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2008 BMW 5-Series repairs by problem area

Engine (48%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (9%)

Brakes and Traction Control (2%)

Suspension and Steering (7%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (23%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (7%)

Other (4%)

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Chart based on 644 repairs.

See TSBs and recalls for the 2008 BMW 5-Series.

2008 BMW 5-Series engine repair cost distribution

$2500+ (12%)

$1000 - $2499 (23%)

$500 - $999 (16%)

$100 - $499 (13%)

< $100 (37%)

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Chart based on 244 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

64300 mi

Replaced engine under warranty. Spun main bearing

28000 mi

fuel pump replaced

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77500 mi C $2500	Replace turbocharger - waste gates sticking Actuator motor for transfer case Replace solenoid for turbocharger
89860 mi C $300	Replace vacuum hose - engine was losing power under acceleration
99700 mi C $1100	Overheating - leaking water pump - replaced
106640 mi C $650	Replaced faulty coil and spark plug

56000 mi	Turbocharger replaced
107700 mi US $600	Replace crankshaft position sensor
108000 mi US $1000	Low pressure fuel pump

80700 mi

US $439

replace water pump.

39500 mi	Car had carbon buidlup on back of valves. Dealer noticed car running rough. Dealer claimed repair ($500) was not covered under warranty, but got authorization to clean valves from BMW
63000 mi US $350	Vacuum hoses replaced Replaced both turbos Fuel sensor not working

72840 mi C $800	labour + parts for 6 spark plugs and 6 ignition coils
114700 mi	slight leak from engine oil pan gasket
122140 mi C $570	engine oil cooler hose
130820 mi C $1200	1 cylinder not firing consistently. Replace all 6 spark plugs and ignition coils

89000 mi US $600	Water pump failed
92000 mi	Turbo failed, required replacement due to rattling wastegate actuator.
99000 mi	Turbos found to be badly seated and worn, replaced entire units.

40000 mi

fuel system problem related to turbocharger

112000 mi

US $1700

Oil Filter Housing Seals Leaking. Seals replaced including oil cooler.

24000 mi US $90	Code reduced power engine malfunction comes up...code then clears, and engine power returns to normal.
24000 mi	replaced both turbochargers and valvecase cover.
29000 mi	replaced both turbochargers due to broken actuator arm
41000 mi	code on fuel pump recurred after repair, then went away on its own.

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65000 mi	HPFP (high pressure fuel pump) a known issue covered under BMW TSB and replaced under warranty. BMW has actually extended coverage of this item out to 120,000 miles / 10 years. Mine did not "give out" but was done as a preventative fix.
86000 mi	DME (engine control unit) failed. When this happened engine would not run properly and computers forced car to slow down and ultimately require pulling off road and stopping. It saves itself from more damage basically. Very annoying.
97000 mi US $50	2 turbos. it is a known issue that the factory turbos may not last longer than 100,000 - 120,000 miles
111000 mi US $4100	Thermostat failing. Noticed by CEL code. Replacing water pump at same time due to labor into same area of engine and mileage on original pump. $1450 for both items Oil filter Housing Gasket- heavy leak, $950 to access and repair!

88200 mi US $600	The N54 twin turbo motor had excessive carbon buildup on the intake valves due to the poor design of the EGR system on this direct injection motor. BMW's solution is a walnut shell blasting of the valves every 40K miles as 'maintenance'.
89000 mi US $300	Check engine light came on for misfire. Engine running rough. Replaced all six plugs. Problem persisted. Ended up replacing all six coils. Problem solved. BMW recommends coil replacement every 45000 miles. Indies recommend 30000 miles.
94000 mi US $500	Engine malfunction warning upon hard acceleration. Replaced boost control solenoids - didn't fix it. New diagnosis - bad turbos - leaking wastegates. BMW extended the warranty on the turbos for wastegate issues but only to 82,000 miles. SOL
98700 mi US $3700	Both turbo wastegates were leaking resulting in lost power and numerous CEL. Both turbos were replaced with factory remanufactured units. Low speed engine misfire/rough idle when cold and under high load.
100500 mi US $440	CEL caused by engine misfire. Replaced one injector. These were replaced in 2009 under recall but are proving to be bad as well. BMW has a newer version of injector that the BMW community says is solid but BMW won't replace. Customer pays

22000 mi	Engine stopped running, injectors, coils, plugs all replaced, now fine.
29000 mi	High pressure fuel pump, N54 engines Achilles heel. Upgraded the software.
29700 mi	Long cranks, 'engine malfunction reduced power' including while on the freeway - not great to be on the 405 stuck at 35. Replaced high pressure fuel pump. The car's now running properly for the first time this year.

46700 mi US $600	Water pump died
57000 mi US $4000	Fuel injectors replaced improperly by prior shop

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182900 mi €1300	Blown Turbo
195300 mi €3700	The timing chain broke
228160 mi €100	Bad oil leak.
233120 mi €300	Oil leak at the oil filter housing returned after about three weeks.
238080 mi	Developed a second oil leak at the rear of the engine. The garage reported that the auto clutch was on the way out. When cruising on the motorway the engine rpm often varies +- 100 with no input from the driver. Good car, horrible engine.

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114700 mi

€28

No heating on the right side. Heater core was flushed and blown with compressed air.

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53000 mi US $50	Water pump failed while driving. Car came to a halt with Overheat warning. Towed to deal and replaced water pump. Paid $50 for deductible on extended warranty.
60300 mi	Engine losing power upon accelerating from stoplight. Had to replace 3 fuel injectors Index 9 to newer Index 12, that solved the problem. the other 3 injectors were index 11 already. All index 9 injectors were subject to recall but some deals did not change them all.
111000 mi US $1100	Replaced 3 fuel injectors with index 12 from original index 9

123700 mi US $200	Oil leak from the gasket on the oil cooler.
125300 mi US $660	Oil filter gasket failed and required replacement. Had slow but constant/steady leak.
127300 mi US $1700	Coolant system leak. Cooling line to turbo bank #2 failed. Car was spewing coolant at an alarming rate when car is operating under pressure while driving.
129000 mi	3 ignition coils failed. Replaced by mechanic.

64000 mi

US $650

Valve cover gasket leak.

18000 mi US $6000	Replaced both turbo units under warranty
21000 mi US $3000	Replaced high pressure fuel pumps. Engine went in limp home mode

69000 mi

US $6600

Turbocharger waste gate failure. Replaced turbochargers.

85000 mi US $750	Replaced oil filter housing seal
134100 mi US $980	Replaced valve cover gasket

49000 mi

US $950

water pump replaced

57700 mi

US $50

Water pump failed, but replaced under warranty.

79000 mi US $300	Wastegates rattle. BMW replaced under mfg extended warranty. Replaced vacuum lines.
79000 mi US $2600	Rough idle on cold start. Engine stalled and cd check engine light came on with P0300,0301,0302misfire codes. Replaced plugs, injectors and coils on all cylinders.

8600 mi	Fuel pump failure
17000 mi	Second replacement of the high-pressure fuel pump. First in March 2009. Had to be flatbedded both times.

116700 mi US $4500	Replaced oil pan gasket which had a very slight leak. This was covered by my 3rd party warranty.
116700 mi	Valve cover gasket, oil filter housing gasket and oil cooler gasket leaking. Gasket removal and replacement paid for by 3rd party warranty company.
125000 mi	Previously repaired (9 months ago) oil pan leak started leaking again. Dealer removed the replacement gasket and replaced it with a second new gasket. They claimed that the original replacement part was defective.
127000 mi US $2624	Engine running rough sometimes at startup and then for a few miles. Problem got worse and more frequent. ECU finally set a code which turned on the check engine light(CEL). 2 injectors were found to be bad. All six had to be replaced, what?
131194 mi	Oil Cooler Gasket, which was replaced in 1/2016, started leaking again. Gasket was re-replaced under warranty from last replacement.
137000 mi US $136	One ignition coil failed under hard acceleration. Code was read indicating which of the 6 coils failed. Coil was replaced. Should have done it myself since the coil is available from a number of internet sources for about $25. Would have been a great excuse to buy a code reader. Oh well...

92700 mi US $2000	Turbo Replacement
94300 mi US $2400	Replaced injectors
96000 mi US $500	Water Pump / Thermostat
101000 mi US $550	Oil leak

8000 mi

A warning light came on indicating "Engine Malfunction/Power Reduced" and the car felt sluggish. It was diagnosed as a software issue; the software was updated by the dealership.

1300 mi	Purchased the car late June 2008. Late September I noticed some oil beneath the car and indeed it was an oil leak. They said it was from a defective engine oil cooler and lost a fair amount of oil. It was repaired without charge. Hope this was a fluke.
1000 mi	Oil leaking below car. Found by dealer to be a leak in the 'engine oil cooler' and was a factory defective item. No cost for repair.
13000 mi	Noticed misfiring. Replaced three injectors, three gasket rings, and six decoupling elements per recall. Would have also replaced the HPFP, but none in stock.

22000 mi	Replaced fuel injector
34000 mi	CEL on and running rough at startup when turned in.

19000 mi	Oil line leak from oil filter to oil cooler - replaced line. Oil cooler leak - problem occurred after the oil line was replaced. Suspect mechanic damaged the oil cooler. Another oil leak - oil leaking around drain plug.
37000 mi	Cold engine runs rough, misfires. Once warm runs smoothly, but check engine light is on. Replaced oxygen sensors and hi-press fuel pump. Problem remains.
40000 mi	New software version 32.1 uploaded, plugs cleaned, full reset of computers. Car did run much better and cold start roughness was better, but not completely fixed. Car is back at dealers for further repair.
41000 mi	Engine light- cold start misfire/roughness, DME fault 29E0 mixture rich, tank vent valve replaced, replace fuel injectors, smoke test for leaks. Car now has not exhibited the problem over the last 1,000 miles so I consider it fixed.
49000 mi	High pressure pump failed. This is the 2nd pump - the first was replaced as part of the rough engine start problem I was having.
98000 mi US $1049	5 of the 6 fuel injectors found leaking. I paid for 3 and 2 were under warranty.
98000 mi US $1049	3 of 6 injectors leaking, including two of the new ones - replaced

55100 mi

US $1300

Water pump failed

2200 mi US $64000	Bad fuel pump and bad fuel injectors mean potential fire hazzard and possible explosion. You should know that the 2008 535i has some major defects engine wise. My car has been in for this problem twice now, this time though it was the worst.
26000 mi	Fuel pump and fuel injectors -gas pouring into the engine. Clouds of smoke shooting out of exhaust. Car shaking at any speed including while at stop.

38000 mi	Check engine light on. Engine had faulty fuel injector.
125000 mi US $2500	replaced water pump, heating core

38000 mi

Low pressure sensor replaced. Fuel injector #6 replaced.

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15000 mi	Engine malfunction reduced power/reloaded new software.
17000 mi	Cooling fan replaced.
31000 mi	software problem
76000 mi	Twin turbos
92000 mi US $1200	Bad water pump, replaced also replaced thermostat and expansion tank.
93000 mi US $2500	Fuel injectors
104000 mi US $1500	Ignition coil Head gasket repair

72000 mi

US $50

Coolant Pump went bad. Dealer replaced it under CPO warranty. Also, Replaced Oil Pressure Sensor since false low engine oil level warning was coming.

62800 mi

Water pump failed.

106000 mi US $500	Water hose needed replacement
115400 mi US $1049	Diagnosed as faulty DMTL pump and IBS cable, which caused my check engine light to stay on. The faulty pump and IBS cable had to be replaced.

13000 mi	Car had little power and warned there was a malfunction. I was away from the dealer, if I had driven to the dealer instead of stopping it probably would not have had to have been towed. High pressure fuel pump had to be replaced.
22000 mi	Regular maintenance turned up a problem with an intermittent fuel sensor that I was told could have could have made the car undriveable if not fixed.

7000 mi	Upon car start, warning that AWD/DSC malfunction occurred. Warning would reset after driving a few feet. Recently when this occurred, the time and date display had to be reset. Reflash of DME software fixed the problem. It's all about computers now.
17000 mi	The oil pan was replaced due to an oil leak through a mounting hole for the front differential. This is an AWD vehicle. This problem came from the factory when purchased new.
20000 mi	The High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) failed. This is a known issue with the 535 series engine (which BMW issued an extended 10yr warranty for HPFP.) I was able to drive the car to the dealer under reduced power. Fixed in one day...gave me a loaner
35000 mi	'Klunk' when starting up. Fixed with TSB software update.

31700 mi	Car ran roughly. Dealer diagnosed problem and repaired it under warranty.
103000 mi US $2000	Gasket seals and oil filter gaskets
105000 mi US $1200	Water pump needed replacement.

50000 mi

overheating limp mode

36000 mi	Pulled engine, opened head, cleaned cylinders, replaced injectors, reprogramed
36000 mi	car still miss firing

91000 mi

US $200

Water pump quit working and car would only idle. Water pump was covered under warranty, but I had to pay for thermostat replacement not covered.

30000 mi

Failure of high pressure fuel pump

57000 mi

US $900

Water pump went out, purchased one on Amazon (cheaper than dealer) then allowed the dealer to do the labor.

10000 mi

Defective High-pressure Fuel Pump. Removed and replaced with new high-pressure Fuel Pump.

46000 mi

US $50

Got recurring check engine lights and reduced power "limp mode". The exhaust VANOS solenoid had failed.

40000 mi	Ticking sound getting progressively louder. It sounds like a typewriter. The dealer says its normal. The car didnt make this sound until recently.
48000 mi US $2000	waterpump went out after 9 days past warranty. also all injectors, plugs, ignition coils had to be replace. fought with BMW NA and they agreed to pay for parts. Labor was over $2,000. Traded the car in for a brand new Mini Copper Hardtop S.

89000 mi US $2100	Replace Turbos that BMW and Dealer would not cover under warranty. Had waste gate rattle, bushings worn out. TSB. Replace fuel injectors due to prior dealer installing incorrectly damaging all six. Replaced leaking oil filter gaskets Replaced leaking Valve cover gasket Walnut shell blasted intake valves to clean carbon off of them.
100800 mi US $75	Changed oil & oil filter. Rotated tires. Small oil leak at engine pan, could not identify source.

66000 mi US $1000	Catastrophic water pump failure, causing immediate engine overheating. Computer shut down the engine, preventing further damage. Water pump was replaced.
74200 mi US $200	Oil leak from the filter housing
109000 mi US $400	Replace faulty crankshaft position sensor

25000 mi	High pressure fuel pump replaced early november. Fuel pump failed again in 2 weeks and replaced again middle of november. No problems since. High pressure fuel pump replaced Wndshield wiper motor replaced Seat belt sendor error- dealer rest it.
28500 mi	Fuel pump replaced third time.

27000 mi	High pressure fuel pump failure - noticed by driver and most recently a voluntary recall was initiated by BMW.
60000 mi US $1200	water pump needed to be replaced (failed) and also replaced thermostat

28000 mi

US $31

The car would often "hiccup" or hesitate sharply when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear. The dealer re-installed software after finding no leaks or problems with the automatic transmission. This seems to have worked.

95000 mi US $1800	R/R oil pan, valve cover gasket, cooler housing gasket
96000 mi US $800	Replace eccentric drive shaft sensor

76000 mi US $150	Fuel injector bank failure
86000 mi	Engine Malfunction related to turbo charging system
87000 mi	Hp fuel pump replaced under warranty
94000 mi US $200	Car overheated. Towed to dealer
99300 mi US $300	Water pump failed Engine malfunction light
100000 mi US $500	Both turbos replaced with purchased warranty. They paid $3K, I paid $500
105000 mi US $2500	Oil gasket leak

51460 mi

C $2000

Had to replace the Transmission slevel as it had a slow leak

134900 mi US $500	Turbocharger failed. Replaced CHRA's with good used units. Machined and installed new wastegate bushings and machined wastegate arms to match. Reinstalled with new gaskets/seals, coolant, and oil.
150000 mi US $300	Oil pan gasket replaced. Walnut blasted intake ports/valves.

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82460 mi C $670	Mild leak was discovered oil housing gasket. Had that fixed and some adjacent seals replaced.
95480 mi C $1400	Fuel injectors cleaned out with walnut shells. Car was running very rough.
106020 mi C $2200	Thermostat was replaced and water pump was replaced proactively.
110120 mi C $640	Coolent hose and sensor replacement
120900 mi C $2200	Oil leak from two areas.
122760 mi C $1400	Oil leak from seal and spark plug changes, but problem is with error code coming on randomly (engine malfunction - limp mode) due to turbo pressure failure. Still investigating...
124000 mi C $400	One of the Turbos was setting off error messages and the linkage was adjusted due to wear.
124620 mi C $2000	Alternator belt shredded and got sucked into the engine.

67000 mi US $1500	Water pump failed. Water pump and thermostat replaced.
81700 mi US $2000	Replaced alternator belt and idler pulley. Repaired minor oil leak. Also address brake light recall issue (no charge).

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53000 mi	Engine misfire, now it is doing it again
113000 mi US $2100	Water pump, thermostat, oil in radiator. Reseal oil cooler
114000 mi US $250	Plastic hose eroded away from front of head
136000 mi	Needed a turbo.

50000 mi	Car went into limp mode and displayed error on i-Drive. Took to dealer and they replaced cylinder 1 variable vanos solenoid.
54000 mi US $780	Engine cooling fan running on high with no heat in vehicle. Electric water pump failed. Replaced electric water pump.
63600 mi US $50	Wastegates needed adjusted on the turbo chargers. Also had a leak in the charge pipe. Adjusted wastegate and replaced worn components on bypass valves.
144000 mi US $1800	Replaced transfer case mounting bushing due to a "clunk". Engine was leaking oil, source of leak was attributed to the oil filter and oil cooler gaskets failing. Replaced gaskets. Car had a misfire and needed the intake valves cleaned. This is a routine maintenance item that was way overdue.
146000 mi US $4500	The car had severe boost lag. The original turbochargers waste gates were worn beyond their service life. Turbochargers were replaced.

60000 mi US $1300	water pump went out
66000 mi US $950	fuel pump

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26040 mi

Computer reported a fuel pump fault but it turned out be a sensor connection problem which was fixed.

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36940 mi	I heard rattling sound from engine compartmnt. when got checked company replaced all chains including timing, crankshaft , piston rings all studs bolts it costs me app. 4 lakhs in indian rupees
43160 mi	car has leakage from enginr oil filter assembly . and dealership takes 5 days torepair it , but leakge still persists after this they recall me and i left car for more 5 days now its ok ,.but now from till i get car it gives me stating prom
44640 mi	Rattling sound coming again from engine and there is consumption of engine oil 1 ltr per 2000 kms ..2 Dealer said we hav to again replace its pisyon rings, pulleys ,etc which they had already done 2 moths ago
54960 mi	my cars engine gets totaly damaged. sleeve in the engine bolck gets cracked and full block including pistons are replaced.
69440 mi $90000	rpm fluctuates and car sometimes stop in the middle of road . problem was with fuel system
82460 mi $15000	engine and gear mounts got replaced drive shft bearing mount also broken. bmw do not have the part. till then i cant drive car. they are out of stock worldwide.

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55000 mi US $500	ignition coil replacement
62000 mi US $8000	Vanos system repair
71000 mi US $2200	throttle actuators replaced

20000 mi

US $500

Check Engine called out an "Increased Emissions" fault. The Bank 2 secondary air valve was defective. After replacement, the increased emissions problem went away.

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64500 mi

US $800

Needed all 10 new spark plugs and a coil pack went bad.

95500 mi US $1500	VANOS solenoids
110000 mi US $15000	Complete engine replacement
150000 mi US $1000	Ignition coil

34300 mi	Clutch chatter lead to hot spots on the flywheel. Caused by wear to clutch assembly, less than 1mm remaining. Repair was free due to bumper-to-bumper warranty, otherwise would have cost $3,000+.
45000 mi	Vanos valve in oil pump sounded like it was "popping" when outside temp dropped below 56F. Problem was not properly isolated by the dealer because the outside temp rose above 56F while at the dealer.
76000 mi US $4600	Oil cooler and oil lines started leaking with a Class III leak and needed repair.

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55000 mi US $1260	Alternator bracket leak
63000 mi US $1200	Oil pan gasket

134000 mi

US $900

Cooling Fan Relay failed which requires the entire cooling fan assembly to be replaced.

100500 mi	Water pump, valve cover gaskets, alt gasket
103000 mi	Oil pump and valve cover gasket

59100 mi

US $20

Shelled out $20 for a OBDII code reader to diagnose the check engine light.#5 Spark plug went bad. Luckily this was at the front and easily accessible allowing me to change myself.

82000 mi

Coolant reservoir developed a leak.

93000 mi

US $3500

Car was leaking oil. Ended up replacing, valve cover gaskets, upper timing cover gaskets, vacuum pump re-seal Car wen't into limp-mode during normal driving conditions. Needed to replace exhaust camshaft sensor.

35500 mi US $50	Service engine returned after 3 months. Found defective exhaust pump in trunk? Previous dealer reset light and advised it was gas cap issue.
43900 mi US $2800	Seal leak.

63300 mi US $500	CEL light was on when I took the car in for recall work. Dealer diagnosed that the DMTL unit needed replacement.
62000 mi US $1200	Radiator cooling fan failed, causing engine to overheat in traffic. Could not get the car off the road, so overheating caused the coolant bottle to crack. Fan part alone was $650, plus $100 for the bottle and labor. Car had to be towed.

65000 mi US $1400	radiator fan was only working intermitantly
75000 mi	Oxygen sensor on bank two behind catalyst is going out.
85000 mi US $320	Two bad coil packs replaced that caused a misfire Two bad coil packs replaced that caused a misfire
95500 mi US $100	Replaced expansion tank due to the measurement device inside the tank crumbled and broke
101000 mi US $230	Over flow coolant hose

50000 mi

US $50

The check engine light came on and I took it into the dealer as I have certified warranty. After being there 1 day I got a call saying that the fuel pumps were bad. They replaced under warranty.

69800 mi US $1132	Discovered a slight leak - alternator bracket and driver's side timing chain cover. Appears leak was about 2 months old, few drops of oil made it to the ground; that's how it was discovered. Replaced all associated gaskets and parts.
67200 mi	Chain tensioner housing crush washer leaking. Tightened bolt, oil leak stopped.
89000 mi US $83	Expansion tank developed a hairline crack and dripped coolant. Ordered replacement tank and was able to replace myself in under an hour. Very easy to do.
98000 mi US $500	Minor oil leak - passenger side valve cover. R&R, new gasket installed, work complete, leak stopped.

26000 mi	Faulty oil sensor indicated overfull oil level. Sensor replaced.
32000 mi	Check engine light, replaced oxygen sensor.
39000 mi	After oil change, oil reading HIGH, faulty oil sensor, replaced
43000 mi	Oxygen sensor

27000 mi

Oil level reading high in I-drive although no oil was introduced to the system since last dealer oil change. this problem has been reoccurring. Computer software reset and reading correctly now, although they've done this fix before.

82000 mi US $5000	Valve covers and upper timing cover gaskets leaking
125000 mi US $1100	Water pump and belt replaced battery, throttle body and throttle body wiring replaced.
145000 mi US $200	Cracked coolant reservoir, leaking temp sensor, cracked hose. Still losing coolant. Possible failing coolant passage tube in block or at rear of engine
155000 mi US $200	Excessive oil usage (2 qts per 7500 Miles). Diagnosis service to check for leaks and determine extent of repairs required. Leaks found but determined that valve stems seals and guides bad. $4500 to repair gaskets and valve stem seals. Service declined due to exceeding value of car.

63000 mi US $50	Oil leak
70300 mi US $200	Oil leak from sending unit
72000 mi US $3800	Two oil leaks: timing case cover and valve cover gaskets
83000 mi US $3500	Cooling fan failed. Expansion tank cracked. Engine overheated. Repairs include: new radiator, water pump, electric fan and hoses.

64000 mi US $50	Leaks from upper and lower timing covers
64000 mi US $50	Leak from radiator overflow Ignition coil on one cylinder went bad

1000 mi

"Dynamic Drive System Malfunction" error. Taken to dealer, cleared fault, problem returned.

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79000 mi	The mass air flow sensor was dirty. It was causing the check engine light to activate.
90000 mi US $55	The upper coolant expansion tank hose deteriorated and was leaking. It was replaced with an OEM hose.
112900 mi US $1500	Valley pan was leaking coolant. During repair, all cooling system components (water pump, transfer pipe, thermostat, and hoses) were replaced. Also, miscellaneous o-rings and gaskets were replaced. Fuel purge valve was also replaced.
131000 mi US $1900	Coolant leak due to failed gasket on the rear engine cover/plate. A new plate was about $65. Repair cost is mostly labor due to the need to remove transmission for the repair. Also, the rear crankshaft seal and clutch release bearing were replaced since they were both accessible at the time. It was preventive maintenance.
203000 mi US $300	Valve seals replaced. Other seals/gaskets were replaced in the process.

100000 mi	Alternator seal leak Coolant leak reservoir Alternator than new battery that was damaged by faulty alternator
111000 mi US $9000	Complete valve job! Replaced defective valve stem seals. New valve guides. Machine shop cleaned all valves included replaced all gaskets including main engine gaskets. Multiple oil leaks from worn out gaskets repaired. Installed new manual clutch kit. Had to remove entire engine to do repair

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52000 mi	Check engine light
53700 mi US $800	Radiator and thermostat replaced. Computer reprogramming.

60000 mi US $50	Oil Filter housing leaking
64000 mi US $2000	#5 Bank Solenoid Thermostat failed. Tensioner pulley failed

26000 mi	Software controlling Vanos needed to be reflashed with a newer version.
34500 mi	Sensor controlling VANOS was bad - replaced.
90000 mi US $600	Coil pack bad, replaced bad unit & injectors

73000 mi

US $600

oil filter housing gasket replaced

121000 mi

US $295

Engine [ignition] coil. Still bucking bringing back

89000 mi US $100	#2 coil went out
128700 mi US $500	Fuel sending unit leaking
143000 mi US $1500	Oil leaks on oil filter housing and valve cover

57000 mi

US $850

Belt had to be replaced, battery had to be replaced

56000 mi

US $185

Oxygen sensor failed

61000 mi

US $4250

Oil had leaked into the "timing belt solenoid" which was causing the engine to fire at the wrong times and making the car impossible to drive.

16000 mi	Car would not start, dealer replaced fuel pump controller, fuel filter, and fuel pump.
21000 mi	Replaced 6/6 injectors to no avail. Replaced DME, vehicle still running "rich". Replaced fuel pump(s) and filter(s) and additional electronics. Problem has not recurred, dealer cannot pinpoint root cause. The injectors were clearly defective from factory.

90000 mi

US $1000

oil leak valve cover and oil filter husing

68200 mi US $50	Broken aluminum head bolts (4) were extracted and replaced
69700 mi	Oil leak from valvetronic seal, valve cover gasket and oil filter housing. Seem to be results from the head bolt work done in April Coil #1 died, replaced all 6 coils and plugs. I believe this was due to pressure cleaning at the dealer from the prior day's trip.
85500 mi	When in for an oil change, dealer said the valve cover gasket was leaking - I saw no evidence of this, but since they replaced it 1 year ago under warranty, it was replaced again under warranty. I'm still not sure if it was bad
96000 mi US $1400	Coolant leak, replaced radiator. Proactively replaced water pump and hoses.

73000 mi US $800	small leak in the bottom corner of radiator. Replaced unit $690 included coolant.
84000 mi US $750	Water pump failed.
104800 mi US $1200	Replaced coils
109000 mi US $1200	Replaced radiator reservoir which had a crack in the plastic.
116000 mi US $1500	radiator replaced due to failure from earlier install , radiator hoses all replaced and electric water pump replaced
118000 mi US $2100	Vanos system and motor/sensors

35000 mi

Hydraulic valve lifter (HVA) replacement – this is a very common issue with pre-2009 N52 engines. A TSB existed, and the work was performed according to the TSB. The symptom was a ticking noise.

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120000 mi

US $450

Oil stand leak

33000 mi

Car wouldn't start, reset the computer.

78000 mi

US $1700

Oil Leak at valve cover Oil Leak at oil filter head

1000 mi	BMW 2008 528xi- /Valve lifters were rattling- repaired /Computer showing adjustments needed-repaired
6000 mi	Valve lifters still rattling.
9000 mi	August 2008 new valve lifters installed. Still rattling...mid-October back into the dealer with the help of BMW regional repair rep., newer heads and hardware replaced again. No further rattling valve lifters.

1000 mi	Check engine light came on exactly 2 weeks after I purchased the car at slightly less than 500 miles. Dealer repaired faulty wiring to the oxygen sensor. Also replaced oxygen sensor.
6000 mi	Metallic ticking in the engine. Dealer performed bleeding procedure, but ticking returned within 1 week. Scheduled new appt in April and will insist that dealer replace the cylinder head, which has been reported as the cause of the noise by prior owners.
7000 mi	After a second bleeding procedure in April, the metallic ticking sound in engine returned within one week. BMW headquarters approved cylinder head replacement. Dealer explained that BMW requires several bleedings before approving cylinder head replacement

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77500 mi US $115	The accessory belt pulley was making noise and was found to be warped. It was replaced under CPO warranty and I paid about $70 for a new belt to be installed with the new pulley.
63300 mi US $50	Valve ticking typical with n52 engine replaced lifters under cpo warrantee, now engine purrs quietly
85000 mi US $40	Changed the gasket for the oil cooler and housing. Two gaskets, very cheap, plas new bolts. Easy to do, look online for how to's. Some bolts can be a bit of a pain. Also, dont forget to lube the new gaskets with old oil.

42000 mi US $600	Emissions. Oxygen sensor and some valve
53000 mi US $1000	Early gasket oil leak
124000 mi US $1200	oil leak around gasket replaced cooling hoses and some other device related to it. close to be worn out.
156000 mi US $2000	Gasket oil leak

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6820 mi

US $14000

The car presented problems totally losing power and sending the computer message of "failure in the engine". I took it directly to the dealer and the car stayed there for almost 6 months.

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2008 BMW 5-Series repairs by problem area

2008 BMW 5-Series engine repair cost distribution

2008 BMW 5-Series

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Wagon

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Wagon

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Wagon

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Wagon

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

2008 BMW 5-Series Engine Problems