E60 250k miles here. I can confirm everything he said. Plus more. Much, much more. Still a great car though. Luckily, I do all my own repairs, otherwise my car would have been parted out long ago due to high shop labor costs.

I have an E60...2004 model...bought it 2009. Now 190k km. Total repair costs in 10 years maybe 1000 USD without the costs for regular stuff like breaks, filters and fluids. I had non of these issues in 10 years driving...

“People are just nasty” best comment I’ve heard about used cars to date

The engine issues with these arise thanks to the ridiculously long service periods. Most owners confided in BMWs ability to keep these cars in shape but it ended very badly. Best thing is to get one that's enjoyed a service every 8 to 10k miles.

In the 209,000 miles on mine, I have replaced (not counting regular preventive maintenance like fluids, lights, tires, brakes, and regular bigger service interval items), a vacuum leak, tie rod, drivers cupholder and, the active steering module. She's been so good to me!

Got a 528i for my wife last year it's a 2010, but luckily mostly kept up by the previous owner. Gonna run through about half of your list to make sure she doesn't have any other issues. Already faced the other half less than a month after we bought it. Thanks for the info:)

With the exception of lower control arms and the water pump, I have never had any of these issues you are talking about on my 2007 530xi with 120K miles

First of all Nathan you are awesome. Bmws will give you a love hate relationship !! I love my 2010 535i. Joy to drive, but it doesn't always return the love. It kicks you hard !! Replaced alternator Replaced belt tensioner Replaced serpentine belt Replaced oil cooler gasket Replaced filter housing gasket Replaced hpfp Replaced valve cover gasket Replaced vanos solenoids for maintenance oem. Really restored power Replaced map sensors for maintenance oem. Also restored power and idle is very smooth. Replaced lower control arms Replaced motor mounts Resealed oil pan Replaced power steering dipstick gasket Replaced oil filler cap Replaced fuel cap Replaced Coolant reservoir Replaced upper radiator hose Walnut blasted intake Replaced diverter valves Replaced fuel injectors index 12 Replaced Pcv valve breather hose Replaced battery Replaced water neck and hose Still have original starter Still have original water pump and thermostat. I already bought all 3 of these items for standby. OEM. All this on top of your normal Spark plugs Oil change Air filter Tires Breaks Etc This car will break you. This will probably be my last BMW. I have a 2008 f150 with 270,000 miles. No issues. No leaks. Original starter, alternator, waterpump etc. Hasn't given me any problems !! Just your basic maintenance. Oil changes, tires, brakes etc.

Wow! Mine just turned 104,000. Had much of what you’ve mentioned. Thought I was out of the woods. Never thought how much lies ahead! You got me thinking, now!

Man, I lucked out. I just bought an '07 with 100k and it was immaculate and still solid.

Now I'm depressed...

Time to go into the classic BMW restoration business!

We are so lucky in the UK that we have an annual inspection test that would rule a car not roadworthy for most of these problems (the mechanical ones - obviously we don't have to make sure our cupholders work) so owners are forced to keep them maintained. Here I would rather buy a 150k+ BMW than a 100k+ one because by 150 the water pump, power steering pump and alternator have hopefully died and been replaced whereas they are upcoming on a 100k car. That's just my experience from buying a handful of higher mileage BMW's in the UK. Maybe I just got lucky but this philosophy has worked out for me so far. That being said, it makes the cost of owning a car for a period of time much more in the UK than in the US because you can't just sell it on when it has too many problems as you have been forced by law to fix them.

I just got a e60 with 350xxx miles not running for free. Replaced literally everything you stated besides engine mounts, and replaced the coil packs before I even seen this video and got it running without check engine lights in 2 days 🤘🤘😁 only issue is the driving stability issue, I feel it in the steering wheel. Thank you for your videos, I’ve been watching them religiously lol

2 minutes 40 seconds in and already I don't know if it's going to be a good video, but DAMN! I love me some of that super organized peg board in the garage. If this fella did a video about tool organization I'd be up for that!

I used to own a BMW 535d. The first month I was happy because of the power and luxury feeling. From there, things started to go wrong even though the car had low mileage and only one owner before me. Half of these things you talk about happened to my car and my wallet and frankly, watching this It got me sick to my stomach thinking about how much i spent on the damn car. Then I got a brand new Audi and after a year similar things started to happen to that car.. foggy headlights, tierods, ball joints, and other stuff, electrical issues because it was a hybrid, etc. My latest car is a Lexus and so far so good. I love the way germans design their cars but they are not reliable and for sure endless money pits (as Scott Kilmer says). It is just a shame the Japanese manufacturers don´t sell cars with more powerful engines because that would be the end for the German cars. Thanks for keeping it real!

I do have an E60 6 cillinder M54 from 2004, bought and owned since 2008 until today. Most things I do not recognize at all! Only thing beside maintanance was a new battery and alternator, wiring loom in the trunk, and control arms and the waterpump I've exchanged preventive, It was working but I wanted to avoid overheating when it would start to fail eventually. Only leakage that I've had was the oil filter housing starting to leak, changed it myself. , i bought it with 80.000km and now it's on 215.000km. Spread over 11 years that's nothing! It's the BMW that I've owned the longest time and I am not planning to sell it, because it's so perfect and keeps on going without problems or leakage or whatever. I think it's also a big deal who was the previous owner, how did he use it, how you maintain your car and how you drive it, you can break everything when you do not maintain it or drive it like an 18 year old on steroids.

I own 520d made in 2008, UK. Mileage currently 341k miles. Done all mounts, all suspension bits many times, all bushings including rear frame, one broken spring, crank wheel many times, egr, bought new turbo recently, dpf, knob for I'd rive replaced, screenwash bottle, wiper arm replaced, timing chain done as mine is n47, steering rack replaced, water pump failed once, battery lasted 7 years from factory, replaced, intake manifold flaps decided once to drop in and support valves, so got rid of that which was expensive, oil leak from plastic oil bayonet fitting, replaced a hose for intercooler, ac condenser had a hole, replaced, gearbox sump - repalced when heat bent it out of shape once. Other than those whatever can loosely be called maintanence. This is from top of my head. Considering mileage on it I still think this is a good car.

I agree with your list my e60 530xi needs alot of love constantly

Great video and information Nathan 👍👍

I hope you didn't forget the wheels and low profile tires. I bought my first ever 2007 750LI and the first day the rear 21inch wheel had a hairline crack on the outside inner lip. It took me about four days and was lucky to find a shop that repairs wheels "Quest Wheels" in Cleveland about an hr away. It was worth fixing it through them since I only paid $140 if compared to a used matching wheel for $499. The second bad thing is the hood latch cables. I only had it for a week now and I am taking it to the mechanic to get the hood opened and repair it. Not to mention the coolant signal is on indicating it low and I cant fill the radiator until we get the hood opened which is another project. And the check engine is one which I hope is due to low coolant. My fear is having a blown head gasket. But the low coolant could be a leaking reservoir that you have mentioned. I will update you and keep fingers crossed. Despite these issues, I am still optimistic and hope I'm not wrong. Thanks for sharing this video.

This video is accurate! I’ve had nearly every problem he stated go wrong with my 2006 530i. It’s very obvious that whoever had the car before me just drove it into the ground before getting rid of it. Thank you for this video! Now, I’ve a guide on what needs to be fixed or to look out for.

Thank you so much man. Just bought mine 4 days ago. Thank goodness the previous owner did most of the hard stuff and took care of it. But now that I just saw this video there’s a lot more to be done

I have had the C310+ for about 2 years now. It's not a bad little scanner. I have Torque Pro aswell which is good for reading live fuel trims but C310+ can delve deeper into the engine and transmission.

Fantastic Thorough Video !! Thanks :)

Thanks man. All your videos have helped me out and will in the future.👍

Just recently got a 2010 550i M sport. To be fair, it only had around 70k miles AND the previous owners were really caring about their car. Also it’s been almost a year and I have only driven it around 3-4k miles. I have a Honda that I use as a beater and this one I tend to work on and drive only on special occasions. BUT, man it’s a beautiful and very powerful car. First month though was already doing maintenance on it LOL

Good info, all cars has its problems. My X5 was leaking from the aux. fan sensor ordered new sensor and hose to be on the safe side, due to mileage ended up being the lower radiator hose the fitting for the sensor was enlarged for some reason, ( to many heat cycles ?) maybe. Good vid.

I've got a 2008 535i running on 19psi 500tq at the wheel. So far I have done full aluminum water pump hoses thermo, metal water fitting like the one you showed, oil filter housing gasket (after finding oil in the water pump), valve cover gasket, ecu mosfet upgrade after frying the ecu, expansion tank, rear turbo cooling line (hardest thing yet). Mods are charge pipe 50mm bov, retro fit stepped intercooler, catless downpipes, gapped f80 m3 spark plugs fresh coils (ngk) 340lph ethanol compatible low pressure fuel pump and fresh filter, running on mid e50 stage 2+

Literally was gonna grab an E61, seemed well taken care of....Didn’t hear good things, had a bad feeling PASSING ON THAT ONE....I remember when BMW’s were nice. I have a long memory:)

4:01 best bit 😂

You are right, I have replaced about 90% parts from your list,

Fabulous Info!!!👍👍👍

Keep it up to make more video about e60. I have a 2009 bmw E60 with 180,000km. Hope u can share more about everything about bmw E60. Thank Nathan!

Have to agree with at least 15 issues stated here, that I have encountered on my 2004 e60. The recurring ones are mechanical water pump failure(twice), radiator hose leakages(twice), rid bearings(once) to name few. Few more issues you will face one time or another is trunk not being able to close, that is because of the wires leading to your trunk getting chewed on by opening and closing of trunk. Another issue is that of cracked diaphragm leading to air intake issues.

Get a E39 or E46 to save you the trouble. Mine is still going after two in a half years after the vacuum leaks and cooling issues were solved the first year of ownership. Me and my fathers friend took out the expansion tank, water pump, cleaned the whole air intake after replacing the intake boot, three oil changes, replaced the suspension with fresh front control arm bushings and a few maintenance items. First time I ever learned how to work on a something euro than domestic like my Trans Am WS6.

Nathan, thanks so much for this video! It's perfect timing. I'm looking at buying an '05 with 176k this weekend. definitely going to use your list to go over everything. You mentioned updating the car's software. I have an Autel Maxidas. Would you know if that would work by any chance?

Agree, my 528i, 2008 has 100,000 milsss now. I take great care of it. No matter what breaks a lot of stuff, even repeat the same. On average one monthy trip to the shop. I will change soon!

I have a 2006 530xi. My car has 267k miles. I bought it at 224k. 6MT. No CEL. Just had the harmonic balancer pulley break and leave the chat. But for the past 43k miles it's been a super reliable car. No oil leaks so far. I must be lucky

Picked me up 07 530i - 141K. No service records but the valve cover gasket was done. 156K now and no issues at all. For what I paid for it , $6700, black on black fully loaded it’s just a wonderful road car that I drive when I’m not driving one of my pick up trucks. I’ve done Some 500+ Mile roadtrips at 30 miles a gallon.

What type of Transmission fluid.. would you recommend... I have a 06 e60 550i.. and I'm about to do a transmission fluid replace... Thank you.

my 2008 bmw 528xi is at 194000 . still runs like a champ! keep up with maintenance and you good.

My 530xi over the past 3 years I had to replace oil filter housing gasket, tensioner pulley and serpentine belt, few coils, spark plugs, control arms, water leak in the back due to clogged drains. Currently water gets into the rear passenger door, my key fobs stopped working wirelessly (battery still good so idk the reason) oil pan leak. Pretty nice car

my e60 2009 have done 153000 miles and running fine with factory stuff ..water pump thermostat,radiator etc.

I've had quite a few of these problem with my 550i E60. I've learned a lot about BMW's over the course of the last 7 years. I think a good mention is the passenger occupancy seat sensor. I had to run a 1k ohm resistor to bypass it. Worse case the passenger air will go off in an accident even though no passenger in the car.

Having just bought a used e60 this was very helpful and allows me to go through an orderly checklist

I do have 520i e61 in France for 1 and a half year and i never face any of those fault. I think U.S BMW's has quality issue.

‘07 530i with 73k miles. Lowered on Eibach springs, staggered 20 inch Vossen CVT’s, etc...minimal problems so far. Fingers crossed!

They are fun to drive when they are operational. I had a CPO 2010 535xi M Package that was so much fun to drive but it went to the dealership more often than I attend church (which is zero). They’re money pits unless you are willing to work on them yourself (labor costs). It’s fun to tinker if you enjoy being in the shop more than driving it…..

Wish I had seen this video before buying my 2006 E60 (525i). I have already repaired half of what you addressed. Lots of common issues. Luckily I can do the work myself, or I would have paid more than the cars value at the dealership within the first 6 months.

Ive owned an e60 for 6 years/70k miles. It now has 105k. Im very lucky to have a quality independent that knows about these common issues. He has helped me do preventative maintenance and take care of most of them. You gotta be willing to spend a grand or two but its worth it.

@Nathan's BMW workshop I have a question. I wonder whats my e60 530xd 2008 vibration from its around 90-130 km/h and when im driving the steering wheel is shaking also very evident when going downhill and breaking litttle bit harder and my wheels are worn not symetrically. Do you know what could it be? Also antother thing is my diagnostics shows low air flow in egr ventile, i changed it also deleted it and it still poped out, i also changed lambda sond and thermostat and many hosese. Any tips. Car feels like it lack some power like the vacuum is not creating or its without turbo, but turbo is ok? Any tips Please im getting out of options what to check and change

So wanted to buy one of these, but after watching your videos I not sure, I have a 02 Lexus ES still driving it, bought it at 10k+ miles, now its 195+miles the only thing I had done or fix: new tires, new windshield x2, new battery x2, new starter, new taillight bulbs x2, new headlight bulb, and only done two oil change ever since I bought it

200k and yes your preaching. Amen. The water pump was the first thing, and now I'm going through you list.

80% of your things that will go wrong are same for the E46. Many people will drive their cars until they will not move and then call the shop. Most 12+ year old /100,000+ mile cars will have a ton of deferred maintenance regardless of make. If the interior looks like crap. rest assured there has been no maintenance done.

some of these things apply to pretty much any car out there. I have done most of these things on my e34 and e39. I.e. if you buy a toyota with a timing belt, then you replace the water pump and thermostat together with the timing belt. Many of these things do not cost a fortune either. I guess that the water pump and thermostat are the most expensive ones on the list here. Some of these points, such as a bad battery or dirty interior are not really BMW specific faults. Thank you for the video though, I feel less worried about getting an e60 after seeing this.

after you seal the light and happy its airtight tape some silica gel packets where the bulbs go in and wrap in plastic for a day so the gel absorbs all the condensation inside the lens area. It wont fog as bad again after that.

this is so accurate. I have a 2008 bmw 528xi. I have had it for 2 years now. I bought it at 114,000 miles. I have put about 30,000 miles on it in the 2 years (142,000). I have replaced right front axle twice, left front axle once, water cooling pump, starter, all 4 control arms, cupholders bad of course, 2 ignition coils, 5 tires, right now I have abs lights and tire monitoring lights, and still counting.

Where did you find the control arm kit for $130? That’s a fantastic price! Same question for the front half shaft.

Soon 50k subs 😎

I have an E90 with 70000 miles on it and I have experienced most of these problems. So you have to give it to BMW for consistency I guess?

When is your next live stream? Went and looked at a 318is and had some questions. Said it had a bad headgasket and has around 30 psi on the inner 2 cylinders.

My 06 E60 525i never gave me any trouble mechanically, with the exception of the AC compressor pully shearing off..

😂😂😂😂😂 you sure name all the problems I’m faced with right now and some I have yet to face 🥵.

Nathan- great video. never even considered trying to update the software. can you provide info on how and what gadgets you use to do an update. And are the updates from BMW available to the general public or only to mechanics? thanks for any info!

My e66 is @ 180k miles. About to do a whole front end rebuild.

Nathan, got a question. 07 335i, during heavy exceleration, feels like rear end slip, or engine cut out. What say you?

Just aquired a 05 e60 525i (M54 engine). Just hit 150k miles. No codes just yet. Can't figure out how to update it. Had an CIC upgrade I think. Its my first BMW. Im learning this video really helped me. thank you

1. Flooding of the passenger side floorboard due to the chamber below the ECU flooding when it rains because you can’t get the leaves out until you pull out the plug. --which shorts your yaw sensor. 2. Front struts bent in the sport model likely 3. When you change your autotrans oil, get ready to have a lot of auto trans issues-valves/solenoids 4. AIrbag lights 5. Seatbelt lights 6. LED light bulbs aren’t readable to remove backup light error 7. Oil leak of Oil filter housing 8. Oil leak on Oil pan gasket 9. PCV line 10. Worst engineered design for the anti sway-bar tabs on subframe that are easy to break off if it interferes with low clearance .😡😡😡😡😡😡 11. Active headlights fail 12. Noisy noisy steering wheel tilt My 2004 E60’ engine is tough and most things are working now, but still need to replace the yaw sensor and then reprogram steering, try and clear the airbag, seatbelt, back up light errors. 😡 . .

I thought the n52 was one of the most reliable bmw engines... am i wrong?

Cheers bro. Thinking about buy an 08 530i. This is a good shopping list

+disintegrating wires? Just saw your other vid about German “green” plastics. 👍🏽 First fix on my E60 was a license plate bulb the car kept complaining about. Bulb was fine. This being a BMW, culprit was a broken wire at the hinge in the harness that passes through the trunk wall. Nice rat’s nest of flaking/bare wires in there thanks to that insulation that just goes ahead and starts biodegrading ahead of schedule. I got off easy though; there are stories about shorts in headlight harnesses that set some guys’ cars on fire. 🔥

That’s just the way it is!

I’d like more info on which scanner to buy for updates my 550i.

Leak Monsters!

I have 185,109 miles! I really wish you didn't say that (about the check engine light) so far I've had a good run. I guess I should be expecting that light soon. Damn 🤯😒.

There's a filter inside the power steering reservoir? Like an actual filter or a little screen? It clogs up?

Im looking to purchase one of these this week up coming week. 2010, 98k Miles. He's asking 6900. Water pump has been changed and various other stuff. Your guys thoughts?

U should have seen the first problem when I got my 535xi,the day I got it the serpentine belt got sucked into the cam seal lmao luckily didn't get into the engine bad but still not fun

My 07 E90 530i wagon has 75,000 miles, and NONE of these problems. It replaces my E92 07 335i with 163,000 miles on the clock, which also still runs like a clock.

A BMW leaking oil nah never lol. Stock up on brake clean before you open the hood!

You should look into all the issues mine has 😆

Do you have a recommendation/link for control arms brand? E39 540i front. I couldn’t figure out how to search your amazon store

Enjoyed the vid.

Can you post the complete list? Part numbers too?

Dear Nathan thank you for your effort I m a BMW e60 and e36 owner ...Beleive it or not I feel safer each time my cars guess broke why? Because Its a chance to replace the old one with new one and drive safer !!!

You don’t scare me...lol. I still love my 08 528i with 157k. The only issue I have is an annoying vibration at idle no matter what gear I’m in or when coming to a complete stop at a light. The engine mounts are good. Can the exhaust cause this?

Damn you know this car like the back of your hand

You are correct on most of those faults. The E60 is a money pit for sure. I dont know how many fixes I have had to do but I eventually got rid of it as I dont have time these days to be fixing and fixing and fixing. The diesel is a lot better in terms of reliability or just sticking with the non turbocharged cars

Hey man I just found an 85k mile 2010 535xi sport for $9500. Is that a fair price? I'm a mechanic I drove it and it needs a few things here and there nothing major like a balljoint or bushings here and there and some wipers. Safety is extra $500 that should take care of those. No oil leaks from valve cover or oil cooler. Its probably gonna need shocks all around too actually. What do you think?

what wheels are in your video thumbnail?

What about the E60 with the N62 4.8L engine? I am coming up on 100k really soon. I have changed front upper/lower control arms and stabilizers, water pump, radiator, hoses and expansion tank. Besides the valve stem seals and the coolant pipe what else do I need to look out for? As always thank you for the wonderful videos.

i had an e90 minus the f60 recall i had all the same issues.

I had the engine mounts bad once i didnt change those right on time and they broke my right side engine support bracket i end having broken bolt in the block not fun of a job. You should replace those ASAP fcpeuro sell good quality ones but good price

BMW is not the same than before. The e39 was the last 5series who was durable and reliable. The newer cars are crap in my opinion. I am a german guy and i love BMW before. In my live i had a e28, e34, e39 and now a e60 lci with the crap n53 engine. Problems with the electric, with the injectors, nox sensor, ccv valve, high pressure pump and so on. I want back my e39.

Hence the reasons for so many BMW'S for sale just under or over 100k miles

Last year I bought a 2006 E60 525 6 speed manual from an automotive engineer who is ahead of quality control for North America for a parts company. The car had 380,000 kilometres ( 238,000 miles ). I still had to spend over $4,000 to get it to where I was happy with it. Full disclosure, that includes Michelin Sport 4S tires 275/35/18 rear, 245/40/18 front, which was a lot of money just for the tires, but still, this car was owned by a car expert and still needed money spent on it.

Do u know what a 2dde code would be on a 08 550i e60

Cool....Thanks

Second video it’s coming up soon with 30 more things !!!