Is the gearbox the Achilles heel?

[anonymousmoose]

I did some research into the E60 and read somewhere that the gearbox is not serviceable. The box is sealed in and when it starts to go, it can only be replaced. Further reading told me that after about 150,000km the gearbox will start going and its common for them to be replaced.

Being in Australia, such a cost would be astronomical at best.

I'm just wondering if what I read is true? The E60 looks like a pretty reliable car but in my price range, the car will have done about 100,000km if I do get one.

Is what I read true? Maybe I should just get a Lexus IS250... but the heart says BMW of course.

[texasKA]

hello from texas.

i have never heard anything about the gearbox being "unserviceable"

i'm not ragging on you, but just think about it.

it would make no sense at all building any part of any mass-production car unserviceable. you're telling me that if a gear tooth has sheared off, or a spline has worn down, that you're going to have to replace the entire thing, rather than one simple part?

there aren't BMW dealerships everywhere in every corner of the world, much less in some small towns in texas with only mom and pop auto shops. do you really think that BMW with their top-notch engineering would ever do something that ridiculous and build an unserviceable gearbox?

these cars are expensive, complicated, over-engineered, and very well built. but you wrench on them just the same as any other car.

i would not hesitate to say that the E60 will last you a long time, 200-300k miles and beyond. a friend of mine has the generation before the E60, and just dropped a new engine in his 545i at 350k miles. (new engine has 45k miles on it). these cars are solid.

[keanu1]

I have an e60 AT and 200 000 km and no problem with thw gearbox!!
I have never heard of that issue!!