RoadVitals

2005 BMW X5 Fuel system Problems

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

Data refreshed

Fuel system 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.
8
Latest Feb 24, 2020
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.
10%
of 82 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 fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 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.

Owner reports naming fuel system

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

Fuel systemSuspension
Filed Feb 24, 2020

CAR STARTS TO SHAKE ALMOST UNCONTROLLABLY WHEN GOING AT A HIGH SPEED ON FREEWAY AND NOTICING LEAKS BUT NOT SURE FROM WHERE

NHTSA ID
11311131
Incident
Feb 2, 2020
Mileage
10 mi
ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed Dec 20, 2016

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
Driver assistanceEngineFuel system
Filed Oct 5, 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
EngineFuel systemPowertrain (other)
Filed Jan 18, 2015

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
EngineFuel systemPowertrain (other)
Filed Jan 16, 2014

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
Fuel system
Filed May 4, 2011

I AM REPORTING A DESIGN FLAW WITH BMW AND A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE HAD 2 OIL SEPARATORS GO BAD OVER THE LAST 6 YEARS. THIS ISSUE HAS TO BE ESCALATED FROM A "SERVICE BULLETIN" TO A FULL BLOWN RECALL. I THIS PROBLEM IS NOT ONLY A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT GREATLY DEPRECIATES THE RESALE VALUE OF OUR VEHICLES NOT TO MENTION THE OUT OF POCKET COSTS DUE TO REPAIRS, LOST WAGES, AND TOWING TO MENTION A FEW. NONE OF US IN GOOD CONSCIENCE COULD SELL OUR VEHICLES IN A MIDWEST OR NORTHERN CLIMATE AND PASS THIS PROBLEM ON TO THE NEXT OWNER - WE NEED TO UNITE AND PASS THE PROBLEM BACK TO THE SOURCE: BMW. *TR

NHTSA ID
10399119
Incident
Dec 16, 2009
Mileage
27,260 mi
Fuel system
Filed Aug 18, 2009

I BOUGHT A 2005 BMW X5 THIS MAY. I FEEL DIZZY AND NAUSEA EACH TIME I DRIVE IT AND I DIDN'T KNOW THE REASON UNTIL RECENTLY. I BOUGHT A GAUSS METER TO CHECK COMPUTER EMF IN MY STUDY ROOM RECENTLY. EMF IS SHOWING AS SAFE IN FRONT OF EVERY COMPUTER IN MY STUDY ROOM. TO MY SURPRISE, IT SHOWED AS DANGER AFTER I STARTED MY BMW X5, EVEN AT THE BACK ROW OF THE CAR. I TRIED IT IN ANOTHER CAR I HAVE, IT SHOWED AS SAFE ALSO. SO I THINK THIS IS THE REASON THAT CAUSED THE DIZZINESS AND THE NAUSEA. I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH IT. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANY CAR ACCIDENT DUE TO DIZZINESS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10280836
Incident
May 31, 2009
Mileage
71,000 mi
ElectricalFuel system
Filed Dec 1, 2008

1: WE BOUGHT THIS BMW 2005 X5 IN JUNE 2008 AND BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP IN JUNE 08 FOR ROUTINE FULL ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. UPON COMPLETION OF REPAIRS/DIAGNOSTICS, WHICH TOOK ALMOST A WEEK, DEALERSHIP TOLD US THAT THERE WERE NO ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ISSUES. WITHIN JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER RECEIVING DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE AFTER THE "CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH" FROM THE DEALER, THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE MORNING RIGHT BEFORE WORK RESULTING IN LOGISTICAL, FINANCIAL, AND SAFETY ISSUES. THE CAR HAD TO BE JUMP STARTED AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY AND WAS BROUGHT UP MULTIPLE TIMES WITH THE DEALER WITHOUT RESOLUTION. WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED, AGAIN RESULTING IN LOGISTICAL, FINANCIAL, AND SAFETY ISSUES AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. OVER THE NEXT WEEK, WE NOTICED ABOUT 16 OTHER ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ISSUES AND BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP. AFTER RECEIVING THE CAR BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIP, WE CONTINUED TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. ABOUT 2 MONTHS LATER, THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN AS THE CAR DIED AGAIN. WITHIN ANOTHER MONTH, THE CAR DIED YET AGAIN! AGAIN, IT WAS THE BATTERY. AGAIN, THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED. 2: THE FAILURE IS, AMONGST MULTIPLE OTHER ISSUES, A CHRONIC BATTERY DRAIN. 3: LAST REPAIR, ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, THE TCU UNIT WAS REPLACED, ALONG WITH THE BATTERY. SO FAR, WE ARE ON OUR 5TH BATTERY IN 4 MONTHS IN A NEWER BMW X5! OUR FUEL GAUGE STILL DOES NOT READ FULL WHEN FULL AND IS INACCURATE. DEALER STATES THAT "THIS IS THE WAY ALL BMWS ARE MADE". *TR

NHTSA ID
10250411
Incident
Nov 11, 2008

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.

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Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .