bmw 535 d touring - reliability
bmw 535 d touring - reliability
Author
Discussion

tonytoo

Original Poster:

2 posts

221 months

Monday 25th May 2009
quotequote all
keen to hear on reliability of 535d and twin turbo as i am looking to buy a 2005-2006 car

richterswil

872 posts

221 months

Monday 25th May 2009
quotequote all
I have a 56 plate 535d - covered 50k with not a single mechanical problem.

Only 2 issues both fixed under warranty - 1) some peeling on the steering wheel and 2) where the 'key' (it is more a rectangular box) goes into the ignition the arms to hold it in place failed - car still started and it was fixed within a couple of days with a replacement part.

Great car.


Bernie-the-bolt

15,399 posts

280 months

Monday 25th May 2009
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I have an June 07 LCI car and have also just this week got 50k on the clock.

A couple of minor glitches and the same fault on both occasions - pressure valve (or something similar, can't remember exactly what they called it) have gone twice but that's it.

I go through rears every 10k miles, fronts every 20k. MPG is averaging 30mpg and I never drive it slowly smile It never seems to use oil (although I've never checked TBH) and there's not a rattle in the cabin.

Great car and it still great fun to drive.

pgilc1

40,169 posts

227 months

Monday 25th May 2009
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I've an 05 one with 51K on it. A few smallish electrical gremlins, but nothing specific to a 535d.

Great car!

tonytoo

Original Poster:

2 posts

221 months

Monday 25th May 2009
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looking good- need to find the car now - tks for your feedback -

juliann

400 posts

266 months

Tuesday 26th May 2009
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05 with 157,000 miles. Only major item was an inlet manifold replaced under warranty at about 98k. All apart from the gearbox feels pretty much like it did when I got it new. 'Box could probably do with a refresh as I do a fair bit of towing.

phelix

4,683 posts

279 months

Tuesday 26th May 2009
quotequote all
My experience has been a bit mixed. Bought an earlier car (Oct 04 build on a 54 plate) when it was three years old and over the course of the first year has the following issues:

persistent iDrive crash - required a software reload necessitating an overnight visit
clicking in steering - temporarily solved by a replacement upper steering column
clicking returned - fully solved by replacing upper and lower columns
lack of boost below 3K rpm - traced (by me) to perished vacuum hoses preventing actuation of small turbo - I replaced the hoses
leaking oil/water heat exchanger causing coolant loss - replaced (paperwork indicates it was replaced before)
noisy DVD drive (sounded like a woodpecker trying to escape) solved by replacing the drive
self levelling suspension fault - solved by replacing the pump
persistent front suspension clunk - traced by me to the strut brace mountings

All covered by AUC warranty but not exactly confidence inspiring. Cracking drive, somewhat frustrating ownership experience.