2011 BMW X5 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TPM ERROR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE SURGED. IN ADDITION, SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF ALONG WITH POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. IT STARTED AGAIN AND I TOOK IT TO A BMW DEALER THAT SAID I NEEDED A $325 SOFTWARE UPDATE. I ASKED IF THAT MEANT MY ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING SHOULD BY SOFTWARE EVER GO OUT OF DATE. THEY SAID YES, IT HAPPENS BUT NOT ON ALL SOFTWARE UPDATES. THEY ALSO SAID SOFTWARE UPDATE COME OUT ABOUT EVERY 3 TO 4 MONTHS MEANING MY ENGINE COULD BE SHUT OFF AGAIN AT ANY TIME. I FELT I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PAY THE MONEY SO MY CAR WOULD RUN AGAIN. I AM CONCERNED NOW ABOUT DRIVING AT ANY HIGHER RATE OF SPEED CONSIDERING I COULD LOSE MY STEERING AND BRAKES ANYTIME SOMEONE DECIDES I NEED TO UPDATE SOFTWARE THAT I WAS NEVER INFORMED WAS OUT OF DATE. *TR

ON DECEMBER 26, 2012, WHILE DRIVING NORTH AT A HIGH SPEED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IN THE SECOND LANE ON A FOUR LANE SEGMENT OF HIGHWAY 11 KENOELEHUA HIGHWAY AT ITS MERGING JUNCTION WITH THE HIGHWAY 130 KEAAU BYPASS ROAD, AN ENGINE PARTIAL MALFUNCTION OCCURRED CAUSING DECELERATION AND A COMPLETE ENGINE SHUT DOWN ON THE ROAD SHOULDER. ON JANUARY 4, 2013, AFTER RETRIEVING THE VEHICLE FROM REPLACEMENT OF THE LOW PRESSURE FUEL PUMP PURSUANT TO THE DECEMBER 26, 2012 MALFUNCTION, WHILE DRIVING NORTH AT A HIGH SPEED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY 19 QUEEN KAAHUMANU HIGHWAY AFTER RECOVERING THE VEHICLE FROM THE BMW OF HAWAII REPAIR SHOP, AN ENGINE PARTIAL MALFUNCTION OCCURRED CAUSING A DECELERATION AND A COMPLETE ENGINE SHUT DOWN ON THE ROAD SHOULDER. *TR

STARTED THE CAR AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITH "ENGINE MALFUNCTION - REDUCED POWER" AND DROVE A FEW HUNDRED YARDS AND THEN THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED. THE 2011 BMW X5 35I PREMIUM JUST DIED - NO POWER WHATSOEVER. BECAUSE THERE WAS NO POWER, THE CAR COULD NOT BE PUT INTO NEUTRAL TO BE PUT ON A FLATBED. THE X5 HAD TO BE PUT ON A CRANE AND LIFTED ONTO A FLATBED TOW TRUCK. BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN THE U.S. AND IS U.S. SPEC (CAR WAS IN THE U.S. FOR 2 YEARS) - SHIPPED THE CAR TO GERMANY AND THIS IS WHERE THE INCIDENT HAPPENED (CAR BEEN IN GERMANY JUST A FEW MONTHS). BMW OF MUNICH SAID THAT THERE IS A BOLT THAT CAN BREAK OFF - WHICH IT DID - MUNICH REQUESTED THE LOCAL DEALER TO TAKE THE ENGINE APART TO SEE IF THAT WAS THE FAULT AND THEY CONFIRMED IT WAS. BMW IS REPLACING OUR ENGINE BECAUSE OF THIS FAULT. HOWEVER, THE RECALL AS OF NOW IS ONLY FOR THE X5 DIESELS. THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED. HAD WE BEEN ON THE AUTOBAHN WHERE THERE AREN'T MANY SPEED LIMIT AREAS, THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FATAL CRASH IF SOMEONE GOING 100+MPH RAMMED BEHIND US FROM OUR CAR DYING OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. AT 16,000 MILES THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT NEED A NEW ENGINE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, EXHAUST FUMES FROM THE ENGINE COULD BE SMELLED WHILE IN THE CABIN. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE POWER ASSIST ON THE BRAKES FAILED AND THAT BOTH FAILURES RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT IN ORDER TO REMEDY THE BRAKE FAILURE, A VALVE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE EXHAUST FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 29, 2012 I GET INTO MY 2011 X5 AS I PULLED OUT FROM MY DRIVEWAY THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS CAME ON WITH A MESSAGE " ENGINE MALFUNCTION REDUCE POWER". LIFE QUALITY GAVE ME A HARD TIME TO BEGIN WITH TO GET THE CAR IN CLAIMING THEY WERE BOOKED WITH APPOINTMENTS. AFTER CALLING CUSTOMER RELATIONS AT HEADQUARTERS, I GET A CALL FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER TO BRING IN THE CAR. I HAD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TOW THE CAR, WHEN THE CAR ARRIVE TO THE DEALER MY CAR ADVISOR CALLS ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE, WAS THE VEHICLE INVOLVE IN CRASH, DID HIT A POT HOLE, BASICALLY LOOKING FOR ALL TYPE OF EXCUSES. I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A COMPLAINT AND ASK THAT THESE MODELS BE REVIEWED SINCE IT APPEARS TO HAVE MANY OTHER CUSTOMERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TR

WHEN MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THE STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE TURNED, I CRASHED INTO A TREE, SUSTAINING MINOR INJURIES. PLEASE NOTE THE BMW ASSIST DID NOT WORK PROPERLY EITHER! IT TURNED ON BUT I WAS PLACED ON HOLD LEAVING THE ASSIST ON HOLD PERMANENTLY AND COULD NOT TURN IT OFF OR RESET IT. THEY ALSO NEVER CALLED FOR HELP. *TR

WHEN DROVE IT ON A LOCAL STREET, THE CAR SUDDENLY MADE VERY LOUD NOISE WITHOUT ANY SIGN. AFTER CAR TOWED TO BMW DEALER, THE ENGINEER FOUND THE REASON AS DESCRIBABLE AS: FLYWHEEL BOLTS ARE INCORRECT AND NOT HOLDING THE FLYWHEEL TIGHTLY IN PLACE.

SNAPPING NOISE HEARD RANDOMLY WHEN THE BODY FLEXED. TO REPAIR THE LEFT A-PILLAR FAILED WELD(S) EXTENSIVE REMOVAL OF INTERIOR TRIM, SUNROOF, WINDSHIELD, ETC NECESSARY TO WELD AND PAINT A-PILLAR AND/TO ROOF PANEL. *TR

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE ON 02/06/12 AT 0300 WHILE PARKED IN GARAGE. ACCORDING TO MIAMI'S FIRE DEPARTMENT THIS WAS NOT DEEMED ARSON/VANDALISM, NO EVIDENCE OF FORCED ENTRY OR ACCELERATE WAS NOTED. A RECALL FOR HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SUCH MODEL. *TR