Hello All,

I have a 2007 530i (N52) with 49,877 miles on it and about 7 months ago I started to hear the lifter ticking that I've read about on this forum and from speaking to friends who've experienced a similar issue. The first time that I scheduled an appointment with the dealer they were not able to duplicate the event, so they wouldn't initiate the repair. The ticking seemed to stop for awhile however, It started again several weeks ago, so I took the car back to the dealer and they were able to duplicate it so the car was repaired based on the BMW bulletin SIB 110907.



The car seemed to run smoother with better acceleration.Great! I'm happy now. The car wasn't driven for a day and when I started it the ticking was back. So, I called the dealer and spoke with my service rep and he's recommending the head be replaced which is great. To be quite honest, thisis the first BMW that I've owned and comparing it to the other cars that I've owned it seems to have a lot of problems and I'm starting to wonder If getting rid of it wasn't such a bad idea. I really like the car and it's been well maintained,but these are major repairs and if I didn?t have the CPO warranty in place I would be really screwed.



I really see the importance of keeping a warranty on a BMW because the repair costs are extremely expensive. It's almost better to lease these cars because the 4yr/50,000 warranty will take care of these issues. When the lease term is over, lease another one and that way you're protected from spending your hard earned dollars on these expensive repairs. As everyone's aware, BMW's aren't cheap and you would think that repairs like these wouldn't occur with a car that's been well maintained with below average miles on it for a 2007. I guess,If you?re going to drive a BMW that?s out of warranty, you BETTER GET A WARRANTY OR YOU?LL BE SORRY!

 

great post, this is why I bought an M54 powered car.

 

For what these cars cost new, you would think the engine design would be correct regardless if the engine is M54 or N52. If the car had 150,000 miles on it, then maybe that might be understood but a car with less than 50,000 miles that's scary. I think a value job is around 3K and I'm not sure what a head replacement would cost. I've heard somewhere around 5K - 6K. I own a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with 273,000 miles and the lifters don't tick and believe it or not the SUV still runs great with the original transmission. Sure, I've replaced parts over the years, but nothing major.
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Yes, I have owned 1 Honda, 5 Toyotas, 3 Nissans, 1 Mazda and 1 Lexus. All were purchased new and driven at least 100,000 miles, with several over 150K miles. Only engine repair ever on all these cars was one valve cover gasket (Lexus at 84K miles). On one car I replaced a power steering hose (Nissan Quest at 62K miles). Period. The rest was oil, filters, tires, batteries and wiper blades.

I have owned 1 Audi, 2 Porsches, 2 BMWs and 1 Mercedes. All but one were purchased new. Each required thousands and thousands of dollars of repairs in gaskets, seals, electronic modules, idrive screens, alternators, brake boosters, premature clutch failures and general electronic gremlins.

The German's could learn much from Japanese engineers in building reliable cars.

The Japanese could learn much from German engineers in building exciting cars to drive.

My 545i is a monster to drive and worth every (admittedly excessive) penny to maintain!! ....... For the true driver there is no comparison.

 

Donald - Wow a brand new head replacement!! Glad that it has happened prior to the CPO expiration. Keep us posted.

 

All True. My wife drives a 2011 Infinity G37 sedan and it's fast as hell, however, it can't compare to the way a BMW drives. Everytime I get in the car it takes a while before I can adjust to the way it drives. A big difference. For some of us that have experienced pre-mature mechanical events with our cars I guess you have to be prepare financially if you're warranty has expired or If you're really concerned, purchased a warranty shortly after your warranty has expired and hopefully it will cover issues that can put you in the poor house.

 

Hello Jason,

I got lucky with this one. But, I'm shopping warranties now because the CPO warranty expires in December and based on my experiences to date I think I need one, especially if I plan to keep the car several more years. The weird thing is I don't abuse the car and it's maintained as defined by BMW and this #$% still happens. I've included the list of repairs so far. This is scary. Just image if I didn't have a warranty. I'll keep you posted.

Repairs to date:

Leaking Transmission Electric Plug and Oil Pan Gasket replaced both - 46,078
Water pump replaced - 47,572
Exhaust lifters replaced - 49,951
Head replacement scheduled 49, 978

 

yep, i agree.

 

From talking to the guys in our local Bimmer club, the M54 is pretty much the most reliable and preferred BMW engine by many. Actually, I was wondering if the M54 on the E60 has an belt driven water pump, or electronic WP like the N52?

 

Good to hear that you are covered! I have owned a Trans Am, Camaro, 300z , Mitsubishi Conquest, Mercdez and Honda Accord. Of all the cars driven, I have always been afraid to abuse my 2006 530i (bought it with 6 miles and paid off within two weeks)! I don't drive like I used to anymore because I rather use the deferred/potential repairs costs for vacations and good times. Anything beyond sedan, grandma driving style, I just don't think my BMW can handle what it claims to be, Ultimate Something...

Also wished I had bought the extended warranty so I can make BMW manufacturer pay for the ridiculous and premature damages. lol

Good luck with your repair!