RoadVitals

2001 BMW X5 Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Aug 10, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
7%
of 160 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 BMW X5 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Transmission
Filed Aug 10, 2010

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW X5. AFTER SHIFTING THE VEHICLE INTO PARK THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAIL SAFE CODE HAD APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 01V196000 POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: PARK/NEUTRAL START SWITCH. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 164000.

NHTSA ID
10348428
Incident
Jan 19, 2010
Mileage
155,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 14, 2009

I BOUGHT MY 2001 BMW X5 LAST SATURDAY... 7 DAYS LATER, I GOT THE NO REVERSE PROBLEM THAT I AM NOW HEARING IS TYPICAL IN BMWS. IT JUST WENT OUT. LUCKILY THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM WAS NICE ENOUGH TO TAKE THE CAR BACK. THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO AS IT WAS USED. OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT $5,000. THIS CAR HAD 107K MILES ON IT. BMW NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM AND CORRECT IT AT THEIR EXPENSE. THIS IS WRONG. *TR

NHTSA ID
10265338
Incident
Apr 14, 2009
Mileage
107,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 9, 2009

I OWN A 2001 BMW X5. THE CAR IS IN WORKING CONDITION, REPAIRED AND MAINTAINED AS NEEDED. THE AUTOMOBILE NO LONGER GOES IN REVERSE AT 91,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REBUILT. I HEAR THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH BMW'S. I WAS TOLD THAT IT IS THE ZF5HP19 OR STEPTRONIC TRANSMISSION. IT IS A FAILURE OF THE D-G CLUTCH DRUM. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD FOR THE PERSON DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND FOR EVERYONE AROUND THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10264789
Incident
Mar 28, 2009
Mileage
91,265 mi
Transmission
Filed Mar 25, 2009

2001 BMW X5 TRANSMISSION FAILURE. NO REVERSE, JUST WENT OUT NO WARNING, AT LOW MILEAGE, FOUND THIS WAS COMMON TO COMMON ALSO FOUND OUT REPAIR PARTS ARE UPGRADED BY BMW, BUT BMW WONT ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THEIR ARE PAGE AFTER PAGE OR REPORTS, BMW ALSO WILL NOT PAY FOR REPAIR, AVERAGE ESTIMATE IS $4500.00. IF BMW DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE INFERIOR PART, THEN WHY DID THEY UPGRADE THE REPAIR PART, MY VEHICLE IS DOWN NOW BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO FUND THIS REPAIR, I HAVE A NINE YEAR OLD AND AN EIGHTY FOUR YEAR OLD DEPENDING ON THIS TRANSPORTATION, AND DUE TO THE DEATH OF MY MOTHER ON THE 03/09/2009 AND HAVING TO MOVE MY FATHER FROM OKLAHOMA TO CALIFORNIA MY MONEY IS IN A NEGATIVE, THIS FAILURE HAS REALLY PLACE A HARDSHIP ON US. *TR

NHTSA ID
10263099
Incident
Mar 23, 2009
Mileage
80,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Dec 26, 2008

2001 BMW X5 4.4L - 80.K MILES (MAINTAINED AS INSTRUCTED BY DEALER) REVERSE HAS GONE OUT. SEEMS NUMEROUS FORUMS REPEAT THE SAME PROBLEMS OVER & OVER AGAIN. BMW &/OR TRANSMISSION SUPPLIER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE AS IT SEEMS THIS HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT. REPAIR COST B/T $$$5-7K. MERRY CHRISTMAS..... *TR

NHTSA ID
10252817
Incident
Dec 24, 2001
Mileage
80,157 mi
Transmission
Filed Dec 18, 2008

2001 BMW X5 4.4 WITH 88,000 MILES. I SHIFTED TO REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF MY PARKING SPOT, AND WHEN I TRIED TO APPLY THE GAS THE ENGINE REVVED BUT THE CAR DID NOT REVERSE. REVERSE WAS LIKE ANOTHER NEUTRAL. TOOK IT INTO LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION AND THEY SAID WE NEED TO REPLACE OUR TRANSMISSION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10252203
Incident
Dec 14, 2008
Mileage
88,570 mi
Transmission
Filed Jul 26, 2007

BMW X5 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED PREMATURELY. THE CAR ONLY HAS 93000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP IN REVERSE AND THE BMW DEALER DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED (ESTIMATED COST $4500). *JB

NHTSA ID
10197549
Incident
Jul 25, 2007
Mileage
93,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jul 27, 2006

WHILE PARKED, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER MOVED INTO THE REVERSE POSITION, BUT THE CAR FAILED TO MOVE WITH THE LEVER IN THAT POSITION. WE CHANGED THE POSITION OF THE SHIFT LEVER SEVERAL TIMES ALWAYS GOING BACK TO REVERSE, BUT THE CAR WOULD NEVER MOVE WHEN IN REVERSE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10163755
Incident
Jun 30, 2006
Mileage
81,500 mi
Transmission
Filed Aug 23, 2002

DSC, BRAKES, ABS, CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ON. VEHICLE LOSES POWER, ENTERS LIMP MODE.

NHTSA ID
766092
Incident
Aug 10, 2002
Transmission
Filed May 28, 2002

TRANSMISSION CHIP KEEPS FAILING, CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO LOOSE FIRST, SECOND THE FIFTH GEARS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER 4 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. *AK *SCC

NHTSA ID
8010523
Incident
Nov 1, 2001
Transmission
Filed Jul 13, 2001

THE VEHICLE LOOSES ALL POWER TO TRANSMISSION AND GOES INTO A NEUTRAL STATE CAUSING SUDDEN STOP ON ACCELERATION, THIS POSES A THREAT WHILE PASSING VEHICLES OR TURNING OUT NOT THE HIGHWAY. NLM

NHTSA ID
892765
Incident
Aug 1, 2000

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .