525d... new or recon turbo?!

Hi guys, new user here. I've got a technical problem you might be able to help me with... I hope!

Got a 2001 E39 525d with a blown turbo... I've been quoted £800 + VAT for a brand new garrett unit including seals/gaskets etc. I've also been quoted £425 + VAT for a re-con unit. It would seem to be a no brainer apart from the fact that someone has told me that there are no official Garrett replacement parts for this turbo and that anything that goes into them is complete c**p... that they will last no time at all before going bang.

Does anyone have any advice on this?

Well, it entirely up to you, my view is if you are going to keep the car another 10 years, then a new turbo seems like a good idea, but there is little that can go wrong with a turbo... There is a bearing, a shaft and seals. Then you have the blades which can fail due to lack of cooling and/or oil or because the bearings have failed and cause lots of movement in the shaft.... But usually the turbo sounds like nails in a butter tub when this is the case...

Recons are reliable thanks to the lack of parts inside them, so little to go wrong, but that is by no means a guarantee... It is still an involved job. I would go for the recon if the company offered some guarantees and have a good reputation... There is a very good chance that it will last another 7-8 years.
Turbos will live a lot longer if you look after them in the car, not accelerating hard when the car is cold, and leaving the car to idle 15-20 seconds after a journey can significantly increase its life. And of course regular servicing...

But overall, its all comes down to best value for money, and like i say if you have no plans to rid of the car any time soon, then a new turbo is worth it, but personally a recon will do the job, just make sure you get some guarantees and look into the reputation of the company if you can...

hope this helps.

mightybmw