[Alex.temp.b]

Hi all,

I'm completely new here, and i was hoping someone would be able to give me advice regarding F10 528i potential purchase. I realise you may see these posts often and it can be tiresome? i hope its not too much of a hassle.

to start with, i realise that these cars arent cheap to maintain. but would anyone be able to give some figures, or things that could hit me if something goes wrong.
for example, are these cars known for electrical faults? are sensors faulty often? how expensive are they to generally replace? or can this be done DIY?
i did some research regarding the engine, and the N52B30 seems to be pretty reliable, albeit not very powerful which doesn't bother me. is there anything i should be looking out for when purchasing this particular model?

the specific car i was looking at is listed below (however im looking at others too):
https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Lis...?id=1639785570

to convert, it has : 88222 miles and priced at 11,143USD

Im living in a pretty rural place, and have to travel quite a distance in order to view cars, so i dont really want to go far without having a bit of knowledge before hand. so im here to bother you lot! any advice is much appreciated.

many thanks!

[wcr3d]

Too generalized, not enough information.
Do these cars have common problems, ya, have a read around the forums to get a better idea of what they are, different approaches for repairs and some do list costs.
No one can tell you what can go wrong with that particular car.
I will say that is one of the most reliable motors they make. I will also say this was not a 20k car when new, so when you need repairs costs will be proportionate. No one knows your DIY skill level so another guess. Get the idea? Yes it will be cheaper to DIY.
That doesn't mean it would be cheap. So advice, do your due diligence and find out as much of the service history as possible. Have a PPI done, and realize it is a luxury car, that does come at a cost.
As far as price, just a little on the high side but not out of bounds.

[SC300T]

The 2011 with the N52 inline 6 is probably the most reliable combo on an F10, IMHO. It was one of the last years for that engine. If you want a BMW that can go 200k miles, this is one that would get there. No transfer case, no HPFP, no turbos. You still have waterpump at 80-100k miles, Oil filter housing gasket and a few others that need attention.

[BigKutta]

Its hard to say how well a car will hold up. You will hear a lot of the issues here and see many common ones, but may not happen to you. More importantly, you should see the service history to determine how well looked after the vehicle was (seller can provide it), and then you should take the vehicle to an independent BMW mechanic who can inspect the car to see what pending issues lie with the car. Otherwise the engine is solid

[snj1013]

I have a 2011 528i with 63k miles. No problems and I haven't heard of any pattern of problems with these vehicles. There have been 2 recalls on my car, one for the fuel pump and still waiting for the PCV Valve Heater.

[Big Mexican Women]

the N52 engine is a reliable motor. I say go for it.

[Alex.temp.b]

Thank you all for the advice, it is reassuring. Ill see what sort of deal i can make with the guy. If it works out ill be sure to keep you informed!

[Alex.temp.b]

I had read on another auction for a 2010 f10 528i that he's had the timing chain and tensioner replaced. quote from auction below:

"$4000 replacement of timing chain, tensioner and oil change recently (Jan 18) from the BMW dealer (informed common fault all F10 6 cylinder BMWs will experience at some stage). "

this cant be right that all F10's face timing chain issues? i thought it was largely to do with the N47 engine.
can anyone shed light on this?

[Big Mexican Women]

Originally Posted by Alex.temp.b

I had read on another auction for a 2010 f10 528i that he's had the timing chain and tensioner replaced. quote from auction below:

"$4000 replacement of timing chain, tensioner and oil change recently (Jan 18) from the BMW dealer (informed common fault all F10 6 cylinder BMWs will experience at some stage). "

this cant be right that all F10's face timing chain issues? i thought it was largely to do with the N47 engine.
can anyone shed light on this?

this is absolutely not true. any sort of timing chain issues/failures on any 6 cylinder BMW engine is very, very rare. however, timing chain guide failures on BMW's 4 cylinder models, particularly the n47 like you mentioned and the N20 is very common because they are made of plastic.

[xxpanipuri]

Originally Posted by Big Mexican Women

this is absolutely not true. any sort of timing chain issues/failures on any 6 cylinder BMW engine is very, very rare. however, timing chain guide failures on BMW's 4 cylinder models, particularly the n47 like you mentioned and the N20 is very common because they are made of plastic.

LOL at the name!

[Alex.temp.b]

Originally Posted by Big Mexican Women

this is absolutely not true. any sort of timing chain issues/failures on any 6 cylinder BMW engine is very, very rare. however, timing chain guide failures on BMW's 4 cylinder models, particularly the n47 like you mentioned and the N20 is very common because they are made of plastic.

Yes i thought so, cheers