Since my shop I work at has opened its garages to the public for about 2 years now, every BMW I have seen seems to have either spun bearings or Catastrophic engine failure. Normally we tell them to go to the dealer then they tell us how much they will charge then we under cut it by almost $2k or more then I'm stuck with some European car expert In Bay 4 with a engine in 10 billion pieces over 5000 tags where sensors hook up and calling BMW for either parts numbers or .PDF schematics.

You would think BMW would be good at making a engine by now. This is probably the 4th one this month.

Is it common for BMW engines to Seize or self destruct? or are Metro Detroit area Beamer owners just unlucky?

Anyway i just stopped to say hey because i haven't been on in a while.

How've you been, Cappy?

Exploding BMW engines is very unusual actually...Granted, my timing chain guides blew up unexpectedly which was very out of the ordinary for my car, and I wouldn't doubt if I am one of the few who have experienced it.

Generally, BMW's most catastrophic engine issues tend to circulate around the cooling system...

I've heard of some nightmares regarding pre-05 engines & issues with standing water....I can't remember the exact issue, but basically involves water intrusion from someplace low in the engine compartment that you wouldn't expect.

Additionally, as BMW grows in popularity and the older models become available to more of us plebes, it seems that maintenance schedules tend to go out the window, which is a huge mistake with these cars.

Edited September 23, 200718 yr by enzl

have they all be the same or similar engine/vintage?

Mostly the 98-2004 bmw 5 series. I think the one right now is a 02 528i? i think. the driver was hot shotting it around some curves and floated the vales and destroyed the engine basically. basically where boring the block and putting a junkyard head and figuring out the rest later.

I thought it was impossible to destroy a inline 6 but yet again i have been proven wrong. I think lack of maintenance is key in some of these tho any car should not have pure black oil especially a bmw with only 80k on it.

Any way things have been pretty good in a way. for one I'm still here, Thats always good.

tho any car should not have pure black oil

Unless its a diesel.

Even fresh oil goes black immediately from the soot.

Edited September 23, 200718 yr by Chris_Doane

Additionally, as BMW grows in popularity and the older models become available to more of us plebes, it seems that maintenance schedules tend to go out the window, which is a huge mistake with these cars.

BMW's maintenance schedule is a joke anyway...especially with their "lifetime" fluids and 15k oil changes.