Looking at a 98 740i to buy. Really need advice!

[RadioSilence]

I am looking to purchase a 1998 BMW 740i. 77,000 miles, maintained to the letter, beautiful condition. I have heard mixed reports regarding the reliability of this car,. Some have said they have had no problems whereas others have had some maintenance problems. Either way it seems that maintenance costs are very expensive. I would like to know if anyone here can give me their experiences with their 1998s or similar year cars and any problems they may have had.

Thanks!

[jyep]

www.e38.org for a listing of the most common problems associated with the E38s. Have an indy mechanic thoroughly inspect the car; ensure current owner has mntc history on the car.

E38 is a great car but on the average you need to keep a budget of approx $2k annually to keep it happy.

[RadioSilence]

Currently shes at 77,000 miles. Because of the awesome deal I got (much below current retail bluebook) I'll probably keep it for only up to 100,000 miles or so and will have built up enough in it for a tradein and/or PP sale and then use it as downpayment on a new one. At any rate, I'm just more concerned I suppose of typical problems that occur between 75000 and 100,000 miles.

Excuse my ignorance but whats an Indy mechanic? Ans I assume E38 involves this current body style of the 7 series right?

[cgardude]

I recently bought a 2001. While it is a great car to drive, I have been a little disappointed with little issues throught the car. Lucky for me I was still under factory warranty, but I have had to bring it in quite a few times. Some example problems: cracked drivers seat frame, leaking sunroof (took two visits to find the actual problem), coolant leak, stuck cd in navigation. So, I would agree, it's gonna cost you some dough to keep it happy.