Buying review BMW 5-series (F10/F11) 2010-2017 Common Issues Engines Inspection

Hello viewers, today we have another BMW buyers review, the executive sedan from BMW, the 5-series. In this review we inspect the 6th generation BMW 5-series with the internal code F10 for the sedan or F11 for the touring. This car is designed in a more traditional BMW fashion, its predecessor the E60 5-series by the hand of Chris Bangle was a little too much for most BMW customers, the F10 is more traditional and many customers liked its design, myself I think this car has aged well. This generation was built between 2010 and 2017.

Today we will look at some of the weaker points of this car, this will give you a good indication what to check carefully when considering to buy such a car.

First of all the BMW 5-series is most suited for people that drive lots of miles and really like driving, or at-least want to be engaged during the ride. The E-Class is way more comfortable and the A6 from Audi is more middle of the road, so not sportive but not super comfortable neither. Many engine choices are available from 4 cylinder petrol and diesel up towards the v8 petrol in the BMW M5, the most hardcore 5-series on sales.

There are some issues with the rubbers of the shock-absorbers on the early production models, these can break and this causes to get dirt and filth into the shocks, so check the condition of the rubbers carefully. So if you test drive this car make sure to carefully listen to any sounds coming from the shocks.

Then there are some reports that BMW’s equipped with the run flat tires, these tires are prone to damages easily, so if your 5-series is equipped with these tires, check the condition of the tires.

Moving on to the drivetrains, starting with the N47 diesel engine. Early production models seem to suffer the most, so 2010, 2011 and 2012. Be aware of strange noises coming from the engine, this might be an indicator that there are some troubles with the engine (timing) chains, this is a weaker part of this engine. If the chain breaks it you can expect thousands of dollars or euros in damages. The 520d in particular seems to have some EGR valve trouble, this valve can become contaminated and this will be the cause that regeneration of particle filters will become more troublesome.

Looking at the automatic transmission, BMW claims they are sealed for life. But it would not hurt to flush them every 100.000 km. This will mitigate potential problems to be fixed and extends the longevity of the gearbox.

Another thing to keep in mind is that when you want to buy a 5-series with X-drive, the 4 wheel drive system from BMW, than only a specific set of tires will fit, so keep that in mind when you change tires yourself.

Then there are some small electronical issues related to the gearbox, the heated seats, keyless go, fingerscanner on the doors and the reardrive cam will sometimes not function proparly. Last remark, check the condensor of the aircon united, these can become defective and this result in the aircon not producing enough cold air.

Thanks for watching the buyers review of the sixt generation BMW 5-series, if you find these video’s useful subscribe to my channel for future buyers reviews.