2001 BMW M5 from UK and Ireland - Comments

A lot of niggling problems generally have blighted what is otherwise a stunning car.

Most problems have been quality/build related.

July 2003 - Had to have boot-lid and 2 offside doors replaced under corrosion warranty.

July 2003 - Navigation unit lost sound, needed replacement navigation module.

June 2003 - Television stopped working. Replaced Video module.

June 2003 - Tire pressure control function (TPC) constantly blinked up "Tire Defect". Had to have fault codes reset.

June 2003 - Rear tires rubbed arches, damaging both inner and outer arches and scoring tyre walls down to wire!! Again replaced rear springs as they had become "compressed" thus meaning car was 14mm lower at rear then factory spec.

June 2003 - Radio lost all reception. Had new Ariel booster.

May 2003 - Oil leak from nearside rocker cover.

May 2003 - Battery drain, this was traced to wiring fault with Traffic Master.

May 2003 - Alternator packed up on a wet worning!!... it actually broke down this time!!

April 2003 - Air conditioning/heater system went haywire. It would only blow hot air to the windscreen only!!

December 2002 to April 2003 - various gremlins with electrics and fittings.

If it was reliable it would be the best value £30k car in the world...

However its been a constant battle with a difficult dealer who has to see the car in on average 2/3 times to repair the same fault. Servicing and other costs have been very good, it even is fairly economical considering its engine. With better build quality it would be an amazing car rather than a very beautiful frustration that it has become.

I would buy another because my daily driver (E38, 740) really does show that BMW can build a solid car and does feel like it is carved out of a solid lump of stone, its just a pity this E39 suffers from sloppy workmanship.

Good to see an honest review on a doubtless fantastic car. I really do not understand why BMW cars have such a reputation for amazing build quality etc, from what I have seen, they cost just as much to keep on the road as an Alfa once out of warranty.

You need to be brave and be prepared to shell out a small fortune every year to run a car of this class without a comprehensive warranty... it might not happen, but often does.

I agree with the comment above. It's not just BMW, but a lot of other brands known for quality which can and do suffer build and reliability issues just like everything else.

My brother-in-law has just sold his Audi A4 TDI Quattro which has needed over £1,500 worth of dealer attention in the past 18 months outside of routine servicing. A leaking windscreen, juddering clutch, weeping heater matrix, a temperature gauge fault and worn bushes in the front suspension. This car was four years old with just 44,000 genuine miles on the clock. He had owned the car from new.

Parts prices on German cars are a joke too. Nearly £700 for the clutch kit for example. Plus fitting and VAT!

The Germans build very solid cars with a lovely "over engineered" feel, but never assume they are any more reliable than the mainstream manufacturers. Some are, some aren't. It's the luck of the draw.

I agree with the comments my m5 has had £14000 pound spent on it under warranty in the last 4 month. its had new vanos units a new gear box new air conditioning rear anti-roll bar bushes. it also had a new engine 30000 mile ago. but it is mind blowing to drive and I would have another.

I bought a 2001 M5 as my first new car (and my 11th car ever). Within a few months I had to replace my rear tires because the wheel wells ate the tires, BMW rolled up the wheel wells a bit and told me it happens. They insist my car's ride height is correct, but I doubt it.

After about 20k miles I had to have my engine replaced (free) - the story? I noticed that sometimes the 'service engine' light would come on and my car would enter 'limp' mode wherein my 400hp car would pretend to have 200hp - restarting the car fixed it, but I took it in to service to check it out. They advised me that cylinder 1 misfired and it happens. Over the course of 18 months this happened with increasing frequency and eventually the dealer acknowledged their may be a problem. They found that due to a manufacturing defect some metal bit found it's way into cylinder 1 and chewed it up. They gave me a new engine free and broke and replaced the windshield in the process. Also the hood has never sat properly since (it's crooked now).

There is a long list of minor problems the car has always exhibited for example the rear passenger window makes a loud clacking sound whenver it is closed from fully open. Also the AC tends to whistle loudly as does the transmission (ever since the engine replacement).

With my new engine came a 2 year warranty which expired a few months ago. I took the car in to buy an extended warranty which required a pre-sales inspection. They found about $2500 worth of work that had to be done first - all of it related to leaking fluids. It turns out that I brought my car in for a fluid replacement/inspection service a few months before the engine warranty expired and they found nothing wrong. I am told by the service rep that these leaks take years to develop and are somewhat unusual for a car with 34k miles (the engine has 1/2 that many!) - clearly these three leaks did not develop in the 3.5 months between my fluid service and my pre-warranty sale inspection.

This car is my 3rd BMW and probably my last. I am extremely disappointed in the build quality and even more disappointed in the way BMW is handling it. It should not take 18 months to convince them that a repeating engine failure as indicated by their diagnostic system is indicative of a problem. They should admit that they intentionally or through incompetence failed to notice and correct warranted problems prior to warranty expiration that they noticed thereafter and volunteer to pay for the repair.

That service light / limp home mode & general running problem is symptomatic of dirty MAF's (mass air flow meters) which are a common problem on the M5 and generally need replacing and/or taken out and cleaning (10minute job) following around 10k miles of driving.

I can not believe they actually installed a NEW ENGINE, have a search on the net because this solution rectifies around 95% of running problems associated with the E39 M5.

A dealers solution is to systematically replace all expensive parts (like vanos banks) until they find the problem, but this tends to be a sporadic fault prompting all manner of misfires and error codes (which are difficult to pin-point) only to re-emerge a few hundred miles down the road after the garage mistakenly believed they had rectified the problem.

If anybody is experiencing similar problems with their M5, try cleaning / replacing both MAF's first.

Regards,

Brendan / Eire

I recently purchased a 02 M5 which I have always desired to have ever since the 2000 model came out. The body style had me hooked. Anyway I came across the car on the internet located in Raliegh, NC about 2hrs from where I reside. I paid roughly 28K because it had 20k miles over what an 02 should have, but the car was cleanier then any M5 I had seen that fell in my buget. I now have 102000 on the OD and she is running like a pure champion. I have also be Blessed to find a

Euro car repair shop that deals with german cars and from what

I have seen in their lot they seem to know whats up. So we will see what the next 10yrs have to show since I plan to keep

her as long as the car can run drive her till the brakes fall off.

Hello,

I am interested in what year m5 is the most reliable (2000 to 2004).

I have a 2000 BMW 318ci, and recently the car has been having problems starting. The problem only happens when the car is warm. As you start the car the starter motor is turning over, but the rev counter starts to go up and down without the car even started. Also the telltale light comes on and off, but the car just won't start until it's cold again.

If anybody could have any ideas on to repair this problem, I would really appreciate it!!

Thanks!

I own a 528I, and I'm replacing the engine as we speak! I didn't realize that the E39's had so many problems, but I've found out first hand. This has cost me over 3600k to fix and I know there are more problems to come. I do love the M5s' and may get one someday, but I'll have to rack up some money before making that decision.

Otis.