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In Reply to: 530/535/525? posted by dan b. on July 02, 2000 at 10:25:55:
The E34's including the 530 are highly reliable cars (see JD Power, Consumers Digest, etc.) Keep in mind that most of the posts on the board are to discuss a specific problem with a specific owners car - it doesn't mean that most of the E34s suffer all the problems discussed on the board.
But there are indeed some parts that you have to look out for which tend to fail at advanced mileage, e.g. water pump, but this is across the E34 model line - you'll find some of this in the archives.
Also, make sure that there are no outstanding recall items that the previous owners did not have performed. Check at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars for government required recalls. Check at 530i.org for LINKS to BMW NA recalls for whatever BMW model you're interested. If it's been dealer maintained, the work would or should have been automatically done (if quality shop.)
I've had my 530iA for over six years with 72K miles with NO major problems with the engine or the auto tranny. And I drive my car hard for some portion of the time (i.e. several track -3 to 4- and autocross -10 to 16- events/year.) This means more frequent preventative maintenance e.g. tires, pads & bleeding, oil changes, etc, etc. I use synthetic or upgraded fluids through out. But I expect that I'll have faster wear & tear on the car in general because of the periodic beating it takes, but that's a risk I can live with.
To some extent, one could argue that BMW's are made to take this type of driving - that's why we pay so much money for them in the first place. Just make sure you maintain the car in a manner that's commensurate with the way you drive it!
: I am looking at getting an early to mid 90's 5 series. Need a daily driver (reliable). Reading through messages below, I get the impression that the 530 may not be reliable. True? I looked at a 1990 535 with 133k miles for $11,900, a 1993 525 with 61k miles for $17,900, and a 1994 530 5 speed with 83k miles for $16,500. All apppear to be in excellent condition. Advice
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