2011 BMW X5 DIESEL SAV Complaints

2018 DEC 14 - DIESEL EXHAUST FUMES IN CABIN. MAG BMW DEALER FOUND FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD AND OIL TURBO LINE.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A LOCAL ROAD AT 40 MPH IN A STRAIGHT LINE, THERE WAS A LOUD, VERY SHORT LIVED NOISE IN THE ENGINE AND I IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER STEERING. MY SERPENTINE BELT FAILED AND I LIMPED HOME WITHOUT POWER STEERING, BATTERY CHARGING, ETC.... UPON INSPECTION BY MY LOCAL MECHANIC (NOT A BMW SERVICE CENTER), THE REASON FOR THE SERPENTINE BELT SYSTEM FAILING WAS THE ALTERNATOR IDLER PULLEY BOLT HAD FAILED IN THE BLOCK. HE HAD TO TAKE OUT THE CONDENSER, RADIATOR, ETC. IN ORDER TO DRILL THE BOLT OUT. THE BOLT SHEARED INSIDE THE ENGINE BLOCK AND HAD TO BE DRILLED OUT. THIS IS THE BOLT FOR WHICH THERE WAS A PAST RECALL AND MY MECHANIC HAS BEEN HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING A REPLACEMENT BOLT FROM BMW FOR 2 DAYS NOW. I HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTICE FROM BMW ABOUT THIS POTENTIALLY SERIOUS DEFECT AND HOW THE PAST RECALL HAD NOT EFFECTIVELY CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS SEARCHING BMW FORA TO SEE WHY BMW WAS ASKING MY MECHANIC FOR DETAILS ABOUT THE BOLT WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO ORDER A REPLACEMENT AND STILL HAS NOT OFFERED TO SHIP THE BOLT TO MY MECHANIC.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW X5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V336000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER (CENTURY BMW, 2934 LAURENCE ROAD, GREENVILLE, SC 29607) CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIRS. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE BELT IDLER PULLEY BOLT FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER (CENTURY BMW, 2934 LAURENCE ROAD, GREENVILLE, SC 29607) AND WAS AWAITING REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

DTC P20EE: FAULT FOR FUEL FILTER HEATER (REPLACE HEATER). SIMILAR RECALL TO 2009 DIESEL X5 FAULTY FUEL FILTER HEATER, WHICH COULD REMAIN ON AFTER ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF LEADING TO A POTENTIAL FIRE.

1. "IDLER PULLEY BOLT FAILED" - WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THE PULLEY BOLT FAILED. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, I LOST POWER TO THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE MESSAGE "CHARGING MALFUNCTION" APPEARED. I OPENED THE HOOD AND PULLED OUT THE BROKEN BELTS. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE GARAGE AND IT COST ME ROUGHLY $900 TO FIX + THE TOWING FEE. 2. CAR HAD RATTLE SOUNDS. I HAD TO HAVE THE "STABILIZER BAR/CONTROL ARM/SHOCK N STRUT ASSEMBLY" REPLACED AT 75,141 MILES.......

IDLER PULLEY BOLT BROKE FOR SECOND TIME IN 5 MONTHS. IN FEBRUARY, FIRST OCCURRENCE, CAR WAS STATIONARY. CAR WAS REPAIRED UNDER RECALL BY LOCAL MECHANIC. SECOND OCCURRENCE ON JUNE 29, CAR WAS IN MOTION ENTERING A TRAFFIC ROTARY. BOLT AUDIBLY SNAPPED JUST PRIOR TO ENTERING ROTARY. ALL POWER STEERING WAS LOST. CAR WAS SAFELY NAVIGATED THROUGH ROTARY AND 1/4 MILE DOWN ROAD TO A SAFE PARKING SPOT. CAR REPAIRED AT DEALER WITH KNOWLEDGE THE REPLACEMENT BOLT WAS THE SAME FAULTY BOLT. NEW RECALL CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT, BUT NO FIX AVAILABLE. THE BOLT THAT BROKE IN FEBRUARY 2018 WAS THE REPLACEMENT BOLT INSTALLED DURING THE ORIGINAL RECALL IN 2012. IT WAS REPLACED BEFORE IT FAILED. NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 12V550000 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 18V336000

TAKATA RECALL: RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. ERROR MESSAGE SAYS FAULT IN PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM AFFECTING THE THE AIRBAG, BELT TENSIONER OR BELT FORCE LIMITER. HAPPENED A FEW DAYS AFTER THE RECALL ON AIRBAGS AND DRIVE SHAFT WAS PERFORMED AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEY ONLY REPLACED THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS EVEN THIUGHNIT WAS ADVISED THAT PASSAENGER MIGHT BE AFFECTED. I WAS TOLD THAT FOR THIS PARTICULAR VIN PASSENGER SIDE WAS NOT AFFECTED. IF NOT THEN WHY AM I NOT GETTING THIS ERROR MESSAGE?? I FEEL HIGHLY UNSAFE TRAVELING IN THE VEHICLE WITH MY CHILDREN AS PASSENGER IN THE CAR NOW. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THAT REPAIRS DO NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL PURVIEW AND THEREFORE WILL REQUIRE A DIAGNOSTIC FEE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ACTUALLY MAY BE THE ISSUE AND THEN I WILL HAVE TO PAY THE CAUSE TO FURTHER RECTIFY WHAT EVER MAY THE CAUSE. I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A CRASH OR ACCIDENT IN THIS CAR THAT AFFECT ANY THING OF THIS SORT WITH CAR SO THIS IS HIGHLY DOSAPPOJNTING!!!

PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V550000 A REPLACEMENT OF THE IDLER PULLEY BOLT RECALL WAS CONDUCTED DUE TO GRAVE PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS. I CONSULTED BOTH BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AND MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS REPAIR, AND OF COURSE I AM TOLD THE ONLY RECALL OUTSTANDING FOR MY VEHICLE IS RELATED TO AIRBAGS AND THIS FIX WAS ALREADY IMPLEMENTED. ATTACHED TO THIS SAFETY REPORT IS A DIAGRAM OF THE CRANKCASE PULLEY DESIGN. ITEM '2' IN THE ATTACHED DIAGRAM WAS THE PART REPLACED TO CORRECT THE ISSUE.DESPITE THIS 'FIX' I HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING AND ELECTRIC POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH, AS WELL AS THE ENGINE OPERATING AT OR ABOVE NORMAL RANGE. THIS OF COURSE IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE PRIMARY CRANKCASE PULLEY AFFECTS ALL OF THESE SYSTEMS INSTANTLY IF THIS ROTATING MASS COMES TO A HALT. INITIAL THOUGHTS AND INSPECTION ONE WOULD ASSUME A LOOSE, SLIPPING SERPENTINE BELT OR TENSIONER PULLEY BEING THE FAULT FOR THE INSTANT MULTIPLE SYSTEM FAILURES, HOWEVER FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALS A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE 'VIBRATION' DAMPER PULLEY. THE TORQUE FROM THIS DIESEL ENGINE SHREDS THIS RUBBER PULLEY, COMPLETELY RIPPING IT OFF ITS METAL SLEEVE, DESPITE THE REINFORCEMENT OF THE HARDENED STEEL 'BOLT' REPLACEMENT. IN ALL MY DAYS OF OWNING A VEHICLE, I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH 'MAINTENANCE' REPAIR WORK OF REPLACING THE PRIMARY CRANKCASE PULLEY AS IT IS SEEN BY THE MANUFACTURER AS A 'WEAR AND TEAR' ITEM. IN MY EXPERIENCE, REPLACING THE CRANKCASE PULLEY WAS DELIBERATE TO GAIN AN EDGE AT THE DRAG STRIP, NOT FOR MY FAMILIES SAFETY.

ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT REDUCED POWER TO ENGINE IN THE CITY WHILE AT LIGHT. ALSO YOU CAN HEAR A FLAPPING SOUND COMING FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE. DEALER REPORTS AFTER DIAGNOSTIC THAT THE EXHAUST COOLER IS CRACKED. PREVIOUSLY THE CAR WAS SERVICED FOR METERING VALVE LEAK WHICH WAS UNDER SCR EXTENDED WARRANTY AND FRONT DRIVE SHAFT RECALL WITH BUSHING REPLACEMENT WITH WAS COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY.

THE VEHICLE EMISSION SYSTEM IS CLOGGING UP DUE TO THE DIESEL EMISSIONS SET UP IN THE BMW DIESEL ENGINES. WHERE MOST CAR MANUFACTURERS EMISSION WARRENTIES ARE 80-85KMI BMW IS 70KMI. EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS BMW IS NOT DOING ANYTHING UNLESS YOUR WILLING TO PAY $$$$$$. THE #1 PROBLEM IS THE EGR COOLER.,CAUSING SOME PEOPLE TO INSTALL AFTERMARKET [ILLEGAL] KITS TO AVOID THESE PROBLEMS.THE VEHICLE RUNS ALMOST NORMAL BUT IT SUFFERS IN FUEL ECONOMY.