2009 BMW X5 Complaints

I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE DRY STARTING (DIDN'T WANT TO START AS IF IT WAS OUT OF GAS). SERVICE GUY INFORMED ME AFTER HE RAN A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK THAT IT WAS MY BATTERY. I WAS FLABBERGASTED, BECAUSE THAT DIDN'T SOUND OF A DEAD BATTERY. I PAID 460 (NEW BATTERY AND DIAGNOSTIC CHECK) AND HE ASSURED HE RAN IT AGAIN WITH THE NEW BATTERY AND NO CODES WAS SHOWN AGAIN. BEFORE I EVEN GOT INTO MY VEHICLE THE TRANSPORT GUY NOTICE A LIGHT ON. SERVICE GUY CHECKED IT OUT AND FINDS OUT REAR LIGHT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, WAIT A FEW. CALLS ME IN THE BACK AND SAYS WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM, THE RIGHT TAIL LIGHT WIRING HARNESS HAS BURNT AND MELTED THE SOCKET AND THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY, WHICH WILL NOW COST 380 TO REPAIR. MY HUSBAND TAKES A LOOK AT THE LEFT SIDE, AND IT'S WORST THEN THE RIGHT SIDE, WHICH MEANS BOTH SIDES NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT COULD LEAD TO A FIRE HAZARD AND THE OWNER WOULD BOT EVEN KNOW IT. THE SERVICE GUY SAID HE RAN A CHECK BEFORE AND AFTER THE REPLACEMENT OF THE NEW BATTERY ALL WITHIN 24HRS, AND IT DIDN'T IT CATCH THIS HUGE SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON IN MY VEHICLE, WHICH IS NAKED TO THE EYE UNLESS SOMEONE OPENS UP THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND LOOK WITH A FLASH LIGHT. PLEASE BE AWARE AND LETS GET THIS RESOLVED.

MY VEHICLE IS BMW X5 30I 2009 MODEL YEAR. I SUDDENLY HAD AN ERROR MESSAGE ON THE DASHBOARD SCREEN SAYING "PASS RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAULTY". DEALER CHECKED THE PROBLEM AND STATED THAT THIS WILL NOT ENGAGE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG AND SEATBELT RESTRAINT SYSTEM IF NOT FIXED. ASKED PRICE WAS $1800 AND PAID $1500. ABSURD PRICE AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY WARRANTY -- ITS A SAFETY SYSTEM! I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS AN IDENTICAL NHTSA RECALL ON THE SAME ISSUE WITH OTHER BMW VEHICLES JUST ONE OR TWO YEARS BEFORE THIS MODEL YEAR. THE NHTSA RECALL CODE OF THAT RECALL IS 08V384000. I USUALLY RIDE THE CAR ALONE AND HAVE OCCASIONAL PASSENGER AND NEVER HAD ANY HEAVY LOAD ON THE SEAT.

THE POWER CABLE GOING TO THE IN-TANK FUEL PUMP BURNT UP, MELTING THE PUMP HOUSING AND MELTING THE INSULATION ON THE WIRES IN THE TANK. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY SAID IT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THAT NEW FIRMWARE WILL FIX THE ISSUE TO REDUCE HOW MUCH CURRENT THE PUMP DRAWS, THEY SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL OR WARRANTY ON THIS ITEM. THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE WITH WIRES GETTING HOT ENOUGH TO MELT THE INSULATION IN THE FUEL TANK! HOW COULD THIS NOT HAVE BEEN A RECALL?

WHILE DRIVING ON A FREEWAY MORE THAN A WEEK AGO SUDDENLY THE AIRBAG AND RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION APPEARED FOR NO VALID REASON.THE NEXT DAY MY WIFE HEARD A LOUD METALLIC RUB SOUND AND PARK BRAKE MALFUNCTION APPEARED. SEARCHED ONLINE BUT NO RECALL FOR THIS KIND OF PROBLEMS FOR MY X5 BUT IT LOOKS LIKE ITS VERY COMMON FOR BMWS.NEED HELP!PLS!THANK YOU AND MORE POWER! *TR

DRIVING THROUGH THE NEIGHBOR HOOD AFTER SOME RAIN, ENDED UP DRIVING THROUGH A FEW INCHES OF RAIN WATER, WHILE THE OPPOSITE TRAFFIC STRUCK THE SAME PUDDLE, IT CAUSED THE FRONT OF INTAKE SYSTEM RIGHT UNDER THE HOOD TO SUCK IN WATER CAUSING THE BMW SUV TO LIGHT UP MULTIPLE SENSORS, LOOSE ALOT OF POWER AND 4X4 TRACTION STABILITY TO ACT UP. THE RAINWATER THAT GOT INGESTED ALMOST CAUSING THE ENGINE TO HYDROLOCK OR SIEZE UP. THE SUV BECAME UNDEPEDABLE DUE TO ALL THE ERROR CODES ACTING LIGHTING UP AND CAUSING THE SUV TO RUN AT LOW POWER.

***UPDATE TO NHTSA ID COMPLAINT NUMBER: 10662420.*** VEHICLE VIN IS [XXX]. BMW X5 2009 XDRIVE48I (V8 MODEL). [THIS VIN IS NOT RECOGNIZED BY NHTSA VIN LOOKUP / DATABASE.] BMW INVESTIGATION WAS BEING HANDLED BY [XXX] IN "SPI" (SPECIAL PRODUCTS INVESTIGATION), WHO WAS GENERALLY NON-RESPONSIVE TO PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS. THE FEW RESPONSES RECEIVED WERE DELIBERATELY EVASIVE AND / OR FALSIFIED PURPORTED ATTEMPTS TO RETURN CALLS. CASE WAS TRANSFERRED TO [XXX] IN EXECUTIVE CUSTOMER CARE, WHO INDICATED THAT SPI WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE BRAKE FAILURE BECAUSE THEY NEVER RECEIVED THE DEFECTIVE COMPONENT. (NOTE: THE FAULTY COMPONENT WAS HANDLED BY BMW SERVICE AT CENTURY WEST BMW IN LOS ANGELES, WHO STATED THAT THE PARTS HAD BEEN SENT TO SPI FOR INVESTIGATION.) BMW STATES THAT SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO ANALYZE THE FAILED COMPONENT, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO REASONABLE WEAR AND TEAR AND NOT DUE TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. (THEY ARE THEREFORE TAKING THE POSITION THAT THEY ARE UNWILLING TO COVER THE MINOR DAMAGE THAT WAS SUSTAINED TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED WHILE REVERSING.) I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT BMW HAS NOT HANDLED A POTENTIALLY DEADLY FAULT WITH DUE CARE. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT 3 MONTHS AFTER A BRAKE FAILURE EVENT, THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO CARRY OUT A PROPER INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. IT IS ALSO UNACCEPTABLE THAT BMW BELIEVES A 5 YEAR OLD VEHICLE COULD SUFFER A CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE AND THAT SUCH A FAULT COULD BE WITHIN THE REASONABLY EXPECTED WEAR AND TEAR CYCLE OF THE COMPONENTS. THIS POSITION PUTS THE LIVES OF ROAD USERS IN THE VICINITY OF A 5 YEAR OLD OR 60,000 MILE BMW WITH POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE BRAKING COMPONENTS IN PERIL. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE ELECTRIC AUXILIARY WATER PUMP OVERHEATED AND CAUSED SMOLDERING. *TR

BMW X5 2009 4.8IS (V8). BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED CAUSING SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED LOSS OF BRAKING WHILE DRIVING. NO IN DASH ALERTS OR DIAGNOSIS SHOWN BEFORE OR AFTER THE INCIDENT. BRAKING FAULT WAS PERMANENT NOT INTERMITTENT. VEHICLE IS UNDER BMW WARRANTY. UPON INSPECTION, BMW TECHNICIANS HAVE ADVISED BRAKE MASTER LEAKED FLUID INTO BOOSTER AND THAT THEY FOUND OIL CONTAMINATION IN THE MASTER CYLINDER. THIS SUDDEN BRAKING FAILURE COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS DAMAGE AND FATALITIES. (PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED AUTO HOLD PARKING BRAKE FAILURE WHICH WAS NOT FIXED FOR OVER A YEAR DUE TO BACKORDERED PARTS.) FOLLOWING THE TECHNICAL DIAGNOSIS, BMW IS YET TO RESPOND TO DRIVER. *TR

MY 2009 BMW X5 HAS THE PASANGER AIRBAG DISABLED LIGHT ON AND MALFUNCTION IN THE PASANGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION LIGHT ON. FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS. I CALLED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AND WAS TOLD THEY HAVE A RECALL ON THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM BUT MY VIN DOESN'T SHOW THIS AS AN AFFECTED CAR. SO THEY WILL NOT FIX THIS. EVEN THOUGH THE PASANGER AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE FAULTY SEAT SENSOR THAT THEY HAVE A RECALL ON. I REFERENCED THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 08V-384 BUT WAS STILL INFORMED ONLY SPECIFIC VIN NUMBERS ARE AFFECTED AND THEY WON'T ELABORATE ON HOW THEY CAME ABOUT WITH THE SPECIFIC CRITERIA. *JS

OCTOBER 16, 2014 I STARTED UP MY 2009 BMW X5 4.8I SAV AND THE LEFT BRAKE LAMP MALFUNCTION ALERT CAME ON, AS WELL AS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I HAD A FRIEND CHECK TO CONFIRM THE BRAKE LIGHTS COULD STILL BE SEEN BEFORE DRIVING OFF. I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE SAV TO THE BMW DEALER ON OCTOBER 22, 2014. THE DEALER STATES "BOTH REAR TAIL LIGHT LENSES ASSEMBLIES REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. THE BRAKE LIGHT BULBS CONTACTS BURNED, MELTING LENSES CAUSING INTERMITTENTLY BRAKE LIGHTS INOPERABLE." I STATED THIS SOUNDS LIKE A RECALL BUT INSTEAD THEY OFFER TO SERVICE BODY REPAIRS ON THE TAIL LIGHTS FOR A COST OF $600+. I CALLED BMWUSA REGARDING THIS, HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO RECORD OF A RECALL FOR MY SAV. I ASKED ABOUT THE RECALL FOR 134,100 MODEL YEAR 2008 -2010 528I, 535I, 550I, AND M5 PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 1, 2007 - DECEMBER 31, 2009 THAT WAS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING OCTOBER 2013 SINCE THE X5 IS BASED OFF OF THE 5 SERIES BUT I WAS TOLD AGAIN, THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR MY SAV. THIS ISSUE REDUCES THE ABILITY TO WARN OTHER MOTORISTS OF MY INTENTIONS (BRAKING, TURN SIGNAL, REVERSING), INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. I BELIEVE THE DEALER SHOULD REPLACE THE REAR LAMP BULB CARRIERS FREE OF CHARGE. *TR