Shopping for an E70 - Panic Sets In !
 

Hi Folks,

We are about to start shopping for a used 2008-2011 X5 3.0L (gas/diesel but not a 4.8L) with roughly 100,000kms. We have owned a 1995 318ti, ,2002 325xi and an 2006 X3, all bought used with 100,000kms. We do some of our own work DYI, have a local shop that treats us very well and generally avoid the dealership.

The 325xi has been pretty great for 8 years now, and we were always able to fix stuff on the cheap with aftermarket parts or via Pelican parts [$8,000 of repairs for 8 years], ditto with the X3 although I did find the X3 more expensive to fix and slightly more troublesome. Mind you that $8k of repairs would probably cost $18,000 at the dealership !

Like any good consumer, I starter researching the X5 prior to purchase on this forum and Bimmerfest, XBimmer and this one BMW X5 Forum » Topix

I was blown away by the number of issues that seem to pop up ( I understand that problems are always magnified on the forums) but holy cowabanga batman From the Driveshaft recall to the rear air shocks, to so many seeming major expensive issues I am getting very cold feet (aka panic). It also seems like there may be some lemon X5s out there.

I've always taken used BMWs to the dealership for a pre-purchase inspection, but since that costs around $350, I try to do my due diligence prior so I don't blow money on the inspection costs if a vehicle isn't looking great.

So here is my question (without making this post ridiculously long) for those that have owned X5s older than 100,000kms:

What are the major pitfalls in ownership you wished you inspected more carefully before purchasing?
Are there known failure points that are common and worth inspecting further?
What is your average yearly X5 repair cost (state year and kms)

A thousand thanks in advance!
:thanks:

We've had our X5 for less than a year, but I'll give it a go.

- I knew that the 4.8 was prone to oil leaks. Which I unfortunately brushed off as I've dealt with oil leaks on my E36. I really wish I previously understood the amount of labor it requires to get to what is leaking oil. We had the oil t-stat gasket go out and I can't remember exactly but it was 8-10 hours of labor for a $10 gasket. On the other hand I was able to replace the vacuum pump O-rings in about 30 minutes which saved a chunk of change since the shop wanted to replace the whole pump with an OEM unit. It probably wouldn't have really scared me off having the knowledge prior, but I definitely would've looked to buy one that had them done recently.

- From what I know (4.8): valley pan/coolant pipe, valve cover gaskets, timing cover gaskets, oil t-stat housing gasket, rear air bags, coolant expansion tank, sunroof can bind up.

- We're at about 10 months of owning a 2008 4.8is with 138,000 miles and we've replaced the:
battery (dealership because of coding) - $300
air bags (DIY) - $380
oil t-stat housing gasket (indy shop) - $1300
vacuum pump O-rings (DIY) - $15

I really don't see that amount of repairs year in and out. I will probably DIY everything now since we're both closer to work and I have more time, plus we have a back-up car. I don't regret paying a shop to do the oil t-stat gasket even with so much of the cost of it being labor. It was January and it sounds like a pain.

I don't really meet the criteria that you set forth but I'll give my ¢.02 as well...

The E70 X5 is amazing. If you enjoy spirited driving the 4.8 is extra amazing. But as other members have expressed and as you have found out, the maintenance on these vehicles is a little over the top. It's a trade off, you have an amazing car but you will definitely be paying for it. Whether or not it is worth it is entirely up to you. For me, hell yeah it is! But in the amount of time I have owned mine, I have had it in my garage or at my Indie more times than I care to think about.... I think one of the key things with E70 ownership is being a DIY-er. most of the repairs aren't too difficult. If you can at least do some of the major repairs yourself then the affordability of the vehicle is much better.

As far as "pitfalls I wish I knew about before" ALL of my woes have been engine related. The 4.8L is a "special" motor and loves to leak all over the place. The rest of the vehicle, Chassis, drive train, etc... I cant complain about.

If the 4.8L is what you are looking for then this thread may shed some more light on things to look out for when doing an inspection.>> https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...icks-info.html

If the 3.0 is what you are looking for, they are much less problematic and easier to work on. The diesel's are also very popular.

I should have mentioned we are looking for a gas 3.0L (not a 4.8 nor diesel)

I neglected to mention i have been through all this with our X3 once already, and I also get all BMW service history while under warranty to get a good idea of how the vehicle preformed in the first 4 years. Any shop that doesn't provide this I will simply not buy from.

(original post updated)

thanks very much for the replies :)

2011 X35i, so 3 litre with turbo. Purchased with 22,000 km not over 165,000 km. Only issues have been water pump went out and FRM (covered by extended warranty).

Just like anything else, you take care of it with preventative maint and it takes care of you.