2001 BMW X5 Complaints

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED SUDDEN STALLING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WHILE ON THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SHOP, HOWEVER THE CAUSE WAS UNDETERMINED. *JB

I HAVE 2001 BMW X5 3.0. AFTER LAST WEEK'S SNOW STORM AND COLD WEATHER IN BOSTON AREA, MY 2001 X5 DOORS ARE FROZEN. ACTUALLY, I OPENED THEM FROM OUTSIDE YESTERDAY MORNING (FEELS LIKE DOOR HANDLE GOT FROZEN). BUT THEN I COULD NOT GET THEM CLOSED. SO, I HAD TO PUSH DOWN DOOR LOCK (LITTLE KNOB) BY WINDOW AND PULL HARD TO GET THEM CLOSED. NOW, I COULD NOT OPEN THEM AT ALL. I AM CLIMBING IN AND OUT OF THE TRUNK DOOR TO GET INSIDE. FORTUATELY, THERE IS NO ACCIDENT. BUT, I THINK THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN AN ACCIDENT DOES OCCUR (HARD TO ESCAPE). BMW NORTH AMERICA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM (SI 51 51 02), HOWEVER THERE IS NO PROPER ACTION FROM THEM.*AK

2001 BMW X5. IN COLD WEATHER THE DOORS FREEZE UP NOT ALLOWING ACCESS IN OR OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD TO CRAWL THROUGH THE HATCH OR REAR DOORS TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AND CREATES A REAL HAZARD AS YOU CANNOT EGRESS THE VEHICLE QUICKLY. ALSO THE LATCH FREEZES AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE DOOR TO CLOSE SO THE DOOR CAN FLY OPEN WHILE DRIVING. I AM AN ACTIVE MEMBER ON A BMW OWNERS MESSAGE BOARD AND THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM FOR MANY DRIVERS. *NM

1) COLD WEATHER 2) NOT ABLE TO OPEN THE DOORS/NOT ABLE TO CLOSE IT SINCE THE INTERNAL LOCKS FREEZE 3) HEAT UP THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR FOR LONG PERIOD (@25 MIN) WITH DOOR PUSHED IN SO IT WILL FINALLY STAYS SHUT! THIS IS A WELL KNOW PROBLEM AMONG BMW X5'S BUT THE MFG REFUSES TO FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY. *NM

I LIVE IN UPSTATE NY. LAST NIGHT THE TEMPERATURES DROPPED TO A VERY CHILLY 0 DEGREES F. OR SO. IN THE MORNING I ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OF MY BMW X5 4.4 (2001). THE LATCH SEEMED TO WORK BUT THE DOOR SEEMED FROZEN SHUT, SO I PULLED HARDER. THE DOOR FINALLY CAME OPEN - BUT ALL LATCHES ON THAT DOOR HAVE CEASED TO WORK - FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR SEEMS TO BE SHOWING SIMILAR SYMPTOMS BUT I HAVE NOT PULLED THE DOOR OPEN YET FOR FEAR OF FURTHER DAMAGE. FORTUNATELY I WASN'T DRIVING WHEN THIS HAPPENED BUT I COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN LOCKED INSIDE MY CAR WITHOUT ANY WAY TO EXIT IT! I'LL BE TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP ASAP TO GET IT REPAIRED BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT BMW HAS BEEN UNWILLING TO ADDRESS! *NM

EVENT: COLD WEATHER BELOW 15 DEGREES F. FAILURE: DOOR LOCKS FREEZE SO THAT DOORS CAN NOT BE CLOSED OR PASSENGERS CAN NOT GET OUT. DOOR LOCKS WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALER WHEN THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THAT DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IT IS A DESIGN FLAW. THE CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY. *NM

READ THAT THE BMW X5 HAD PROBLEMS WITH IT'S DOOR LOCK MECHANISM. I HAD EXPERIENCED THE LOCKS NOT OPENING IN THE COLD MYSELF, AND HAD SEEN SEVERAL PEOPLE AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE PROBLEM. DURING A SKI TRIP TO MOUNTT SNOW VERMONT MY DOOR LOCKS WERE SLOW TO OPEN. THE PASSENGER DOOR WOULDN'T CLOSE AT FIRST. THEN WHEN PUSHED HARD IT CLOSED. THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN WITH MY PASSENGER INSIDE. SHE TRIED THE DOOR HANDLE, FROM INSIDE AND I HAD TRIED IT FROM OUTSIDE. THE DOOR WAS UNLOCKED, BUT WOULD NOT OPEN AT ALL. I THEN TRIED THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND IT WOULDN'T OPEN. THE PASSENGER HAD TO CLIMB OUT THE REAR DOORS. IT TOOK ABOUT A HALF HOUR OF THE CAR RUNNING BEFORE THE DOOR WOULD OPEN. IN AN EMERGENCY, THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER WOULD HAVE BEEN TOAST. *AK

BMW X-5 COOLANT SYSTEM FAILURE WITH ONLY 26,800 MILES. THE COOLANT RESERVOIR AND TUBES TO THE RADIATOR BURNED OUT. ALSO 3 POWER WINDOW REGULATORS MALFUNCTIONED. AT THIS MOMENT FIXED BUT UNACCEPTABLE FOR THE COST AND ENGINEERING OF THE CAR. ALL PARTS WERE REPLACED AND SUPPOSEDLY NEW. DID NOT SEE NEW OR OLD PARTS. *JB

FAILURE OF PASSENGER DOOR WIRING HARNESS, CONNECTIONS WERE CORRODED, CAUSING THE DOOR TO STOP FUNCTIONING I.E. DOOR OPENING, DOOR LOCK, WINDOW WOULD NOT WORK. THE DOOR HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPAIRED FOR A BROKEN DOOR LOCK HANDLE. THERE WERE 3-X5'S AT THE SHOP WITH SAME PROBLEM THAT WEEK.*AK

DRIVER DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE/LATCH IN WEATHER OF 25 DEGREES. DOOR FINALLY CLOSED, BUT HANDLE WOULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR. LATCH/MECHANISM IN DOOR FROZEN. WEATHER WARMED UP TO OVER 32F AND THE DOOR FINALLY OPENED.*AK