2012 BMW X5 M Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2012 BMW X5 M, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine266.7%
- Electrical133.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
CAR HAS 62000KMS, FULLY SERVICED AT DEALER ONLY! ENGINE RUMBLED TO A HALT WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. SEVERAL PEOPLE REPORTING SAME ISSUE. DEALER CLAIMS SEIZED ENGINE/TIMING CHAIN. THESE SAME MODEL CARS WITH THE N63 ENGINES HAVE A RECALL, THIS MODEL HAS A TURBO ATTACHED FROM FACTORY AND WASNT INCLUDED IN RECALL BUT HAS EXACT SAME ISSUE AS THE N63 ENGINES
"ELECTRIC AUXILIARY WATER PUMP FOR TURBOCHARGER RECALL" AFTER I'VE SHUT THE ENGINE OFF THERE IS A LOUD GURGLING, BUBBLING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD. OVER THE PAST 7 WEEKS THE NOISE HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE. A LOCAL BMW MECHANIC EXPLAINED IT IS AN AUXILIARY WATER PUMP FOR THE TURBOS. I WENT TO MY LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD RECALLS ARE VINN# SPECIFIC AND I WOULD HAVE TO GET THIS FIXED ON MY OWN. I LOOKED UP RECALLS FOR 2012 X5M AND SOME CARS DO HAVE THIS SAFETY RECALL LISTED. HOW CAN TWO SIMILAR VINN# NOT HAVE THE SAME RELATED SAFETY ISSUES? [XXX] (MY CAR) NO RECALL [XXX] (SIMILAR CAR) RECALL NUMBER 18V248000 HAS ELECTRIC AUXILIARY WATER PUMP FOR TURBOCHARGER RECALL HTTPS://WWW.BMWUSA.COM/SAFETY-AND-EMISSION-RECALLS.HTML#LK27310 HTTPS://WWW.BMWUSA.COM/SAFETY-AND-EMISSION-RECALLS.HTML#LK27761 THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER. ?CONSEQUENCE: IF THE CIRCUIT BOARD WERE TO OVERHEAT, IT CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF A FIRE. WHAT OWNERS SHOULD DO: NOTE: BMW RECOMMENDS THAT OWNERS PARK THEIR VEHICLE OUTDOORS UNTIL THE RECALL REMEDY HAS BEEN PERFORMED? HTTPS://WWW.CARS.COM/RECALLS/BMW-X5_M-2012/ THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS DRIVING MY 2012 X5 WHEN AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION- REDUCED POWER CAME UP, SINCE THE VEHICLE STARTED OVERHEATING I IMMEDIATELY STOP AND CALL A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE BEARS BMW, AFTER THE DEALER MADE ME CHANGE THE IVM AND THE DME IT CAME BACK TO A WATER PUMP MALFUNCTION THAT WAS CREATING THE CAR TO NOT WORK PROPERLY. AS SOON AS I CHANGE THE WATER PUMP, THE VEHICLE STARTED WORKING PERFECTLY, HOWEVER, I JUST NOTICED THERE'S A RECALL FOR THE WATER PUMP ON THE 2012 BMW X5. I PAID OVER $3,000 ON REPLACING PARTS THAT WE'RE NOT DAMAGED AND THE WATER PUMP WAS A RECALL. WHO WOULD REIMBURSE THE CHARGES OF MY REPAIR WHEN THIS WAS A RECALL AND I JUST GOT IT FIXED LESS THAN A WEEK AGO. SINCERELY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .