Worried about X5 Purchase
 

I'm really set on purchasing a 2009 X5, but am concerned about the reliability of the vehicle. Obviously most people that visit forums are going to complain about this or that. So I was wondering if people could say if they are trouble free and how many miles?

My 17k miles 07 is surprisingly trouble free.... for a BMW :)

Completely Trouble Free, knock on wood. 30,000 miles exactly, 1 year.

14 months, 14,000 miles. Nothing major. I have a defective fuel gauge, I just can't seem to get the mpg everyone else does :rofl: I think you'll find the majority of us are very happy with our E70s. There are gripes about the back up camera but overall I think you'll find happy owners here.

Good luck.

I am one who had problems from the start, but I still would no get anything else. This is my second BMW. THe other was essentially worry free (although the tire were $$$). So far my dealer has responded and indicated that if they can't make things right, they'll will put me in a new vehicle.

IF you like the car, get it.

Oh I love the X5. I test drove a Lexus GX, Acura MDX then I went and test drove the X5. I fell in love instantly. My only gripe, although I don't own it yet is the DVD player, which it appears aftermarket is the way to go. I've been kind of spoiled over the last few years. My truck is 9 yrs old with 164K miles, only problem besides normal wear has been the thermostat. Heck, even the clutch is still original. Now my wife's Accord with 124K has had to have to a rebuilt transmission put into it. I just don't want to be in the BMW shop every few months for this or that.

My previous X5s have been fine. This one was perfect for the first 11K until :wow:

Still like it and would recommend it. If reliability is your #1 factor, BMW may not be your first choice. Otherwise recommended.

I love my 09 30i. only 1500 miles lol

6 months, 3700 miles....Trouble free. I love it so much!

9K on my 2 Year old, Its had a new anti roll bar in the front twice, due to noisy suspension and I hate the 4.8 transmission, and its not as well screwed together as my previous E53 X5, but I like it for a whole load of other reasons, and if I have a problem, the dealer responds well , and that counts for a lot :thumbup:

10 months 25,000k's

Only fault has been the computer saying the steering system has failed (no noticeable issue though) - took it into the shop and they replaced the power steering pump because it had some faulty sensor

Niggly issues:
- passenger seat wobbles too much
- clunking sound from left rear - I think it is tailgate or something
- vibration in overhead light unit up front on certain road surfaces

I'll get those all dealt with when it has it's first service in another 5000k's - I'm too lazy to go in and deal with them now

I owned a 2005 X5 with very little trouble, and my 08 E61 has been trouble free. The 09 X5, should have very little trouble since it is the third year of the production.

2006 27k miles - nearly 0 issues - steering wheel trim started to peel and was covered under warranty.

I'm on my 3rd, '01, '04, '08, no significant issues.

I bought a 3.0D 07 plate 2 weeks ago and couldn't be happier. The tyre are probably needing replace in a couple of Months and the idrive has stuck a couple of times but it's still under warranty so BMW are going to upgrade it for me. Said it would take up to 6 hours!
All in all though, in my opinion it is a much better vehicle than the older versions which were superb anyway.

11 months, 11,000k Trouble Free, I'm a happy buyer !!!!!!!!!!!

The X5 is a great SUV, but you're going to be frustrated if you're set on 'Honda-like' reliability. It's a more sophisticated 'being', and as such will have occasional hiccups. The good news is the service is great :)

I'm on 2nd X5 with 20+ K miles and never been happier especially with the ski season in full gear. Nothing like driving up the mountains in an X5 with all the snowboard and skis on the roof rack and blowing by everybody trying to put on their snow chains.

Machines- especially when you make thousands of them-, at least some are bound to have issues. initial quality is important but the warrantee and service is just as important IMHO. BMW does not disappoint me in their service and warrantee so far and I expect it to stay that way as long as i have the car.

is this your first BMW? do you get frustrated easily?

have you found another forum where X5 owners are bitching about their warranty and reliability issues?

i have a Ford that has page after page of problems discussed on the internet. I haven't quite found that with the E70.

my 2008 4.8 has 22k miles and so far nothing that would cause me to bash BMW or the vehicle itself.

my drivers window switch broke with the window down on a 38F day. dealer fixed it same day.

sat radio bugs out once in a while, the alarm went off the entire time as i drove home one night. the lights flashed a few times in the driveway on their own. i suspect my vehicle is haunted.

the 4.8 runs like a scalded dog and i dig it. 4 year 50k mile warranty and maintenance can be supplemented with extended 5yr or 100k warranty and maintenance.

it isn't a Japanese car and as such no magazine in the world will rate it as highly as the Lexus' and Infinity's of the world. but we all know the difference. ;)

Yes, it will be my first BMW. No, I don't get frustrated easily. I have done a lot of searching trying to decide if there are reliability issues. Problem with the internet, easy place to complain without any repercussions.

i think you will find most people are satisfied with their E70s, and for that matter the E53s. BMWs are quirky but the motors are strong and the handling exceptional. change the oil every 7500 miles and it should run forever.

When my power steering pump die, computer dont write any massages.
May be its becouse old firmware? I update it just yesturday. Now power steering pump works, but i have creak noise from steering column. Mainly when I turn on left. What this?

Don't buy one. Go for a VW, Audi or Porsche.

Now there's a well thought out argument. Very convincing and logical. :rolleyes:

I don't need to spend an hour telling you why that's my opinion, some of us have things to do. But seeing as you're going to be sarcastic about it my opinion is based on owning a 2004/5 approved used car for the past year, brought with 40k on the clock now at 56k. Has spent weeks at the dealers with most issues requiring at least 1-2 return visits after not being resolved the first time. Have had two new turbos, oil seperator, battery, FSR, thrust bushes, anti-roll bar bushes, lower control arm bushes, rear pads/disc/drums/shoes. Two new passenger side wing mirrors - issue still not resolved and dealer ignoring, same goes for strange flickering of interior boot light and NAV/TV bug.

Last two cars were VW and Porsche (both part of VAG group). Didn't have any problems with them at all - rock solid, dealershps were also very good for servicing, no charges or month long waiting lists for a courtesy car. Had a 3-series before that which also had many issues and component failures (clutch, power steering pump, radiator, thermostat, oil seperator), after that I swore I would never buy another BMW again, then I was tempted by the X5. Regret it but what can you do - now i really will never buy another BMW again. Just not worth it - I want a car to enjoy driving not constantly worry about things breaking, strange noises etc. The service manager told me pretty much all the work they do is warranty work, they really need a whole seperate garage just to keep up with that let alone scheduled servicing and new car prep so I don't think it's just my car that's suffering from poor build and component quality.

My bad. !ouch: Sorry I wasn't able to divine the reasoning behind your executive summary. Thanks for the follow-up post. Sorry that you are burdened with a lemon. I'm sure I would be bashing the brand, too.

Geez…. Since 1983 I've probably avereaged buying a BMW evey 18 - 20 months. Mostly M3's with a few 3ers thrown in as DD's when I got married.

Since late 2005 I've owned two M Sports X3's (06 and 07).
I picked up a 10 X5M in March that I ordered in December, and just a week or so ago picked up a 10 X5 M Sport.

All these cars over all these years and I've never had even a fraction of the issues you've had.

You've had some really bad luck…

VWs are notoriously unreliable too.

All german brands are known for electrical issues - simple. That has to be the biggest dis-satisfier hence the outrageous costs when it comes to service or repair these related items. If your overly concerned, try and buy an extended warranty or at least make sure you've got a couple years warranty so you can "evaluate" your purchase. If it proves to be good, keep it.. if not, let it go prior to warranty ending.

I have 60k on my 2008 3.0D.
Alternator replace under warranty...
Rear window wiper arm harness just cracked on its own...
Still have a little annoying rubber noises comming out of the two from door
Even with all these little problems still love the car....

Don't worry be happy.....Just gas and go for me.

Give it another 3 years and see whether the thing starts falling apart. The biggest surprise was the new turbo failing in less than a year.

Mine is an E53, guess the E70 could be much improved.

I've had my '08 3.0 for 2 years. It's gone back to the dealer for several small issue, nothing mechanical or that left me stranded on the road.

Now, I keep getting DVD Read Error messages. I'm assuming they're going to tell me I need to upgrade the DVD for $200 out of my pocket when the DVD in the drive is never out unless to reset this issue! We'll see I guess.

I often think that posters of this sort are setting themselves up for personal disappointment. There may be problems, learn to deal with them.