Any reputable upholstery/top shop can fix this problem, and likely replace the top for about half your quoted price. I had the top replaced on a Porsche 944S2 convertible for less than $2K, but that was quite a few years ago. It would be to your benefit to do some research before assuming that a $5500 replacement is your only choice.
My wife's '11 128i convertible has 30K miles on it and is 3 years old. It's garaged every night, but she parks it out in the open at work - we have seen zero problems with it thus far, but we keep it clean and use a good convertible top protectant on it every few months. The sun's UV rays can raise hell on a fabric top, but it should last a lot longer than a few years.
__________________
2015 F80 ///M3 Sedan 7DCT Tanzanite, 2022 X3 sDrive30i 8AT Brooklyn Grey
|