3 ms·

I've a 20 year old BMW that's never given me any grief with the air suspension. Air suspension is not new technology and it wasn't new when my car was built.

speedgoose 3y ago
No but air suspensions are a lot more unreliable. It’s a big sign that the car is more about comfort than reliability.
- inferiorhuman 3y ago
  In twenty years the air bags (and potentially the pump side fittings) have been replaced once. That's about on par with a conventional coil spring suspension and pretty typical for an E39. Coil springs sag, rust, and break over time (especially in areas where the roads are salted). If Tesla can't make a reliable air suspension that seems more like a Tesla problem.
  - speedgoose 3y ago
    From your sample size of N=1, it seems that BMW cannot either.
    - inferiorhuman 3y ago
      Aside from Tesla=good, BMW=bad, how do you figure? Replacing a spring, whether steel or air, is normal for older cars especially those that come from harsh environments. My car in particular was older than any Tesla S is today when the air bags were replaced. The pump and electronics are still original. Any Tesla that's had problems with its air suspension got a shorter service life than I (and plenty of other E39 owners) did. Besides Tesla's struggles with their conventional suspension components are well documented in a series of non-OTA recalls.
Grazester 3y ago
Well, I have a relative that bought an x5 used. The vehicle was about 10 years old at the time and in good condition. In the precessing months the airbags fail(both rear I think). He lives in a country where parts are easy to come by for BMW's it's a mostly Japanese car market there. I had to ship him the airbags. He sold the thing right after installing them. I expected the airbags to be more expensive though.
- inferiorhuman 3y ago
  Depending on the climate you'll start to see steel (coil and leaf) springs start to rust away by ten years. Meanwhile the Tesla S was introduced in 2012 which puts the majority of the problems in cars younger than your relative's X5. The previous owner replaced the air bags (springs) on my car so I couldn't say if they actually failed or if he did as part of a refresh when he lowered the car. They're not super expensive, but the aftermarket ones are that much cheaper. Of course the X5 (especially the first generation) is one of the least reliable vehicles BMW's brought to market. It's the electronics and pump that get real pricey, but on the E39 they pretty much never fail.

speedgoose 3y ago

No but air suspensions are a lot more unreliable. It’s a big sign that the car is more about comfort than reliability.

inferiorhuman 3y ago
In twenty years the air bags (and potentially the pump side fittings) have been replaced once. That's about on par with a conventional coil spring suspension and pretty typical for an E39. Coil springs sag, rust, and break over time (especially in areas where the roads are salted). If Tesla can't make a reliable air suspension that seems more like a Tesla problem.
- speedgoose 3y ago
  From your sample size of N=1, it seems that BMW cannot either.
  - inferiorhuman 3y ago
    Aside from Tesla=good, BMW=bad, how do you figure? Replacing a spring, whether steel or air, is normal for older cars especially those that come from harsh environments. My car in particular was older than any Tesla S is today when the air bags were replaced. The pump and electronics are still original. Any Tesla that's had problems with its air suspension got a shorter service life than I (and plenty of other E39 owners) did. Besides Tesla's struggles with their conventional suspension components are well documented in a series of non-OTA recalls.

Grazester 3y ago

Well, I have a relative that bought an x5 used. The vehicle was about 10 years old at the time and in good condition. In the precessing months the airbags fail(both rear I think). He lives in a country where parts are easy to come by for BMW's it's a mostly Japanese car market there. I had to ship him the airbags. He sold the thing right after installing them. I expected the airbags to be more expensive though.

inferiorhuman 3y ago
Depending on the climate you'll start to see steel (coil and leaf) springs start to rust away by ten years. Meanwhile the Tesla S was introduced in 2012 which puts the majority of the problems in cars younger than your relative's X5. The previous owner replaced the air bags (springs) on my car so I couldn't say if they actually failed or if he did as part of a refresh when he lowered the car. They're not super expensive, but the aftermarket ones are that much cheaper. Of course the X5 (especially the first generation) is one of the least reliable vehicles BMW's brought to market. It's the electronics and pump that get real pricey, but on the E39 they pretty much never fail.