2005 BMW X5 Engine Problems

My father was sitting in his parked car in his driveway and his car caught on fire. A neighbor witnessed it she said it was engulfed in flames within seconds and my father died from smoke inhalation due to the fire. Aberdeen WA police department and fire department examined the vehicle and investigated the cause and determined it started in the vehicle engine. Also the coroner did an autopsy to determine his cause of death. From what I understand there has been numerous similar fires with this model yet it hasn’t been included in any recall. It is unknown to me whether there were any indicator lights on. He had only owned the vehicle for less than a week I believe. I am having the vehicle returned to me now that the police and fire department are finished examining it. As far as I know they are the only ones to have contact with it since the fire.

NHTSA ID

11499056

Incident

Nov 24, 2022

ON JANUARY 10 2019 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN SUDDENLY MY BMW DECIDES TO SHUT OFF ON THE HIGHWAY WITH NO WARNING. MY STEERING WHEEL STIFFENED UP AND I ALMOST CRASHED MY CAR. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT OR NOTHING BLINKING ON THE DASH TO WARN ME OF ANY PROBLEMS. I JUST PAYED OFF MY CAR AND THIS HAPPENS TO ME. ITS BEEN REALLY HARD NOT HAVING A CAR AND NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE MY KIDS TO SCHOOL. I REACHED UT TO NAPLETON KIA AND BMW OF NORTHAMERICA AND THEY DO NOT WANT TO HELP ME.THEY BASICALLY SOLD ME AN UNSAFE CAR WHICH COULD OF KILLED MY FAMILY. MECHANIC BASICALLY SAYS THAT THE MOTOR SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING.AND IT WOULD BE 6000$ TO FIX. IF YOU LOOK ONLINE THERES HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND BMW DOES NOT WANT TO HELP.A TRUE LEMON.

NHTSA ID

11183834

Incident

Jan 10, 2019

Mileage

125,112 mi

I WAS AT A STOP SIGN THEN ACCELERATED ONTO A ROUND-A-BOUT WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS ON THE GAS PEDAL AND THE CAR WAS STILL ON. I TRIED SIGNALING MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS BUT THE WHOLE INSIDE OF THE DASHBOARD WAS GOING ON & OFF NOT LETTING ME SIGNAL ANYTHING. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK & TURNED OFF THE CAR. WHEN I TRIED TURNING IT BACK ON IT WOULD JUST CLICK AND ALL LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON. I WAITED FOR 20 MIN THEN TRIED TO START IT AGAIN & IT DID START BUT THEN SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS DYING OUT AND EVENTUALLY WOULD SHUT OFF, THERE WAS MORE THAN A HALF TANK OF GAS IN THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

10936454

Incident

Dec 16, 2016

Mileage

155,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW X5. WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE, AN ABNORMAL CLICKING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING 20-30 MPH. THE SERVICE ENGINE AND AIR BAG WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT AXLES WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING INDICATORS WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE NOT PROVIDED.

NHTSA ID

10917919

Incident

Sep 30, 2016

THE 2005 X5 BMW V8 HAS GIVEN ME ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS. FROM REPLACING ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, VALVE GASKETS TO FUEL INJECTOR AND IGNITION PROBLEMS. THE CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE STILL ON DRIVE AND SOMETIMES IN MOTION. CAR HAS ALL TYPES OF PROBLEM AND CONTINUES TO DRAIN ME FINANCIALLY

NHTSA ID

10914103

Incident

Sep 3, 2016

Mileage

118,000 mi

ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM, DRIVER SIDE DOOR DAMAGE AND TRANSMISSION FAILURE ISSUES. SOUND OF A KICK IN THE BACK OF THE CAR WHEN STARTING MOTION.

NHTSA ID

10895386

Incident

Jul 22, 2016

Mileage

15 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW X5. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VALVE COVER GASKET WAS LEAKING OIL ONTO THE ENGINE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH THE TIMING CHAIN COVER, ALTERNATOR BRACKET, AND OIL PRESSURE SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000.

NHTSA ID

10862985

Incident

Feb 8, 2014

Mileage

81,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 64,000.

NHTSA ID

10854779

Incident

Apr 4, 2016

Mileage

64,000 mi

EXCESS SMOKING UPON STARTING. ONE WEEK LATER EXCESS SMOKING CONTINUOUSLY ..SO MUCH SMOKE I COULD NOT USE CAR.

NHTSA ID

10721984

Incident

May 4, 2015

Mileage

80,250 mi

ENGINE ICED UP AND HYDRO-LOCKED FROM CONDENSATE. STALLED IN TRAFFIC WITH SLIPPERY ROADS, IN FRONT OF A LOGGING TRUCK. VERY NARROWLY ESCAPED COLLISION. FOUND MANY INCIDENTS OF THIS ON INTERNET AND IT APPEARS THAT BMW HAS ALLOWED THIS TO CONTINUE OVER TIME AND IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING ISSUE. REPAIR SHOP I'M USING HAS DEALT WITH MANY INCIDENTS OF THIS, TOO. USED FOR 17 MILE EACH WAY DAILY COMMUTE SO SHORT TRIP-RELATED PROBLEMS SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10676300

Incident

Jan 15, 2015

Mileage

97,000 mi

ON 1/6/14 I WENT OUTSIDE AND STARTED UP VEHICLE AND LET IT WARM UP FOR A BIT AND THEN I DROVE ABOUT 2MILES AND CAR WAS ACTING FUNNY AS I DROVE IT. IT DIDN'T WANT TO GO SO I GAVE IT SOME GAS AND RPM'S REVVED UP BUT ODOMETER WAS MOVING UP AND DOWN ALL CRAZY. I LEFT VEHICLE CRANKED AS I WENT INTO STORE AND DROVE IT BACK HOME. DIDN'T WANT TO TURN IT OFF IN CASE IT DIDN'T START BACK UP. ON 1/8/14 I WENT OUT AND CRANKED CAR TO WARM UP FOR A MINUTE AND THEN PUT CAR INTO DRIVE AND HEARD A LOUD POP. I THEN PUT CAR BACK INTO PARK. CAR ACTED AS IF IT DIDN'T WANT TO STAY STARTED SO I GAVE IT SOME GAS AND THEN A BUNCH OF SMOKE CAME OUT FROM EXHAUST PIPES. TURNED CAR OFF AND LET ALL SMOKE CLEAR AND TRIED TO RESTART CAR BUT IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. HAD CAR TOWED TO IMPORT SPECIALTY AND 2 DAYS LATER THEY INFORMED ME THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH MAKE & MODEL THAT THE DIAPHRAGM BUST AND THE TCC VALVE BREAKS AND THROWS OIL EVERYWHERE. THANK GOODNESS I BOUGHT A EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT COVERS POWER TRAIN BUT NOT THIS ISSUE $1,725.00 ON THE LOW SIDE TO JUST CLEAN OIL OUT AND THEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK FURTHER INTO CAR TO SEE IF ENGINE IS SALVAGEABLE OR NOT. I AM IN A RENTAL CAR PAYING FOR THAT, REPAIRS TO START ARE JUST $1.725.00 PLUS.... CAR PAYMENT. WE DON'T KNOW IF WARRANTY WILL COVER THIS AFTER THEY FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED PER MGR AT IMPORT SPECIALTY. I HAVE CALLED BMW NASHVILLE FOR GOODWILL ASSISTANCE BECAUSE OF YEAR OF CAR PER [XXX] THEY CAN'T HELP. THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE WITH THIS CAR AND BMW NEEDS TO REIMBURSE CONSUMERS WHO HAVE HAD TO SHELL OUT MONIES TO FIX THIS ISSUE AND OTHER REPAIRS BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10560314

Incident

Jan 8, 2014

Mileage

83,500 mi

I BOUGHT THIS SUV LAST WEEK FOR MY KIDS TO DRIVE AFTER RESEARCHING AND TEST-DRIVING VARIOUS MAKES AND MODELS FOR MONTHS: BMW X5 4,4I, MERCEDES ML430, PORSCHE CAYENNE, AND JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE BMW WON IN THE END BECAUSE I HAVE HAD SEVERAL 3-SERIES WITH 200,000K ON IT THAT RUN LIKE NEW. THE PREVIOUS OWNER ASSURED ME THAT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS SUV AND SOLD IT TO ME IN AS-IS EXCELLENT CONDITION. SHE ALSO ASSURED ME THAT IT HAD BEEN SERVICED BY A BMW DEALER WITH A FULL INSPECTION ON JUNE 13, 2013. I ALSO HAD IT INSPECTED BY AN INDY MECHANIC. TWO DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT IT IT STARTED BLOWING CLOUDS OF BLUE SMOKE ON ACCELERATION, INTERMITTENTLY. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE SELLER WHO TOLD ME THAT SHE HAD MENTIONED THIS TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP DURING THE JUNE 13, 2013 INSPECTION, AND THAT THEY COULD NOT DETECT OR ISOLATE THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM BUT, THEY TOLD HER THAT IT WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. I THEN CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP TO PULL THE SERVICE RECORDS WHICH VERIFY THIS TO BE TRUE. UPON RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ONLINE, I FOUND SEVERAL TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ABOUT IT (PCV, CCV FOR THE N62 ENGINE AND OSV FOR THE M54 ENGINE) AS WELL AS HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FROM CONSUMERS - EVERYTHING FROM BLOWING SMOKE TO BLOWN ENGINES RELATED TO THESE PRESSURE RELEASE VALVES. HOW CAN A DEALER NOT KNOW TO CHECK THE PRESSURE RELEASE VALVE WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH CONSUMER HISTORY AND TECHNICAL LITERATURE ON IT??? THIS JUST BLOWS MY MIND!!! I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE HAD I KNOWN ABOUT ITS PRE-EXITING CONDITION BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE RESEARCHED IT AND BEEN SCARED OFF BY THE DEGREE TO WHICH PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AFFECTED / HURT BY IT! THIS IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW. WHAT WILL IS TAKE FOR BMW TO GET ITS #$&* TOGETHER AND RECALL VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THESE M54 AND N62 ENGINES! *TR

NHTSA ID

10524292

Incident

Jul 5, 2013

Mileage

90,000 mi

I JUST GOT MY X5 OUT OF THE SHOP TWO WEEKS AGO DUE TO A ENGINE OIL LEAK WHICH COST 1700 TO REPAIR AND NOW THE BRAKE BOOSTER SYSTEM HAS WENT OUT WHICH IS ANOTHER 1200 TO REPAIR. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD TWO RECALLS FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM HOWEVER THE 2005 WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL THE FIRST RECALL WAS FOR 2000-2002 AND THE SECOND RECALL WHICH WAS JUST IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR WAS FOR 2007-2010 OBVIOUSLY THE FIX DID NOT WORK AND THEY NEED TO INCLUDE ALL VEHICLES FROM 2000 UNTIL 2010. WHEN I CALLED BMW ALL THE GIRL ON THE PHONE COULD SAY IS YOUR X5 WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10519479

Incident

Jun 5, 2013

Mileage

140,000 mi

STARTED MY BMW X5 YEAR 2005 (NOW WITH 59,500 MILES)IN COLD WEATHER (MILWAUKEE, WI). UPON ACCELERATION ON EXPRESSWAY RAMP A LARGE CLOUD OF WHITE SMOKE BLEW OUT TAILPIPES. THIS OCCURRED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS RECENTLY. PRIOR TO THIS, IN FEBRUARY 2010 (WITH 50,000 MILES), OIL SEPARATOR WAS REPLACED FOR $ 2000 COST. THIS TIME DEALER REPLACED THE SAME PARTS AND SYSTEM AT NO CHARGE. SAME PART FAILED TWICE IN ONE YEAR, IN A SPAN OF 10,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10390249

Incident

Mar 10, 2011

Mileage

59,460 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHUTTER AND THEN IT SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT SHE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE CRANKCASE VENT/OIL SEPARATOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED HER A DISCOUNT ON THE PARTS AND FOR THE LABOR. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000. UPDATED 03/28/12*LJ UPDATED 05/10/12

NHTSA ID

10379347

Incident

Jan 24, 2011

Mileage

70,000 mi

OIL SEPARATOR-COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE- BMW 2005 X5

NHTSA ID

10374425

Incident

Dec 30, 2010

Mileage

83,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE OIL SEPARATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 83,000. UPDATED 02/10/11 *BF UPDATED 04/21/11

NHTSA ID

10373855

Incident

Dec 29, 2010

Mileage

83,000 mi