BMW X5 Complaints

420 consumer complaints on file.

#11553513November 3, 2023
ENGINE
On Nov 1, 2023 while accelerating on a freeway entrance ramp so as to merge into traffic on the interstate, vehicle suddenly lost all engine acceleration power and was steered to the side of the ramp so traffic behind could proceed. Vehicle stayed "on" but no engine response from the accelerator pedal being depressed, just idling of the motor. There were no messages or warning lights illuminated prior to, during or after the event. Vehicle was switched off and restarted, function resumed as normal. Dealer has not been able to reproduce the issue and no electronic trace of the incident was recorded by the vehicle on subsequent dealer inspection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551979October 26, 2023
AIR BAGS
2021 X5 M50i: The driver's knee airbag deployed in a crash and lacerated my left lower leg down to the muscle and abraded most of the layers of skin on my right shin. I was taken to the ER by ambulance. The laceration could only be partially sutured together. There was no shrapnel in the wounds. I have to go to a wound care center to treat the mentioned injuries. Everything else on me was fine, just some bruises and sore muscles; my car saved my life. I was not at fault. All airbags, except the vacant front passenger, were deployed. I was the only occupant of the vehicle. The airbags have not been inspected by the dealer or anyone else as it was a total loss and taken away to a salvage lot to be sold at auction. The insurance company went by the photos that I sent in. I have a lot of photos. There are knee airbag recalls on other model years of this vehicle but none on mine, the subject VIN. It has had no recalls since I owned it and I bought it new in Sept 2020. There were no warning indicators of any potential problems prior to the crash. I suspect the edges may be sharp or it didn't deploy properly. I hope these airbags can be checked to see if they are defective as they can really hurt someone. (There is a lot of insurance claim communications that I haven't attached but I will if requested)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11551012October 20, 2023
POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Drivetrain - A drivetrain malfunction message came-up a few weeks back on the high-way indicating “It is safe to drive but with reduced power” and the vehicle suddenly slowed down on the highway with less power to drive putting us in unsafe condition. The vehicle has less than 25,000 miles. The incident was reported to a BMW dealer for reporting to BMW and with a request for investigation and fixing prior to warranty expiration. Unknown - After a long drive (some times after a short drive) when the vehicle (PHEV) is parked and plugged-in, a loud noise can be heard. The noise goes away once its unplugged and locked. The incident was reported to a BMW dealer for reporting to BMW and with a request for investigation and fixing prior to warranty expiration.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547734October 2, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The software that controls the lock/unlock and side mirror deployment does not function correctly all the time. This is a serious issue when backing up and when changing lanes on the highway. This has occurred on numerous occasions and I have taken pictures where I had to pull over to record. If I exit the vehicle (after turning off the engine (automatically when no person is detected in the driver seat) and close the door, press the key FOB to lock the car and then unlock they deploy/ though sometimes only one will deploy and I need to lock/unlock the vehicle a second time. I have notified BMW of the issue but haven't recieved any feedback.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547658October 2, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE
We have started noticing a burning smell whenever the vehicle is plugged into a charging station. At first we thought it was due to the charger, but the issue continued after we replaced the charging unit. Further, we also tried charging the unit at another station and experienced the same issue. This can be a potential fire risk and we'd like to get the matter resolved at the earliest. We have not seen this same issue with the 2023 version of the X5 hybrid.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547132September 28, 2023
ENGINE
This is a follow up on a concern that I raised 3 weeks ago. This is a new car that broke down after 157 miles. The car has been disabled since September 4th 2023. As of today, I still do not have it and do not have a clear ETA for the repair. The diagnosis from the dealership is a defective combined charging unit. The part had to be back-ordered from Germany. A week or so after the incident, the service agent at BMW of Portchester (Kurt Hinrichs) told me on the phone that the part is undergoing a design upgrade. Hence the initial 7-10 business days minimum for the part to arrive would have to be revised. I did complain with bmw, including copying the CEO of bmw of north america in one of my complains as I was not receiving any (none) attention from customer service. Customer service did respond after this escalation. They offered me 5000 USD and sent me a check accordingly. They also told me that the part would be received by the dealership by 9/25. The dealership called me then stating that they expect to receive the part towards the end of the week of 9/25. As of today, 9/28 - 12 pm EST, they have not received anything and have been unable to tell me where the part is or when they really expect it. Without the part, the car is not drivable at all. I am sending you this note to report this hoping that there is not something more fundamentally wrong with the 2024 X5 50e, to the point that the manufacturer might be redesigning parts on the fly after having sold the car to at least one customer.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11546846September 27, 2023
POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
The contact owned a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that while sitting in the vehicle and with the vehicle running, it suddenly accelerated on its own. As a result, the vehicle jolted into traffic and collided first with a bicyclist before continuing on to collide with the rear of another vehicle. The bicyclist sustained minor injuries. A pedestrian later reported that they were also struck by the vehicle, but the contact stated that she was skeptical of the validity of their claim. The air bags did deploy. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The driver and passenger were both treated on scene by EMS and later evaluated at an area hospital for injuries resulting from air bag deployment. The bicyclist and a pedestrian were both treated at an area hospital for unknown injuries. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and declared a total loss. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 36,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
4
Deaths:
0
#11546823September 27, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving on a road, the road was clear. No bridges, no underpasses & my sunroof exploded Startling me. I looked around thinking my car was shot at, noticing all my windows were fine. I heard glass falling and noticed it was my sunroof.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11546606September 26, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Driving 75mph on I90 westbound from Spokane to Seattle at about 9 am on 09/24/23, cruise control on with assisted driving. Red alert on screen then car suddenly went from 75 to 20 in a few seconds, pulled over on side and then able to drive again. Luckily, no one was behind when this happened but easily could have been rear ended. No pre warnings were issued on dashboard and not wearing sunglasses. Have talked to BMW but have not had chance to take vehicle in yet.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11545761September 21, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Good Morning, I was driving down the road at around 60 mph in my car. Abruptly my car had simultaneous warning lights about 12 of them. More importantly, I lost my power steering and brake by wire putting all of our lives at risk. The speedometer , air bags, restraint systems all failed and went out. The car wouldn't turn off on the side of the road and after about 5 minutes I was able to get it off and called BmW assist for a tow. Since it was night and raining I and waiting for a tow truck was dangerous I attempted to restart my car and get successfully got it to the nearest exit. All the warning lights were off. About 15 minutes later on the limp home the same thing happened with all the fault codes so my family decided to Uber home. I took the car to BMW Rockville and they did diagnostics and we're not able to replicate the problem. They returned my car back to me the same day with no repairs. I'm concerned. There was no indication or warning lights before the electrical failure. It was completely out of the blue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11545185September 18, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:PARKING ASSIST:SOFTWARE
The contact owns a 2024 BMW X5. The contact purchased a separate safety package through BMW known as the parking assistance package. The parking assist feature would show the driver the vehicle's intended reverse path on the display screen, the feature then puts the vehicle into the best starting position and steers automatically into the space. The contact stated that while using the feature, the vehicle failed to stop as needed and the vehicle crashed into the back wall of her garage without warning. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact was not injured and a police report was not filed. Both the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure; the vehicle was taken to the dealer and remained in the dealer's possession. The vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,300.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543164September 7, 2023
ENGINE
Drivetrain malfunction after less than 200 miles on the odometer. This malfunction required the car to be towed. This happened suddenly with no warning lamps (etc) as the car had been working just fine. It went from working 100% fine to a major alert, disabling the transmission (to go in drive or reverse mode) to prevent any use of the engine. Also, within my bmw account, this car with this VIN has since been listed to have an open recall. I did not receive any other explicit communication from the manufacturer about it and I only noticed it today. I do not believe that the notice was posted in their portal prior to this engine incident. In fact, the recall does not show on nhtsa. The car now requires a back-ordered component to be changed. The dealer is told me yesterday that it would take 7 to 10 business days to get that piece as it has to be shipped from Germany.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543045September 6, 2023
POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
We are 900 miles from home driving on the interstate, and received an error message saying that there was a drive train malfunction and we had to stop the car immediately. We were in the middle of nowhere, but able to pull over and turn the car off, and contacted roadside assistance. We were unable to start the car again. We were told there was a major malfunction of the drive train power supply and we could not operate the vehicle until it had been inspected at a service center 2 hours away. This vehicle is brand new with less than 2000 miles on it, and this is the second issue we have encountered with it. We had another sensor error pop up 3 days after purchase, and had to take this car into the dealership for 10 days. We have actually been driving this car for less than 2 weeks. This is completely unacceptable and dangerous. The car is unsafe to drive and we have no way of getting back to our home state. Roadside assistance has been unable to locate a tow truck to take us to the nearest town, and we are still sitting on the side of a dark road.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11538183August 13, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
2022 BMW X5 Adaptive Cruise Control (a very expensive option) will not reliably stop or accelerate your BMW. It is dangerous and unsafe and should be eliminated until it will brake safely. I have a video that I was unable to upload. This system if left to stop your vehicle will crash a occupants into a stopped vehicle. Always brakes to late. Scares all occupants. Not safe to use in traffic, not safe on the highway, it’s not safe, period. How is BMW permitted to sell an advanced cruise control system, that is to safely stop and accelerate a bmw if it doesn’t? If it can’t stop a vehicle autonomously with a driver actively engaged, what distinguishes this from standard cruise control that requires a driver to be fully engaged. In 2022, and since 2000, this is not advanced cutting edge technology. DONT BY A BMW, THEY DONT CARE IF THEY ARE SELLING A DANGEROUS SYSTEM. I WOULD NOT USE THIS SYSTEM IF IT WAS FREE. Brakes have to work 100% of the time. Anything less when it comes to braking your vehicle is VERY DANGEROUS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11535441July 31, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
East bound on US 20 and Barrington Road in Hanover Park IL. I was in the right lane and had stopped at the light, about 3rd or 4th car back. There was a semi-truck in the middle lane (on my left). Assisted Driving/Adaptive Cruise Control (Cruise Mode 2) was active. The car automatically accelerated from the light. When I entered the intersection, the car sounded a warning alarm and braked very hard momentarily, but did not stop the car. I was quite startled and did not notice an alert in the dash. Braking was so hard and so sudden I felt lucky that I was not rear ended by the car behind me. There was nothing in my path. Just beyond the intersection there is a rail road overpass. The road curves slightly to the right just beyond the intersection and is slightly downhill to go under the overpass. There was a freight train on the overpass, all tanker cars I believe. My speculation is the car's sensors "saw" the freight train as a potential collision, perhaps cross traffic. and the car's safety systems were applied.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11533467July 20, 2023
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2022 BMW X5. The contact stated while entering into a parking lot, the vehicle accelerated on its own without any warning, causing the contact to strike some plants in the parking lot and causing damages under the vehicle. No one was injured. A police report was filed. The dealer was contacted but did not diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and sent a tech to diagnose the vehicle that stated no failure was found. The failure mileage was 10,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11531876July 12, 2023
AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
BMW of North America is hiding problems with brand new vehicles. Their German website returns at least 2 recall codes for my car and the US website states there are none, yet my car has been in the service department just days after taking delivery until now which is a month later with no repair or solution in sight.. German Website: https://www.bmw.at/de/footer/quick-link/technische-aktionen.html USA Website: https://my.bmwusa.com/safety-and-emission-recalls
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11531024July 8, 2023
POWER TRAIN
While driving on highway/turnpike with cruise control on at 70 mph, drivetrain malfunction warning appeared and lost power. After turning off cruise control and playing around with buttons, could only get car to go about 35-40 mph, top speed with peddle to the floor. Very scary situation in traffic on busy highway. This happened twice about a month apart. First time, had to drive about 10+ miles in right lane with blinkers on to get to an exit. It was late at night and I didn't want to stop on my own. Once turned the car off and on a couple of time seemed to clear the error and I was able to drive city roads at minimal speed limit. Next day car was back to normal. Second time, drove about 2 miles to the exit with the blinkers on. This time when I restarted the car there was still not a lot of power. Drove for a bit but wasn't able to make it to speed limit of 45 mph. Made it home and turned car off again, next day it was okay. After restarting car a couple of times problem seems to go away. Took it to the dealer and all they did was "reset the system" which does not seem like anything is fixed. Will wait and see.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11523714May 24, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, STEERING
The car had been preconditioned and driven within 45 minutes of my starting a route to the gym, all surface streets/neighborhood. I was in electric mode. I came to a stop at an intersection and when the light turned green, I pulled into the intersection to turn left and the car stalled. No power, no power steering. I put it in park and tried to restart in sport (ICE) mode and nothing happenned. After a few tries it did start to limp and I cleared the intersection and pulled over. I was still unable to restart in sport mode, and kept getting red screens, or blank screens. After a few minutes, the car was able to start as if everything was normal, and I continued to drive. It was a very dangerous situation, and there were no further warnings or alerts. I was able to drive it home and to the dealership where it is now.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520165May 2, 2023
ENGINE
While driving I smelled a burning smell and within minutes noticed Smoke coming from under the hood. Pulled over and popped the hood and there was a fire behind the battery into the firewall area. Was out out with fire extinguisher by tow truck driver.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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