This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
On Saturday May 6th 2017. I was driving when I heard this noise to my untrained ear it seemed as if the noise was coming from my front tires? I pulled over got out to check my front tires/wheel's and there was nothing, I get back into my vehicle and start driving again after a few minutes the same noise could be heard again so once again I pulled over got out and checked my tires/wheels and undercarriage. As I am looking there is nothing hanging or loose, I get back into the vehicle and started to head towards my house I was only about 6 blocks away from home so I call my fiance and asked he to come outside (I wanted her to drive the vehicle just a little so that I could see if my wheels were doing anything strange, this would help me to better explain what I through was happing to my vehicles wheels/tires) as soon as I hang the phone up I slowed down to go over a speed hump at the time I did not notice but I had lost power in the vehicle as I tried to use my breaks the vehicle did nothing and I do mean nothing so now I am rolling straight and go through two stop signs hoping and praying that one hits me, due to the vehicle having no power. A message shows up on the screen saying 'transmission malfunction' the malfunction maybe resolved by restarting. Contract nearest BMW center if necessary. Use emerg. Release to disengage park detention prior to towing or pushing vehicle. Now mine you this message only showed after the vehicle lost all power. As I am going through the second stop sign there is a slightl/small hill that I went up and the vehicle lost enough speed that I was able to smash the brakes real hard to stop the vehicle from moving. A car all most hit me in the rest because of this action, and now I am sitting on this slight hill holding my foot on the break. Once the vehicle was towed to a BMW dealership I was told about the driveshaft recall.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. On several occasions, while driving and idling, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the engine. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine belt tensioner needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 65,000.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving at an unknown speed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine pulley serpentine belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact also received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 16V071000 (air bags) and 16V364000 (air bags) however, the parts for the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced any failure related to the recalls. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
When driving down the road, I heard a loud fan noise coming from the engine. I did a quick systems check to see if all systems were ok- they were. About 1/10 of a mile later, my car indicated that it was overheating and that I had reduced power. I couldn't drive over 35 miles per hour. Within the next 45 seconds, as I'm getting onto an interstate, my engine shuts off completely and I lose all power. I never had any warning and there is no way to tell engine temperature on this car. After having my vehicle towed and diagnosed by a certified dealer, I was told that the thermostat, water pump and expansion tank all needed to be replaced. I was informed that one of these items failed and caused the other two to break with extended use. This cost me $1990. There was no way I could have prevented this from happening. I've always had my car serviced at the recommended intervals.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. While driving approximately 7 mph, a loud noise was heard from the engine compartment and the steering wheel lost power without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and replaced the belt bolt. The failure recurred after six months. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to a dealer. The dealer stated that a recall repair was already perfomed and could not be repeated. The vehicle was not repaired. The recall details were not provided. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
- Davidsonville, MD, USA
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January 13, 2017, I was driving my 2011 BMW X5, with approximately 77,000 miles, on a two-lane road and I accelerated to pass a truck. While going approximately 45 mph my X5 unexpectedly and without any warning shifted into neutral. The engine would only rev when I pushed on the accelerator pedal. This was without any check engine light or noise indicating catastrophic mechanical failure. Thankfully, I had enough speed to complete my pass before the oncoming traffic reached me and we avoided a potentially disastrous collision. I coasted to the shoulder of the road hoping to be able to shift back into drive. Movement of the shifter did nothing and the engine continued to run at idle speed. When I tried to restart the X5, nothing would happen. All the lights on the dashboard were still working and there were no signs of any warning indicators. The towne BMW service representative told me that I would need a new engine at an estimated cost of $20,000. The vehicle had an estimated trade-in value $14,000! this outcome is after I properly maintained the vehicle for 6 years, having all oil changes done within the manufactures suggested service intervals. And spent over $6,000 with the service department. Most recent oil change was done at on November 15, 2016. I even had the oil filter housing gaskets replaced at a cost of $572 based on the technician's recommendation. It is unfathomable to me and other pro mechanics to understand what would have caused such a catastrophic failure. Dealer called Feb. 9, 2017, almost one month after my trouble began, to explain that the #6 cam shaft bearing failed and seized onto the connecting rod. I asked what would cause such a failure and they said it was probably due to lack of oil or dirt in the oil. Neither could explain how this could happen with routine oil changes and most recent being only two months prior.
My 2011 BMW X5 3.0 sav was exhibiting rough starts on ignition and it stalled after a while and wouldn't start back up again. We had it towed to the dealership the first time and the vanos system was replaced( recall extended warranty). The next time it stalled and wouldn't start back up we were advised it was the starter so we had that replaced( $1163.36) along with the battery( $ 260) and then the driver side window wouldn't go down and the dash board lighting went out and the alarm wouldn't engage, the dealer advised us that it was a footwell module problem covered under extended warranty until 125,000 miles. All in all the car is rigged with problems. I have decided to look up all the NHTSA recalls and have them done before anything else breaksdown. NHTSA has the vehicle down for both front driver and passenger air bags and also the in-tank fuel pump in addition to all the ones I mentioned above.
I purchased car 2011-sole owner dealer state replaces engine pulley bolt 2012? driving in dark and rain in mountains nc 1/24/17. All of a sudden lost ability to steer without a lot of force. Then got dash errors "charging malfunction", "engine overheating" transmission failure "no ABS" "drive cautiously ""turn off engine". I could not turn steering wheel hard enough to get off road. Pulled barely to side and turned engine off. Completely stranded and scared to death. Same broken bolt to be replaced. This is lethal situation and I am stuck with a killer car. Cannot afford to dump it. This car has required towing several times for engine failure that was "repaired". but I don't know what was done. In prior separate incident I was driving along engine light came on car sputtered and stopped-required towing. And takata recall also still waiting for airbags shoot shards. BMW will not replace. They think it is not hot in nc. I call 104 degrees hot.
The vehicle cut power output from the engine and when restarted would shut off. The dealership declared that the car had incurred water intrusion into the engine compartment without being flooded or submerged in water causing total engine damage that is the equivalent of salvage. The diagnosis as a result of this water intrusion effects diagnosis and recommended fix : diagnostic - check engine light: Vtc eccentric shaft, valvetronic servomotor, oil spray nozzle, 6 injectors, and all associated gaskets and hardware. Technician note: Diagnosed check engine light, caused by valvetronic servomotor faults, found needing replacement of vtc eccentric shaft, valvetronic servomotor, oil spray nozzle, and 6 injectors. Labor time includes time for programming and diag. (note: One time faults for fuel pressure plausibility, may be consequential of valvetronic malfunction or secondary issue.) [other]: cylinder head, with replacement gasket, intake and exhaust manifold gaskets, 3 center bolts, and all associated hardware. With new partition, valvetronic servomotor, six injectors, and all hardware for engine removal. Technician note: During injector inspection found injectors 5-6 couplers corroded into head. New injectors will not seat properly and replacement head is required. Note: New head comes with eccentric shaft and rollers. This inflicts financial damage to the consumers since the cost of remedying this is more than the value of the car.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. The contact stated that the engine failed and smoke emitted under the hood while driving. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for inspection where it was diagnosed that the fuel diesel heather failed, causing the vehicle to overheat. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13V339000 (fuel system, diesel). The failure mileage was 100,000.
Engine cooling system coolant pump speed outside the tolerance recall (code: 3792) my car was over heating, so I turned off the engine on the highway 202. After that I let me car cool down, but when I tried to start it again, the engine still overheated.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. While driving 60 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate and lost power. The engine temperature warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine service and the technician stated that there was a failure with the engine fan. The vehicle was diagnosed and produced diagnostic code 3792. The contact was unsure about what parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was aware of NHTSA campaign number: 11V521000 (engine and engine cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 62,000. Updated 01/04/17 updated 7/5/18
On 21 Oct 16 at approximately 3:10 pm, while driving on route 30 in hampstead, md and approaching a roundabout at 30 miles per hour, the vehicle stalled without any warning lights on the dashboard. Lights were operable, but the vehicle would not restart or disengage out of park to move the vehicle from oncoming traffic. The vehicle was towed to the BMW dealership. If this had happened just 30 minutes before, we would have been on an interstate 795 traveling at 60 mph. There was not collision. At the BMW dealership, the service department stated it was the starter. The starter was replaced but the vehicle still would not start. The service manager stated that the 'engine has seized up' and the cost would be $17,000 to take out the engine and replace the engine. The vehicle was less than two months out of an extended warranty. We are contacting BMW as the vehicle was traded because of the prohibited cost of repairs. The symptoms displayed match the part 573 safety recall report 16V-746.
On Sunday 08/16/2016, my 2011 BMW X5 lost steering power, and I got a bunch of errors on the dashboard including engine not charging. When I looked under the hood, I was able to see that the engine belt is off its track, and idle pulley has broken off. This is the same failure for which BMW created a recall: (recall number -NHTSA campaign id-: 12V5500, recall date: 11/27/2012, component: Steering: Hydraulic powers assist system). On Monday 08/15/2016, I called BMW of North America llc and informed of the failure and requested that they pay assistance since the issue was a known design flaw under the recall above. Repairs were made to this car (BMW of rockville, 12/21/2012), but failure appears to continue to repeat. BMW instructed me to tow the car to the BMW dealer and once an estimate from the dealer was given they will make a decision. The estimate was available Monday, and when I called them back Tuesday morning, they informed me that a decision will be made within 24-48 hours. I called every day after the period for three days, but was never transferred to the case manager (sam), instead, I was asked to supply my information over and over. On Monday 08/22, I called and requested to talk to a supervisor. The supervisor sounded irritated by my call, and proceeded to tell me that a decision will be made within 5 business days. Two days later, sam called me and informed me that he got the paperwork, and will be working on my case. On Tuesday 08/30, I called BMW back since I haven't heard back from them, I requested to talk to sam, but the phone assistant informed me that he is not available, but based on the notes available to her, I am being denied because of the high mileage on the car (62K miles). After two weeks of stringing me along, BMW didn't even bother to call me with the bad news. This is a design flaw that BMW should own and pay for
As I was driving a check battery light came on, I drove for approx 2 more mins as I tried to park an engine malfunction light came on. Then the steering wheel froze and I could not change gears. I blocked city street traffic for over 2 hrs before a tow truck could get me. At the time of the malfunction I was driving 15-20 mph. Thankfully, I was not on a freeway or this would have been a major accident. I was told by BMW that the drive belt fell apart, (while I was driving) it went into the engine and destroyed the timing chain and cam system. The engine is damaged beyond repair. I feel this is a design flaw that the drive belt would destroy the engine in a matter of 2 mins and/or it is defective drive belt. The car has approx 42K miles. BMW offered for me to pay $2800 for them to take the engine apart and investigate the engine malfunction. This car has had numerous problems since I purchased it. Attached are my service records.
Driving my wife and kids on a busy city street traveling 30 mph. Suddenly without warning engine overheat needs to cool down warning appeared. I turned on the hazard lights. Vehicle began to slow down and we were almost hit twice. Was able to pull over and proceeded down a side street. Engine overheat shut down engine warning which appeared in red came up so I stopped the vehicle and turned off the engine for an hour. My family sat for an hour hoping the engine would cool off but to no avail. We were left stranded @ 1:30am in baltimore city which is known for senseless random acts of violence.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. While driving at an unknown speed, the engine overheated warning message illuminated and the vehicle failed to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the water pump was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Drive shaft failure... on highway driving 70 mph and the car became uncontrollable. Pulled off the side of the road and stopped the vehicle. Car then would not go into drive only neutral. Car towed to performance BMW. I had previously complained about how loud the cabin was with engine noise and a slight vibration when stopping. Now the drive shaft is ruined as well as leah in oil housing, pan etc
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. While driving 55 mph, a warning message on the instrument panel indicated that the vehicle was overheating. The contact pulled over to the roadside and observed the engine, but there was no indication that it overheated. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the water pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 12V161000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,100.
Previous vanos recall campain / fix has not worked and has caused catastrophic engine failure. After one year from recall work the turbo failed resulting in loss of engine power. Upon replacing turbo dealer noticed metal shavings in oil. Less than one year later and multiple engine issues there is loud engine knocking. Dealer claims again there is metal shavings in then oil and the engine and turbo need to be replaced. BMW na is refusing to cover work even though the vanos bolt issue is a well known and documented problem. These vanos bolts shear and drop into the timing chain causing metal shaving contamination to engine oil. Engine will eventuality loose power and shut down as metal works its way throughout the engine resulting in complete failure and necsitating replacement. BMW na knows this is a problem and they are refusing to do anything about this serious safety issue.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Washington, DC, USA