X5 3.0 SE Diesel

Catastrophic M57 engine failure through timing chain snap without warning. BMW wash their hands.

A cautionary tale about my 5th BMW, but sadly also my last.

The low mileage car drove and performed well (though tyre wear with standard settings is excessive, run flats are harsh, inconvenient and expensive) until the timing chain snapped without any warning signs. The engine is a write off.

While the car was out of warranty, with an exceptional event on a non-serviced item, BMW showed no signs of curiosity and certainly no suggestion of support to rectify this catastrophic failure. When added to the wider issues that seem to be afflicting BMW timing chains, I can only assume this defensive response is to avoid opening the claims floodgates. But it is not the approach I'd expect from a premier automotive brand and undermines the faith in their design quality and reason to spend a premium on their vehicles.

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