BMW 520

Digest from the reviews

Based on transcripts of 2 reviews

• •Both of the 2 reviewed transcripts open the diesel talk with the same warning: soot soaked in coolant from a leaky EGR cooler has set B47/B57 intakes on fire, and recall campaigns are still running — verify the EGR work was done and budget walnut-blasting of the intake (one reviewer: every 30-50k km; the other: by ~150k km).
• •Diesel items to budget across the two reviews: the non-serviceable intake manifold whose swirl-flap bushings wear and rattle ($400-2,000 to sort, workshop prices), an unpredictable crank vibration damper (80-200k km per АВТО ПЛЮС) and AdBlue tank electronics failing past ~100k km ($1,000+) — an ignored AdBlue error eventually blocks engine start.
• •The two transcripts split on the B48 2.0 petrol: АВТО ПЛЮС recalls the 2019 balance-shaft bearing affair where BMW replaced entire engines (check the VIN against that recall), while the workshop calls B48/B58 mechanically sound and durable; both treat the N63 V8 as a car for disciplined owners — it hates city crawling and wants oil every 5,000-7,500 km.
• •Both call the cooling system the petrol B-engines' weak point: the plastic oil-filter housing with its heat exchanger cracks at 100-150k km and dumps coolant, the expansion tank and its cap rarely pass ~100-120k km, and the workshop warns that even the smallest burst hose means a tow truck — inspect the system at every oil change.
• •Both flag the LED headlights: АВТО ПЛЮС describes a G-generation design flaw — light-guides sit too close to the diodes, dim, and the fault returns even after warranty replacement; the workshop adds dimming 'angel eye' rings on facelift cars ($200-270 per module) and light fogging of the top laser units.
• •The ZF 8-speed and the chassis earn praise in both reviews — with service: ATF changes every 30-100k km (figures differ between the two; the workshop says a serviced box can see 500k km), the rear driveshaft coupling is a ~100k km consumable, and front lower-arm bushings announce themselves at ~120-200k km depending on roads.