Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 BMW X5 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
LH - Driver side seat caught fire and melted through seat material and melted onto my coat. there are burn marks / holes through the seat due to the heater malfunction/ short. My coat was also ruined with plastic melted onto it from the seat.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR FAILED TO LOCK WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V318000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000. VIN TOOLS CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
THE SEAT HEATER WAS TURNED ON TO THE HIGHEST SETTING. WHILE DRIVING WITH MY 4-YEAR OLD SON IN THE BACK, I SMELLED SMOKE, THEN SHORTLY AFTER, MY LEFT BUTT CHEEK FELT BURNING. I LOOKED DOWN AND SURE ENOUGH SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF A AN AMBER GLOWING HOLE IN THE LEATHER SEAT. LUCKILY I DIDN'T PANIC... SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE HEATER. I DON'T USE THE HEATER ANYMORE BECAUSE EVEN AT THE LOWEST SETTING IT STARTS SMOKING AGAIN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXTERIOR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LATCH FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS UNLOCKED MANUALLY WITH A SPARE KEY AND THE CONTACT ENTERED THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE DOOR LATCH WAS FRACTURED AND NEEDED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,600.
STARTING SMELLING A BURNING ODOR IN CAR. SHORTLY AFTER, NOTICED (FELT) A "HOT SPOT" ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT SO I TURNED THE HEATER OFF. I HAD THE DEALER LOOK AT THE SEAT - THE RESPONSE WAS THAT THE LEATHER HAD WORN THEREFORE I WAS FEELING A LITTLE MORE WARMTH IN THAT SPOT (AT THE TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN, I MUST HAVE HAD ONLY 40-50,000 MILES ON IT AS I ONLY PUT AN AVERAGE OF 8,000-10,000 MILES PER YEAR ON THE CAR. IT SEEMS RIDICULOUS TO ME THAT THE LEATHER WOULD WEAR THAT MUCH IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME ESPECIALLY SINCE I AM OF SLIGHT BUILD). I ADVISED THAT IT SMELLED LIKE BURNING AND THE SPOT WAS SO HOT THAT IT FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ELECTRICAL. AGAIN, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE HEATER; IT WAS SIMPLY ME FEELING MORE HEAT DUE TO THE THINNING LEATHER. SHORTLY AFTER, SINCE THE DEALER TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE HEATER, I TRIED IT AGAIN. THIS TIME THOUGH, A HOLE ACTUALLY BURNED THROUGH THE LEATHER (ENOUGH THAT I FELT THE BURN). I HAVEN'T USED THE SEAT HEATER SINCE. I'M TOLD THE ENTIRE SEAT BOTTOM MUST BE REPLACED AND THE COST IS ABOUT $2400. THE COST OF THE SEAT IS HIGH AND LABOR IS VERY HIGH SINCE THE ENTIRE SEAT MUST BE TAKEN OUT. *TR
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE OBSERVED SMOKE COMING OUT FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF DRIVER SEAT. SLOWLY FELT THE HEAT SENSATION GROWING STRONGER IN THE AREA. ALMOST IN A PANIC, AND AT GREAT RISK TO MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD, TRIED TO NAVIGATE THROUGH TRAFFIC ON THE BUSY STREET, TO THE RIGHT HAND TURN LANE, WHILE TRYING TO AVOID WHAT WAS OBVIOUSLY GROWING INTO A FIRE IN THE SEAT. HAD TO AVOID SITTING IN THAT AREA OF THE SEAT, WHILE KEEPING THE SEAT BELT ON IN CASE THERE WAS A CRASH. FINALLY MADE IT TO A PARKING LOT AND JUMPED OUT. THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE LEATHER SEAT THAT WAS SMOLDERING. THE SEAT HEATER HAD BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT. TRIED TO FIND SOMETHING TO DOUSE IT OUT WITH BEFORE IT SPREAD TO OTHER PARTS OF THE SEAT. ALSO, DISCOVERED THAT MY PANTS WERE STILL SMOLDERING ON THE REAR LEFT LEG TOWARDS THE HIP AREA. THERE WERE TWO HOLES BURNED INTO THE PANTS FROM CONTACT WITH THE BURNING SEAT. CALLED THE DEALER AND SCHEDULED A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. CALLED BMW NA, WHO SAID THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER SUCH INCIDENTS AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE DIAGNOSIS FROM THE DEALER. THEIR ATTITUDE ALSO SEEMED VERY LAISSEZ-FAIRE ABOUT THE WHOLE THING, SEEMINGLY NOT TO CARE SINCE I WASN'T REPORTING ANY INJURIES. JUST THE FACT THAT MY SEAT WAS ON FIRE AND I BARELY AVOIDED GETTING IN A CRASH AND GETTING BURNED, WHILE MY PANTS ACTUALLY DID GET BURNED! MEANWHILE RESEARCHED THE INCIDENT AND FOUND ONE CASE REPORTED ON THIS VERY NHTSA WEBSITE, SEVERAL OTHERS ON THE X5 ON VARIOUS FORUMS AND A DOCUMENTED RECALL ON THE 5 SERIES FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE SEAT HEATER. NOW BMW WANTS TO COVER ONLY THE COST OF THE PARTS AND NOT EVEN THE LABOR TO GET IT INSTALLED? FORGET ABOUT MY PANTS, OR THE TIME/EFFORT AND STRESS ALL THIS HAS CAUSED, THAT I DIDN'T EVEN ASK TO BE COMPENSATED FOR. NHTSA - WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THE BMW X5 FOR THIS ISSUE AS YET? IS IT NECESSARY TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE IS KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS OR GETS BURNED? *TR
DRIVER SIDE SEAT HEATER MALFUNCTION CAUSING A HOLE TO BURN THROUGH LEATHER AND NEARLY CREATED FIRE. WHEN HEATER IS TURNED ON IT CREATES AN INTENSE AND CONCENTRATED HEAT ON SEAT BOLSTER TOO HOT TO TOUCH. REPLACEMENT FROM DEALER IS OVER $700 AND ITS BEEN REPORTED ON NUMEROUS FORUMS THAT THIS IS A DEFECT. *TR
I OWN A 2003 X5. I LIVE IN NY. WHENEVER THE WEATHER GOES BELOW 20 DEGREES MY DOOR LOCKS FREEZE. I AM ABLE TO PULL OPEN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR, BUT ONCE I GET IN AND TRY TO CLOSE IT THE DOOR SWINGS BACK OPEN. I HAVE PULLED THE DOOR CLOSED AND MANUALLY PUSHED DOWN THE LOCK, BUT WHEN I TRY TO EXIT THE CAR I AM LOCKED IN. THE LOCKS WILL NOT OPEN AND I AM STUCK IN THE CAR UNTIL IT WARMS UP. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES THAT I HAD TO CRAWL OVER TO THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR TO GET OUT. THE WINDOWS WILL NOT GO DOWN AND THE LOCKS WILL NOT ENGAGE. I HAVE TAKEN THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATE THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO. I HAVE HAD TO SIT IN THE CAR OVER 30 MINUTES IN ORDER FOR THE LOCKS TO UNFREEZE SO THAT I CAN EXIT THE CAR. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. MAYBE THE LOCKS CAN HAVE SOME TYPE OF PROTECTIVE MATERIAL PUT ON THEM SO THEY DO NOT SUCCUMB TO FREEZING TEMPERATURES SO EASILY. I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK SPECIFICALLY FOR THE WINTER AND FIND IT TROUBLING THAT THE WINTER IS THE WORST TIME FOR THIS VEHICLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES THIS WINTER SO FAR AND WE ARE ONLY IN FEBRUARY WITH MANY MORE COLD DAYS TO COME. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .