It was a bonkers moment when BMW India launched the E60 5 series in 2007. It looked fabulous with an all-new sorted dynamics. The car attracted those who were looking at the tri-star of the same segment; the W211 E class. Though it did not sell as well as the Mercedes, it did make a testament to the brand. And this is where the BMW sales in India started to go up.

Ten years after the discontinuation of the E60 BMW 5 series, many of them are just lying in the used car market for a throwaway price. It is a well-built car, no two ways about that, but remember, it is a German luxury car that has its best days long over.

To deter you from making a boo-boo, I have outlined all the common problems that are found on a 2007-2010 E60 BMW 5 series.

The crankshaft pulley

High mileage BMWs have this in common. The dead giveaway is the excess vibrations inside the cabin. The crank pulley has rubber on its face. This helps in absorbing the harmonic vibration from the engine. This rubber disintegrates as you put on the kilometers on the car.

As I think that if the car is on sale after ten or so many years, you’ll have to change the vibration damper and since it is a BMW, the cost will be on the higher side.

Hoses and plastics in the engine bay

Kudos to the Japanese cars for making so much better plastic and rubber components that can withstand heat for so long. Even my 12-year-old Corolla has not replaced even a single hose or plastic part in the engine bay.

German cars are notorious to use plastic parts where metals (or just better plastic) should have been used. Talking about better plastic, the coolant expansion tank on the E60 BMW 5 series likes to develop crack and promotes the coolant leak.

Further, the radiator upper and lower hose also deteriorate over time and can cause a major breakdown if not taken care of. Then, there is the water pump that needs replacement around the same time.

The usual mileage at which these events occur is about north of 1,20,000 kilometres. So, be aware to check for these when inspecting a high mileage E60 BMW 5 series.

Engine and Transmission mounts

This, I think happens to the BMWs sold in India. To this day, we don’t have blemish-free roads in most of our road network. Due to surprise or even expected unevenness (or big potholes), the engine and transmission mounts, which are made up of rubber and metal, receive extra extra.

The extra vibrations on daily basis can be too much for the Bavarians and thus, these mounts start failing as early as 60,000 kilometres. You can expect the repair bill in the range of ₹40,000 to ₹60,000 from BMW dealership.

Premature suspension failure

For a similar reason the engine and transmission fail, the suspension on the E60 BMW 5 series fail, too. Uneven roads combined with rash driving promotes the failure of suspension components on this car. This all can happen in just a matter of 50,000 kilometers.

BMW still has not gotten the suspension suited for the Indian roads and we are the ones who pay for it. It is not a small amount to pay, as well. You are looking at north of ₹1,00,000 for the front suspension repair work.

The engine oil leaks

There are a few places the engine car leaks oil on this car. Let’s take a look at each one of them.

Valve cover gasket

This happens due to age and high mileage and we are dealing with a car that has both. When the valve cover gasket goes out, you will see oil dripping on the front (just below the valve cover) and the exhaust side as well. As a result, you may smell burner oil in the engine bay accompanied by hot fumes.

Oil filter housing gasket

I like that BMW has put the oil filter on the accessible side of the engine. But on looking at it from a different angle, it is there because the gasket needs to be replaced more than often!

The gasket lies between the cylinder head and the oil filter housing. The oil leaks and can drip on the serpentine belt as well. Change is while you still can.

Crankshaft pulley seal

This goes without saying that whenever you are changing the harmonic balancer or the crankshaft pulley, it is a good idea to replace the seal as well. It needs a special tool to take out the old (and probably leaking) seal and put a new one.

Camshaft position sensor ‘O’ ring

So, I was saying that rubber on these cars deteriorate as they age. And now things are pretty clear, right? Oil can leak from wherever it gets a chance to. And it can be from the camshaft position sensor as well. To get rid of the leak, change the ‘O’ ring. And change it to a Japanese one!

Oil Pan gasket

The most anticipated place for the oil to leak from, of course. This is not the most common one, but it does not hurt to check. In some cases, there may have been an ill-fitment of the gasket. Nonetheless, you need to replace the oil pan gasket.

The engine oil filter has a seal that goes into the engine, which likes to leak. Then there is the oil pan gasket. And since it is a BMW, the gasket costs around ₹4,000.

Diversity Antenna

The diversity antenna on the 5 series helps compensate for the losses that occur in the aerial line. There can be more than two antennas tuned to the same band. With the help of a microprocessor, these antennas select the best possible signal.

The diversity antenna has some magical connection with the key fob and the Bluetooth of the car, too.

When it starts to go out, the distance from which you can lock/unlock the car will be reduced. Then there may be no static on the FM/AM, too.

Fixing this thing is not at all cheap. But you can always find used ones at eBay.

Park Distance Control

Famously known as the PDC, the Park Distance Control is a system the comprises ultrasonic parking sensors and a module tucked under the spare tire. This is a common failure on the BMWs.

The good news is that if you have been careful with what you put in the trunk, it is not the module that needs to be replaced. Nine out of ten times, it is one of the parking sensors that needs replacement.

To find out the exact failed sensor, you need an OBD scanner.

If somehow, you have managed to put some water into the trunk, there are chances that the PDC module might have gone kaput.

The cost of repair depends on the part that needs to be replaced. It can be one parking sensor to some wires to the whole PDC module. You are looking at a minimum of ₹5,500 (for one parking sensor) to a maximum of ₹40,000 (for the whole PDC module).

Sunroof and engine compartment drain blockage

Dust and grime get settled in areas that are most overlooked. On such cars, these areas are the sunroof and the area just above the strut mounts where leaves get collected.

Now, if you see that the headliner has some reminiscence of dirty water leakage, then a possibility is that your sunroof drainage has been blocked. Cleaning it is pretty easy.

You take out the front wheel. Unscrew the wheel arch that is closest to the driver. There you will find the drain pipe from the sunroof. Unplug the drain and clean it under a spout. While you are still there unscrew the middle wheel arch as well to uncover another drain coming from the engine compartment.

Next, you need to put some water in the sunroof periphery and the engine compartment from where the water can easily flow into the drain. Check whether the drain is flush. Put the plugs back and replace the wheel arches.

Now, do the other side as well.

It hardly takes half an hour and your headliner and pollen filter are saved.

Timing chain

Affected engines are both – diesel and petrol. You might hear a rattling noise from the back of the engine on cold starts. This is your cue to get the motor out and replace the timing kit (chain and tensioner).

These chain get loose over time (due to the maintenance negligence or just bad engineering) and snap or jump a tooth. The result is always a costly repair. Better replace the chain if the car has clocked more 80-100k km.