10-Year Ownership Of My BMW X5 - A Long Term Review

I've owned my BMW X5 E70 Diesel SUV for 10 years now and I thought I would share how it's gone. You're going to be surprised by a few things, as I'll talk about BMW reliability, the biggest BMW problems I've experienced, and how a long term ownership of a BMW goes.

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[icm]

I drove my Lexus to a local BMW dealership to drop off a friend who was getting her car serviced. A BMW rep said, "you must be lost because we don't see a lot of Lexus owners here..." LOL...nice guy.

[zsb]

12-year ownership report on my 630i (E63, LCI, 2010) that I've always used as a second, mainly weekend car:
- mileage: 85, 000
- engine issues: spark plugs & coils
- body issues: rattles in the pano roof
- cockpit issues: some minor cracks in low quality plastics, wear & tear of driver seat leather
I'm still mesmerized by the design and really like the way it drives and sounds.

[highbrass]

Watched every second of this video. I love every ounce of effort that goes into your Channel Mark. Thanks for the upload

[myma]

Another thing to be aware of is that "board" or "computer" thing is something repair shops usually throw in a) when they try to scam you or b) when they're incompetent and can't figure out the real issue. I always tell people to run away from that shop if someone mentions the board, cuz it usually isn't that.

[Wipsplash]

Dealership should keep certain items such as injectors and computer boards as tools for mechanics. It's ridiculous that a dealer can't tell you if replacing an expensive part will fix it or not. They can keep a board and injector in a main tool cabinet for the techs to use.

[JD-eqdp]

Here in the UK virtually all X5's are the diesel model. The Police use them for traffic patrol & Armed Response Vehicles.
Generally the vehicles are pretty bullet proof and will do very high mileages without major issues.

Great channel Mark. Keep up the great work you do.
Best wishes from Worcester, England. 👍

[sandycalderone]

i own a 2020 x7 x50i. paid cash for it and totally love driving it. i have close to 40, 000 miles on it. I've had nothing but problems with it from electronics to suspension. what bothers me the most is the ineptness of the dealerships i have dealt with. '"we can't reproduce the problem" is the usual reply i get. i take it to another dealership that finds the problem and partially fixes the problem. i then take it back to my original dealership and they fixed what the second dealership missed. i had a squeak in the front end they could not diagnose. i took it to another dealership and they couldn't find it. i was visiting in nj so i brought it to a dealership there. that makes three dealerships. they found the problem. when i got back home i had my dealership call them. it turned out i needed new struts. it took them 33, 000 miles to find the problem! my left front headlamp clouded up and needed to be replaced but they had to get an ok from bmw. he said the headlamp cost $7000.00! thats right you're reading correctly $7000.00 not including labor. thank God i was still under warranty. this was the most enjoyable suv I've ever driven but when warranty runs out the car goes with it.

[miceinoz]

Yep, I have the same 2009 35D here in Australia. Mine only has 190000Kms. No third seat option, but has a towpack which mandates 20inch run flat tyres. No rib on the tyres to prevent rim damage. Makes the ride harsher as well. Gearbox issues where it goes into failsafe every now and then (this ZF6HP28X trans was fully overhauled at about 130000Kms by previous owner). Pull over, turn it off then back on and it comes good until next time. We do not have diesel fluid in this model over here. Interior issues with the rubberized trim coating is the same. Fan control buttons have the legends worn off them by useage. I have anodized aluminum trims in my car not the fake wood. No crack issues. Sometimes the Nav system will not read the disc (yes, I tried a new disc already). Full shutdown, short wait, and restart normally gets everyone talking again.
Our problems come from the savage sun, not the cold. We have no salt or ice on our roads.

I put a new battery in mine about two years ago, cost me AUD 270. Rear differential mount bush (AUD40).
Rear injectors can suffer from water ingress from the back of the bonnet as you say, The plastic walls that hold the hood seal break as poor material. I replaced all mine and got the spares out of China, cost me 1/4 what our local stealership was charging!
But this may be more an issue with your weather conditions as not a big problem over here.
By the way, the 35D has no more compression that the normal 30D. It has a twin scroll turbo (versus single in the 30D) and an uprated ECM program for more power, and the front guards are plastic, so they will never rust. Steering is a little heavy at low speeds, OK on highway.

Oh yes, I would never own a BMW if I could not repair it myself, only the very wealthy can afford dealer servicing in Australia. I would only take it to a dealer if I could not program a module. Dealers rip you off severely over here. But I love driving it, so much torque!

[vinniedaniels]

I previously owned a 2009 E70 but without the diesel and for the most part, it was a workhorse and fun to drive. Once the warranty was expired, repairs were getting costly but they were few and far. When the A/C stopped working, it was time to trade her in but I overall loved the vehicle. I'm amazed at your technical knowledge and appreciative that you share it...

[mchegeni]

Thank you! Great long term ownership review. These type of reviews are priceless.

[Scotford_Maconochie]

2017 X5 xDrive35i M Sport with 183, 000km now

Only issues I experienced that got me stranded were the water pump and air suspension two years ago. The thermostat also failed by remaining stuck opened all the way.

This year will require a new valve cover gasket (original one still holding up but, sweating is visible), new front lower control arms, coolant flush plus hose flange replacement, an intake valve cleaning with walnut shells and differentials plus transfer case fluid replacement.

Spark plugs replaced at 79, 000km and 175, 000km all on the original coils. There's no rough idle, misfire, stalling I experienced.

I sometimes (rarely) get an engine light for "catalytic converter efficiency under threshold". Typically caused by driving long distance at low engine speed and load and is not serious.

Oil changes EVERY 8000km (5000 mi).

Still original windshield after 3 years ownership (I'm third owner, purchased when it had 63, 100km) but it chips that got repaired quickly and no cracks.

I'm experienced a lot of paint chips on the front passenger door, running board and driver door to lesser extent. Will need a body shop to assess what correction is needed.

Due to the excellent mechanical fitness of the X5 it's been tuned to an M Performance Power kit; previous owner had installed an M Performance exhaust. The combination of both sounds insanely good.

[Anthony-qhxv]

The E70 X5, is the most beautiful X5. No runner up. It just looks so unbelievably good.

[capturedbyhussnain]

I recently bought a 2008 X5 3.0si with 200K km on it and I'm loving it so far, as long as gaskets are replaced and maintained its a good reliable car. Its just wear and tear like any other car to be honest and I myself can turn a wrench if need be. So I'm very confident with the car. But overall good video :)

[peteryates]

I have an e70 2009 3i petrol engine N52. Your comments and costing is spot on. I’m in Australia. I bought it 4 years ago cheaply when living in New Zealand for NZ $12000. I was intending using to drag the dog around for a couple of years while living in NZ. I bought it online from a guy who fortunately was a licensed dealer. He suggested I buy an extended warranty for $1500. Best $1500 I ever spent as it saved me about $8000. All very similiar to stuff you talk about. But I do like it and I just put it down to cost of owning. I use an independent BMW mechanic who helps manage what I spend. I’ve taken it to dealers a couple of times to get inspections and had some recalls and warranty items done. It’s done about 100, 000 enjoyable trouble free kilometres for me. Over Christmas will do about 5, 000 kilometres. It’s all serviced and ready to go.

[dljunior]

Sir, you are so on point. My 09 x-drive 48i had basically the same issues. If I didn't do a lot of my own maintenance I wouldn't own this vehicle. It's a money pit that I'm in to deep to get rid of. Everytime I may a repair I want to keep a little longer because it drives so good. It's kind of a love hate relationship.

[patricknieukirk]

I enjoyed watching your video since I have a love relationship with my 2007 E70 X5 3.0 inline 6 which turns 15 years old this month that I purchased new in Denver, Colorado. No injectors nor diesel so the engine has been great. Low mileage - 104K currently. The exterior and interior also has held up very well. Third row seat air bags went out once. I also track my expenses with dealer repair for the first ten years but after that an independent. I haven't had the major diesel expenses but I agree about the $1000 repair bills are common when some thing major happens. I will purchase a BEV as my next vehicle but am resisting the additional monthly investment since my X5 is basic transportation but still averages $200 a month.

[friedookiehil]

Very informative! Actually essential to watch. This is what we need to hear. We always see the attractive part, being the outside and wish we could own one, BUT we never think of the costs of repair or replacement parts. Shocking! No wonder second hand prices are so "affordable". Thank you for the eye opener!!

[bsmwczo]

Got 300k on my bmw 2010 x5 3.0in line 6 best motor it just keeps running other then valve cover gasket’s and a water pump and 2 sets of new tiers the truck has never left me stranded very reliable

[mohammadal-abbasi]

Correct me if I’m wrong, it seems to me like the dealership is a substantial part of the problem. If they were more sensible, took ownership of their product, your experience could have been less disastrous. Thank you for the usual great vid 🙏🏼 looking forward to seeing your next brand direction

[garagefabroart]

This is very informative and great for someone interested that doesnt know how to work on cars. However, for most enthusiasts who have basic knowledge of working on cars all these repairs are very manageable. Those $1200+ injectors you can find good used ones for $100-$200 and the work is pretty easy. Most people that don't live in emission strict areas get rid of the DEF tanks, EGR parts etc... Will eliminate 50% of the issues, gain you 100+HP and 300+Tq and even better gas milage. I would say for someone with basic tools and doesnt mind getting their hands dirty these rigs are incredible value. If you are unwilling or unable to work on cars then maybe go lease something newer :) Thanks for posting this! Incredible to have both a 5yr and 10yr update.