1985 BMW 5 Series 535i review from North America
"A solid car, but not cheap"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
-TRX wheels and tires headache.
-Front end work.
-A ton of warn bushings and ball joints throughout the suspension.
-Power antenna.
-Front pads+rotors.
-Trans synchros are warn, sometimes the gears grind or don't engage.
-Car overheated, 2 thermostats later problem solved.
-Water pump.
-Trans seal.
-Entire exhaust.
-Adjust valves every 10k miles.
-Wipers are funky on intermittent mode.
-Fuses were all corroded and have to be replaced.
-Hood shocks.
-Oil pan gasket.
-Fuel lines.
-Clutch slave.
-Alternator bushing.
-Some vacuum leaks.
General comments?
This car taught me that there is no such thing as a $2,000 car. Although that is what I paid for it, the bills soon started piling up and now total over $6,000 for the car and repairs. In spite of this the car is in excellent condition for its age and mileage. I have yet to find a ding on the body, and it was painted a year prior to me purchasing it, and it looks great. The biggest problems were the exhaust (it was the original system) and the tires/wheels "TRX nightmare". The exhaust was around $1500 and so where the wheels and tires. (both had to be replaced as TRX tires are $300 each). Other things have been minor and are to be expected for age/mileage. They just add up to a lot and don't expect that you can get away with letting little things slip or you'll end up with a car fire or a major repair bill.
Basically, I love the car, and I expect repair costs to drop significantly in the near future as the previous owners did not make many repairs to the car during the 3 years they owned it.
Recommended reviews
| 1985 - 5 Series 535i 3.4L L6 PFI SOHC This car is highly over rated |
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| If you like nice cars, and you like to work on them more, this is the car for you |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1985 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.5 Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 198000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 208000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 7th July, 2004 |