I wish mine would die but the darn thing just keeps running and running. So I will keep her and pass her down to my daughter when she starts driving. For my first BMW I have ever owned I could not be happier.

J. D. Powers Initial Quality Survey rates BMW below industry average.

Ya!!! :rofl: JD Power!!!! What a joke those guys are. About as reputable as Consumer Reports. Pay me and I'll rate you good, othersise...

The initial quality survey is sent out to new owners. They ask questions regarding fit and finish, electrical, mechanical, etc. and with those responses they determine the number of problems reported per 100 vehicles.

Intresting survey, not your typical one or two page survey. I

The dealers and manufactures cannot buy their way into getting a good score. This is strictly new customer based information. One of the few reports J.D. Powers does well.

:iagree:

J D Power also does other surveys that I don't pay much attention to, but I think the initial quality survey has some value.

Is it any special models thats worse than others on the X5? Looks like more had problems with the 4.4l than for example the 3.0 diesel-models. Maybe its difference between the US and EU versions?

I have a 3.0l with 106.000km on the counter. (Here in norway you can just forget about buying a new X5 cause of the taxes it cost about $220.000 USD just for the 3.0 liter, and I guess 3-400.000 for the gasoline versions, hehe, so you are forced to buy a used one) and I can see some minor problems like the central lock and the mirrors. But still the big issues with transmission and engine I havnt seen anything bad to.

From a mechanical perspective, I don't think the various engine models are much different.

From an overall problem perspective, the 4.4 and 4.8 tend to have more options, and that means there is more to go wrong. Reports like J D Powers initial quality survey focus on number of dealer visits, and that could be for an engine problem, or a back-up camera problem, they are treated the same.

The E53 X5 is also aging now, so those of us who bought new in 2002-2003 in many cases had different experiences than those who are now buying cars that are well-used, and maybe not well-maintained. My 2003 was very reliable, no problems other than one front wheel bearing and one fogged headlight, both fixed under warranty. I sold it when it was four years old, so that someone else could experience the joy for the next four years, but without the benefit of a warranty.

DISA ??
 

[QU


Hello :
I see you had to replace the DISA. What symptoms did the X5 exhibit to warrant changind the DISA. I have a 2002 with some issues and a mechanic suggested the DISA .... MAY... bee the problem.

thanks,

FGMX





OTE=EKS PYB;773487]:iagree:

I feel the same way, I have a 2003 Lexus GX470 for my wife and its a 7 year old car now and the only thing I have replaced is the battery 2 years ago, pads + rotors just this year and gear oil and transfer case fluid. That's it and the normal oil change every 5,000 miles and its reaching 90,000 miles.

But with the X5, I am constantly checking in my head, what else is next to replace on this vehicle. I have done the pads+rotors, battery, disa valve, a/c, 2 axle boots, and others I can't even remember anymore. I was back at the dealer 4 times in the first month I got the X5 I kid you not.

Given the X5 is definitely much quicker and more fun to drive than the GX470. Plus I have a more safer 3.0 than the other models 4.4, 4.6 and 4.8 that most have which even encounters more problems. The 3.0 is powerful enough for me to drive around town. I don't have a heavy foot like others on this thread that really put their X5 to the test.

I've read in past posts that the 3.0 is the bulletproof engine when it comes to breaking down so that made me happy getting this model but the service do tend to add up. What can you do? We get the X5 because it is fun to drive and even more fun to mod but with that comes expenses unfortunately.

Just think of the fun times you have with the X5 and drown yourself with that to forget the $$$ you're spending in trying to keep it in tip top shape

:thumbup:[/QUOTE]

In terms of problems specific to the E53 chassis, I am wondering if BMW has improved on them in the E70?? For example the cold weather engine mis-fires, the window actuators, the headlamp water condensation, the water pump, etc. I have had my fair share of issues, but it has not turned me off to the X5 or to BMW as a brand. What would be disheartening however is if these same problems rear their ugly head in the next generation of X5s. Becuase when I finally pull the trigger on a 35i or 50i I would like to "enjoy" a brand NEW set of issues, instead of the ones we have gotten accustomed to in the E53. :cool:

But seriously though, if it's the exact same problems creeping up in the E70s, that would tell me that BMW really is out of touch with real-world situations. That they're more concerned with running computer simulations and wind tunnel tests and skid-pad tests, than with long-term component and parts durability.

So I pose the question: what is the story with the E70s? Is it the same crap all over again? Or is it a new, more interesting set of crap?

Getting fed up
 

2001 BMW X5 4.4i..133,000 miles and the speedometer went out...along with the odometer. Been dead for 5 months and my mechanic is still looking for a "fix" for less $$$. I don't want to go to the dealer/stealer but enough is enough. Seems likes it's one thing after another. If I had money to burn, it would be pushed off a bluff. I love the way it runs, but maintenance sucks big time.
Would welcome any/all suggestions on a quick repair.

:banghead: