2012 BMW X5 Complaints

CAR WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY, NOT RUNNING OR TURNED ON. HORN AND WIPERS STARTED GOING OFF. WENT OUTSIDE TO VEHICLE, TRIED TO DISABLE. SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM BEHIND THE DASHBOARD (PASSENGER SIDE). COULD SMELL ELECTRICAL SHORT. SMOKE FOLLOWED BY FLAMES, ENTIRE DASH AREA CAUGHT ON FIRE, BY THE TIME FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND PUT IT OUT. *TR

I AM A CERTIFIED FIRE INVESTIGATOR WITH VIRGINIA FARM BUREAU, I RECEIVED THIS LOSS 08/14/14. INSURED STATED THAT ON 08/13/14 HE WAS IN HIS HOUSE AND HEARD THE CAR ALARM TO THIS BMW (DIESEL) SAV X5 GOING OFF. HE LOOKED OUTSIDE AND SAW THE LIGHTS FLASHING AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS GOING. NO ONE WAS IN THE VEHICLE. HE WENT OUTSIDE AND SAW SMOKE AND FIRE IN THE DASH AREA, PASSENGER SIDE. HE CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED, BUT CAUSED MAJOR FIRE DAMAGE TO THE DASH AREA. BMW REPRESENTATIVE AND AN ENGINEER HIRED BY OUR COMPANY (FORCON INTERNATIONAL) CONDUCTED A JOINT INSPECTION. THE FIRE DAMAGE WAS AGAIN LOCALIZED TO THE PASSENGER SIDE DASH AREA. IT WAS DETERMINED THE FIRE WAS THE CAUSE OF SOME TYPE OF ELECTRICAL ISSUE. BMW DENIED IT WAS THEIR FAULT STATING THERE WAS TOO MUCH DAMAGE FOR THEM TO ACCEPT LIABILITY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SHRINK WRAPPED FOR FUTURE INSPECTION AND IS CURRENTLY BEING STORED IN A LOCKED FACILITY IN RICHMOND, VA. THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THERE WAS NOTHING ADDED ON TO THE VEHICLE BY THE OWNER, IT WAS ALL FACTORY INSTALLED. PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE AND THE OWNER WOULD BE MORE THAN WILLING TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE WITH NHTSA IF NECESSARY. *TR

AFTER REPLACEMENT OF BRAKES ON MY 2012 BMW X5, UPON RETURN, I STARTED TO FEEL A VIBRATION WHILE TURNING IN THE PARKING LOT. AFTER TWO VISITS TO THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE BOX (ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRANSMISSION) HAS FAILED. THIS OCCURS 5000MILES AFTER THE WARRANTY ON THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE EXPIRE. I HAVE DONE A GOOGLE SEARCH ON THIS PART ON X5 MODELS, AND OTHERS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR EXPERIENCES. THIS INCLUDES REPORTS OF FAULTY PARTS INSTALLED AT THE MANUFACTURE. BMW HAS AGREED TO COVER 60% OF THE REPAIR BILL. THIS SENDS A RED FLAG THAT PERHAPS THE MANUFACTURE IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE REPAIRING AT THE PROBLEM AT NO COST TO THE CLIENT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT AROUND 35 MPH, ENGINE STARTED TO STUTTER, SHAKE VIOLENTLY, THEN COMPLETELY SHUT OFF, LEAVING NO POWER ASSIST TO STEERING OR BRAKES. VEHICLE REMAINED DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF A HEAVILY TRAVELED TWO LANE ROAD. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO RESTART SEVERAL DOZEN TIMES, VEHICLE FINALLY STAYED ON ENOUGH TO PULL TO SIDE OF ROAD, THEN SHUT DOWN AGAIN. AGAIN AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO RESTART, VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO TURM THE CORNER ONTO A RESIDENTIAL STREET WHERE IT PROCEEDED TO SHUT DOWN ONCE AGAIN. ENGINE FAILURE MESSAGE APPEARED ON VEHICLE INFORMATION DISPLAY AS WELL AS ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD. WHILE WAITING FOR TOW TRUCK, THE VEHICLE SAT FOR 15 MINUTES BEFORE I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART. AFTER ABOUT A DOZEN ATTEMPTS, VEHICLE RESTARTED, BUT THIS TIME WITH NO ERROR MESSAGES OR DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS. AFTER SEVERAL ADDITIONAL STALLS, VEHICLE RESTARTED BUT THIS TIME WITH THE VEHICLE INFORMATION DISPLAY INDICATING "ENGINE MALFUNCTION" AND ADDITIONAL WORDING STATING "REDUCED POWER AVAILABLE" (LIMP HOME MODE) AND "SAFE TO DRIVE". BASED ON THE MESSAGE AND THE FACT THE CAR RESTARTED, I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE HOME. ON THE HIGHWAY (LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY) WHILE APPROACHING HIGHWAY SPEEDS (45 MPH) THE ENGINE AGAIN SHOOK VIOLENTLY, STUMBLED, AND SHUT OFF LEAVING NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. UNFORTUNATELY, A TRACTOR TRAILOR WAS BEARING DOWN ON MY POSITION FROM THE REAR AND NEARLY STRUCK MY VEHICLE, DUE TO THE SUDDEN POWER LOSS AND CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. BEYOND THE FAILURE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP (PER BMW DEALERSHIP), THE VEHICLE INFORMATION SYSTEM IS FLAWED AS IT DID NOT REMEMBER THE FIRST CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND INSTEAD RESET ITSELF. IT ADVISED ALTHOUGH THERE WAS AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION, IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE WITH REDUCED POWER AVAILABLE. A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE EVENT LIKE THAT SHOULD RESULT IN A WARNING AND ADVISEMENT NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. *TR

THE REAR READING LAMPS IN THE VEHICLE HAVE NO PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE HALOGEN BULBS AND ARE LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO THE ON/OFF SWITCH MAKING IT FAR TO EASY FOR CHILDREN IN A MOVING VEHICLE TO ACCIDENTALLY TOUCH AN EXTREMELY HOT BULB. THEIR EITHER NEEDS TO BE A PROTECTIVE COVER OR THE BULBS NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH SOME LIKE AN LED THAT GENERATES FAR LESS HEAT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW X5. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL CLANK SOUND NEAR THE ENGINE, BUT THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE STALLED, BUT WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE FAILURE LATER RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

2012 BMW X5. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES. *SMD THE LAST DEALER, TOLD THE CONSUMER THE STALLING WAS DUE TO BAD GAS.

SHORTLY AFTER STARTING THE CAR IT WENT INTO SAFE MODE WHEN I WAS ON A BUSY ROAD WITH A 55 MPH SPEED LIMIT WHICH WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND REDUCED TO ONE LANE WITH NO SHOULDER OR PLACE TO SAFELY PULL OVER. THUS, I WAS IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND ALSO OBSTRUCTING TRAFFIC AND PUTTING OTHER DRIVERS AT RISK AS WELL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE GLASS SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED WITH A LOUD BOOMING SOUND. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE SUN ROOF WAS OPENED WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND DIAGNOSED THAT A SMALL ROCK HAD CAUSED THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

I PULLED INTO A GAS STATION, AND AS I APPROACHED THE PUMP AND PUT ON BRAKES, I HEARD A CRACK. AFTER I PUMPED MY GAS, I STARTED MY CAR, AND A BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH AN INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A "CHARGING ERROR". I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE OFF, BUT I COULD NOT TURN MY STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT. MY HUSBAND LOOKED ON THE HOOD, AND NOTED THAT A BELT WAS HANGING DOWN AND FLUID WAS SPEWED EVERYWHERE. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. MY INVOICE INDICATES THAT THE ALTERNATOR TENSIONER BOLT WAS BROKEN THAT CONNECTED THE ALTERNATOR BELT TO THE ENGINE (?) AND HAD TO BE REPAIRED. THIS IS TROUBLING BECAUSE THIS BOLT WAS A REPLACEMENT BOLT. THAT IS, WHEN I HAD MY VEHICLE SERVICED IN DECEMBER 2012, I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON AN ALUMINUM BOLT, AND MY INVOICE FROM THAT SERVICE VISIT INDICATES THAT THE "ALTERNATOR PULLEY BOLT" WAS REPLACED. I AM TROUBLED BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENT BOLT WAS SUPPOSED TO ADDRESS THE RECALL ISSUE, BUT THE REPLACEMENT BOLT BROKE IN THE EXACT MANNER THAT THE RECALL WAS SUPPOSED TO PREVENT. I AM A BIT TROUBLED THAT A REPLACEMENT BOLT, WHICH WAS REPLACED AS A RESULT OF A RECALL, MALFUNCTIONED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE THAT WASN'T ADDRESSED PROPERLY BY BMW THE FIRST TIME. *TR