I PURCHASED MY 2001 BMW X5, NEW IN SEPT OF 2000. I BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT PRETTY QUICKLY. THE MOST PLAUGING PROBLEM WAS THE GAS GAUGE. IT TOOK BMW 5 TIMES TO FINALLY FIX IT. 2/26/01 14461 MILAGE, 3/9/01 14512 MILAGE, 5/16/01 18566 MILES, 8/29/01 24493 MILES, AND FINALLY 2/26/02 37268 MILES. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF OTHER ISSUES WITH THE CAR, WATER PUMP, LOWER CONTRO ARM (TWICE), AND VARIOUS OTHER NON-ESSENTIAL ITEMS. I TRIED TO ENACT THE LEMON LAW, BUT SINCE THE 3RD TIME ON THE FUEL GAUGE WAS AT 18500 MILES, I WAS TOLD IT DIDN'T APPLY. NOW AFTER 4 AND A HALF YEARS, I HAVE 114,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND I WAS JUST TOLD THAT THE MOTOR IS SHOT AND WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $11,500. I CAN'T SINK THAT KIND OF MONEY INTO A CAR WITH THAT MANY MILES BUT I CAN'T SELL IT WITH A BAD MOTOR AND I CAN'T MAKE PAYMENTS ON TWO CARS. THIS CAR HAS BEEN ONE PROBLEM AFTER ANOTHER AND BMW HAS REFUESED HELP ME. THE ONLY OFFER THEY MADE WAS TO GIVE ME $5000.00 OFF ON A NEW CAR WHEN I HIRED A LAWYER TO TRY TO ENACT THE LEMON LAW, BUT WITH THE MILAGE I HAD ON THE CAR ALREADY I STILL WOULD HAVE OWED THEM MONEY ON THE TRADE-IN. THERE HASN'T BEEN ONE INCIDENT. IT'S JUST BEEN ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. I HAVE PAID BMW OVER $3600.00 FOR SERVICE AND REPAIRS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. NOW IT'S GOING TO COST ME OVER $11,000 MORE TO GET THE CAR RUNNING AGAIN. I HAVE ALL THE SERVICE RECORDS AND HAVE ALWAYS PAMPERED THE CAR. I ONLY USED THE BEST GAS, NEVER MISSED ANY SCHEDULED SERVICES. I CAN'T BELIEVE BMW IS NOT STANDING BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS BETTER THAN THIS.*AK
2008
ENGINE
WILL IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC, THE YELLOW ENGINE OVERHEAT LIGHT APPEARED. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES THAT YELLOW LIGHT TURNED TO RED ENGINE OVERHEAT, TURN OFF THE VEHICLE TO COOL DOWN. I DID MY BEST TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY AND PULL OVER WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I WAITED NEARLY 2 HOURS BEFORE I COULD GET TOWED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I HAD THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED AND THE BMW OF AUSTIN DEALERSHIP ADVISED I WILL NEED A WATER PUMP REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $766!! SINCE MY CAR HAS OVER 50K MILES, I AM OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY. I KNOW THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE 2010-2011 V8 VERSION OF THE SAME CAR I HAVE FOR THE SAME FAULTY PART--ELECTRIC WATER PUMP. I BELIEVE THIS SAME FAILURE AFFECTS MY 2008 4.8I X5 SAV. PLEASE DO SOMETHING TO HELP THOSE OF US WHO HAVE PUT OUR LIVES AT RISK ON HIGHWAYS WITH THIS SUDDEN WATER PUMP FAILURES. *TR