer, magnetic retriever, non-marring pry tools, t20 bit (with extension), and ALWAYS ALWAYS a bunch of door rivets, which break or go flying into the ether. Hard to carry all that with you. Increasingly with age, the door rivet brackets rip off the door panel itself turning a 45 minute affair into an overnight one and driving without a door panel...which WILL have a new rattle when your put it back on.

e53 is the only car I have driven in the past 12 years (two of them, both higher mileage 100k plus) and I've had only high mileage BMWs since 1999. I think this is my last one though. They are fantastic...IF you stay on top of it aggressively. But I am more concerned with not getting stranded these days. Not a big deal if I get stuck in town but I'd probably think twice about it if I were taking so many long trips.

That is a thorough list…

For this one: “…Mind-altering squeaks from rear hatch bump stops..”

Have you tried the upgraded OEM, spring-loaded bump stops ?

Do you happen to have a part number for those?

Thanks!

I second this. The new design bump stops are way better than the oe. As close as we can get to a soft close.

RealOEM has the correct part number, the old one has been fully superseded even if you search by your vin it will give you the number for the updated one.

I checked RealOEM, got the part number checked in FCP and this is what they have. Doesn't look spring loaded. https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...op-51247141879

This is what I am talking about...They don't look spring-loaded, but they are. The spring is installed internally.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...53-51247171558

they are sold as left and right side..The above is right side. The left side is part# 51247171557...

Well worth the upgrade if your E53 has the original fixed stopper as my '05 did.

I'm guessing that you looked up the bumps top rubber, not the assembly. I got the pn from RealOEM some time ago for the spring loaded guys.

Thanks! Damn those are expensive!

Yeah they are for a little piece of metal with a spring and rubber cap

Are you discussing the stops about midway up on both sides for the hatch?

What I did, based on a suggestion on XO, was put some round furniture pads on mine. I did that in my 04 in 2005 or 2006. Probably time to remove them and add some new ones :p:

Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RNCDVZ5

So OP, are you still here?


FWIW, I'll add my thoughts/experience. IMO, new vehicles have sucked for quite some time. In 2022, they are far more expensive and horror stories about inoperable new cars I get from friends in the industry have reinforced my opinion that it is well worth keeping a good older vehicle in service.


The E53 for me has a great combination of ride, handling and utility. I wanted to minimize the number of problems to deal with so I purchased a well cared for 3.0 M54 with a manual transmission. After 6 years, I don't regret it. Maintenance has been no worse than anything else I have owned over the past 40 years, accounting for pros and cons. At over 200k miles, it still doesn't have any squeaks or rattles, and I still enjoy driving it. I couldn't replicate it in the current car market for 10x its present market price.


If you do buy one, follow forum advice on the weak spots for your chosen model by doing a thorough initial PM, and you should have a fine daily driver.

:iagree: