I just read Buck Cording's thread, that said, I stopped by my local independent dealer today and they have a very well presented 2006 530xi for sale. Can anyone give me an idea as to the reliability of these vehicles and what to look out for?
535xi Reliability To update the reliability of my 2008 535XI which gave me initial fits for about 20 months, the car is fixed and runs like a scalded cat! The continuous battery discharges, 6 over 20 months, were resolved by the installation of a 7 series battery in the 535XI.. I suspect the problem was a loose connection in the negative terminal as you could twist the connection with ease, not a good thing. They also replaced the high pressure fuel pump. I have an Interstate 855 cold cranking amp battery with the required venting for under seat or trunk installation fits 535 BMWs, out in the garage on a trickle charger. It was only in the car for one month. I paid $129 installed, will sell it for the first $75 offered, if anyone is interested. I would recommend the 530XI if it is in great shape. Please don't take my experiences as the average experience with BMWs. The All-Wheel drive system works well and gives fantatic traction. Another plus is the XI comes with all season tires, not run flats! Buy it and enjoy it! Buck Cording 2008 535XI 1973 2002tii
The question was the reliability of the 520XI NOT the 535......engines are totally different with the addition of the HPFP and turbo chargers!
On further review door seals seem to be a problem! If your windows fog up inside and your carpets feel wet your door seal/s have failed. Mine did and dealer fixed them under warranty. They removed all seats, carpet....dried out the car....resealed the doors and problem solved!
I own a 2006 530 Xi with 105000 miles on it. Runs like a charm, love it. If you ask me, the 2006 is a good, reliable car. Read the boards, learn the little tricks, and you'll be fine.
535i HPFP I've just picked up a 2008 535i with about 32k mi's on the odo and I asked the dealer about whether or not this car has the latest HPFP and they assured me that only the early 535i's had the HPFP issue. BMW resolved it by the time this car was produced. I've read other forums where owners of 2008 535i's are still having issues with the HPFP. What do you know about this issue and should I be concerned that the HPFP on my car will NOT be reliable?
I don't think they gave you correct information, IMHO. I believe everything up to 2011 is under the HPFP recall. Ask your dealer to print out your vehicle history report and see if it says your car is in the recall group and if it shows an extended warranty on the HPFP. It's not so much a reliability issue as it is a warranty matter. The vehicles that actually experience a problem are a very small fraction of the production but all of them are included in the campaign. (Or send me the last 7-digits of your VIN and I'll tell you.)
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong but i don't believe the root cause HPFP issue has been identified. But BMW has extended the warranty on the affected cars.
