Does anybody own a BMW 530i, and if so, do you have any mechanical problems?

I am also considering a BMW 530i. The car I am looking at is a 2002 model. Does anybody drive this model? Does it give you any trouble, and if so, how difficult is getting the problem fixed in terms of downtime and cost?

Does anybody own a BMW 530i, and if so, do you have any mechanical problems?firewall

I've owned a 2003 530i for almost 4 yrs, which is the same car as the 2002 you're considering. So far, I've had zero issues, except:

1. a failing xenon headlight bulb which was replaced under warranty. no charge.

2. an ignition coil recall, where the dealer replaced all 6 ignition coils because the original factory ones had a high failure rate. but under the recall, all repairs are free.

In general, the chasis and suspension of the E39 5-series is solid. The M54 3.0L engine is probably the most reliable engine that was ever fitted into the E39 5-series. As long as you keep up with maintenance (and do 7500mile oil+filter changes), this car should last a very long time.

I do expect the cooling system to eventually fail on me before 100,000 miles, but i'm not there yet and so far no indication of any problems. A friend of mine who has a 2002 530i with 90,000+ miles has a small crack in the coolant expansion tank. It is often suggested by many BMW enthusiasts that the cooling system be overhauled around 90,000 miles at the 2nd "INSPECTION I" service.