2003 BMW X5 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THEIR HOME AND HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE DRIVE SHAFT AND TRANSFER CASE HAD CHIPPED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 189,000. *TR UPDATED 06/12/13*LJ

OIL SEPARATOR FROZE CAUSING HIGH PRESSURE AND BLOWN SEALS. INITIAL COST ABOUT $1100 TO REPAIR. DEALER STATES THIS "HAPPENS ALL THE TIME" TO X5'S IN COLD WEATHER. TEMP WAS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. IN JANUARY 2013 OIL SEPARATOR FROZE TWO MORE TIMES;HOWEVER, THIS TIME DAMAGING THE ENGINE - COST OVER $5000 TO REPAIR - BASICALLY TOTALING THE CAR. WITH ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF RESEARCH, THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON AND KNOWN ISSUE ON BMW X5 3.0, 4.4 AND 4.8 ENGINES FROM 2001 TO 2008... LOOKS LIKE THE PARTS WERE REDESIGNED IN 2009. LOOKS LIKE A SIMPLE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE ROUTINE AND INSULATED OIL LINES WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE "CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE" AND DANGEROUS CONDITION OF TAILPIPE FIRE, OR BEING STRANDED IN ZERO DEGREE WEATHER (WHICH SEEMS TO BE A CONDITION REQUIRED FOR THE FAILURE). OWNER OF CAR IS THE ORIGINAL OWNER, WITH ALL MAINTENANCE BEING DONE AT LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIPS INCLUDING MAJOR SERVICES AT 60K AND 90K SO THERE APPEARS THERE IS NO "PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE" INCLUDED IN EITHER OF THESE MAJOR SERVICE MILESTONES FOR THE KNOWN OIL SEPARATOR DEFECT. A RECALL ON THIS DEFECT TO INSTALL THE SMALL AMOUNT OF PARTS TO PREVENT "CATASTROPHIC ENGINES FAILURE" AND DANGEROUS CONDITIONS "BEING STRANDED IN SINGLE DIGIT WEATHER" SEEMS LIKE A LOGICAL CHOICE... OR AT LEAST CHANGING MAJOR SERVICE MILESTONES TO ADD PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SO THE PROBABILITY OF THE FAILURE CAN BE REDUCED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED IN A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE. THE MANUFACTURER INVESTIGATED THE FAILURE AND CONCLUDED THAT CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS NOT DUE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED TWICE AND THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES PRIOR TO THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000. UPDATED 2/15/13 *CN THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE FIRE WAS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. UPDATED 02/02/513

THE PIXELS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND THE RADIO DISPLAY ARE FADED OUT WHICH MAKES THE VISIBILITY ON THESE ITEMS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO BMWUSA'S ATTENTION AND DISCUSSED ON MANY BMW FORUMS, YET THE MANUFACTURER AND ITS SUPPLIER (SIEMANS VDO) REFUSE TO FIX. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON A FREEWAY AT ABOUT 80 MILES PER HOUR, WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON, IT WAS NECESSARY TO DIS-ENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL FOR A SLOWER VEHICLE. WHEN I THEN APPLIED MY FOOT TO THE GAS PEDAL, IT SUDDENLY FELT UNSTABLE AND WOBBLY. I FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN STEADY PRESSURE ON IT AND MAINTAIN MY SPEED IN HEAVY FREEWAY TRAFFIC. I WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE SITUATION. FORTUNATELY I WAS JUST 20 MILES FROM MY DESTINATION, AND I WAS ABLE TO VERY CAREFULLY AND REPEATEDLY RE-POSITION MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL TO MAINTAIN SPEED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. UPON ARRIVING AT MY DESTINATION, I EXAMINED THE GAS PEDAL, ONLY TO FIND MOST OF IT HAD DETACHED FROM THE FLOORBOARD - A THIN, FLIMSY WEB OF PLASTIC THAT HELD THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOORBOARD HAD SPLIT AT THE FLOORBOARD, CAUSING THE PROBLEM. ONLY ABOUT 15 OR 20% OF THE ATTACHMENT REMAINED. HAD 100% OF THE ATTACHMENT FAILED, I WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE LOST ALL ACCELERATOR CONTROL IN TRAFFIC AND AT HIGH SPEED, A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SCENARIO. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE DESIGN OF THIS GAS PEDAL IS DEFECTIVE, WHICH LED TO THE PROBLEM AT ONLY 33500 MILES! I COMPLAINED TO BMW U.S.A WITH NO SATISFACTION. I CLAIMED THAT THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COST DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN, WHICH CONSTITUTES LIFETIME RESPONSIBILITY OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. THEY DID NOT AGREE. I ALSO FEEL THE EXTREME HEAT CONDITIONS PRESENT IN THE DESERT SOUTHWEST WHERE I LIVE MAY HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE. I AM REPORTING THIS INCIDENT IN THE HOPE IT MAY PREVENT A SIMILAR, POSSIBLY MORE SERIOUS FAILURE FOR SOMEONE ELSE OWNING A BMW. I HAVE RETAINED THE FAILED GAS PEDAL AND CAN PROVIDE PICTURES TO YOU IF YOU LIKE. *TR

I OWN A 2003 BMW X5 4.6IS MY TRANSMISSION HAS GONE COMPLETELY OUT WITH ONLY 70000 MILES . I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH. I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE READ IN FORUMS THAT OTHER 2002-2003 4.6IS OWNERS HAD TRANSMISSION TRANS FAILURES. I BELIEVE THE TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE ON THIS VEHICLE. THERE IS NO REASON THAT A 75K VEHICLES TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT LAST UNDER 100K MILES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER FORCING ME TO COME TO COMPLETE STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THIS OCCURRED 3 OTHER TIMES IN THE PAST 4 MONTHS , THE OTHER INCIDENTS WERE IN THE PARKING LOT. THE CAR STARTS UP AND RUNS PERFECTLY BEFORE AND AFTER. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY. SEARCHING FOR A SOLUTION, I FOUND THAT BMW HAS SERVICE BULLETIN TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. I AM SURPRISED THAT THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS SINCE IT IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, FELT AS IF SOMETHING FELL OFF OR CAME LOOSE AND VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN IN MIDDLE ON TRAFFIC AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN GAS PEDAL WAS PUSHED, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED ANYONE TO CRASH THE BACK OF ME. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER AND STOP. VERY TRAGIC, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL BUT MY VEHICLE CAME FROM THE WRONG MANUFACTURER. VERY UNFAIR :-( *TR

THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE LIGHT BULB SHORTS OUT. INSTRUMENT WARNING FOR REAR BRAKE / TAIL LIGHTS ACTIVATES. PROBLEM OCCURS MULTIPLE TIMES DUE TO AN APPARENT FLAW IN THE BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY CIRCUIT AND PLASTIC THAT FORMS THE SPLIT CIRCUIT FOR POSITIVE (+) NEGATIVE (-) CONNECTION POINTS TO BULB SOCKET LEADS. TO REPAIR - THE METAL ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE BENT OUTWARD (DIRECTION AWAY FROM TAIL LIGHT LENS) TO INCREASE TENSION BETWEEN BULB SOCKET ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS AND METAL PLATE OF TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE CAUSED BY WEAKENED PLASTIC THAT CAUSES THE METAL PLATE IN TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLE TO LOOSEN CREATING INADEQUATE BACK SPRING TENSION BETWEEN THE PLATE AND SOCKET CONNECTORS. RECALL ON BMW 3 SERIES FOR: NO. 11V-438: LAMPS IN REAR QUARTER PANEL 2002-2005 3 SERIES IS DESCRIBED AS THE EXACT PROBLEM. *JS

STARTING SMELLING A BURNING ODOR IN CAR. SHORTLY AFTER, NOTICED (FELT) A "HOT SPOT" ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT SO I TURNED THE HEATER OFF. I HAD THE DEALER LOOK AT THE SEAT - THE RESPONSE WAS THAT THE LEATHER HAD WORN THEREFORE I WAS FEELING A LITTLE MORE WARMTH IN THAT SPOT (AT THE TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN, I MUST HAVE HAD ONLY 40-50,000 MILES ON IT AS I ONLY PUT AN AVERAGE OF 8,000-10,000 MILES PER YEAR ON THE CAR. IT SEEMS RIDICULOUS TO ME THAT THE LEATHER WOULD WEAR THAT MUCH IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME ESPECIALLY SINCE I AM OF SLIGHT BUILD). I ADVISED THAT IT SMELLED LIKE BURNING AND THE SPOT WAS SO HOT THAT IT FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ELECTRICAL. AGAIN, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE HEATER; IT WAS SIMPLY ME FEELING MORE HEAT DUE TO THE THINNING LEATHER. SHORTLY AFTER, SINCE THE DEALER TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE HEATER, I TRIED IT AGAIN. THIS TIME THOUGH, A HOLE ACTUALLY BURNED THROUGH THE LEATHER (ENOUGH THAT I FELT THE BURN). I HAVEN'T USED THE SEAT HEATER SINCE. I'M TOLD THE ENTIRE SEAT BOTTOM MUST BE REPLACED AND THE COST IS ABOUT $2400. THE COST OF THE SEAT IS HIGH AND LABOR IS VERY HIGH SINCE THE ENTIRE SEAT MUST BE TAKEN OUT. *TR