2008 BMW X5 4.8i E70 N62 - Replacing the Inner and Outer Tie Rods and Alignment 

When buying one, get the VIN and go to this website (www.mdecoder.com) and it will tell you how the car was built. All the options that came on the car. It’s very helpful. So buying an E70 can be hit or miss. So far mine has been as expected. When I bought mine it had a check engine light that would come and go a week or so at a time. Very nerve racking! Since it wasn’t my daily I was able to figure it out as time permitted (there’s a video on this). The best thing you can look for is one with service records. These cars don’t recommend oil changes for 17000 miles and this leads to the known problems with valve seals. People that change their oil every 5000 to 7000 I bet don’t have oil issues. The one I have had no records besides what CarFax reported, but it seems the people who owned it took care of the car and changed the oil more often. I say that because, so far, I don’t have oil related issues. The next best thing to look for is a clean interior. Good seats, headliner, dash, vents, etc. The parts are expensive so look for one that’s really nice inside. The next thing to do is to take a BMW code reader (not just some OBD2 reader, something like Carly Connected Car) and see what the car reports as issues. In fact if you’re going to buy an E70, I’d definitely purchase a good BMW reader and coder. Finally don’t expect to buy one and think it’s not going to have issues. Buy a car like this and think of it as something to do, a project if you will. So far I’ve had to replace the strut bushing, tie rods, heater control valve, and I’ve replaced every fluid except the coolant. The fluid stuff I did because who knows if it’s ever been done. Anyway, I love the X5. So far it’s probably the best used car I’ve ever had. Good luck!