End of my love affair with my beast - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

livenupe · 2nd June 2002, 20:49

I'm sick and tired of these "incidents" with my car (see Trouble in Paradise-black smoke in my rearview mirror ).

It's a great car when I get to drive it. But unfortunately, my SA spends as much time in it as I do!!! Ok, maybe I'm exagerating a little, but it certainly feels like he has it as much as I do. It wouldn't be so bad if the monthly payment was prorated for the number of days that the car is actually in my possesion, but I haven't been able to convince the bank to go along with my logic. Consequently, I'm really starting to seriously think about replacing this car. However, there aren't many viable alternatives to the M5. I'd either trade in my 2k beast for a 2k2 or replace my beast with a Maxima/used 911 combo.

My concern about trading in my 2K for a 2K2 is that I could potentially run into the same issues again. It appears as though most of the folks on this board enjoy almost trouble-free ownership. So at the surface, it appears that I just picked a bad example and that the odds are in my favor to have a better experience with another beast. However, a lot of you don't use your car as a daily driver so comparing my experiences to those of you who don't use your beast as a daily driver is like comparing apples and oranges.

I have a little more than 30,000 miles on my car. Anyone have any words of wisdom?

Richard in NC · 2nd June 2002, 22:12

Reggie;
Sorry to hear about your beasts problems. So far I've not had any issues with my '02 in 10,000 miles. I did experience similar grief with my '90 TBird Super Coupe. In a years time it had been in the shop 10 times for miscellaneous check engine light and other ailments. Thank goodness for extra warranty coverage that paid for rentals. Finally I looked into the North Carolina lemon law that allows a customer to get resolution if a car has a repeated problem affecting drivability, safety, emissions, etc. I sent an "intent to sue" letter, forcing Ford to fix it or else. After 3 weeks in the shop it appeared to be OK but I was so dis-enchanted with the car, I traded shortly thereafter. My brother in-law also just had a dealer buy back a Dodge Ram pickup with Turbo Diesel problems. Overall, he liked it well enough to buy another Doge pickup.

My thoughts on how you should handle the situation:

1. If its the same issues over & over, investigate Texas lemon laws.
2. Be patient & respectful, but forceful with the dealership to get it resolved.
3. If you haven't already tried a different service center, do so. They might have a different take on the solution to the problem(s).
4. If you still like the M5 and have a good repoire with the sales & service, see if a good deal can be made on an '02. Some of the issues should be worked out with the '02s and at least you'd be starting out fresh.

BTW, having paid $75k for our cars we certainly expect reliable performce from the car and good service from the dealerships. But, keep in mind that the M5 is a highly tuned specialized animal. Besides the fact that it may be more prone to issues, the service centers just don't see them enough to be experts at fixing the problems right off. They can't even decide once & for all, the best oil viscosity for the car.

As far as trading for another brand of car, it may be just one set of head aches for another. Even Toyota Camry owners are having oil sludge issues and waranty coverage battles. Although, I have read that Toyota is now providing some sort of extended engine coverage to current owners and those that buy the car used. I hope BMW wakes up and starts treating M5 and other BMW owners with the same levels of customer service.

Good luck on whatever road you choose.

wbarber · 3rd June 2002, 00:43

I drive my 2002 every day. After 8k miles, I have had hardly any problems. My back seats squeak, but that is about it.

Maybe it has to do with picking the right color?