OT: 2001-2003 M5 reliability
06-07-2007, 09:10 PM
#16
Rennlist Member
I have not had any reliability issues with my 03 M5. I do recognize that there are lemons out there so you do need to be careful what you buy. In my case, I did get one that was a CPO and bought an extended maintenance warranty through BMW. The extended warranty has already paid for itself through two repairs; the warranty even covered replacement of my brakes and rotors when they wore out.
A 2003 is really not that old so I wouldn't expect a huge number of problems this soon. However, when the warranty runs out, either be prepared to work on the car yourself or pay big time to get it fixed. Parts for this car are not cheap nor is the labor to work on it. There's a lot of racing technology built into the M5 and that technology will come at a cost as it ages.
However, after owning 3 other BMW's I would say this is the finest car I've ever driven. It's the first car I've driven where I don't miss the Porsche (as much
) when I'm not in it. I actually like the older e39 model better than the new one and would like to see the next generation be more like the previous one. If you can find a nice example in the 30-40k mile range that's CPO'd, I'd buy it and not look back. Just make sure you have a PPI done on the car. Don't skip this step regardless of who you buy it from. Just my $.02.
My 03.
A 2003 is really not that old so I wouldn't expect a huge number of problems this soon. However, when the warranty runs out, either be prepared to work on the car yourself or pay big time to get it fixed. Parts for this car are not cheap nor is the labor to work on it. There's a lot of racing technology built into the M5 and that technology will come at a cost as it ages.
However, after owning 3 other BMW's I would say this is the finest car I've ever driven. It's the first car I've driven where I don't miss the Porsche (as much
) when I'm not in it. I actually like the older e39 model better than the new one and would like to see the next generation be more like the previous one. If you can find a nice example in the 30-40k mile range that's CPO'd, I'd buy it and not look back. Just make sure you have a PPI done on the car. Don't skip this step regardless of who you buy it from. Just my $.02.My 03.
