2008 BMW X5 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED THE PASSENGER RESTRAIN SYSTEM ERROR MESSAGE ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE ERROR MESSAGE ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

VEHICLE IS SHOWING PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILURE. THE ERROR WAS INTERMITTENT EARLIER DURING THE YEAR I.E IT WILL SHOW UP WHILE DRIVING BUT WILL GO AWAY UPON RESTARTING THE CAR. MY 4 YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD EXPIRED IN APRIL 2012. WHEN I HAD TAKEN IT FOR FINAL WARRANTY SERVICE I HAD MENTIONED IT TO THE DEALER (BMW OF ROCKVILLE) BUT AT THAT TIME THEY SAID THAT NOTHING IS WRONG SINCE VEHICLE DIAGNOSES IS NOT SHOWING ANYTHING. NOW WITHIN 5 MONTHS THIS FAILURE IS PERMANENT AND DEALER IS ASKING $454 FOR REPAIR - WHAT A PIECE OF GARBAGE THIS CAR IS. NEVER AGAIN AM I BUYING A BMW. *TR

A BRAKE LAMP MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH BOARD FOR, AT FIRST THE LEFT BRAKE LIGHT, THEN LATER THE RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT. I OPENED THE PANEL TO REPLACE THE BULBS ONLY TO FIND THAT IN BOTH SIDES, THE BRAKE LIGHT HOUSINGS WERE MELTED BECAUSE THE BULBS WERE SO HOT. THE TAILLIGHT HOUSING WERE BURNED BLACK AND MELTED. THIS WAS LESS THAN AN INCHES FROM THE ELECTRICAL WIRING. I WAS SURPRISED THERE WASN'T A FIRE INSIDE BOTH PANELS. AS GOODWILL, AND TO RETAIN MY LOYALTY, BMW OF ALEXANDRIA REPLACED BOTH AT NO CHARGE. EACH ASSEMBLY COST $500, AND I NEEDED TWO. CUSTOMERS SHOULD CHECK TO ENSURE THIS IS NOT HAPPENING IN THEIR CAR BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND LOST POWER. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES BEFORE THE CONTACT HAD REACHED HIS DESTINATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE WATER PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, A LOUD FAN NOISE EMITTED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE A FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE IT WAS AWAITING A DIAGNOSIS.THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 52,000.

I WAS DRIVING UNDER HEAVY RAIN ON APRIL 20, 2012 IN HOUSTON, TX. I FIRST SAW ENGINE OVERHEATING WARNING SIGN ON THE DASH AND THEN MISTY SMOKE CAME OUT UNDER THE HOOD. I HAD TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY AND DROVE TO A NEARBY REPAIR SHOP. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FAULTY WATER PUMP. I HAD A FRIEND WHO HAS A 2008 BMW X5 AND RECENTLY HAD THE SAME ISSUE. WE BELIEVE THAT RECALL #11V521000 THAT CONCERNS ONLY 2010-2011 BMW X5 NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED TO X5S OF EARLIER YEARS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *TR *JS

I WAS LEFT STRANDED ON THE 695 BALTIMORE BELTWAY AFTER MY VEHICLE DISPLAYED AN OVER-HEATING SIGNAL IN MY DASH. A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND A RED "ENGINE OVERHEATED" SIGNAL APPEARED ON MY DASH AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO DRIVE LESS THAN 5 MILES AN HOUR TO MOVE TO SAFETY (IN THE MIDST OF MANY CARS FLYING BY ME DOING WELL OVER 65 MPH). VERY SCARY SITUATION. THE OTHER SCARY SITUATION IS THAT I AM 3,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY FOR THIS ISSUE AND I FEEL THAT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE IS NOT THE ONLY REPORTED INCIDENT OF THIS TYPE, BMW SHOULD REPAIR THE PROBLEM AT NO COST TO ME. A PART SUCH AS THIS SHOULD NOT FAIL AT 53000 MILES. *TR

THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE SIGNALS A MALFUNCTION AND THE DEALER QUOTED $1,600 TO FIX. THERE IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW IN THIS NEW FEATURE - AN ELECTRONIC BRAKE - ON THE BMW X5 2008. TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT RELEASE; THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR RE-PROGRAMMING. NOW, THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE IS NOT WORKING AND BMW WANTS TO CHARGE TO FIX THE BRAKE. I HAVE NEVER HAD A PARKING BRAKE FAIL AND I HAVE BEEN DRIVING SINCE 1976; CLEARLY BMW HAS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THEIR ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE. I RECOMMEND THAT THE NHTSB INVESTIGATE THE ISSUES RELATED TO THE BMW ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE AND TAKE THE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO PROTECT THE CONSUMER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW X5. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN DIRECTLY TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE ALL OF THE POWER STEERING MECHANISMS WERE REINSTALLED BUT AGAIN, THE FAILURE RECURRED SIX MONTHS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN TAKEN BACK TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DIAGNOSING THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,846.

CAR OVERHEATED WHILE DRIVING IN THE HIGHWAY AND ONBOARD COMPUTER DISABLED THE ACCELERATOR AND MESSAGE WAS FLASHED FOR THE OPERATOR TO STOP DRIVING. *TR