help a newbie please

[Cobra281]

hey guys, i typed in "bmw forums" in google, and this was the first site that showed up :D. anyways, i've been looking into getting an 2001 525i. question is, how many of you have had problems with it? i read about a few here and some of the problems worry me... or should they? and how many miles do you think these cars can last? because i will be driving quite alot, so this'll be my daily driver basically... any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance guys :thumbs

[CosmosBlack]

I don't have a e39 525i, but as far as mileage goes, BMWs are known to last forever. There are lots of bimmers running around with over 100k to 200k miles!
They'll probably out-live you! :P

[Torque]

they will last pretty long. I have a 90 525i with 153K miles and it still runs very very well

[///M Power]

oooo baby this is where I WIN

1989 BMW e34 525i 270,000 miles

no, not a typo, 270K MILES!

[Cobra281]

hmm so i shouldnt worry about the problems, such as the creaking door seals, or breaking the door handles off, or the gym sock smell of the air conditioning? used

[CosmosBlack]

Creaking noises you can't help it, take it as a passtime hobby to tackle it. :P
Broken door handles, I've heard of it but have not had any myself. It shouldn't be too expensive to replace anyway. I guess you just have to inspect the handles when you check out the car! As for the stale smell from the AC, you can fix that easy with some Lysol disfectant spray into the AC air intake ports in the engne bay.

Check the plastic neck on the radiator for fine hairline cracks
Check the Instrument panel LED lights for faded digits/lights
Check for any rough idling or stutters during acceleration
(normal for slightly rough idling when cold)
Check all electronics, make sure they are all in good working order
Check all of the listed common faults you have seen here on the forum

Set aside a budget for replacement parts to bring the car up to excellent condition. That way, you won't be in a shock and disappointed when things start to break. Afterall you are buying a used car. Good Luck!

['01 530i]

The E39 BMW is one of the best cars they have ever made, I have an 01 530 and has been no major problems, just a couple of minor bugs when it was new. My uncle has a 1997 523i (european car) with 250,000 miles on it. The car looks and drives as good as mine does. No major ratles, nothing. quite impresive. Every car has its quirks, the E39 quirks are just petty issues.

Hope this helps.