E53 warranty

[gavp84]

Evening,

I'm looking at buying at 4.6is and was wanting some advise on warranties, would you get one or not?

Cheers

[strummer]

The 4.6's appear to have timing chain/guide problems which can be very expensive,it really depends on the mileage/condition and history of the car and how much you like to gamble.If buying from a dealer a warranty should be offered anyway,many people part ex their  cars when problems arise and the new unsuspecting owner ends up with the problems...I had a warranty when I bought my car,the throttle body and the thermostat were both replaced within weeks of buying it.

[X5Sport]

If you can't afford a £2k repair bill then yes you need a warranty.

[henrym3]

Have a 4.6 and absolutely love it. But agree with both previous posts I am coming up 130k with no engine problems atm although it's taken some considerable time and effort to get a dry leak free V8. The 4.6 does seem to use a fair amount of oil (1ltr per 1500mls) My vehicles never see the inside of a dealer/indy but I do appreciate that to run a vehicle this age you need very deep pockets, a warranty or the ability to do stuff yourself. 

[Greydog]

My 4.6 was at 75k when I got it with a full BMW history I had a warranty with Warranty Direct on my previous X5 which they transferred to the 4.6. All my cars are well maintained and pampered but I have found the 4.6 incredibly fragile and without the warranty it would have been scrapped long ago the list is long diffs, drive shafts, radiators x2, header tank thermostat, and the Engine rebuild. The list doesn't include all the stuff done by myself full suspension refurbishment door locks etc etc.
It's a true Marmite car I love it when its going hate it when it starts to act up. Get A WARRANTY

[gavp84]

Thanks for all your replies.

I am going to see a 4.6is on Sunday which is owned by someone on here. Its a low 69k millage example which looks very smart. Hopefully it is as good as it sounds when I go to have a look. Obviously buying this way there is no warranty and will be sold as seen! I am taking my dad who is great and has always helped me in the past with sorting out any problems I have.

I have never had a warranty before as always had old E36's and never had a problem with them. Well nothing I couldn't do myself, but reading through here it seems that a lot of people have problems with them.!

Reading through this site has given me second thoughts, are they really that bad or am I reading a site in which people come to get advise with things that have gone wrong, you never see anyone posting things about how great something is and has no problems etc.

All in all I will have to look into the warranty although I doubt this will be cheap being a 2003 plate.

[gavp84]

Me Again!!

So just been getting some quotes regarding this from BMW as the car is over 12 years old and cant seem to find anyone else who will do it (any recommendations?) and they offer three options and wanted to know what you have gone for or would go for?

Personally I was thinking either the Named Component or Driveline, my reasoning behind my choice is that reading through here it seems the most common faults and most costly ones are covered under these!?

Although you could argue that the Comprehensive is only £202 more expensive for the year!

[Greydog]

Hi Gavp84
Even new cars can go wrong so don't be put off.
My warranty is with Warranty Direct who have been really very good with no hassles over claims they pay all labour and 50% of parts, the garage I use for service and the warranty work that has been done is run by an ex BMW tech (so he understands the beast) and as long as the service history is up to date there have been no issues.
They tend to want OEM parts used in repairs though on a 12 year old car sometimes I question that logic.
The 4.6 is a great car all you can do is check very carefully the history look for receipts for other work done outside services. As an example I have a separate file with all invoices for other work plus pictures of the engine rebuild should I ever sell then the new owner will have the file.
When I got mine I had the gearbox serviced by a ZF specialist so all in all I have an almost rebuilt X5 that should give good service for a while hopefully you will get a car that has been really well maintained.
Good Luck with the buy

[gavp84]

Hi Greydog,

Thanks for the info really helpful.

Will Warranty Direct cover a 13 year old car with 61k on the clock? The website seems to suggest it would not.

Cheers

[henrym3]

You must remember that the amount of posts on a forum verses the amount of these vehicles on the road is small, forums always give people a bad impression of a vehicle. These V8s aren't that complicated, after all it's a 14+ year old vehicle. I hadn't looked under the bonnet of one of these and the first job was to do the chain and tensioners on my sons 4.4. Which really is just nuts and bolts stuff. I thought the parts (all from BMW)were reasonably priced, my issue is labour charges. Don't be put off, that vehicle has half the mileage mine has and I fully expect to see the wrong side of 200k. The 4.6 is a great machine, you won't regret getting one. Get a warranty if you can afford one, if you have mechanical skills and of course the interest to do things then the vehicle isn't as complicated as some would have you believe. Good luck.

[gavp84]

Thanks henrym3,

Your comments have made me feel much better and a little call to Warranty Direct and they quoted a really cheap price which left me wondering about their cover.

I will post to let you all know how I get on this weekend.

Cheers 

[strummer]

Good luck,my x5 is 14 years old now but I love it,and it will be difficult to replace when the time comes as I prefer the 3.0 petrol,and there arent that many good ones around.The x5 is a great drive,still looks good,has the elevated driving position,4x4 for wintry roads,loads of space for a family with 2 growing young boys and a labrador,the best car I've owned.Alot of problems that crop up you can fix yourself if you are practically minded,just do your research,get a good one and use this forum and you shouldnt go far wrong.

[the shreksta]

im very tempted by a bmw warranty for my 2004 3.0d thats on 111k, looking in the service book it has full history up until 89k all stamped etc but the next stamp is @ 108k and its the only one that doesnt say bmw on it.

would this mean i cannot get a warranty on it?

[strummer]

Just got a quote for the basic cover on my car on the BMW website £180 a month!

[gavp84]

If you call them is slightly cheaper however I called warranty direct and it was less than that for the year. I'm just unsure of the cover difference, whichor I will look into this weekend.