Some of us can also be of help with obtaining BMW warranty claim history. *Wink, wink* You just have to know who to ask/ Private Message. *Wink, wink* That will really shed some light on the vehicle; either giving you the red light to proceed with the purchase or let us raise the red flags and say "Get the F__k Out!" Good luck. To be perfectly honest, I have wanted an M5 since it hit the Geneva Auto Show in 1998. We are looking at almost 11 years later now and I still haven't settled on one. A lot of deciding factors come into play when buying a vehicle of this caliber.
It is very much an emotional decision in purchasing one of these. Truthfully, I would be much more inclined to purchase the vehicle second hand FROM the current owner. Build a rapport with him or her. See the service records. See how they actually DO care for the vehicle. Is it garaged? Was it driven in the snow/ foul weather? When were they oil changes performed? Has it had a VANOS failure? Has the VDO been replaced by BMW? Any cooling system problems? The most important thing--- with the exception of the Pre-Purchase Inspection--- in purchasing one of these vehicles is documentation. I can't stress this enough. Get service records.
Before you even have taken delivery of the vehicle, get all your fluids and filters for the vehicle that you will need to change out all the fluids. This will really give you a good base to make this vehicle
yours. If you want, get a comprehensive notebook and write down all of your services inside with the dates, mileage, ambient temperature, etc. If you are
really anal like some of us then you will make a spreadsheet on your computer.
You will find that this website is a wealth of knowledge and the board members are very encouraging, helpful and respectful of you and your concerns/ complaints/ issues. But please know that the "Search" field of this forum is very useful. More than likely, any issues you are now running into have already been covered. A few key words and: Voila! Another great resource if you don't feel comfortable performing work on your vehicle, once you have pinpointed the issue at hand is
BIMRS - Independent BMW Service on Planet Earth. There you will find a network of Independent BMW Repair Shops. Get yourself a subscription to
Bimmer magazine and get a membership to the BMW CCA. Aside from getting a parts discount at your dealership, you will also receive
Roundel (the BMW CCA magazine) every month. Their Technical Editor, Mike Miller is quite an intelligent fellow. If he can't figure out your issue then he will pass it along to somebody else that can get some answers for you.
Good luck with you purchase. But remember, PPI and documentation! Go private if possible is my recommendation. Board members and CCA members are quite trustworthy and over-the-top about their M5s!
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