2003 BMW X5 Complaints

COLD WEATHER (NEW YORK WINTER). 2003 BMW X5, 3.0 ENGINE SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. OIL SEPARATOR AND VALVE COVER GASKET FAULTY. THE CRANK CASE VALVE FREEZES, CAUSING OIL TO SPILL INTO THE ENGINE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED THREE TIMES. 1. FEB 13 2008 2. JAN 28 2009 AND 3. JAN 2011. TOTAL COST FOR USED ENGINE $6,000 THIS YEAR AND $3000 IN 2008/2009 TO REPAIR. SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, ENGINE NEEDED TO BE CLEANED 2008 AND DEFECTIVE DISA VALVE REPLACED 2009.

1. THE WEATHER OUTSIDE WAS -10 DEGREES CELSIUS. 2. I OWN A 2003 BMW X5, 4.4 LITRE ENGINE, V8. THE CRANK CASE VALVE FROZE SHUT, CAUSING OIL TO SPILL INTO THE ENGINE. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED TWICE - ONCE LAST WINTER (2010) AND THIS WINTER (2011). IT HAS COST ME A TOTAL OF $1,600 THIS YEAR AND $3,000 LAST YEAR TO REPAIR. 3. SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, ENGINE NEEDS TO BE CLEANED, AND A NEW HEATER BLANKET WAS INSTALLED LAST YEAR, BUT FAILED TO KEEP THE VALVE FROM FREEZING SHUT AGAIN THIS YEAR! *TR

NO EVENT NECESSARY LEADING UP TO FAILURE AIR STRUT FAILED WHICH CAUSES A SIGNIFICANT STEERING AND HANDLING PROBLEM BECAUSE THE COMPUTER THINKS THE CAR IS IN A POSSIBLE ROLL, AND BEGINS TO COMPENSATE BY AUTOMATICALLY BRAKING. I HAVE REPLACED THREE AIR STRUTS - ALL IN THE FRONT OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. THE COST IS APPROXIMATELY $2,000 PER. THE AIR STRUT OPTION WAS NOT ON VERY MANY BMW X5 AUTOS - BUT THEY ARE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WHEN THEY FAIL. THE DEALER REPLACE THE FIRST ONE - AND WOULD NOT LET ME DRIVE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT COULD BE "DANGEROUS". *TR

DRIVER SIDE SEAT HEATER MALFUNCTION CAUSING A HOLE TO BURN THROUGH LEATHER AND NEARLY CREATED FIRE. WHEN HEATER IS TURNED ON IT CREATES AN INTENSE AND CONCENTRATED HEAT ON SEAT BOLSTER TOO HOT TO TOUCH. REPLACEMENT FROM DEALER IS OVER $700 AND ITS BEEN REPORTED ON NUMEROUS FORUMS THAT THIS IS A DEFECT. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 BMW X5 4.4. WHICH SEEMS TO VIBRATE/JERK BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MPH. THE FIRST TIME (2009) I WENT TO THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED TO REPLACE MY TIRE WHICH I DID. THIS DID NOT HELP. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND NOW THEY TELL ME I NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ONLINE, I AM LEARNING MANY OTHER BMW OWNERS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. I AM CURIOUS TO KNOW IF THIS IS A DEFECT. *TR

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE INCLUDING FAILURE OF SUSPENSION SYSTEM BUT OF CONCERN IS WHEN ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO I WAS MAKING A U TURN AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, COMPLETED THE U TURN AND MY ENGINE DIED. CAR CAME TO A STOP. I TURNED OFF THE KEY AND RESTARTED THE IGNITION AND ENGINE TURNED ON AGAIN. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT IT MIGHT IN LIGHT OF RECENT ARTICLES THAT BMW HAS BEEN HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH NEWER CARS. *TR

2003 BMW X5 CCV "OIL SEPARATOR VALVE" HAS ISSUES IN COLD WEATHER AND IS KNOWN TO FAIL. THE PROBLEM RELATES TO A NON PROPER DESIGN WHERE THE VALVE CAN FREEZE. THE ENGINE BLOCK CAN THEN BLOW OIL AND CAUSE FIRE. BEFORE IT BLOWS THE BLOCK THE ENGINE WILL HAVE "HARD STARTS" WHICH WILL PUSH FROZEN OIL THROUGH THE SEPARATOR. IF THE CCV FAILS IT WILL COMPLETELY BLOW YOUR ENGINE GASKETS. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THEIR IS A BMW X5 SERVICE BULLETIN THAT THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT. BMW WILL NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE UNTIL IT BLOWS. IT IS A MAJOR MALFUNCTION THAT IS NOT ONLY EXPENSIVE TO FIX WELL OVER THE 3000 BUT VERY DANGEROUS. I THINK AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE BMW PROBLEM SHOULD BE LOOKED CLOSELY. *TR

PASSENGER-AIRBAG-DISABLED WARNING LAMP COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY WHILE SEAT IS OCCUPIED BY AN ADULT. PROBLEM FIRST NOTED IN 2007, BECOMING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. DEALER CHECKED AND FOUND DEFECTIVE SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTOR, BUT REPLACEMENT QUOTED AT $800 NOTE - THIS IS A BMW MODEL X3 BUT YOUR WEB FORM DID NOT LIST X3 SO I SELECTED X5. *TR

BMW 2003 X5 STALLED 3X. ABS, ENGINE FAILED SAFE TURNED ON. IRVINE BMW REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. LAST MONDAY OCT. 19, 2009 I PICKED UP MY VEHICLE AFTER DRIVING IN THE FREEWAY FOR ABOUT 10 MILES IT STALLED AGAIN FOR THE 3RD TIME. *TR

THE DRAIN VALVE IN 2003 BMW X5 DISINTEGRATES DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECT, IT IS INHERENTLY DEFECTIVE AND IS A SOURCE OF LEAKS AND IF NOT REPLACED WOULD CASE THE RADIATOR TO DRAIN OUT, CAUSING OVERHEATING AND RUINING THE ENGINE. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN NOTED ON BMW OWNER WEBSITES. HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=154553 HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=287894. *TR