I visit the service station every two days... A real review from the owner of a BMW X5 E70 3.5i

OР OР! The turbulent story of one BMW X5 E70: from a dream to a "grown-up constructor"

In the world of cars, there are legends, there are horrors, and there are those cars that are talked about for years. This is the story of the 2011 BMW X5 E70 with the N55 engine, as told by Alexander — the manager of the popular service's Odessa and Kharkiv branches.

One warm day at the new ninth branch, Alexander decided to show on camera the "nightmare of all mechanics" — the BMW X5 E70, and invited its owner — Dmytro, a friend and comrade, the person who helped find the perfect box for the new service. They humorously call themselves "Yin and Yang" — both bald, both passionate car enthusiasts.

How it all started

This X5 appeared in Dmytro's life completely by chance. The car was bought new by the first owner in 2011, who drove it for nine years, serviced it, and maintained it. In mid-2021, he sold it to someone else for $23,000. The new owner drove it for a few months, brought it to the service — and that's when it all started. A huge list of problems and potential costs almost made the owner lose consciousness. He immediately sold the car for $17,500.

Then, the X5 passed from hand to hand — another owner, diagnostics, shock, sale. Finally, tired and beaten by life, the crossover ended up in Dmytro's hands for $12,500.

The first battle — the engine

Right after buying it, Dmytro got to work on the engine. They started by removing the high-pressure pump, cleaning the fuel lines, and installing a new pump. The car came to life, but not for long — a few days later, the injectors started leaking, smoke appeared, it misfired, and problems kept stacking up. Then came new injectors, new ignition coils, and spark plugs. The total cost for just the ignition was over $3,000.

Replacing tubes and a unique part

Dmytro even found unique high-pressure tubes — ones that no one else had in Ukraine. The people selling them said they had been sitting in the warehouse for 8 years. The price was astronomical, but there was no other option.

Next step — more problems

The vacuum pump, which was knocking, cost 25,000 UAH. Then, a terrifying breakdown on the highway: a bang, the timing chain tensioner fell apart, and chain pieces were in the oil pan. The repair cost about 100,000 UAH, including replacing all the chains, gaskets, tensioners, seals, and related parts.

Brakes, suspension, springs

After another night on the lift, the rear springs, shock absorbers, and brake system failed. All of them were replaced, costing over $1,000. Next, the rear and front driveshafts, their repair cost another 22,000 UAH. The front brakes also gave way — new discs, pads, and repair kits.

The end? Not quite!

When it seemed like everything was finally behind, the handbrake broke. The cable block failed, and the repair cost 15,000 UAH because when removing the part, small springs and balls shot out.

Dmytro’s conclusion

Despite everything he went through, Dmytro doesn't regret the purchase. He calls the car pure joy. During the day, it's work; in the evening, it's the perfect, stylish, powerful car. And although over $10,000 has been spent in a year, every dollar spent, according to the owner, returns in the form of driving pleasure and satisfaction.

Is it worth buying such a car at the bottom of the market? Is it worth investing so much money in a used BMW? Other X5 owners can leave their stories and thoughts in the comments. It would be interesting to know who else has had similar adventures and how their car stories ended.

Watch in more detail on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQIjpLx1Lv8

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