Public Service Announcement - Do Not Buy an E39 540i

"Chris@Carlypso" (chriscarlypso)
02/13/2015 at 18:47 • Filed to: None

I like BMW's. I think they're fun to drive, and own two currently (E38 740i, and E46 325i), and have owned others in the past.

Universally, I consider them fantastic to drive, but total heaps of junk. You see unlike other German cars, BMW's are built in Bavaria. And each year, Bavaria has a huge celebration – its called Oktoberfest where everyone (including those currently at BMW) get horrifically and wonderfully drunk. As a celebration its great…. but should you buy a car made by a manufacturer where during a full month everything is designed in a drunken stupor?

Tavarish seems to think so and wrote a great article labeled "Four Reasons Why You Need to Buy a BMW E39 540i Right Now". So I did, and now I'm rebutting with an article with 88,000 reasons (condensed to 4 in reality) you should never own one and just buy an M5 instead.

4. It's a great value – until it breaks and costs a ton to fix

I bought a 2000 BMW 540i for a hair over $4,500. It had 88,000 miles, a minor fender bender in its history, and fairly complete maintenance records. With 282 bhp it was indeed a great value to purchase. And this particular 2000 model had the M5 bumper, 6 speed manual, M sport package, and even had heated seats. A great luxo-barge with a manual transmission – fantastic value!!!!

But slowly – over 3 months nearly everything broke. Being a handy person, I did 100% of the work myself, and there's still a torrential bill for repairing this POS.

First there started emanating a large and annoying rattling from the front of the engine. I had an E36 M3 where the hydraulic tensioner failed, and hoped for $65 and one bolt I could fix it. Until I found this in the oil pan….

Figure 1: That's not supposed to be there

Here's the short list of repairs needed in my 3 months of ownership:

The Timing Chain Guides Failed ($3,500): The timing chain guides are made of plastic and have a tendency to suddenly shatter. A short $1,500 in parts and special tools later, I was back on the road. Now I did all of the work myself (its about a 20 hour job by the book, so count on about $2,000+ saved there).

The Water Pump Failed ($350): The plastic water pump impeller imploded (admittedly I was lazy and cheap not to replace it when reassembling the entire front side of the engine). ($250 in parts including new seals and thermostat)

The RADIO FAILED ($45): Then the radio kept failing as a result of the 2000 model-year amp having "bad solder joints". ($45 fix on ebay and 15 minute of headache)

The Climate Control Pixels Failed (No Fix): The pixels in the display intermittently fail. (Don't fix, just remain annoyed)

The Radiator Exploded ($250): Then the radiator exploded (the sides are made of …. you guessed it plastic ). ($120 in parts, and I managed to swap it out in a record 23 minutes after having disassembled and reassembled this part of the engine many times).

Cost to me: ~$2,100 in total parts.

Cost to someone who can't DIY: $4,000+ by the book

3. It sounds like an exotic – until it breaks and sounds like a diesel

The V8 Sounds great. Except I didn't hear it all that often. Here's what I heard instead:

- Large hissing Noise – just before the radiator blew apart

- Boiling water noise- just after the radiator blew completely apart

- Silence – after the radio amplifier failed and you're cruising on the highway

- Diesel Truck Noise mixed with card shuffling noise – (This was when the timing chain guide broke)

2. It has few of the M5's benefits and 90% of its drawbacks

An M5 is just shy of 400 bhp, has a tightened suspension, limited slip differential, and 18" wheels and sports tires.

The 540i has 282 bhp, a floppy suspension designed for middle-management executives to feel sporty, an open differential, and 17" wheels. It is nowhere close to 90% of an M5.

It won't do a proper burnout, it powerslides terribly (LSD), its suspension is too soft for something really sporty, and the 282bhp isn't really even close to the M5 motor. Its drives more similarly to an Infiniti G35 than an M5, so maybe the original article should read "Just like an Infiniti G35, but a lot more expensive and headache prone to own".

Furthermore, 90% of the drawbacks are universal to the E39 chassis which has a ton of common "weak" points.

- Window regulators fail all of the time

- Suspension bushings wear out regularly

- The cooling system was designed for 30,000 mile swap intervals

- Critical engine components are made of plastic or are highly inaccessible

- There are electrical gremlins galore (radio amplifiers, light-wiring looms that dry-rot, pixels frequently not working).

1. It will definitely have a catastrophic or highly annoying break

It WILL break. It WILL be expensive … and its really just not worth it. I had a 1991 Alfa Romeo 164L (and this is no exaggeration)…. it was much more reliable.

The 540i perennially and sequentially self destructs. As soon as you fix the radio, the pixel display fails. As soon as the pixel display is fixed the window regulators fail. For the same headaches, just buy an M5, at least its got some semblance of being special.

DISCUSSION (69)

DasWauto > Chris@Carlypso
02/25/2015 at 19:09

Tavarish mentioned you have to plan and do extensive research when expecting a deal out of cars like this. He's right. Several of the problems you had are things you should've expected.

The plastic rad and water pump impeller are very common problems for BMWs from the 1990s; they're things you have to expect to replace when buying one.

I believe the timing chain guides are a fairly well known problem area for the N62 as well.

As for the electrical gremlins, well, it's a decade and a half old german car. C'est la vie.

You can't expect a 540i to be 90% of an M5. That's unrealistic. It's got 70% of the power and costs 30-50% of the M5. To expect so much of the M5 prowess is unfair. If you want it to be closer to the M5, you have to be prepared to put work and money into the suspension, diff, brakes and engine. If you find those costs (time+money) not to be worth it, you should've either bought the M5 in the first place, or just enjoy the 540i for what it is, which is still good.

Chris@Carlypso > DasWauto
03/10/2015 at 02:26

I've got an E39 M5 with 45k on the clock right now in the shop :) Its soooooooooo much better.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > Chris@Carlypso
03/11/2015 at 09:26

I'm shocked there aren't more comments on this article. And I have felt your BMW frustrations.

In any case, great post!

StoneCold > Chris@Carlypso
04/06/2015 at 14:00

Just out of curiosity, is your 740i Pre or Post VANOS? How is it doing?

It's a "Porch-uh" > Chris@Carlypso
04/06/2015 at 14:14

Thanks for re-affirming my decision to by the M5.

SasquatchMelee > Chris@Carlypso
04/06/2015 at 15:04

Looked at the German options before making a purchase, ended up between a CTS-V and a S4. Couldn't bite the bullet on the S4 knowing the timing chain guide issues. Glad I bought a CTS-V! I've had it for 4 years now and NOTHING has broken (knocks on wood). Not bad for a 10 year old car.

su1ac0 > Chris@Carlypso
04/06/2015 at 19:42

Buy a 1998-2002 AMG of any type. Renders everything here moot. Built like tanks.

stuttgartobsessed > Chris@Carlypso
04/07/2015 at 03:19

I love my 530i. I've had it for about 8-9 months and no problems at all, save for waht you would expect from a 100,000 mi plus car. Only 2 minor issues that need seeing to, and neither are pressing. I'm very happy with it, save for the fact that it won't do a burnout.

wootoolatenow > Chris@Carlypso
04/15/2015 at 09:29

As an owner of two older BMW's (E36 and the car in this post), I completely agree with your general sentiment on the brand. Fantastic to drive when sorted, but certain design decisions make a land war in Asia seem like the most logical thing in the world.

On the other hand, some of these points don't really check out. Your post is basically a "Who's who" of major issues on the E39 platform and M62 engine. From my own experience and talking to other owners, rarely, if ever, do people see all of these issues within a short time frame. I don't know all the details, but it sounds like you got very unlucky with your particular example. You say it had mostly complete maintenance records, but well maintained cars don't exhibit failures like that all within three months.

Timing chain guides should NOT fail below 150k if the car has been taken care of. I'm not saying that it doesn't ever happen, but 88K is an extreme outlier.

Water pump and radiator, sure, everything cooling related sucks. This applies to any BMW from the era. I agree, it's ridiculous. It's also not hard to predict if you've owned other BMWs. A 30k replacement interval is also ridiculous - more like 60-90k if you're actually staying on top of it. I've been there too, so I feel your pain, but that's just hyperbole.

You can fix pixels on any of the displays in the car, or replace them with junkyard, eBay, or Craigslist parts. The MID display is the most difficult to DIY. I sent mine to a repair service, 1 week turnaround for $100. Money well spent. Yes, old circuits develop issues. A 2000-era Honda is no different, other than having less electronics overall.

Both your and Tavarish's articles contain great info, on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. The truth is right down the middle: Yes, the E39 540 is a fantastic car to drive. No, it will not always work perfectly without some maintenance. No, it's not an M5 clone, but it's still better than many, many new cars today. Decide whether that's right for you, and go from there.

P.S. I can never get comments to load properly on this post. Are they turned off or something? Hopefully this isn't going into the ether.

Chris@Carlypso > StoneCold
05/14/2015 at 01:31

It WAS - post Vanos, 2001 E38 late production 740i with the M parrallel wheels and 16:9 navigation. Sold it after learning it was a complete sack of $hit. I replaced nearly every accessory on the front of the engine in 20 months of ownership - power steering pump, alternator, water pump all failed. It had just 54k miles when I bought it and had already had the water pump and power steering pump replaced once...

Through selling a ton of BMW’s through www.carlypso.com - I always strongly recommend against them. The headache: fun-to-drive ratio is very poor.

bmdubya99 > Chris@Carlypso
10/14/2015 at 13:10

I’m gonna say what I always say: it depends on the specific car. I will buy an E39 540i eventually, and there is nothing you can tell me that will scare me away. I’m not scared by very much in the automotive world.

m.tarasevich > Chris@Carlypso
01/22/2016 at 19:40

Everything you said makes a lot of sense but it seems to me your a little bitter. When you said that “timing chain guides broke apart inside your engine”, maybe just maybe they broke because of worn out timing chain tensioners. So really the engine was due for a simple “preventative”timing chain tensioner service.

Just saying....

Chris@Carlypso > m.tarasevich
01/29/2016 at 21:30

Timing chain tensioner was replaced @ 50k. It was fine and held tension fine. The plastic guides are a known failure point, its just something brittle and $hitty.

jordang1028 > Chris@Carlypso
02/21/2016 at 03:44

First, to address the cooling system issues. I have owned 6 90s-2000s BMWs, and aside from the ones I bought to flip, the first thing I have done is replace each and every part of the cooling system. Yes, it is the most problematic part of the car, and needs to be done every 60k (not 30k). If you do this yourself the cost is as low as $5-600 with quality aftermarket parts from Pelican/BavAuto, etc... It is just a cost associated with owning one of these cars. Particularly on the M62, the timing chain components are a known Achilles heel. Any prospective buyer should either purchase one that has had the repair recently completed, or expect to complete it themselves. Almost every older German luxury/performance car has it’s caveats. And I’m sure you are aware, your E38 has exactly the same motor and an almost identical cooling system as the 540i, so similar problems can be expected in the near future if not remedied. My last point would be that now that you have fixed the majority of common problems with the car, you should keep it and enjoy it. Aside from an odd window regulator or dead pixel, you should get many trouble free miles out of the old 5'er. Plus it’s Titansilber like my E36, so bonus points for that :)

lodiggie > Chris@Carlypso
03/10/2016 at 14:21

I’veowned my fair share of 15-250r yr old BMWs, 5 in 3 years and I’ve had a lot of headaches. One thing u must realize is what a “USED CAR” really is. It’s a vehicle that has been driven by anybody else and also taken care of in a way that you could never fully account for. Machines brake, people brake. EVERYTHING BRAKES!!! That’s why it’s so easy to get parts, because they are needed to KEEP a car running like it should. I’m sure we all HATE when our radiator goes out, it sucks! I’d also mention that Car-ma (get it?)is a beyatch! Screw somebody over once, over price or whatever, cheat on your wife in that car, idk anything that you shouldn’t be doing and it will bite you in the ass HARD and maybe often!

Gabriel O'Neal > Chris@Carlypso
03/20/2016 at 16:22

i know completely nothing when it comes to cars and as im getting older i would like to pick out a car for my first car. I know the e39 540i is $4500 but how much and what year is the m5 your talking about

Chris@Carlypso > Gabriel O'Neal
03/21/2016 at 01:26

I sold the M5 for 26k. Two owner car with 40k miles, it was a 2002.

Drew > Chris@Carlypso
04/11/2016 at 13:55

I’ve got a similar radio problem on my 540i. What was the fix? Sorry to hear about your luck. I’ve had mine for 7 years (163k current miles) and it has been extremely reliable.

That's gonna leave a mark! > Chris@Carlypso
04/16/2016 at 14:38

Bought a 2001 540 wagon off of EBay, 119,000 miles. Had it for 2 1/2 years. Minor repairs other than the radiator replacement. Sold it to a relative over a year ago (now around 140,000 miles) again, no problems. Was it well taken care of before? Was I just lucky? Will it explode 3 months from now? Who knows. Would the M5 be a better purchase? I say crap shoot again. The M 5 may be more likely to have been ridden hard. As I haven’t driven a E39 M5 I can’t say about the handling difference but you are probably correct there.

E39M62TUB > m.tarasevich
04/22/2016 at 13:37

Ok lets look at this issue by starting with the M60 engine...metal guides. And then i forget what you call that part, but it was the more reliable method of turning the chain at the V point (hope that makes sense). M62 engine they drunkenly decided to replace that part with another guide...oh well, at least the guides were still metal. Now.....M62TU....How could they make it worse? Eureka! Lets replace the metal guides with plastic ones. Im not having a go at anyone or trying to be rude, so please don’t misunderstand me. But even if there were preventative measures, they’re still sh!t plastic parts....crucial engine internal parts that rub against metal, over many years....which used to be made more reliable in the last engine. ..and even better in the engine before that. So there is nothing left to argue in their defence after you know this. And for me if a company keeps reducing their product quality like this, and continues to do so over such a long period of time (think of how long the time period was between the production of the M60 until the end of production of the M62TU engines), they lose my trust. It’s because of this I wouldn’t even buy a new BMW. Good knows what kind of issues you’ll find (due to frankly pathetic design and material choices) as soon as it starts getting old. And that from a company with a reputation like BMW’s? I’m sorry but it does annoy me when people defend companies like these.

05387 > Chris@Carlypso
06/16/2016 at 23:37

You bought a 540i for sub $5k. That didn’t tip you off?? That’s lower than average 525/530 price range. And assuming you didn’t get a PPI on a 32 valve V8 BMW for that cheap? Let’s be honest, were you expecting to buy a car of this stature at that low of a price and have nothing wrong with it? EVERYBODY knows most all BMW’s have weak cooling systems. Just like Subaru’s have their headgasket problems. It’s a cheap and somewhat easy DIY if you choose. Also timing chain guides should always be in the back of your head when buying a 540 or 740. But most report those going out between 150,xxx-250,xxx and usually come with warning. The car you owned was clearly problematic due to poor past ownership. I’ve owned an e39 540i for a while now and it’s been nothing but perfect for me. I literally just wash it and put gas in it. But I also never ignore service lights or standard maintenance like the previous owner of yours clearly ignored. These are great cars and are the perfect balance of performance, size, and comfort. Quit complaining and giving a bad name to a great vehicle. And for the future, get a PPI on the next car you try to buy for a “too good to be true deal”.

Chris@Carlypso > 05387
06/17/2016 at 01:42

Dear 05387 - I buy thousands of cars each year. I’m a dealer, and I bought it wholesale. My “example” was not more or less problematic than any other E46, E39, or E32 I’ve seen - it was just a different set of problems. I tend to think of BMW’s as cars that were built to be disposable.

Ask > Chris@Carlypso
07/08/2016 at 15:40

People like you should stop buying these bad examples of BMWs and give bad names.

E39 540i is a great car. Yes it is more sensitive than some other Japanese cars but once you take care of it, it is still a much better car than than 90% of cars on the road today.

Also, all the lists you mentioned above ARE a must check issues before you pre-purchase.

dannyzabolotny > Chris@Carlypso
07/13/2016 at 00:39

Kinda late response but I think you honestly just got really really unlucky. It’s almost unheard of for the timing chain guides to fail before 100k miles. Most fail well after 150k miles. The cooling system issues you could have avoided if you bought a 540i with 100k+ miles, because the cooling systems are usually replaced by then. The radio failing is highly unusual as well, I’ve never had it happen in even the most beat-up of E39's. Here are the E39's I’ve had so far:

-2003 540i/6 M-Sport that I bought with 192,000 miles. It had 2 owners, full service records, and needed nothing when I bought it. I redid the timing chain guides shortly after buying it because I wanted to be preemptive about it, but honestly they looked almost completely intact at 194,000 miles. These were original guides too!

- 2000 BMW M5 that I bought with 99k miles. It needed rod bearings, so I did those in my garage. Total cost? Around $700 in parts and two weekends worth of time, since accessing the rod bearings involved dropping the whole front subframe. This one had a bunch of previous owners and pretty incomplete service records.

- 2000 BMW 540i/6 that I bought with 156,000 miles. It needed some timing stuff redone because the previous owner messed it up when replacing the guides.

- 2000 BMW 540i Touring that I just recently bought with 176,000 miles. It had the chain guides already replaced, along with the cooling system, so that was awesome. I bought it in LA and drove it back home to Phoenix with no problems at all.

All of these cars had one thing in common— all but one were from Cali, and all were purchased through Craigslist. I never got a PPI on any of them either. I haven’t had any catastrophic failures because I’ve always bought higher mileage E39's where all of the common issues have been taken care of. That’s why I tell people to not waste their money buying sub-100k mile E39's, because those actually require a lot more work.

ferrariguy99 > Chris@Carlypso
08/01/2016 at 12:48

You’re just an ignorant car dealer who knows nothing about cars. You gave the e39 540i a bad rap when it really is a great car as long as you take care of them and not beat on them like they’re little toys. You expected it to be an M5? It’s not supposed to be an M5! Just take this posting down man. It’s embarrassing for you.

Chris@Carlypso > ferrariguy99
08/01/2016 at 17:49

Or I have a Mechanical Engineering Degree from MIT, worked at McLaren, and know my way around most mechanical things.

PJSANTANA > Chris@Carlypso
08/16/2016 at 09:52

I purchased a ‘98 540I automatic, on ebay from a Porsche dealer in Idaho. It had been traded-in. Paid $2500., 120k on the odometer. I flew in, had a local guy check it out. Put new wipers on it and drove it back home to Tampa, FL. It has been my daily driver for exactly 3 years now. Aside from 3 window regulator replacements, I’ve done nothing but oil changes and replaced the tires. Now with 168k on the clock it needs a front end overhaul (bushings, shocks, etc...) , the paint has seen better days now too, but at approximately $3500 total cost, including initial purchase, over 3 years, I can’t complain. I could take it to the junkyard today and still feel like I got my money’s worth.

ActualPublicServant > Chris@Carlypso
08/21/2016 at 09:29

Let’s all remember that we’re dealing with a used-car salesman here, one who’s response to legitimate criticism is to claim a degree from MIT and another story about working for McLaren. If those things were true, and he ended up as a used-car dealer, we have to wonder about the kind of judgement that got him there. That’s not to say that there isn’t small-time money to be made selling new-car dealers’ trade-in rejects, but let me express this in terms the original poster will supposedly understand. There is a significant, positive r-squared value between success in the used-car business and sociopathy. Most used car dealers are not college educated, they simply have an aptitude for the industry’s stock and trade: deceit. The better the liar, the more they thrive on a used-car lot.

On the other hand, if the author’s lofty claims are not true, and I suspect they’re not, the conclusion is the same. Bold-face lying is the poster’s natural instinct. In either case, those readers who are new to the E39 540i/6 (especially to the 2003 ), should bear in mind the character of the author. Public-service announcement? Used-car dealer? Since when? None of this adds up to anything other than sour grapes.

For myself, I plan to drive my ‘03 540i/6 into the ground or vice versa. For those who make honest-living money, these cars are an affordable entry into world-class performance sedans. Do your homework and shop around...just don’t buy one at a wholesaler’s auction.

Chris@Carlypso > ActualPublicServant
08/21/2016 at 23:56

Google me. Chris, Carlypso.com

789451 > Chris@Carlypso
09/20/2016 at 22:43

If you graduated from MIT, why are you selling used cars? Couldn’t you get a job in engineering—mechanical, right? If you worked at McLaren, what did you do? I would assume that anyone can add “credentials” to their name. I did Google the name and found out that some other person with the same name was found guilty of murdering his family in 2011 and another is a footballer coach. I doubt you are either.

789451 > ActualPublicServant
09/20/2016 at 22:45

And, probably don’t buy from Chris @ Carlypso.

Chris@Carlypso > 789451
09/21/2016 at 00:23

http://bfy.tw/7nzR

Danbo > Chris@Carlypso
09/28/2016 at 07:57

This is not a really good look for anyone so far. The articles on this page should stay positive. I love that there is real freedom here to write an opposing article, to show an alternative view or experience. But the negative connotation can bum the reader out. The 540i/6 is a beautiful entry to the v8 super sedan. With a little fettling they do work and are a great piece of kit for the commute or the weekend. Let’s smile more.

euro13 > Chris@Carlypso
09/30/2016 at 16:32

Like most true BMW drivers know, there are some things that are common problems with the 90's-early 2000's BMW’s. (Cooling system, power steering leaking, timing guides, electrical gremlins...) I have personally owned a 99 323i (went 150000 miles until it was sold) and I currently drive a 99 540i/6 M-sport with 126000 on the clock. Both vehicles needed very little maintenance, then again, I also take care of my vehicles. The 540I is the perfect vehicle for someone who wants something with power, handling, and a comfortable drive in any situation without paying for an M5. Especially the 2003 540I!!

The 540i you purchased sounds like is was not taken care of before you purchased it. You paid $5k for a 540i...that is a big red flag. If you did your research you would know that. I paid almost double for mine.

My 540i has 126000 miles and is running like a champ. This is my daily and I drive anywhere from 50-75 miles a day. My timing guides have not been done yet, as I run a high grade performance oil in my car and I change it at certain intervals to make sure that everything stays nice and lubricated. (Even my BMW techs say that as long as you change the oil around 7K miles, your guides should last close to 200K miles. (I work at a BMW dealership and know my way around BMW’s. Used to race and still do all work on my cars myself.)

The pixels on your radio are going out, the vehicle is years old!! That happens on any vehicle, buy a new headunit, upgrade it if you want and call it a day. That is not an issue that needs to be in a write up on why not to buy a 540i. My buddies 2013 G37 has radio and clock light issues, does that mean that his g37 is a bad car because of that? The answer would be no by the way.

At least if you are going to try and de-value the 540I, come up with some better reasons besides basic maintenance/ common problems that most/ every car needs. I have seen a brand new ACURA MDX come through our shop and need a new motor because of bad seals. The car had 20K miles on it. One bad car does not mean the every model is bad, you have to take care of your vehicles. Im sure you know that though, MIT grad rite...

If anyone is looking for a BMW that has power and you cannot afford a M5, go with the 540I, just make sure you look at the vehicle, do not just go and buy on the spot, unless you know what you are looking for. Chris, sounds like you need to take a Mechanic with you next time you buy a car.

If you do need to do something in the engine bay for maintenance, the best way to tackle it is to do anything else that is in that area, this way you do not have to worry about something else failing. I.e. when I did my cooling system, I did not need to replace everything, I was there already and was proactive and decided to go ahead and overhaul the cooling system and intake. This way I would not have to worry about it. By the way still running on stock radiator from 1999 in my 540i.

You can easily turn the 540I into a street. highway machine with easy upgrades:

Suspension- I run S1 coil-overs, purchased from ECS tunning for cheap($500) Makes handling perfect, drops ride height, and a very comfortable ride on highway. Of course you can spend thousands on suspension upgrades, if I decide to track my car again, I probably will go with BC coil-overs.

Exhaust- if you want to hear the 540i V8 there is a very easy way to do this. Maybe it might cost you $40. Only cost me $15. Chop the two rear silencers(Scuba tanks) and replace with a pipe, hidden turn down tip/ exhaust tips. Sounds great and breathes better.

Here is a starting website to do some research on the 540I. http://repairpal.com/bmw/540i

Question: If you do not like the 540I, why did you not buy a M5? Also, do not tell people that the 540I is not worth the money because of all the “maintenance” that comes with a 12-17 year old car and then say just buy the M5. #1 they are the same motor minus the race heads that come on the M5. #2 The M5 will cost more to fix. #3 Just so that everyone knows, the motor in the 540i is the same block that is in the legendary BMW Z8. (Same motor as the M5) Riddle me this, why would BMW put a bad motor in such an iconic and expensive vehicle...They would not unless they trusted it.

Also, use the forums, bimmerforrums.com The BMW world is a family thing, we take care of our fellow drivers and always steer people in the rite direction. If you are unsure about purchasing a vehicle go there and ask around, Do not listen to a used car salesman that buys vehicles at a wholesale auction. We send our unsafe and crappy cars to wholesale auctions. I suggest private seller, as you will know the true background of the vehicle. Unless the dealer you are buying from is BMW, do not trust what they say.

Bue11er > Chris@Carlypso
10/10/2016 at 10:08

I bought a 2002 540iA. I’ve had most of these issues, at only currently about 76000 miles on the clock...

All four window regulators replaced (some multiple times). Alternator replaced (several times -voltage regulator kept failing). Water pump replaced (along with hoses and thermostat). Radio part of the Nav unit failed -replaced with Pioneer aftermarket unit. Climate control has failed (currently diagnosing and plan to fix). Tail light connectors corroded (created my own cheap hack with spare wiring and soldering). Seats have the twisty issue I’ll get to some time. That is beyond regular maintenance (new tires, did my own rear brakes, change my own oil...)

I read about what the common issues were coming into this car. My car too had been tapped (okay - hit hard. Rebuilt) and I was expecting some of these issues. Not all of them, and so many - but I accepted this. I paid about what he did for my car. I’ve done all my own work so far, and will continue to. I do it because I’ve always wanted a fast German sedan, but don’t have the money to buy a new one.

This article may be sour grapes, but his experience has been about like mine. I still like the car though. Has it been free of issues? No. But it is 14 years old, and sat for quite a long time.

When I drive it, I feel more alive than I did in my Saturn or Nissan. I’ve learned A LOT about cars owning this machine. I didn’t even change my own oil before this car. I won’t pay to drive/tow the car 50+ miles to a BMW shop whenever something goes wrong. And that’s okay! I value the experience of driving the car, and even the inconvenience of fixing the stuff that breaks on it. Do I wish it was more reliable? YES! For what BMW asks for these cars brand new they should be of MUCH higher quality. I am disappointed in the brand for using cheap plastic parts (timing chain guides - I’m a little scared of that - hasn’t happened to me yet + valley pan gasket job). But nothing i have driven drives like these cars. I’m hooked on the design - and after driving an E39 M5 I was smitten with the driving experience.

If a person goes into this expecting a terrible free, bullet proof reliable experience they may/will end up disappointed (at least my experience has been that way). But will they enjoy the drive when it’s all sorted out and working? I would say yes. It’s just a shame BMW doesn’t built them better. That’s what has been the hardest thing for me to get over. I was expecting a much higher level of quality from the brand. That just means you have to suffer with a Civic while you spend your Saturday on yet another window regulator and water pump.

Bue11er > Chris@Carlypso
10/13/2016 at 02:03

Do you have any recommendations for fast, fun German (or similar) cars? I bought into the BMW brand because of their sporting heritage. If they’re so prone to failure (which my own 540i had been) where do i turn to for rear wheel drive fun???

Chris@Carlypso > Bue11er
10/17/2016 at 23:55

I think Mercedes AMG cars without the ABC suspension are fun. Strangely, I think the way to go is to just get the M5 - swallow the additional 25% in maintenance, but get 250% the enjoyment.

Johnovalltrades > Chris@Carlypso
10/20/2016 at 07:33

Phuck off. The disappointment in the vehicle is okay! You don’t like the damn thing that’s your privilege to assess and publish. But saying you have certified professional standards , experience, & production experience from a task at Ferrari is simply sarcasm. It would be easier to believe ya stand six foot high are named Michaelangelo, are an Italian pepperoni pizza fanatic with a shell on your back and an aptitude to karate taught by a master that for all appearances is a rat.

2003E39540i6MSport > Chris@Carlypso
10/26/2016 at 18:48

I think you were built to be disposable.

Sorry Christopher Coleman, but you’re talking to the wrong crowd, and I’m having a sub-par day, so here goes.

A Mechanical Engineering Degree from MIT. Admirable, yet doesn’t nearly make you qualified as the world-class car salesman you’re claiming to be (that’s actually a completely different direction).

Additionally, you weren’t an employee at McLaren, you were an intern. HUGE difference. Don’t try to flaunt experience you don’t have the right to.

Based on Carlypso.com you absolutely do not buy/sell “thousands” of cars each year. Carlypso is failing, the website is absolutely riddled with bugs (that for a 3 year old company, should definitely exist [broken links, missing images, buggy JS, etc]), oh, and you’re a big baby.

I agree with a few others on here, that you bought a lemon. Because you buy auction trade-ins and random cars that are cheap as hell because they’re useless and you’re trying to make a quick buck off the next sucker, and luckily for all those used-car buyers, YOU were the sucker this time! Hah!

1 PPI, and $3k in preventive maintenance, and an E39 540i 6MT will go from 88k to 166k without as much as a hiccup.

Also, Mr. MIT, there is no such thing as a 2000 540i M-Sport, they only offered the M-Sport package in 2003, which came with the M Tech II Suspension, Lower Axel Ratios, a High Stall Converter, and the 6-speed was equipped with the 3.15 Diff. You went to MIT, so I’m sure you already knew all that, and just mistakenly mislabeled your car. But those are just a few things that get the car that much closer to M5 performance. The car you bought had none of these options. If you would like to provide me with a VIN, I’d be more than happy to prove it to you.

The M5 bumper was also installed via the aftermarket. You didn’t buy a stock 540i, you bought a 540i that someone obviously beat the hell out of.

When you’re not too busy Googling yourself, do a quick search for owner reviews. This is literally the first review I’ve ever heard with this much negativity. I have a feeling that you’re a pretty negative dude, and you love the sound of your own voice.

That’s fine, but you’re posting in the wrong community. These are great cars for those who appreciate them, and those who appreciate them don’t take kindly to trust-fund MIT, failing start-up, lemon-buyers who try to badmouth BMW.

Go buy a nice 2017 Honda Civic, kid. That seems right up your alley.

Reply to this post, just like the rest, with all your sass, rebuttals, and whiny nonsense; but I don’t have an account here, so I’ll never be notified, and I’ll never see it. (:

Seeing that you did graduate from MIT, and subsequently Stanford, and then proceeded to sell used cars, and co-founded a failing used-car company, shows that you really don’t have much aspiration, your parents bought you your degrees, and you’re not very talented.

You’ve made this very clear in all your posts: you’re a child blowing dad’s money on a sack of lemons.

I’m actually really glad you’ve come to these conclusions about the E39 540i, the BMW Community is much better off without you.

Christopher Coleman of Menlo Park, California: A used car salesman, not a used car enthusiast.

Good day, sir.

Roger > ActualPublicServant
12/05/2016 at 01:58

I agree with the author, and I also have a degree in Mechanical Engineering from a reputable school. It so happens that in 1998 I bought a 540i with the sports suspension package for about 65k, and that car spent more time at the dealer being repaired than with me. Until the warranty expired, that is, and then I bought a 3-year extended warranty for about 37 hundred, and in the next 2 years, they spent close to 8k fixing that car for me. Then they went bankrupt (I surely helped), because it was obvious that their actuaries were horribly incompetent. At which point I got rid of the car (2003?) for 50k less than I had paid, feeling sorry for the next owner. Who by the way, sold it in 8 months because of mounting repair bills. So yes, they are junky cars, there is no denying that.

Kufnayr > Chris@Carlypso
12/09/2016 at 07:17

shoulda grabbed a mechanic before buying...its probably a salvage from a hurricane or something. I bought my 2001 540i/6-speed with 89,000 miles. I’ve put 25,000 miles on it in about 5 years. It cost me $7,500. I’ve spent about $2,500 in repairs/upgrades.(under $10,000 total) But I taught myself how to drive stick so a lot of that was replacing the clutch two days after buying it. The rest was basically spent overhauling the dsp. Theres a good reason why it won best in class from Car and Driver. My heart skips beats everytime I unleash the 324 lb.ft. Seriously, I had a heart attack. and then heart surgery so im all good now.

Kufnayr > Kufnayr
12/09/2016 at 07:20

http://thegarage.jalopnik.com/four-reasons-why-you-need-to-buy-a-bmw-e39-540i-right-n-1659284463

Yeah, pretty sure you just got a lemon =/ sucks but it happens. I always bring a good flashlight when Im buying a used car. really check the engine bay for oil/coolant leaks before buying. It could save you thousands.

Kufnayr > Chris@Carlypso
12/09/2016 at 07:29

I totally disagree. Every single person I’ve come across that has bought an e39 M5 has dropped an extra $20-25K fixing the vanos. They have pretty much the same torque, the same 6-speed transmission...Sure you get more hp but its not worth the repair headaches.. And who really wants to drive a 15yr car over 150mph. My 540i will spank 95% of the cars out there off the line, with a heavenly roar to boot.

Kufnayr > Chris@Carlypso
12/09/2016 at 07:37

“right now in the shop”. And you sell used cars huh? Is your specialty M5's this month or something?

Chris@Carlypso > Kufnayr
12/13/2016 at 13:30

20-25k fixing Vanos? You can get a clean second M5 for less than that. I think the repair ratio on 540i : M5 is about 4:5.

Philoniousmonk > ActualPublicServant
02/27/2017 at 09:02

Word!! Last of the great “feel” beemers for a steal. Love my 97 540/6 Dinan. 305hp/320ftlbs

I also will put love into it, 200k, plan on 350k min...and the styling is a forever classic. Yes they have plastic part failures, easy fix, just upgrade them when they break :)

Vlaaad110010 > ActualPublicServant
03/10/2017 at 21:47

Back from the dead, but he’s not the only one with a bad E39 experience. These are not uncommon failures, and the E39s aren’t THAT special for one to put up with the issues.

BoBoGTO > Chris@Carlypso
05/02/2017 at 01:11

The actual facts were already told. I’ve done the same repairs plus much more on my same car. 190k miles car runs like new. All common problems all actually very easy to fix. I have no Idea how the timing chain costed you 3500, since I payed $4500 and that includes on top of the timing chain guides- water pump, all caskets-oil pan, valve cover, timing chain cover, valley pan, motor mounts, all power steering houses, PCV valve, heater core hoses, intake gasket seals. And I payed for the labor. Basically the most expensive stuff of all was the water pump. Everything else is like around $50. If you did the job yourself, you must suck at math. On top of everything these cars are actually very easy to work on. You literally need a youtube clip and common knowledge. But it’s time consuming. I’m not loosing my pay or weekend for something that I can pay a knowledgeable person to do for $100.

BoBoGTO > Chris@Carlypso
05/02/2017 at 01:13

And yet you couldn’t hear your engine falling apart and still drove it to destruction.

BoBoGTO > Chris@Carlypso
05/02/2017 at 01:17

Mine broke at 165k...

BoBoGTO > Chris@Carlypso
05/02/2017 at 01:20

Just because you brake it and you go “mammy buy me a new one” and you move on doesn’t means that they are bad cars. It just speaks badly for you.

Chris@Carlypso > BoBoGTO
05/02/2017 at 11:02

You must suck at reading. It cost me $1,500 in parts including the special tool rental, as well as replacing one broken breaker bar. The $3,500 is an estimate if I paid someone else to do the labor.

BoBoGTO > Chris@Carlypso
05/02/2017 at 19:56

So your first parenthesis meant an estimate of the labor... and then the rest was the actual cost of the part not an estimate... Yeah, I see your logic now and that is exactly how you should structure your paragraphs concerning the same subject.
But I still wonder thought how you ever graduated high school let alone get a degree from anything beyond that. I just assume it’s an incompetent lie. But on top of that trying to post a legitimate article about something that you have clearly no understanding of... That’s the internet I guess.

Don’t get me wrong thought keep going at it. I love to entertain my self with idiots like you. Especially ones with “degrees”, ‘cus we all know they come with big egos and those a blast...

Tuid > 789451
05/08/2017 at 06:00

lol! Can’t stop.

2tomsturn > BoBoGTO
06/21/2017 at 01:50

I have a 2000 540i that needs a timing chain and was just quoted $5400 by German Car Specialists in Bellevue Wa. and $11,500 by BMW of Seattle. The young man at BMW of Seattle said that the book says 27 hours labor for the timing chain so I don’t know he got to over $11,000. I think he must have hit x2 as that is double the other estimate and they have usually been very close when quoting repair costs.

BigPharma > Chris@Carlypso
09/16/2017 at 18:50

The ‘03 540i or M5 are what what I’ve been considering most as a near future purchase. What would you recommend instead? I drive twisty mountain roads daily and spirited driving is putting it lightly ;) Price is of little concern but needs to be fast, have great handling, is reliable and preferably a sedan. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Chris@Carlypso > BigPharma
09/16/2017 at 21:23

M5 is WAYYYY more car for the money. I think its 300% more car for 125% of the problems, and 200% of the equivalent condition cost (this is obviously not exact math).

BigPharma > Chris@Carlypso
09/16/2017 at 22:35

I get what you are saying. If I decide to go MB AMG, what are some of the best models ever produced in your opinion?

Get-it > Chris@Carlypso
11/09/2017 at 13:06

I had a 2002 540i with a 4.4 V8. It had an E39 chassis. Correct me if I am wrong, but didn’t the same year M5 also have the E39 chassis? If So, your complaints in your comparison other than horsepower with the M5 seem rather strange. I will say it can be expensive maintaining the 540i. But if you learn to stay away from “the book says” mechanics, you will be better off. My 540i was fun to drive!!

Get-it > Chris@Carlypso
11/09/2017 at 13:14

JShow > Chris@Carlypso
01/14/2018 at 11:36

I have a non vanos 540i and I’ve had no problems. Complete rebuild of cooling system, valve covers, suspension rebuild, fluids, misc sensors, and some other cheap easy parts is what I did for preventive maintenance. I’ll do timing chains when the time comes but it’s been great since I’ve owned it.

Lotsofcars > Chris@Carlypso
01/20/2018 at 01:01

I think I’ll listen to Chris

http://fortune.com/2017/08/08/carvana-buys-carlypso/

OneTyreFyer > Chris@Carlypso
02/23/2018 at 11:20

I mean, you say plastic timing guides as if thats unusual. Nearly every car is running plastic chain guides. Plastic radiator tanks. Plastic fucking everything. but thermoplastic tech has come a long way in the last 10-15 years.

At least you get an actual timing chain . which, admittedly, you will also get in the VQ37 in the infiniti. But I’ll wax about how awesome the VQ is as well.

bturner > Chris@Carlypso
05/27/2018 at 17:30

This is a good post for people that plan on taking their cars to a dealer for repairs. If you look at it from a personal mechanic point of view this is insane! I’ve never seen an e39 M5 in a local junkyard as well as the price always being more expensive because it’s an M5 part. Making repairs on an M5 will definitely exceed that of a 540. All cars need routine maintenance either you choose to do preventative maintenance or rolling repairs. For the price, the 540 has no competition especially a 540 i6. I was able to pick one up that needed a water pump and body work for $400, so far a total of about $1200 invested. Show me a clean title M5 for $1200 or any other v8 6spd sedan

Driver 1 00M500 > Chris@Carlypso
01/03/2019 at 06:08

Lmaooo 26k?!?!! You could’ve waited a year and sold it for 50k+ wowwwwww. Some dealer. I love my m540i, I’m grabbing a 992 2020 this year . I love great cars.

Driver 1 00M500 > Bue11er
01/03/2019 at 06:10

Stay awayyyy from amg, unless you wanna be cute & gay with cheap dated luxury.

CurtM > Chris@Carlypso
01/25/2019 at 20:30

I could not agree more. My 2000 540i had 5 warranty issues during the warranty period, and I’ve been fixing things ever since. Display pixels burned out, plastic radiator neck cracked, O2 sensor failures, final stage unit. Goopy melting silicon exterior window trim and arm rest compartments. Did a pre-emptive coolant system refresh. Control rod bushings went out. Replaced CC tensioner to try to get rid of rattle but it didn’t work.

Last year the low oil pressure warnings kicked in with a very loud clicking coming from the engine and I feared the timing guide problem (mechanic diagnosed the same). I did the whole guide replacement (also $1500 with special timing tools) pre-emptively after finding the guides were not yet broken (mechanic wanted $5000) . Low oil pressure remains, and I’m debating whether to throw more money at it. Garage queen with only 75000 miles.

My brother sells high- end used cars and has stopped with the BMWs. Too many unhappy customers bringing cars back with very expensive problems. He focuses on Mercedes now, and he and his customers are happy.

TiminFl > Chris@Carlypso
08/20/2019 at 14:03

I think Chris is mostly right. I also think that the problems he lists are common to all early 2000's BMWs. I have owned a 2001 740i, two 03 X5 4,6is’s, a 99 540i and an 01 M5. They were bought new and all maintained by o ld shool standards...and they all cost a fortune to maintain. That generation is what made me swear off new BMWs...especially as daily drivers. All that said, I lo ved them...just not enough to pay the tab. Hard for me to understand how my Toyota Land Crusier with 250k miles is running the original radiator and the X5s had their’s replaced at 45k. All that said, I just bought an 03 540i sport with a 6 speed and an m5 diff and suspension bits, from a friend. It has 120k miles, but it also had 12k$ worth of recent work...mostly preventative and is excellent t hrouhout and has a stellar Blackstone report. It’s a weekend car for me and I paid the cost of the most recent repairs for the car. I did order a zionsville for when the current one with 20k dies...because I know it will. I love the car. I just know what it is.

Corey p > Chris@Carlypso
04/01/2020 at 19:06

Someone had a bad day but they don’t design the cars in October it takes a a lot longer then 1 single month. Let them drink and party