2002 BMW X5 Complaints

ON MANY OCCASIONS BEFORE AS WELL AS TODAY I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT DOOR LOCKS LATCHES MALFUNCTIONING, USUALLY, IN COLD WEATHER. EITHER THE DOORS CANNOT BE OPENED AT ALL OR. IF OPENED (USUALLY MANUALLY) THEY CANNOT BE CLOSED/LATCHED AT ALL, THIS USUALLY HAPPENS IN COLD WEATHER AND THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY WHEN THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE GOES UP. THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW THAT IS, POTENTIALLY, SAFETY RELATED AS DRIVING WITH DOOR NOT LATCHED IS UNSAFE. I'M WONDERING IF THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN INJURIES AND/OR DEATHS IN ACCIDENTS INVOLVING AFFECTED BMW X5. *TR

AS MY WIFE AND I DRIVING TO HER MD APPOINTMENT ON 11/26/12. I'VE NOTICED GAS SMELL INSIDE THE CAR,AND CAR SUDDENLY LOSING POWER, WHEN I'VE STEP ON THE GAS PEDAL. IT'S LIKE GAINING POWER TO GO AND SUDDENLY LOSES POWER. I WAS KIND OF CONFUSED WHAT HAPPENED . WE WERE ON THE ROAD RIGHT BEHIND THE INTERSECTION. WE HAD TO STOP FOR THE RED LIGHT,WHEN I'VE TRIED TO GO, THE CAR WAS NOT MOVING LIKE IT SHOULD. WE MADE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE INTERSECTION, WHICH THERE IS DENNY'S RESTAURANT PARKING LOT. BY THE TIME I'VE PULLED OVER TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON,WE WERE STILL IN THE CAR. ALL OF THE SUDDEN THERE WAS A LOUD SOUND, LIKE EXPLOSION UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR AND FIRE STARTED.THANKS GOD, WE GOT OUT OF THE CAR JUST IN TIME. THE FIRE WAS BURNING OUT OF CONTROL. COUPLE OF PASSERBY HAD FIRE EXTINGUISHERS IN THEIR CARS,TRIED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT, WHILE I WAS ON THE 911 CALL,BUT NO LUCK. IN JUST A LESS THAN A MINUTE THE WHOLE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. IT TOOK FIRE DEPT LIKE 20-30 MINUTES TO PUT THE FIRE OUT,AND MY CAR JUST MELTED FRONT OF MY EYES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AND I TRIED TO TURN LEFT AND IT WOULDN'T. I TRIED TO TURN RIGHT AND IT UNLOCKED IT, SO I WAS ABLE TO TURN LEFT AFTERWARDS. IT DID IT AGAIN, THIS TIME IT LOCKED UP BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT. IT EVENTUALLY UNLOCKED AND I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR HOME, TEST DROVE IT AND IT SEEMS FINE AGAIN. IT COMES AND GOES. I CALLED THE BMW DEALER IN VISTA, CA TO SEE IF THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL ON IT AND THEY SAID THAT MY VIN DO NOT HAVE A RECALL ON STEERING. I CHECKED THE ONLINE POSTINGS AND APPARENTLY THERE ARE A LOT OF THIS CASES AND SOME OF THEM ARE DRILLING A PART OF STEERING COLUMN AND REMOVING A SPRING TO CORRECT THE PORBLEM. I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY OLD BMW 525 BEFORE SO I JUNKED IT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ALONG I 90 THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY TURNED OFF. THE CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A FAULTY OIL SEPARATOR. *TR

WINDOW BUST OUT FOR NO REASON, COOLANT CONTAINER LIGHT ON, BRAKE LINING, WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR QUIT WITHOUT NOTICE..MOTOR HOT AND FROZE UP, LIGHTS ON DASH COMING ON AND OFF. SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. THESE THINGS HAPPENED WITHOUT NOTICE. WHEELS THAT HAVE TO BE ALIGNED AND STILL TIRES HAVE TO BE REPLACED OFTEN. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW X5. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW GLASS SUDDENLY OPENED AND DROPPED INTO THE DOOR PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE ALL FOUR WINDOW REGULATORS WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AT VARIOUS SPORADIC TIMES AND THE WINDOW REGULATORS WERE REPLACED EACH TIME THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE CONTINUAL PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW X5. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED AND SMOKE WAS EMITTING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THE OIL SEPARATOR WAS FROZEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

IN JANUARY OF 2010 DURING A COLD WEATHER SPELL, I STARTED MY CAR AND STARTED DRIVING SLOWLY. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND FROM EXHAUST PIPES. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND HAD IT TOWED TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC. HE DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS A FAILURE OF THE SEPARATION VALVE THAT CAUSED THE INCREASE PRESSURE UNDER THE VALVE COVER. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO AVOID EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AND MY BILL WAS "ONLY" AROUND $350 (PLUS TOWING). I DID MY RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT BMW HAD KNOWN ABOUT THAT PROBLEM ALL ALONG AND DID NOTHING. THERE WAS A TSB ISSUED FOR CANADIAN MARKET BUT NO RECALL WAS ISSUED. LATER MODELS OF X5 WERE EQUIPPED WITH UPDATED VALVE, IT APPEARS THAT MANY OWNERS HAD THEIR ENGINES COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND THE COMPANY DID NOTHING TO HELP THEM. I'M ENJOYING DRIVING MY X5 BUT BELIEVE THAT THE COMPANY SHOULD HAVE RECTIFIED THE PROBLEM EARLIER AND SHOULD HAVE COMPENSATED THE OWNERS FOR OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES FOR THE PROBLEM THAT WAS WELL KNOWN ONE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW X5. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 184,700.

TAIL LAMP FAILURE. WARNING SYSTEM INDICATED LAMP FAILURE. THE FAILURE TURNED OUT TO BE LAMP CIRCUIT ASSEMBLY, AND NOT BULB. REPEATED FAILURES UNTIL I REPAIRED REAR LAMP ASSEMBLY ON MY OWN. BMW WOULD ONLY SUGGEST REPLACING ENTIRE LAMP ASSEMBLY AT SUBSTANTIAL COST. UPDATED 09/15/11 *TR