Reliability of a 1998 528i with 99500 miles?

[TNation]

Hey guys;

Back in BMW territory again. Just wondering what the reliability of a 98 528i with 99500 miles would be. I don't want the 540i cause of the V8 and WAY more maintainence issues, but what are some thinks to look for ? I'm taking a look at it in a week. What should I ask? its a dealership in Toronto here.
Thanks guys, your input is appreciated!

[Payam972]

look for service records, oil records, any maintenance records...ask if the radiator has been changed, and if it has had any issues that were fixed

[djlarroc]

Common issues are brakes. Meaning rattles. Total nightmare, but cheap to fix. Cooling system in these E39s suck balls. I've learned that the radiator in the 6, isn't as bad as the 8 though.

[Orxan4ik]

got 500 more miles to go... enjoy

[Paintballistic]

got 500 more miles to go... enjoy

[TNation]

=(
how much should I budge a year on a car like this/or a month?

[Orxan4ik]

I'll tell you what to look for, you search these tags on the forum and you will find the answers on how to check for them

Cooling System:

"radiator", "hoses", "water pump", "fan clutch"

Suspension:

"shimmy", "thrust arms", "lower control arm bushings"

Mentioned above are the common E39 problems that have a solution on this forum, maybe 528 guys will give an M52 engine specific check ups

[keefy6]

mine has 157k all depends on previous maint.

[TheTunerSource]

5-Series are always reliable as long as you do the proper maintenence check ups on the car.

[macbookproaudio]

besides all the cooling components (u can check manufacture dates to get a ROUGH idea of when parts were changed and dont forget eurostyle dates DD/MM/YY) and suspension, one of the most important things id be checking is how the tranny feels and ask about any maintenance done on it and when and by who. make sure ur shifts are quick and everything. and im not even sure that the V8 is ALOT more maintenance than the I6 just more spark plugs, valve gaskets and etc...

[volodka1985]

again with reliability lol
well i'm a proud owner of an 01 525i sport 5 spd. i've had for 7 months now and did radiator,fuel pump,clutch, plus some small stuff.
its a great car and i'm not thinking of selling it, but if i had to buy another one heres what i would get
post '01 e39 with full sport package(wheels,suspension, steering wheel instead of non sport semi truck wheel, seats), black leather(mine is gray), preferably one owner with records and of coarse MOAR POWER!!!!!!!!!!!(i was owned by a chevy 16 passanger van the other day-WTF??!!!?)and an LSD as a mod ! its a bmw , not some yaris
i will own an m5 e39 someday for sure as it's clear to me now that it's the perfect 4 door sports luxury sedan there is in its segment!

[Gumbi4u]

If you want the Vin of the new car ran, let me know. PM me.

[Paintballistic]

If you want the Vin of the new car ran, let me know. PM me.

is that carfax bait?....

[RXWLLMSS]

I'll tell you what to look for, you search these tags on the forum and you will find the answers on how to check for them

Cooling System:

"radiator", "hoses", "water pump", "fan clutch"

Suspension:

"shimmy", "thrust arms", "lower control arm bushings"

Mentioned above are the common E39 problems that have a solution on this forum, maybe 528 guys will give an M52 engine specific check ups

CLOSE THREAD. Maybe Cam Shaft Sensor. ABS Module too I hope you got luck.

[TNation]

so essentialy a 528i is going to be hella more maintainence than lets say, an E36?

[kokoman]

the 528i's are the least of the maintanance compared to the 540's i have a 1998 528i and i love the car and i have 192,500 miles on it and its much better then e36 i had couple of those but nothing beats a 5-series!!!!!!! i hope this helps

[easyover]

My best advice on a higher mileage e39 is to budget $2-3K the first year of ownership. It should be much less after that with regular maintainence.

Usually previous owners start getting out from underneath these cars because they either need work now, or will soon. Most of the common failure points on e39's should be addressed right away if you don't have record if them being done before.

They are good and dynamic cars, but if neglected can get expensive to set right if your paying someone else to work on your car.

If your a DIYer, they are not bad at all, and actually pretty easy to work on.

[Qsilver7]

Some things to remember or consider are age & mileage stuff that will need to be taken care of regardless of it being a V8 or I6.

There are common E39 failures that happen to all the models which have been mentioned...then there are more specific things that one can expect at certain mileage/age etc... like between 100k-150k...expect to possibly do valve gaskets, spark plugs, valley pan gasket (especially V8), Oil Separater Valve stuff (V8), water pump (expecially water cooled type on 99-up models), 02 sensors, possibly the exhaust etc.

These are things that don't neccessarily make the e39 unreliable...but are more related to wear-n-tear items on a car that has between 100k-200k miles. What you'll find is...take care of these things as they come up...and if taken care of...you'll find that what you have is a very DURABLE car. Because if the maintenance is kept up...the car still handles, rides, runs well...and STILL looks good after all those years and miles.

I tend to look at BMWs as being more "durable" rather than looking at them as being "reliable". There are some cars that you can run into the ground and are reliable as heck...but after ten years +....they look like hell. BMWs, may require the owner stay up on maintenance etc...but what you end up with after ten years + is a very durable car (99% of the time)...that still looks good and runs well...it just may take more involvement from the owner with preventative maintenance.

[ezbmr]

Have it inspected for God sakes....If it has Yellow shocks, it might just be okay

[Junaid]

I live in Toronto as well and my parents have the 528i now but its 3 years there wasnt really any major problems other than last week we replaced the water pump and thermostat.

[Junaid]

If you need help looking let me know and i will do my best to give you a hand.

[dbruce]

To the OP, just keep in mind what "maintenance" means in the BMW world. In BMW terms "maintenance" means replacing all cooling system components and suspension before 100k. Japanese, and for that matter, American manufacturers don't have that much "maintenance." The first 50k of the cars life was handled by BMW and all of them got the same oil changes (15k) and little else.

Finding a car with difference "maintenance" during the first 4 years will be a challenge.....since most BMW owners lease the cars and toss them afterwards.

Once you get into the 80k range, plastics start to degrade (German requirements for recycled stuff) so issues like the buttons falling off the AC panel and the intake boots degrading are typical. When the cars are operating properly....they are great. But issues come up often, many of them small....but still annoying. If you don't do your own work, there are better choices out there IMO.

I've always bought my cars 4 years or older. The E36 M3 I had held up much better then my current E39. The extra weight etc on parts shared in the E46 is a contributing factor IMO. If you are used to Japanese reliability.......you will be in for a shock.

[Jason5driver]

To the OP, just keep in mind what "maintenance" means in the BMW world. In BMW terms "maintenance" means replacing all cooling system components and suspension before 100k. Japanese, and for that matter, American manufacturers don't have that much "maintenance." The first 50k of the cars life was handled by BMW and all of them got the same oil changes (15k) and little else.

Finding a car with difference "maintenance" during the first 4 years will be a challenge.....since most BMW owners lease the cars and toss them afterwards.

Once you get into the 80k range, plastics start to degrade (German requirements for recycled stuff) so issues like the buttons falling off the AC panel and the intake boots degrading are typical. When the cars are operating properly....they are great. But issues come up often, many of them small....but still annoying. If you don't do your own work, there are better choices out there IMO.

I've always bought my cars 4 years or older. The E36 M3 I had held up much better then my current E39. The extra weight etc on parts shared in the E46 is a contributing factor IMO. If you are used to Japanese reliability.......you will be in for a shock.

What other options are you referring to???

[dbruce]

What other options are you referring to???

Personally, if reliable transportation was top on my list, it would be a used Lexus or Infinity. I might even take a look at a used Caddy, due to the depreciation hit (CPO'ed).

[NNY528I]

My best advice on a higher mileage e39 is to budget $2-3K the first year of ownership. It should be much less after that with regular maintainence.

Usually previous owners start getting out from underneath these cars because they either need work now, or will soon. Most of the common failure points on e39's should be addressed right away if you don't have record if them being done before.

They are good and dynamic cars, but if neglected can get expensive to set right if your paying someone else to work on your car.

If your a DIYer, they are not bad at all, and actually pretty easy to work on.

Thats just a little extreme. I bought mine with 90k, it now has 140k and has cost me under $1000 for required repairs over 2 years.