2004 BMW X5 Complaints

RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED, THE EXTERNAL DRIVER DOOR LATCH NOT WORKING, HAVE TO CLIMB OVER FROM PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE, THIS IS RIDICULOUS, THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL ISSUES I AM HAVING WITH THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND SEE THIS IS COMMON PROBLEM AND IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY BMW. I HAVE HAD 2 OTHER USED VEHICLES WHICH BOTH HAVE LASTED ME 10 YEARS FROM THE DATES I PURCHASED THEM (AND THEY WERE ALREADY 8 AND 10 YEARS OLD. THIS IS MY FIRST BMW AND MIGHT BE MY LAST IF BMW DOES NOT TAKE ISSUES WITH THEIR VEHICLES SERIOUSLY AND HELP CONSUMERS. I AM SO SURPRISED AND DISAPPOINTED BY ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN IGNORED. THE DIFFERENCE COULD BE BIG BECAUSE THEY COULD LOSE ALOT OF WOULD-BE LOYAL CONSUMERS. *TR

I WAS CAME BACK FROM WORK TO HAVE LUNCH. CAR WAS PARKED IN DRIVE WAY. AFTER 30 MINS OF LUNCH WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE HOUSE, I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. CAR WAS NOT RUNNING. KEYS WERE IN MY POCKET. I OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW FIRE IN THE COOLING FAN. I PULLED MY WATER HOSE TO STOP THE FIRE. WAITING FOR TOWING TRUCK TO COME AND TAKE IT TO BMW SERVICE. I AM SURPRISED TO SEE HOW A NON-RUNNING CAR CAN CATCH FIRE. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH BMWS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THE SENSOR MODULE ON THE PASSENGER SEAT THAT CONTROLLED THE AIR BAGS BECAME INOPERABLE AND CAUSED THE AIR BAG LIGHT TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE AIR BAG SENSOR AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000. UPDATED 05/10/2013 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE STARTED TO SMELL SOMETHING BURNING FROM UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AT A GAS STATION TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. THE ATTENDANT FOUND THAT THERE WAS A HOLE UNDER THE SEAT FROM THE HEATED SEAT ELEMENT. THE CONTACT THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE HEATED SEAT ELEMENT, BUT NOT THE ACTUAL SEAT. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 89,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TOWED TO THE DEALER. AFTER DIAGNOSIS, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 16,300. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 66,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE TRANS FAIL SAFE PROGRAM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND RESTARTED, AS IT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BRUNING FUMES WERE EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE AIR VENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSE THAT THE DIAPHRAGM BROKE CAUSING AN OIL LEAKAGE INTO THE ENGINE AND AS A RESULT, THE CCV VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. ALSO, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED ON ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE ARE OF THE FAILURE WHO REFERRED HIM TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED. THE VEHICLE'S GEAR DID NOT ILLUMINATE TO DISPLAY WHICH GEAR THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO. THE VEHICLE WENT INTO LIMP MODE AS A RESULT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE GEAR CIRCUIT RANGE FAILED AND THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 74,160.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW X5. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL TURNED PINK. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED A FISHY ODOR IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE BATTERY CABLE HAD BURNED THE ALTERNATOR. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE ALTERNATOR. THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL THAT COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES (BRAKE LIGHTS AND RUNNING LIGHTS) HAS FAILED ON THIS VEHICLE THREE TIMES( THE LEFT ASSEMBLY AND ONCE ON THE RIGHT). ALL FAILURES WERE DUE TO CORROSION (VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT). THE LEFT ASSEMBLY FAILED IN NOVEMBER 2006 (AT APPROXIMATELY 42,000 MILES) AND AGAIN IN MARCH 2011 (AT APPROXIMATELY 110,000 MILES). THE RIGHT ASSEMBLY FAILED IN FEBRUARY 2009 (AT APPROXIMATELY 68,000 MILES). THESE FAILURES ARE NOT LIGHT BULBS THAT BURNT OUT BUT COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE HOUSING THAT HOLDS THE LIGHT BULBS. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. WHEN THE DASHBOARD MESSAGE INDICATES "CHECK BRAKE LIGHTS" OR "CHECK REAR LIGHTS" AND I DO THE LIGHTS APPEAR TO WORK FINE (ALL LIGHTS ON WHEN SWITCHED ON OR WHEN BRAKES APPLIED). MESSAGE GOES OFF AND MAY STAY OFF FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND THEN RETURNS AND LIGHTS UP WITH EVERY APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES. THERE ARE SEVERAL SIMILAR CARS IN USE AND ALL OF THEM HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES. *TR