1989 BMW 7 Series 735i review from Australia and New Zealand
"German engineering at its best"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The lights kept randomly turning off.
Onboard computer backlighting broke.
Vehicle "shimmys" at 90km/h.
Air con not working.
General comments?
The headlights and tail lights thing is a well-known problem and easy to fix on your own, or you could pay an auto-sparky - it's a 15 minute job resoldering some connections. I also cleaned the headlights out and got far better light - they fill with dust - being good Hella units they can be stripped and cleaned with little fuss.
The OBC backlighting is just a bulb I believe - but its hard to get at because someone previous installed an aftermarket stereo that's a pig to get out...
The shimmy is also a well-known worn bush fault and is about $300 to get fixed with after-market bushes, or about $450 using genuine BMW parts.
The Air Con was going to cost over $1000 to fix due to a valve in under the dash that needs fixing - hell, I have a sunroof and windows to wind down :)
Overall tho its pretty reliable for its age, and a dream to drive. Its not the most economical car to drive, but if I wanted a Mazda 121 I would buy one (then I'd shoot myself :)
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.5 Litre fuel injected straight 6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 7/10 |
| Comfort marks | 10/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 61000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 65000 miles |
| Previous car | Subaru Legacy |
| Date of Entry | 9th September, 2004 |