Faults:

Bought the car for a song about 2 months ago. I had the car checked by a BMW specialist and below is the list of what needs to be addressed:

Rear sub-frame suspension bushings need replacement. Front bushings on control arms need replacing. Struts will need replacement in the near future. Oil filter housing leaking (will be replaced soon). Slight fluid leak at the rear differential.

Nothing out of the ordinary for an almost 39 year old car.

General Comments:

I am a BMW enthusiast and also own an E36 325is coupe which I use as a weekend warrior in the Summer.

I bought the 525i because for my new job I have a 100 miles (ca. 161 km) commute (one way) and I wanted to have a comfortable ride. So far the car has behaved extremely well despite the issues reported above. Handling is terrific (I can't wait to see how it handles once all bushings have been done), the car picks up nicely (however it's not a Porsche) and keeps up very well on the highway with modern cars. It has a few little electronic gremlins, but I can live with that.

Faults:

The thing that sold me about the car was the fact that it was so clean, pristine and shiny... it still looked like new, unfortunately I was stupid enough to take it directly to the dealers for its first service and BAM! They charged me 3 grand... that stung!

I've had to replace the battery twice since 2004. It turned out that the alarm system was faulty and draining the battery... I wish I'd known this before I spent hundreds of dollars on new batteries!

In 2007, I had to replace my brake pads as it was making a 'grinding metal' noise whenever I hit my breaks.

In 2008, the car started misfiring for some reason. It would stumble on acceleration, as if it were about to stall. It turned out that the Engine E.C.U was faulty and had to be replaced.

In late 2008, all electronics mysteriously stopped working. Thankfully this turned out to be an inexpensive problem. The fusible link (thin piece of metal that connects the battery to the fuse box) snapped and had to be replaced.

The headliner has completely collapsed over the past 5 years. In 2004 it was perfect... strange.

General Comments:

I am very proud to own an e34 5 series. Yes, it is expensive to maintain and run, but it is worth it.

Now, I'm not at all mechanically minded. None of that stuff interests me. All I care about is style and comfort... the e34 satisfies my hunger in that respect.

You simply can't put a price on quality. Most of my friends drive Asian imports and locally made Australian cars... It's funny that a 1991 BMW 5 series looks newer and more impressive than a 2002 Holden Commodore.

I love my car and when I can afford one, I'd buy a brand new one directly from the dealership.