97 740il

Hi,
This is my first experience with this forum as well as with BMW.
I have an oppertunity to purchase a 1997 BMW740iL / 63K miles / 2 owners / $23,500 / all options / clean.
My questions......

If I am told the vehicle has a 100,000 mile warranty am I to assume this was purchased by the origional owner and is still in effect with me being owner #3 ? Does this warranty mean the car was certified ?

I asked a friend who is a big BMW fan as well as a mechanic for BMW about the 97' 740's and his reply was " the short block V8's had problems in 97 and older 740's " also there are " quirky problems " that were taken care of in the 98 and newer models.

I have just finished reading all of the postings to this forum and can't really justify his concerns based on what I've read. I have driven the exact same car and I am very impressed with the luxury / performance / styling of the car.

Any and all comments regarding my pesimistic concerns would be appreciated. My decision time to buy is very short, ( 1 week ).

I'm not sure if it is allowed but a direct reply to wmf@comcast.net would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Bill

1. The price is a bit high for the mileage and model year IMHO. Go to edmunds.com or kelly blue book (kbb.com) to learn more about the wholesale/retail prices of this car. Once you have a price you are comfortable with, then make an offer.

2. The "short block" issue was with the 4.0L V-8s whcih were not used in 97, so your are clear of that issue. 95 or some 96's have an issue. To learn moe about this go to www.koalamotorsport.com and click on the Nikasil vs. Alusil V-8 link.

3. The E38 model was updated in the model year 99, which began production 9/98, so there are some good reasons to buy a newer model if you could afford to. The 99's have more torque on the engine thanks to Vanos, there were several cosmetic upgrades, and some options became standard. For a complete listing of the updates, rear or search on the www.bimmer.org E38 forum
john

If the BMW warranty goes to 100,000 miles, that would seem to tell you that the vehicle was certified. The original manufacturer's warranty was 4 yrs/60K miles. Certification added 2 yrs and brought it to 100K.

Since the 100k mileage also has a date attached to it, you need to find out when the car first went into service. Regardless of mileage, the warranty will end if six yrs comes sooner.

There is a remote possibility that the original owner bought an extended warranty to 100 K but that is doubtful.

BMW has an 800# customer service line. You'd need to get that number from directory assistance. If you have the VIN number of the vehicle, they can confirm certification/warranty expiration status and may (I'm not certain of this) be able to tell you the repair hx of the car - at least of whatever was done through BMW.