Was on a weekend trip last saturday and a 100 miles from home stopped for a break, got back in the car and it wouldn't start. It's almost 4 years old and I didn't bother taking the extended warranty After a couple of hours of phonecalls etc with a 1 year old and 3 year old and a less than impressed wife my father appeared (we were on our way there to drop the kids off) in his S-Type with a slightly smug look on his face and got the kids and dropped us at a train station

Why is it the car decides to pull this stunt when 99% of the starts are either at work or home where this wouldn't have been 10% of the hassle, ho hum

I finally got the car into the garage on Tuesday and to begin with they changed the starter motor, the car would then start but not everytime. Further investigation led them to think the cable running from the battery in the boot to the front of the car was the problem, it apparently has corroded badly causing the failure and requires replaced which takes lots and lots hours apprently.

So initally the bill was over ?2000, but bmw cut parts so when they phoned me bill was ?1680, then I asked nicely (reminding them about the new M3 I have on order with them) if they could improve on that and now it's going to be about ?1300, still not great for a car with 64000 miles on it.

Anyone else heard of this battery cable being a problem before? it's very expensive to replace apparently.

 

Sorry to learn about this. But I detect some BS from BMW...Did you see the corroded cable? Was the corrosion at one end? Which end? Why did they not clean-up the ends? Insulated copper cable and it corroded badly to warrant a replacement?

Try a goodwill claim...after all you have nothing to loose

 

Ouch. Our new X5 broke down after a few weeks ... outside our kids school, with the kids in the car, when we had to get somewhere else urgently. So all the parents saw us in our brand new posh X5 broken down and waiting for BMW Assist to arrive - lovely. And yes, they knew it was broken down ... starter motor was firing but the engine wasn't, so we were there trying to get it to start whilst they all walked passed. Should be able to claim compensation for the embarresment.

I know it's not what you want to hear but ... I would NEVER have a car like an E60 past warranty due to the huge costs associated with repairs. If I couldn't afford a new one, and afford to swap it inside 3 years, I wouldn't get one. Is the M3 a replacement to the E60?

 

Fuel that stereotype! I got my beemer because what I wanted and not what other people thought or cared about it...

 

1600 quid for a cable replacement????????? perhaps it routed in inaccessable places, but even at my bmw garages ?93 a hour labour, thats pretty ballistic!

 

Yeah, it's frustrating, I think I probably drive 90% of my miles alone yet it breaks down with all the kids in the car, typical, I hear what your saying about the E60 warranty, when the ticket came in it was ?1100 and didn't bother, I think and I've always found bmw to be pretty good upto 4 years which is how long I usually keep them and yes the M3 is replacing the E60

I had the service package with the car too, so apart from tyres I've only ever paid out ?1000 on this car since new, pity it broke a few months to soon

Well recovery was ?150ish I think, then they replaced the starter motor which was ?300+ and then for this cable they say they have to take off fuel tank etc, it's really hard to get too and they are talking 8 hours I think, the 1680 price was with BMW paying for 60% of the parts, it seems that it's the labour on the cable that's the problem.

On the up side the salesman gave me a 635D for the week, nice car

 

Yes, cost of repairs for E60 not a cheap. But i'm buying only second hand cars for my self, 2-3 years old. For example: i bought my 530d E60 '04 when she was 3 years old with 93k mls for 35k Euro at the time when the new car with the same specs cost 87k euro (Ireland, probably one country in Europe who have 30% Vehicle Registration Tax Duty). My previous car 530d E39, i bought her when she was 3 years old with 90k mls for 21k euro, the cost of the new car was - 75k Euro. I sold her in 2 years for 19k Euro. Why to buy a new car and lose half a price of the new car in 3 years, if i spending on repairs per year about 2k euro? The 3 years old BMW driving, i would say, as 9 out of 10. I keep a car usually 2 years, but i know people who keep BMW for 5 years and more - and NO PROBLEM!

P.S. Everything breakes... Everything needs just good servicing and love from the owner.

 

So got my car back eventually paying ?1350 of the orginal ?2000 for repairs and it was due back in again yesterday for oil service/MOT. A phone call last night saying the car has failed MOT over various items, so I asked for a fax and they want ?2800 including VAT

was front tyres (fair enough) leaking from shock absorber, rear brake pads, front balance apparently (I didn't notice anything driving) so they want to change front discs and pads, there was rear shocks, there was primary Cat (not required for mot), the frikin car is falling apart at 64k miles !!!

Ironically it should have been traded end of this month for my new car, just was keeping it an extra month till new car arrives hence MOT. In hindsight I should have handed it to them and rented a car for March !!!

 

How much for the tyres?
My dealer wamted ?225 each for the Dunlop runflats. Tyre place around the corner ?145 each, same tyre, all in ( and no they did not damage the wheels ! ).
I'm sure you could half the costs by shopping around..

 

Jeeez, thats some MOT bill!
Not likely to reduce it that much, but in my experience, its never worth paying franchise prices for tyres though.
What are you replacing with?