M Buyers Guide
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M Buyers Guide

Inspection checklist

M5 E34, 1991 to 1993

Printed November 1, 2026. Tick each item at the viewing, and write down what you find.

Before you go

  • Open recalls. Run the VIN through NHTSA or a BMW dealer and ask for proof every recall was done.
  • History report. Check the title, accidents, owners and mileage record.
  • Service records. Ask for them in advance, ideally from a BMW dealer or specialist.
  • Independent inspection. Book a pre-purchase inspection with a shop that knows this engine.

Known problems on this car

  • Self-leveling rear suspension about $1,300 to fix

    Look for oil on the rear struts and lines, check that the rear sits level with a load in the trunk, and ask whether the system is original, refurbished or converted.

  • Timing chain tensioner about $450 to fix

    Start the engine cold and listen for a rattle at the front, look for oil around the tensioner plug, and look for a tensioner upgrade in the records.

  • Cooling system aging about $1,100 to fix

    Watch the temperature gauge in traffic and on a long drive, check for coolant leaks at the radiator and water pump, and look for a cooling system refresh in the records.

  • Rust in the sills, doors and windshield frame

    Check the jacking points, sills, door bottoms and arches on a lift, and look for bubbling at the corners of the windshield and along the A-pillars.

  • Gearbox wear about $3,000 to fix

    Shift through every gear cold and warm, and listen for whine, grinding into first or second, or a gear jumping out.

  • Worn engine and transmission mounts about $600 to fix

    Feel for heavy vibration at idle and a clunk when you get on and off the throttle, and look for mount replacement in the records.

At the viewing

  • The self-leveling rear suspension (leaking struts or lines, or a documented conversion).
  • A cold start with no chain rattle and records of a tensioner upgrade.
  • Valve adjustments in the records.
  • A cooling system that holds temperature in traffic.
  • Smooth power with no vacuum leaks.
  • A gearbox that shifts cleanly into first and second.
  • Rust at the jacking points.
  • Sills.
  • Door bottoms.
  • Arches and windshield frame.
  • A clear accident history.

Notes

From the M5 E34 guide at M Buyers Guide. Repair costs are the guide's estimates, not quotes; the guide says where each comes from. Problems and costs as of the date printed.