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.
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph, the message 'engine temperature high, drive slowly to cool the engine' and the engine warning indicator illuminated. The failure recurred on multiple occasions. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the electric auxiliary pump failed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
I had already submitted a complaint under 10586821 due to the radiator but did not include that the mechanic said that the reason that radiator went out was because of the malfunction of the water pump which I also had to replace. I was told to amend the complaint once received but I never received anything in the mail. BMW knows that there is a problem and refuses to fix it. Also the passenger airbag indicator has been on for over a year. I was told that I would have to remove and have the airbags and sensors replace. What is the purpose of having something that is suppose to be for safety but it's malfunctioning. Therefore I have airbags that are not going to protect anyone in the course of an accident. This is also a common problem with BMW. This is not an age of car item because I had less than 40,000 miles when the indicator came on.
While driving on interstate 95 in philadelphia Pennsylvania just North of the airport my vehicle simply shut off in post game rush hour traffic. The engine stopped running and the power steering and power brakes failed. It was nothing short of a miracle that me and my son were not harmed and that we were able to muscle to car off the road. This car had 66,000 miles on the odometer and according to BMW, after my call, was not part of the 2008 X5's voluntary recall for this model year with normally aspirated in-line 6 cylinder engines to replace the low- pressure fuel pumps. Interestingly, in the BMW press release dated October 26, 2010 - 1130 am edt they stated that they had notified the ntsba that these pumps fail on my make and model of which they recalled 20,800 cars, the engine will stop running and the driver will lose power assist for the steering and brakes. Wow, at 50 mph on a super highway that was a nightmare and extremely dangerous.
On a recent ride home from vacation (summer 2014), my family and I had to endure our 2008 BMW X5 stalled out and slowed to about 30 mph on interstate 95. There were no warnings of a potential problem or any upcoming maintenance needed. The information screen stated cruise control/engine malfunction. We were extremely surprised, overly alarmed and frightened as this was a dangerous and unsafe event. We were not using and have never used the cruise control. My family was scared of this unsafe ordeal but thank god, no one was injured. After researching these conditions, we found this similar incident occur to many other X5 BMW owners and date back as far as 2001. This throttle body defect is a safety issue and can cause bodily harm or death. If this car decreases in power, especially on an interstate, serious and deadly accidents can occur. Quite interesting is that this same diagnosis was identified with previous owners who've only owned their vehicles less than a year. Research shows this condition has been an issue for the past 10 years and BMW has not acknowledged, recalled and corrected the problem. My 2008 BMW X5 has about 52,000 and receive regular maintenance on time and as required. More important, the day before the incident we checked the vehicle system check and all systems were "ok." And two days later, the car shut down with no warning. My car was taken to northwest BMW in owings mills who diagnosed the problem as a throttle body defect.
The 2008 X5 3.0L started to sound like a jet engine with the super loud fan noise. I thought the car was going to blow up. Took the car in for repair, and luckily the engine hadn't overheated yet. They found that the water pump was faulty, which caused the wiring to burn out, and observed oil leakage near engine. If I had driven the car any more, it would have caused significant damage to the engine of the vehicle. BMW service center told me that I have to replace the water pump, thermostat, and other parts including gasket something. Thank you.
- Centreville, VA, USA
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My BMW occasionally stalls at a low speed after a brake or in a turn. The engine is quietly off and the engine light is on. When I restart the engine, the engine light is off and it drives normal. It looks like a minor problem, but can be hazardous. At one time, my car stalled after I made a brake and started to turn. Suddenly I feel the steer wheel is locked and I lost some brake force. I almost crashed into the brick fence at the side of the road. It was really scary. I think it could be even more dangerous if it happen in certain circumstances, for example, brake before entering a highway, slow turning on a bridge. I've sent my car to the dealer and they traced no error and problems, and ask me to drive until the problem become more obvious. I wouldn't do this because with this problem the car may become a killing machine for myself and other people on the road. I do hope you can help me to contact BMW to find a solution.
When I was driving around 30 mph and about to merge onto the highway, an orange warning sign came up that the engine was overheating and then immediately afterward a red sign came up stating that the engine was overheated and I could hear the loud noise from the fan. Immediately after that the vehicle stalled and I had to pull over to the shoulder. I waited for about 15 min. And when I restarted the vehicle, the fan was still loud and the red engine overheated sign came up again. I then had the vehicle towed to a repair facility. They diagnosed the issue as a defective electric water pump and said that the water pump and thermostat need to be replaced. The estimate for repair including parts and labor is around $1700. The vehicle is beyond the 4 year, 50000 miles warranty and apparently there are no recalls for this issue. Searching the internet, I am seeing numerous complaints from 2008 BMW X5 owners who experienced this exact same issue and had the same diagnosis. This is a very serious safety issue - when driving on a busy highway and suddenly losing all power in the vehicle, very few drivers would be lucky enough to pull over safely and avoid a serious accident. I request that the NHTSA consider this serious safety issue from a recall perspective due to the potential harm it can do to the lives of motorists who may not be lucky enough to avoid a serious crash. I believe the manufacturer should be held accountable for the basic safety of the vehicle. They should the needful to help owners fix the issue proactively, before it causes harm to more motorists.
I was driving home from store when the coolant fan came on and would not go off. Display stated that the engine was over heating and if it continues take it in for service. The next morning I turned on the car and the same thing happened and was told not to drive the car because could damage the engine. Had the car towed and was told that it was the radiator. Was told that BMW resigned the radiator there for the hoses had to be done over. There was never any other indication prior to this. Was on my way driving out of town. Looked online and it appears that this is a common problem. This should not be happening with only 46,000 miles on the car. I have been the original owner.
While driving at 35 mph a loud noise started coming from engine compartment, sounded as if the fan was running at warp speed. A few miles later a warning came on stating engine was running hot, I pulled off to the side of the road and allowed it to cool down. After it cooled down I drove 2 more miles to my office and called a tow truck to send to BMW dealership. BMW informed me the electric water pump went out and need replacement at a cost of $1400. Internet shows 38,000 recalls of X-5 for water pump problem but just my luck my car is excluded. I am waiting on a response from BMW usa regarding my request to have issue covered. My vehicle has only 40,000 miles and we have already replaced the fuel pump, the fuel pump relay and now the water pump. This car was over $70,000 when purchased and you would think they would stand behind their product.
I was driving my car under normal conditions, around 40mph and all of a sudden I started to loose the power to my car to the point that it shut down in the middle of the road. I called my husband and there was nothing we could do to start the car to move it to the side. It had to be towed to the dealership to reset some electronics and was told its a safety issue on the car. I asked them to explain to me what would happen if I was on the New Jersey turnpike or staten island expressway or route 17 in NJ what would happen. No explanation well I can explain it. I would probably be rear ended and cause a pile up. I think this needs to be looked into. I wonder how many times this has happened and the accidents it has caused.
Car was driven at 25 mph. Stopped at destination for approx 10 min. When restarted made loud blower sound but kept driving at 25 mph. After about 10-15 secs, message came that " engine is overheated and drive at moderate speeds". in about 10 secs after that, message changed to " engine overheated, stop to let it cool down". stopped immediately. Called an independent mechanic who advised hat car be towed to their garage problem has still not been diagnosed. Car is very well maintained.
On February 15, 2014 at approximately 10:00 am, my 2008 X5 3.0si had an overheating engine problem in the middle of a blizzard-like conditions in the mountains of North Carolina where my family and I were vacationing. This was a very unsafe situation for me, my wife and three young children who were accompanying me. The car entered into a "safe mode", slowed down to almost a complete halt, just with enough time for me to pull off to the side of a steep mountain road in the middle of freezing temperatures. Then I had to try to find a safe way out of this situation. We had to stay in the car for several hours trying to keep warm until I could get a towing service to take the car back to the closest BMW service center (85 miles away) and find a car rental so I could get my family to a safe place (I.e. home, 115 miles away). The service center fixed my car at a cost of $1,400, and they traced the problem back to an electric water pump failure. This is extremely frustrating because the vehicle had manufacturer`S warranty until barely three months ago, and this expensive and vital engine part fails conveniently soon afterwards. This electric water pump ought to have a life expectancy of more than 6 years/69,000 miles. In short, my family and I were put in a dangerous situation, and I had to spend more than $1,800 (including towing and car rental charges) out of my pocket because of a notoriously bad BMW part (the subject of numerous recalls and technical service bulletins in other BMW X5S).
The contact owns a 2008 bwi X5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The failure was recurring. In addition, the contact stated that the when accelerating, the vehicle would resist and feel as if it was attempting to stall. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the mechanic diagnosed that the exhaust senor and fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000. Updated 3/28/14 the consumer stated the first incident happened in August 2013, with no warning on the highway. It was determined the water pump failed. Updated 04/22/14
I was driving on the highway at 65mph suddenly the vehicle display the message that the engine temperature was too hot and advise me to pull over. Within 2 seconds, the car slow itself down in the middle of traffic despite my foot was pressing on the gas pedal. I had to immediately pull over to the shoulder to get out of traffic. I had the car towed to the BMW and it turn out the water pump had stop pumping water to the engine, causing it to overheat. BMW charged me $1200 to fix it bit I feel like there should be a recall for this issue since a quick internet search reveal numerous people who have the exact same problem as mine. I also found out that BMW did issue a recall for the same year and model as mine but only on the less popular, bigger engine version.
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X5. The contact stated the windshield wipers continued to move while the engine was off, and the vehicle also stalled without warning. The dealer reset the main computer, removed the dashboard and replaced the windshield relay module; however, the repairs did not correct the failures; therefore, the dealer advised there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage were 91,000. Updated 10/31/13
This morning when I started the vehicle I noticed a loud sound coming from the bottom of the engine near the pulleys. It sounded if though something was coming a loose. When I got out to check it the sound cleared or toned down. It sounded like it was coming from the water pump. While traveling on the freeway a low coolant light came on. I pulled off and checked the coolant level and it was in between low and max. I filled the coolant level up to max. The low coolant light remained on after parking it for two hours. I'm taking it to the dealer in the morning to see if its what I think it is, ( the water pump ). there should be a recall on this issue, I've read too many complaints. Can anybody help me with any updated info on this?
Was driving about 65 miles when the warning light came engine malfunction notification, engine overheated... to drive moderately. I pulled over waited a few minutes and drove off again. 5 minutes later light comes back up and says engine overheated stop...call for service. Car now in shop.
While driving the vehicle at apx 65 mph, check engine light came on, red indicator light came on, and engine overheating notification displayed. Vehicle slowed to 20mph and would not drive. After sitting for 20 minutes, attempted to restart vehicle, overheating message still present. Vehicle was towed to shop, where diagnosed with faulty water pump. Called BMW to notify them of the problem, and mentioned recall 11V521000 - offered no assistance. Incident happened at apx 60K miles.
2008 BMW X5 with 49K miles was traveling at 65 mph on freeway when yellow engine overheat warning came on along with instruction to drive moderately. After 20 seconds, red alert came on indicating engine overheated and car stalled to 20 mph on busy freeway. The car was stopped on side of freeway and allowed to cool down for 10 minutes. When car was restarted, same warnings came on, and car had to be stopped. The breakdown cause was diagnosed to a failed water pump.
Will in the middle lane of 3 lanes of traffic, the yellow engine overheat light appeared. Within a few minutes that yellow light turned to red engine overheat, turn off the vehicle to cool down. I did my best to exit the highway and pull over without causing an accident. I waited nearly 2 hours before I could get towed off to the side of the highway. I had the vehicle diagnosed and the BMW of austin dealership advised I will need a water pump replaced to the tune of $766!! since my car has over 50K miles, I am outside the warranty. I know there was a recall for the 2010-2011 V8 version of the same car I have for the same faulty part--electric water pump. I believe this same failure affects my 2008 4.8I X5 sav. Please do something to help those of us who have put our lives at risk on highways with this sudden water pump failures.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Mesa, AZ, USA