Used 2011 BMW 5 Series Consumer Reviews
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Worst car I ever owned, No more BMW's in my future
RobW, 03/10/2019
updated 03/11/2020
2011 BMW 5 Series 528i 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 8A)
8 of 10 people found this review helpful
In 36,000 miles of ownership, radiator & vanos replaced under warranty, Within 10,000 miles after warranty expiration and at my expense, transmission failed to the tune of $9500.00, multiple fuel system failures, I-Drive ceased working which disables the entertainment and navigation features, Random misc systems shutdown by internal monitor for no known reason. Local BMW dealer no help, too far out of warranty for lemon law. Last BMW I'll ever purchase. UPDATE: New problems with this car continue to appear monthly. VERY dissatisfied with vehicle and BMW dealer service. FINALE: Its now over for the car, scrapped. Cost of ownership? Ridiculous! Whats not over are the future years of me steering prospective owners away from this brand. Anything Asian is hands down a more reliable cost effective alternative.
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Very Dissapointed in BMW
OM92399, 03/15/2018
2011 BMW 5 Series 528i 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 8A)
8 of 10 people found this review helpful
This is my second BMW and I have never had so many problems with a car that is supposed to be the "Ultimate Driving machine". It's more like The Ultimate Disappointment machine, where do I start!!! My car has 110k miles now and in the 6+ years I've had issues or replaced, the battery (this is ok regular maintenance i guess), radiator, transmission 2x, tire sensor module, valve cover gasket, and replacing headlight bulbs every year. Keep in mind its never been in an accident, I only drive it to work and back (30 miles a day) and I don't drive all crazy or race in it just do normal driving. I would get rid of it but I finished paying it off and I love how this car looks and drives. Unfortunately I'm finding out I'm not alone I have other friends with different models who have had similar problems especially with their transmissions. My first BMW started having issues with the transmission as well but it was a lease so I was able to return that car. That car only had about 20k miles when I returned it and I left it looking like new. Then I bought my current 528i and my problems really started after the warranty expired. I always wanted to buy a BMW its been my dream car and my way of saying I made it but if I knew I was going to have this many problems I would've just bought another Honda. My first car was a Honda Accord which my parents bought me with the understanding I continue my education and wouldn't have to worry about payments unless I could take them over, eventually I got a job and payed that car off. That car lasted me 11+ years and was still running till someone crashed into while parked on the street. Even crashed it still ran like new and this was a $20k car. Now my $70k is back in the shop because the transmission is jerking luckily the mechanic is honoring the warranty so I won't have to pay anything this time around. Anyways very disappointed in BMW because it sounds like I'm not alone with these problems. Still love the car though unfortunately I'm now looking for a truck I'm done with BMWs. :(
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2011 BMW 5 Series for sale near you
Showing 3 of 21 listings
- 535i SedanMSRP: $8,245156 mi away
- 550i xDrive SedanMSRP: $8,699165 mi away
- 528i SedanMSRP: $7,500130 mi away
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2011 528 lag machine
jkmj9999, 01/05/2013
2011 BMW 5 Series 528i 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 8A)
12 of 16 people found this review helpful
it sucks !! don't buy it .. maybe for your grand parents .. step on the gas.. either lags or burst into speed (sport mode) from time to time.
Complete Disappointment - RFT Tires are nightmare
Jason C., 10/28/2015
2011 BMW 5 Series 535i xDrive 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)
14 of 19 people found this review helpful
I purchased this Car in May, it is now October and I'm returning the car to the dealer and taking the loss on the taxes and extended warranty I paid for to trade it in for a different car. Almost $10,000 down the drain plus whatever amount that car has devalued from use. First of all, let me just confirm the complaints about the tires I see from other reviewers. They are a total nightmare! I have the receipts for 14 tires that I have replaced in the last 5 months. I bought 4 brand new tires at almost $500 bucks each after my first two flats. 1 had a bubble and subsequently popped within 24 hours of having it installed. I had it replaced with a new tire using the road hazard warranty and within a week, the two front tires blew out again. At that point I was driving scared and being extremely careful not to hit any bumps. Ive owned 2 door coupes with 19" wheels and thin tires and never had this problem. I even tried getting tires with a bigger sidewall to see if the extra cushioning would help and it only made things worse. The Car started to have an issue with the transfer case. According to the dealership the car has to use the specific tire measurements that come with the car or the transfer case gets confused when doling out power to the wheels. So basically I had no choice but to keep replacing the crappy run flat tires that costs $500. Ludicrous, I am trading in the car because the money I will lose from purchasing the extended warranty , does not add up to the cost of constantly replacing these tires. Other issues I had in my short time with the car are: The windshield fluid stopped working and pump had to be replaced. iDrive controller completely stopped working so the entire infotainment system was uncontrollable. Driver seat kept causing a warning that it could not be calibrated. Radio kept having a strange feedback noise at high volumes. All of these problems are minor issues that could easily be fixed by the very attentive and pleasant BMW staff at the service center. They were great and very pleasurable to work with. However it takes a month just to get an appointment at any BMW dealer in the New York area and some dealerships don't offer loaners unless you purchased the car from them. When I went to the Service Center I was shocked, They had over a 500 Cars on the lot for repairs. Ive never seen anything like it. I previously had an infiniti and never had to wait for a service appointment or worry about getting a loaner. Not to mention the Inifiniti facilities are infinitely (no pun intended) better than anything I've seen from BMW. To say that I'm disappointed is an understatement. Im trading the Car in and trying out an Audi A7 or a Benz CLS. Hoping that other German Car brands don't turn out to be all hype.
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Worst Car ever made!
Rudy Martinez, 09/06/2018
2011 BMW 5 Series 550i 4dr Sedan (4.4L 8cyl Turbo 6M)
16 of 22 people found this review helpful
I loved this car, until I drove it more than 2k miles. Constant oil usage, and in the shop all the time. BMW replaced both turbos (50k in warranty work), BMW had to have the valve seats machined. BMW replaced the battery twice. BMW wouldn't replace the sunroof after it just exploded for no outward reason. The car eats tires due to the weight, you have to actually figure out the weight of the car and buy upgraded tires (about 1k per year) for tires that will only last 1 year. Now after my warranties are over my BMW needs an complete engine replacement. This car devalues faster than I can pay for it. I'm stuck with 16k and it's only worth about 7k on Kelly Blue Book. I'm going to have to part it out and sell the pieces and try to pay it off. BMW will work with you if you buy their extended warranty, the day it expires they will charge you a premium to fix your car. I will never buy another BMW car ever again.
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