Faults:

I had to have the drive shaft replaced last December at a cost of around $800.00. I was told by my mechanic that this was considered normal wear and tear for a car of nearly 15 years of age.

Currently, the power steering pump and fuel sender unit need replacing. Thankfully, neither affect the performance or reliability of the car. They are mostly just minor annoyances at the moment. This car has never once left me stranded on a highway waiting for the Auto Club.

This summer I plan to replace the headliner and carpet, not because they are in terrible shape, but just because I plan on keeping this car for a long time to come.

General Comments:

This is by far the best car I have ever owned, and at 41, I've owned a lot of cars. It is one of the smoothest riding cars I have ever driven. The only downside to that is that you can cruise up to 90 mph and not even realize how fast you are going until those flashing blue lights appear behind you.

It has all the bells and whistles and everything works!! The performance and luxury of the car can't be matched, for the money. I bought this car for a mere $4,000 from a neighbor who is a former professional football player and who pampered and garaged it for the entire 14 years he owned it. Not too bad of a price for a car that retailed for around $70,000, when new.

I can't really think of anything negative to say, except that operating and maintenance costs can be high. As my mechanic says when I take it in to be serviced, "BMW stands for Bring Money With" It can be expensive to maintain, but it's definitely worth it.

It is a real head turner and a blast to drive!!! If you don't like drawing attention to yourself, stay away from this car.

Faults:

Water Pump went out 1 week after purchase and car overheated.

Radiator blew from water pump going out.

Power stearing pump went out 2 weeks after purchase.

Transmission pump went out 1 month after purchase.

Transmission had to be replaced 2 months after purchase - car would not go forward or backward.

Battery had to be replaced at same time as transmission.

Computer system went out 4 months after purchase and had to be replaced.

Chrome manufacturer's rims had to be replaced 6 months after purchase because tires kept going flat and would not seal with the rims due to rims being warped.

Back seat will need to be replaced because springs in the seat are popping up.

Radar detector quit working.

Fuel gauge sticks and doesn't work.

The fuels circuits blew and had to be replaced - which cost $600!

General Comments:

This is a great car - when it's all working right!

The car has great pick-up and runs like silk. The car is very quiet on the road and can seat 5 people comfortably.

Faults:

This car has needed front end suspension work constantly. The wider tires that I put on it wears the suspension early. However, this time I used polyurethane bushings so it should last forever.

I have had to do some electrical work on this car. It is not hard to work on, but hard to diagnose. A lot of the fixes for this car are simple re-soldering and/or replacing switches and relays.

My rear axle broke. The rear CV-joint stripped and left me waiting for a tow truck. The repair wasn't bad. I replaced my rear suspension parts while having the car in the air.

General Comments:

This car is very comfortable and it handles like a sports car. The car feels better with faster speeds. I just wish it had cup holders.