Are e60 m5's as unreliable as the internet says?
Discussion
Fantastic cars with a noise like nothing else.
I've had mine only since December but have just put it in the classifieds as my commute will become about 800 miles a week next month due to a new business.
I've never sold a car that I've genuinely struggled to find a replacement but this V10 will be a tough act to follow.
I've had mine only since December but have just put it in the classifieds as my commute will become about 800 miles a week next month due to a new business.
I've never sold a car that I've genuinely struggled to find a replacement but this V10 will be a tough act to follow.
skeeterm5 said:
Slippydiff said:
Mondial warranty ? Caveat Emptor.
And in this case Caveat Emptor means be aware that buying/having a Mondial warranty isn't the same as claiming on it.
Those that have bought the Mondial warranty will know how easy it can be : Go to the webpage, pop your registration number and mileage in, tick a couple of boxes, chose the cover you want and input your card details. Easy.
It's clear Mondial will issue a warranty on pretty much any BMW and are happy to take your money. But be aware the onus is on YOU the purchaser of the warranty to do your due diligence and ensure the car you're proposing meets the warranty providers criteria.
There have been a couple of cases on here whereby cars with Mondial warranties have had issues that SHOULD have been covered, but when the dealers undertaking the repairs have interrogated the car's ECU, they've found fault codes either prior to or after the warranty being being obtained, and Mondial have used this information to reject claims.
From my perspective anyone buying a Mondial warranty for a V10 engined M5/6 would be well advised to request a full interrogation of the car's diagnostics by an Approved BMW dealer to ensure there's no onerous fault codes/ information lurking within that could or would prejudice any future warranty claims.
For every story like this there are umpteen more where there are no issues with the warranty. I have never had a single warranty claim rejected and have owned AUC BMWs for the last 10 years or so. I think you need to make sure you build a relationship with the dealer so they support the claim.And in this case Caveat Emptor means be aware that buying/having a Mondial warranty isn't the same as claiming on it.
Those that have bought the Mondial warranty will know how easy it can be : Go to the webpage, pop your registration number and mileage in, tick a couple of boxes, chose the cover you want and input your card details. Easy.
It's clear Mondial will issue a warranty on pretty much any BMW and are happy to take your money. But be aware the onus is on YOU the purchaser of the warranty to do your due diligence and ensure the car you're proposing meets the warranty providers criteria.
There have been a couple of cases on here whereby cars with Mondial warranties have had issues that SHOULD have been covered, but when the dealers undertaking the repairs have interrogated the car's ECU, they've found fault codes either prior to or after the warranty being being obtained, and Mondial have used this information to reject claims.
From my perspective anyone buying a Mondial warranty for a V10 engined M5/6 would be well advised to request a full interrogation of the car's diagnostics by an Approved BMW dealer to ensure there's no onerous fault codes/ information lurking within that could or would prejudice any future warranty claims.
In my ownership it had a new vanos, front wheel bearings, rear springs, alarm/immobiliser ecu, door locks, transmission position sensor, alternator, new boot floor/subframe mount.... all claimed without issue (the wheel bearings despite the car running AP's front and rear....) but yes, I did indeed have a good relationship with the service advisors and the technician who I insisted work on the car.
I sold the car to my business partner, it subsequently had another vanos, another alternator and a head gasket replacement, all replaced without question (in this case by Elms of Cambridge).
But I suspect times are a changing and Mondial now call the shots.
As another contributor has said, before buying a car, if possible have the it inspected by your local dealer (but if the car is miles away from you, often it's not) and also have a transmission/clutch check/test carried out, along with having any previous or existing fault codes read.
A BMW inspection doesn't cost a lot, and another £90-100 to establish the health of the transmission/clutch AND read any current or pre-existing fault codes, is a small price to pay for peace of mind SHOULD you need to claim off the Mondial warranty at some point in the future.
Edited by Slippydiff on Sunday 24th April 12:49
Looking at an M5 tomorrow and came acros this thread....
Ref Mondial warranty, is that this?
https://www.bmw-warranty.co.uk/BMW/Login/Index
....or this?
http://www.mondial-assistance.com/corporate/busine...
If the former, what level of warranty for E60 M5s have people gone for and is it worth it? Most expensive one seems to be about £130/month, and I wouldn't mind paying it so long as it meant that I had to worry about nothing other than consumables/servicing, but it does seem to have quite a few non-consumable exclusions:
All exhaust components (except catalytic converter)
Any covered component that has worn out rather than suffered from a defect after the 1st 100,000 miles
Auxiliary drive belts
Channels and guides
Cleaning or adjustment of any component/carbon/soot buildup
Coolant and fuel hoses
Glass
Handles, hinges and check straps
Weather strips and seals
Ref Mondial warranty, is that this?
https://www.bmw-warranty.co.uk/BMW/Login/Index
....or this?
http://www.mondial-assistance.com/corporate/busine...
If the former, what level of warranty for E60 M5s have people gone for and is it worth it? Most expensive one seems to be about £130/month, and I wouldn't mind paying it so long as it meant that I had to worry about nothing other than consumables/servicing, but it does seem to have quite a few non-consumable exclusions:
All exhaust components (except catalytic converter)
Any covered component that has worn out rather than suffered from a defect after the 1st 100,000 miles
Auxiliary drive belts
Channels and guides
Cleaning or adjustment of any component/carbon/soot buildup
Coolant and fuel hoses
Glass
Handles, hinges and check straps
Weather strips and seals
I went for the most comprehensive policy that Mondial sold. I think at the time I could of paid anything from £60 upto £102 monthly. I opted for the £102 with a nil excess and added the home breakdown cover as the normal policy will only recover your car if you over half a mile from home. It's increased twice and I now pay £112 a month. Two months ago they paid for 2 new throttle actuators after checking they were happy with the service history.
I made an impulse buy of an E61 M5 almost exactly a year ago without any research, it had about 55k on it. I went for the Mondial at about £100 per month with £100 excess (they wouldn't offer a zero excess presumably due to mileage?)
I'm guessing it had been underused for a while as the voltage Reg went and killed the battery with it. I had a big service earlier this year including spark plugs and had to fork out for a couple of broken coils (not covered) and then about 2 weeks later a throttle actuator went which the warranty covered (think the bill was around £1700?) so the warranty has paid for itself for the first year. I've done maybe 7/8k miles in the year and it generally doesn't get used every day, only eves and weekends.
Apart from the stupid sized fuel tank it's a fantastic car although the gearbox does wind me up sometimes with how long it takes to shift to reverse and back to fwd when parking etc.
Most importantly my wife loves it and wouldn't let me part with it, the downside is she pretty much refuses to get in my other cars unless I sulk!
I'm guessing it had been underused for a while as the voltage Reg went and killed the battery with it. I had a big service earlier this year including spark plugs and had to fork out for a couple of broken coils (not covered) and then about 2 weeks later a throttle actuator went which the warranty covered (think the bill was around £1700?) so the warranty has paid for itself for the first year. I've done maybe 7/8k miles in the year and it generally doesn't get used every day, only eves and weekends.
Apart from the stupid sized fuel tank it's a fantastic car although the gearbox does wind me up sometimes with how long it takes to shift to reverse and back to fwd when parking etc.
Most importantly my wife loves it and wouldn't let me part with it, the downside is she pretty much refuses to get in my other cars unless I sulk!
Not sure if you've noticed but if you put your foot on the brake before going in / out of reverse the gear change is much smoother and swifter. I also find that manouvering at low speeds is far more accurate when doing that as it eradicates the jerk'n'snatch that the gearbox is known for.
I can't remember how many plug changes I've had over the last 7/8 years but I've only ever had one coil pack break during the process, two of them are a pain to reach so if the mechanic is a bit of hamfisted oaf its likely he'll break it in the process of removing the spark plug.
I can't remember how many plug changes I've had over the last 7/8 years but I've only ever had one coil pack break during the process, two of them are a pain to reach so if the mechanic is a bit of hamfisted oaf its likely he'll break it in the process of removing the spark plug.
Mags said:
I made an impulse buy of an E61 M5 almost exactly a year ago without any research, it had about 55k on it. I went for the Mondial at about £100 per month with £100 excess (they wouldn't offer a zero excess presumably due to mileage?)
I'm guessing it had been underused for a while as the voltage Reg went and killed the battery with it. I had a big service earlier this year including spark plugs and had to fork out for a couple of broken coils (not covered) and then about 2 weeks later a throttle actuator went which the warranty covered (think the bill was around £1700?) so the warranty has paid for itself for the first year. I've done maybe 7/8k miles in the year and it generally doesn't get used every day, only eves and weekends.
Apart from the stupid sized fuel tank it's a fantastic car although the gearbox does wind me up sometimes with how long it takes to shift to reverse and back to fwd when parking etc.
Most importantly my wife loves it and wouldn't let me part with it, the downside is she pretty much refuses to get in my other cars unless I sulk!
I'm guessing it had been underused for a while as the voltage Reg went and killed the battery with it. I had a big service earlier this year including spark plugs and had to fork out for a couple of broken coils (not covered) and then about 2 weeks later a throttle actuator went which the warranty covered (think the bill was around £1700?) so the warranty has paid for itself for the first year. I've done maybe 7/8k miles in the year and it generally doesn't get used every day, only eves and weekends.
Apart from the stupid sized fuel tank it's a fantastic car although the gearbox does wind me up sometimes with how long it takes to shift to reverse and back to fwd when parking etc.
Most importantly my wife loves it and wouldn't let me part with it, the downside is she pretty much refuses to get in my other cars unless I sulk!
CSLchappie said:
Not sure if you've noticed but if you put your foot on the brake before going in / out of reverse the gear change is much smoother and swifter. I also find that manouvering at low speeds is far more accurate when doing that as it eradicates the jerk'n'snatch that the gearbox is known for.
I can't remember how many plug changes I've had over the last 7/8 years but I've only ever had one coil pack break during the process, two of them are a pain to reach so if the mechanic is a bit of hamfisted oaf its likely he'll break it in the process of removing the spark plug.
Hmm, I'll ensure I try this, you might be right, if I'm just shuffling into a parking space I might not be touching the brake. I do get wound up parking as its like waiting for a pensioner!I can't remember how many plug changes I've had over the last 7/8 years but I've only ever had one coil pack break during the process, two of them are a pain to reach so if the mechanic is a bit of hamfisted oaf its likely he'll break it in the process of removing the spark plug.
re the spark plugs, yes I did wonder if that was the case. I had a bit of a whinge at the service guy as I got mixed messages about a few things around the service including telling me I had an odd wheel when it was clearly the same. They had to put the car back on the ramp to have a look and then explained that it must have had a replacement wheel as there was a lip on the inside of the new one that the others didn't have. Really though, fancy writing odd wheel on the service records and then expecting the guy serving the customers to know what that means, bunch of f***wits.
I dropped it off at the same dealer for an MOT today so will see if they manage to redeem themselves a little.
Mags said:
I made an impulse buy of an E61 M5 almost exactly a year ago without any research, it had about 55k on it. I went for the Mondial at about £100 per month with £100 excess (they wouldn't offer a zero excess presumably due to mileage?)
I'm guessing it had been underused for a while as the voltage Reg went and killed the battery with it. I had a big service earlier this year including spark plugs and had to fork out for a couple of broken coils (not covered) and then about 2 weeks later a throttle actuator went which the warranty covered (think the bill was around £1700?) so the warranty has paid for itself for the first year. I've done maybe 7/8k miles in the year and it generally doesn't get used every day, only eves and weekends.
Apart from the stupid sized fuel tank it's a fantastic car although the gearbox does wind me up sometimes with how long it takes to shift to reverse and back to fwd when parking etc.
Most importantly my wife loves it and wouldn't let me part with it, the downside is she pretty much refuses to get in my other cars unless I sulk!
When I took out my warranty they only offered me the £100 excess option as it was a lapsed policy. This also meant I paid more for a new policy (£114pm).I'm guessing it had been underused for a while as the voltage Reg went and killed the battery with it. I had a big service earlier this year including spark plugs and had to fork out for a couple of broken coils (not covered) and then about 2 weeks later a throttle actuator went which the warranty covered (think the bill was around £1700?) so the warranty has paid for itself for the first year. I've done maybe 7/8k miles in the year and it generally doesn't get used every day, only eves and weekends.
Apart from the stupid sized fuel tank it's a fantastic car although the gearbox does wind me up sometimes with how long it takes to shift to reverse and back to fwd when parking etc.
Most importantly my wife loves it and wouldn't let me part with it, the downside is she pretty much refuses to get in my other cars unless I sulk!
However, I was told to phone back close to my first year anniversary and ask for a new renewal quote. I then got the option to take a £0 excess, but more importantly, my monthly payment came down by £20.
Not sure if this would have happened automatically...
nw942 said:
When I took out my warranty they only offered me the £100 excess option as it was a lapsed policy. This also meant I paid more for a new policy (£114pm).
However, I was told to phone back close to my first year anniversary and ask for a new renewal quote. I then got the option to take a £0 excess, but more importantly, my monthly payment came down by £20.
Not sure if this would have happened automatically...
Great idea, will try this!However, I was told to phone back close to my first year anniversary and ask for a new renewal quote. I then got the option to take a £0 excess, but more importantly, my monthly payment came down by £20.
Not sure if this would have happened automatically...
Had owned for just over 3 years, side light bulb was the only issue. Traded in a few weeks ago for £11k with 98k's on the clock at local BMW dealer, it needed a service and front brake pads and rear exhaust clamps, and the day in was traded in the paddle up-shift broke, my over exertion of giving it one last blast ..lol.....
For every one owner who has issues there are probably say a 100 who don't. I wouldn't be afraid to own another without warranty, "yes" 3 years with no warranty I must be insane when you listen to some on here and other forums !!
For every one owner who has issues there are probably say a 100 who don't. I wouldn't be afraid to own another without warranty, "yes" 3 years with no warranty I must be insane when you listen to some on here and other forums !!
i own 2005 e60 m5 ,bought as bmw approved used car 4.5 yrs ago with a extended 2 yr warr which i then renewed on the rolling month £102 pm as it was under 65000 when i took it out..ive removed the entire exhaust from the cats back ( supersprint straight pipes) and bmw main dealer has repaired absolutley everthing foc under warranty over last 4.5 yrs and i dont have it serviced at dealer but do always use bmw oe parts..just had 4k of gearbox and elec probs sorted new horn ,oil cooler and seat matt aswell as idrive probs and cd shuttle..never had a prob claiming with mondial
Yes, definitely money pits. So if you buy one you need a knowledgeable local dealer.
When I had one it wasn't the fact that it cost me money, it was the fact that quite often the dealers could not figure out what the problem was. So you would end up taking the car to different dealers for the same problem.
When I had one it wasn't the fact that it cost me money, it was the fact that quite often the dealers could not figure out what the problem was. So you would end up taking the car to different dealers for the same problem.
Gassing Station | M Power | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff