2001 BMW X5 Complaints

VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THEN SAW THAT HATCBACK WINDOW HAS SHATTERED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

TRANSMISSION CHIP KEEPS FAILING, CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO LOOSE FIRST, SECOND THE FIFTH GEARS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER 4 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. *AK *SCC

QUOTE FROM DEALER'S REPAIR NOTES: "DRIVERS HEATED SEAT BECAME VERY HOT, BURNING ODER IN VEHICLE, BACK OF SEAT WAS VERY HOT AND LEATHER WAS BURNED". WIFE WAS DRIVING AT TIME. SEAT WAS VERY HOT TO TOUCH,SHE HAD SKIN BURN SENSATION. WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER SIMILAR FAILURES, AND WERE FORTUNATE THAT SITUATION WAS NOT WORSE BUT FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT BMW SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THIS PROACTIVELY, NOT ON THE AD-HOC BASIS THAT SEEMS TO BE ITS POLICY.*AK

THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS RATTLE WHEN GOING UP DUE TO WINDOW REGULATOR FAILURE. *YH

THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS FROM SECURELY PARKED PLACE AND STRUCK PARKED VEHICLES DUE TO PARKING BRAKE FAILURE. *YH

DRIVING ON THE EXIT RAMP FROM FDR DRIVE TO THE 49TH STREET EXIT, WHEN SUDDENLY... ALL AIR BAGS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BEGAN TO POP. FRONT, REAR, 5 IN ALL. NO ACCIDENT. DID NOT HIT ANYTHING. NO APPARENT/OBVIOUS REASON. CAR GROUND TO A HALT; WILL NOT MOVE - RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. CAR WAS PUSHED ASIDE TO ALLOW OTHERS TO PASS. CONTACTED BMW ROAD ASSISTANCE. CAR WAS TOWED TO BMW OF MANHATTAN. THEY ARE LOOKING IT OVER, AND WILL TELL ME THEIR FINDINGS. CURSORY INSPECTIONS SUGGESTS NOTHING COULD HAVE CAUSED IT. NO SCRATCHES, NO BUMPS, NO NICKS, NO NOTHING! ARRRRRGH! NLM

THE RIGHT SIDE MIRROR IS SUPPOSED TO TILT DOWNWARD WHEN THE CAR IS PUT IN REVERSE, TO AID THE DRIVER IN BACKUP OF THE CAR. WHEN THE CAR IS PLACED IN FORWARD GEAR, THE MIRROR IS SUPPOSED TO MOVE IN THE FORWARD DRIVING DIRECTION. THE PROBLEM IS THAT EITHER THE RIGHT MIRROR DOES NOT MOVE BACK TO THE FRONT DRIVING POSITION AND/OR THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR ALSO MOVES, WHEN IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO AT ALL. THUS, YOU MUST THEN USE THE BUTTONS TO ADJUST EACH MIRROR WHEN YOU TRY TO DRIVE FORWARD. SOMETIMES YOU FORGET TO DO THIS AND DRIVE FORWARD AND REALIZE ONCE IN THE STREAM OF TRAFFIC, THE MIRROR(S) ARE IN A DANGEROUS POSITION BECAUSE THEY DON'T LET YOU SEE BEHIND YOU. THIS IS ESPECIALLY HARD IN PARALLEL PARKING IN TRAFFIC. BMW HAS KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM IN ITS CARS FOR 18 MONTHS AS SHOWN IN THEIR PRINTOUT TO ME. THE DEALER SAID AT LEAST 10 OF THEIR CARS HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND BMW DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT AFTER 18 MONTHS. BMW SAID THEY COULD TOTALLY DEACTIVATE THE MIRRORS, BUT THEN THEY COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED FOR A DRIVER OF DIFFERENT HEIGHT, ALSO LEADING TO A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I WROTE THE PRESIDENT OF BMW AND THEY SAID THEY ARE LOOKING INTO IT, BUT AFTER 18 MONTHS, THEY EITHER CAN'T FIX IT OR WON'T SPEND THE MONEY TO FIND OUT HOW TO FIX IT.*AK

THER VEHICLE CANNOT BE SAFE IN ICY CONDITION BECAUSE SNOW CHAINS CANNOT BE FITTED ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.

FAILS TO START AFTTER MULTIPLE STOPS AND HOT ENGINE ON SEVERAL OCCATIONS EVEN AFTER TWO REPAIR AT SEATTLE BMW DEALER. FAILURE LAST FROM 2 -40 MINUTES WITH MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO START. TAILGATE REMOTE LOCATED "ON KEY" OPENS TAILGATE AT TOUCH ATTEMPT TO START OR BUNP ON KEY. LETTER TO BMW DATED 1/6/02*AK

RECALL 01 V 206 003/ENGINE AUXILIARY COOLING FAN: UNABLE TO GET DEALER ; GLOBAL IMPORT; ATLANTA, GA; PHONE# 770/951-9382 TO HONOR RECALL, PARTS WERE UNAVAILBLE. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK