I know of similar problems with BMW's. A friend had a 7 series with engine and transmission problems. And my brother in law has a 540 (great condition) which recently had a transmission replaced after it crapped out last year. Almost forgot, another friend of mine had a new 3 series (/03 /04 model?) which had the rear subframe collapse.
Wow a lot of negative comments about the X5... I currently own an '02 X5 4.6is... it's got about 130K on it and I have had only minor issues with it... mostly attributed to normal wear & tear... Mind you I do 90% of the repairs at home and it's only spent one day at the dealer in the last 2.5 years of ownership so I consider that pretty reliable... parts are pretty expensive but still nowhere near the cost of Ferrari parts So for an SUV that weighs 5,000lbs and handles like a car that weighs 3,500lbs, I can say that I am a happy X5 owner. DF
Thanks, been on the road alot, opened an office in Houston...thats a place to find great cars really really cheap.....
It seems BMW puts out their new models before all their testing is complete. About the first 3 years of a new model, they always seem to have inherent problems that are eventually fixed. I bought my X5 new in Oct 2005 and am upset only because I never got to use the all inclusive 3 year warranty. I heard the first generation were a disaster. After 110,000 kms the only thing I changed was brakes and tires this year. I tested them all before purchasing and the BMW was the only one that handled more like a sedan than truck. My wife has a 98 740il and the only bugs are annoying intermitent electrical problems which don't leave you stranded. The old 98 540 I had was the most fun - lots of power, handling and enough room and luxury for 5. With BMW - if buying new - don't buy the first year of a new model body and if buying used, do your homework and buy the year with all of the fixes. My friend has one of the first X6's delivered and he loves it - no problems..........yet. Bottom line - still love the BMW's as they are one of the nicest sport sedans to drive.
