Just bought a 95 530i with 75K and it idles smooth as butter. Did my research beforehand and was able to get a sweet deal from the seller($20k)based on the M60 defect. Prior to buying, I spoke to an aquaintance who is a BMW service manager. He indicated that many BMW dealerships compensate their service managers and techs based on salary + spif. The spif being a percentage of the cost of repairs they book. Therefore, if you find the right dealer, they will be more than happy to bend over backwards to qualify you for a new engine (lower half). I've got about 6 mo left and I am investigating dealerships in my area (SoCal)who practice this method of compensation. I'll post when I find one. I realize this sounds immoral, but so is selling defective products without an adequate recourse.