This.


From late 90's till the mid '00's, Audi's were NOT the most reliable of vehicles.

Or a Chrysler 300C hemi with a sunroof mechanism that can't hold the glass in the open position when ABS activates....or a brand new Jeep that would just shut down while driving due to an ECM loose ground installed at the factory....or a brand new Honda CRX (totally stock) that ate fuseable links in cold notheast winters leaving the car TOTALLY dead (left me stranded more times then I can count at the Whitestone Bridge in rush hour traffic) Every winter I would buy a box of high amp fuses to keep in the car, got good at changing them out with cars flying by inches away on the roads of NY/NJ.

:iagree: You will notice I called it a SAV not a truck---however-

Elaborating, my point is that the X5 is much heavier, higher center of gravity, etc. than a "car". As an example, Automobile magazine would compare the Porsche, Mercedes, Land Rover and the Jeep SRT versions of SUV/SAVs rather than the X5 with the M3 and the C class AMG. There is no measurement that makes sense including the total cost per mile comparing a SAV to a "car." AquilaBMW is accurate, the only logical overall comparison is to the category of SUVs.

I do think that keeping with recommended maintenance schedules or even sooner for the X5 are more critical than a "car." If one doesn't it will lead to much more expensive repairs sooner than lighter, lower, used differently, vehicles. The same would be true of other vehicles in the SUV category.

(The following is an exaggeration used only for clarity) By abuse, I mean by those that were status buyers or used the X to haul their two children to school and to their 16 activities each week. The only scheduled maintenance done was under warranty, after that--natta. They drove it 60 to 70,000 miles and traded it in the first time they had a significant problem, or, to buy the new face lifted version. These X5s become part of the group of used X5s purchased with unknown history--a very critical purchase error relating directly to ongoing reliability. Simply--hit yourself in the head with a hammer until you would never consider taking that route.


If there is anything WORST, it is that this thread was ever started.

+1. Or even worse, an X that got handed down to Jr when he got his license because it's safe and trade in value is horrible. I'm sure everyone remembers how they abused/neglected their first car.

I take good care of the X, which is my first car. Well i have been driving since 7yo though

I started at 10yo in the woods with '60s VW beetles.

Most new drivers don't maint/care for their first car. Almost all won't stop driving no matter what warning lights illuminate.

Here ya go....

THIS IS THE WORST THREAD IN THE WORLD!!!!!!

:popcorn::popcorn:

I dunno - I'm learning quite a lot!

Mainly, if you didn't drive an X5, what other car could take you long distance, with the family, occasionally off-road (a bit), and have enough power to make for a liberating, yet comfortable daily drive? We looked at many other cars, on the road, in the showrooms and classifieds, then IRL, and I still don't know what I would drive instead.

This is even despite today, while getting the vehicle inspection done with the drivers' side window raised, I came back to the car (with a 'FAIL' for the registration plates which need renewing) which had the drivers' window open, and guess what?...

...I now have to go tonight and get the lifter fixed because we're going on a 200 mile trip tomorrow with our friend's kid - kind of embarassing to go all the way there and back with one window stuck down, and another evening away from the wife and kids. Surely someone can make a better component? This is the third lifter that I am aware of, in the same door, and kind of coming back to the point of the thread, granted all the points that bcredliner and TiAgX5 have previously made.

all i can say after reading your complaint was that u are not too resourceful about finding all the tools u need. use internet and google it. simple as that. Good luck KCMoore2013 PS. also the know how to work on this type of vehicle. again use the resources around you.

I'd like to know what BMW's anyone was driving that thinks they were ever 'reliable.'

The first?
A 1987 E24.
What happens (to all of them?) At ab ~75k miles or 6 years or so, the rubber suspension components dry rot or otherwise fail. Symptom? Braking at over 75mph feels like the car might fall apart.

Mine?
1975 2002.
If anyone ever drove one of these things, then you know: Metric Mechanic made a mint off of the failing 2nd gear synchros. 1-2 gear shift? CRUNCH. New tranny. How bad was it? BOTH the 1975 AND the 1976 (both of which I still am the second owner and still own) had the trouble. The '76 had less than 60K miles.

Oh, and I replaced the 'rock solid' M10 with a new one in 1987. :rolleyes: Oh, and by the way: Window regulators. Count 'em: 6 in 10 years. On only 2 doors.

1991 E34 (i6 only)?
The body fell apart around the engine and transmission. Bullet proof running gear. WIndows switches and regulators that failed if you closed the door with a window down.

Don't get me started on the rear suspensions of E36's. Freakin disaster. Ripping in two. Yep. Even (and especially) the E36 M3.

1995 E38 740.
Nikasil. We actually got lucky. This car is still in service with 175K on the original nikasil motor. Stranger things.

That having been said, the radio comes in and out. Electric seats work when they want. Plastics are all over the place, and the leather is stained with GA red clay. Damn thing runs though. Most pleasant highway hauler I've been in for awhile.

I really think that people think (in error) that all things including cars used to be more reliable. It's true, maybe of washers and dryers and dishwashers, but cars? Ya gotta remember that Detroit was struggling against the replace it at 50K miles mindset. Honda killed that. Even my wife's 1986 Honda Accord had a service plan where they replaced the timing belt at 100K. If they didn't: BOOM! Dead motor.

If a 1972 BMW got to 125K miles by 1982, it was a freaking miracle of engineering- or more importantly- Maintenance. Which is what it all comes back to:

1. If it breaks, fix it.
2. If it might break, fix it before it does.

It doesn't matter if its a 13 yr old BMW or a 23 yr old Honda. People don't want to be bothered with their own responsibility these days. nearly 30 years driving and maintaining BMWs. What you get is what you put in. BMW or not.