[Balr14]

I have a friend who is selling a 2011 550i Xdrive sedan with 62k miles. He takes excellent care of his cars and doesn't beat on them. I bought his old 335i and it's a keeper. So, is there anything that I should be concerned about in the 550i? I read some of the posts that seem to indicate the engine could be an issue.

[spielnicht]

The n63 engine in the 2011 - 2013 550i has a long list of issues and you'd want to check and see how many of those had been addressed by BMW through the various service bulletins and campaigns that they've put out over the years. Low milage or not, they are a ticking time bomb if these issues haven't been addressed.

2014+ 550i come with the updated n63tu engine that is generally much more reliable.

[OnlyGerman]

Originally Posted by Balr14

I have a friend who is selling a 2011 550i Xdrive sedan with 62k miles. He takes excellent care of his cars and doesn't beat on them. I bought his old 335i and it's a keeper. So, is there anything that I should be concerned about in the 550i? I read some of the posts that seem to indicate the engine could be an issue.

Yes, there is a lot to be concerned about. Avoid it.

[Balr14]

That is unfortunate as it is a beautiful car, nicely equipped.

[philipm785]

It may be less of a gamble if it's had the CCP (Customer care package) implemented by BMW and/or had a new engine installed under the N63 class action settlement. Also if some of the common failure points were addressed such as valve stem seals that would help. Even so, maintenance on any 10 year old car of this complexity and performance level has the potential to be costly, so you'd need to go into it with that expectation.

[OnlyGerman]

Originally Posted by Balr14

That is unfortunate as it is a beautiful car, nicely equipped.

You are going to buy it anyway

[AmooManiak]

N63 vs N63TU discussion depends on maintenance. Neither is the most reliable, but if maintenance was done, you should be ok.

I've had two N63s and 1 N63TU and the TU was the least reliable between the 3. I had to keep adding a qt of oil every month.

Keep in mind that BMW didn't re-invent the wheel with the TU. Even G30 owners have issues with the N63 variant. If you like the car and want a V8, going with your friends well maintained car is a safer bet than an unknown N63TU.

[Balr14]

Originally Posted by OnlyGerman

You are going to buy it anyway

The car was great until it hit 60k miles. Then it started to use oil. Under the class action suit, the dealer did over $10k of work to fix the engine. Additionally, if it recurs up until 120k miles it will still be fixed. But, the owner has to pay something on a pro-rated basis (currently 15%).

I could live with that. I would not drive it more than 3000 miles per year, so 120k miles would never be an issue. So... it is tempting.

[OnlyGerman]

Originally Posted by Balr14

The car was great until it hit 60k miles. Then it started to use oil. Under the class action suit, the dealer did over $10k of work to fix the engine. Additionally, if it recurs up until 120k miles it will still be fixed. But, the owner has to pay something on a pro-rated basis (currently 15%).

I could live with that. I would not drive it more than 3000 miles per year, so 120k miles would never be an issue. So... it is tempting.

How much is he selling for? These can be had for 10k, so they all seem like a great deal. I personally wouldn't touch unless it was like 5k.

[Balr14]

Here's an update:

There was much to like about the 550i. But, it would have meant selling my 335i, which has a manual transmission. That has been a concern because I don't know how long I will be able to drive it. In the end, the 335i is just my kind of car, simple and basic. I'll deal with not being able to drive it when the time comes.