Faults:

As of today nothing has gone wrong. Previous owner did a great job of holding it and maintaining it for me. :)

The only thing that has gone wrong, if you can call it that, is that the front tires wore out unevenly, so I replaced the entire set.

I am noticing a bit of softness in the steering. So I am thinking it may be time to replace the front thrust bushings. This is a common problem, and I don't consider it a breakdown; more like maintenance.

Actually something has gone wrong. The housing for the exterior mirrors seems to be taking in water and deteriorating. More so on the driver's side. Hasn't affected the mirrors, but just looks ugly. And makes me very, very sad.

General Comments:

This is a very sexy car. The interior is just plain classy. I tinted the windows so it is now super sexy. Every single time I get in the car, I can't help smiling. The leather is very nice and my car has the sports seats, so I'm a happy camper.

It drives like a champ! It's not the fastest Beemer, but I get by nicely. This is the second 525i I've owned; I never should have sold the first. The biggest difference is the road and engine feel. My 2003 is SO smooth. It's like flying a rocket. My 1994 was just raw. I could feel the road and the acceleration. These cars are a pleasures to drive.

Something I've noticed, and I don't know if it's common to all 525's... is a rough second gear. When shifting into second gear, it's never butter smooth. Both my cars were high mile acquisitions, so I'm not sure what they were like before. Or maybe I just need to learn to shift better. In my 94 it got to the point where sometimes I had to double clutch or use a little bit of force. With the 03 I have to nudge it a bit. But it's only with 2nd gear.

Faults:

Upper control arm thrust bushings.

Tie rod ends.

Lower control arm tie rod ends.

Sway bar links.

Front struts.

Brake hose.

Alignment.

Leaking rear door seals.

Rear doors fail to close when cold.

Cup holders.

Rear speaker blown.

Stereo display pixels burnt out.

Side mirror turned brown.

General Comments:

Many BMW owners are happy with their BMW despite huge annual repair bills. They'll give a particular model a glowing review, despite the fact that certain areas of the car wear out quickly and need replacing. They'll say "it's reliable as long as you look after it".

I purchased the car with 100k, and it soon needed all of the above parts listed. Have your BMW inspected by a mechanic before you buy. I'm not unhappy with my BMW, the car makes up for it in how it drives. But if you buy one thinking it will be as reliable as a Japanese car, you'll be very frustrated.

Our 2007 Camry has 108k and drives like it did when new. No issues to speak of.

Faults:

Nothing yet.

General Comments:

Well, I just acquired this car a few days ago. My Intrepid was totaled out two weeks ago in a weird accident and I found myself in need of a different automobile.

I have owned over 30 autos in the last 29 years, including high performance muscle cars, sports cars, luxury cars and so on.

I spend a great deal of time in my car. Due to my career, I travel locally quite a bit. I was very happy with my Intrepid, it was easy on fuel and had enough horsepower to keep me happy. When the car was totaled, I was concerned that I would not be able to find something that would scratch my itch of having a sexy looking car that got decent mileage.

I ran across this car at a dealership where I have a couple of close friends and couldn't believe the deal they gave me.

I know that I have only owned the car for a couple of days, but the car seems to be quite responsive. I would not spend extra money to get the 530.

The car handles like a dream. Better than any Trans Am, Corvette, or Z car I have ever driven.

The ride is superb. Very smooth.

The sound system is the best I have ever had as a factory option.

The car is a real head turner. All black with privacy tint.

I have a bad back and occasionally have problems with the seats in a car. I drove the car 200 miles yesterday and my back never felt better when I reached my destination.