2015 BMW X5 Electrical Problems

The contact owns a 2015 BMW X5. The contact stated that the water pump remained running while the vehicle was turned off, causing the battery to drain. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the thermostat, hoses, and water pump were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted with the water pump continuously running while the vehicle was turned off. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

NHTSA ID

11641132

Incident

Dec 31, 2024

Mileage

95,000 mi

The contact owns a 2015 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing battery drainage. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery was replaced twice; however, the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact that the auxiliary water pump was continuously running after turning off the vehicle. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with parasitic battery draw due to the auxiliary water pump malfunction. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.

NHTSA ID

11640470

Incident

Jan 20, 2025

Mileage

123,000 mi

Drove car after it sat for a few days. Got about a mile from my home and thought I smelled some smoke. Rolled down windows to make sure it was not outside (was in rural area). It was not. Went another mile and pulled over. Seemed to be a small amount of smoke coming out near vent and near seatbelt uprights near door. Looked under hood and under car and saw nothing. Opened sunroof to determine if there was more smoke and to clear the air. It looked like there was a small amount of smoke coming out where the sunroof opened. NOTE: It was hot out and I had put A/C on max. I let car sit a few minutes (was running) and seemed like issue might be gone. Decided best course of action was to drive it the few miles back home and maybe get it towed. Started back toward home and now there was definitely noticeable smoke. Also started to get odd messages on the dash and operator interface. Pulled over immediately and turned off. Smoke seemingly coming from the body of the car (like in the doors, in gaps in the sunroof, through the seatbelt holders, etc.) Definitely seemed as though a blower motor, window motor or some other device overheated. There was the smell of plastic/rubber burning. Went behind the car and opened the tail. I lifted the mat in the back and it seemed hot. Then could see red/yellow through a gap. Not sure if flames or something hot. Decided to grab important items and call 911. Car was in flames with seconds. Car was a complete loss. No doubt in my mind that it was electrical. Was not engine, transmission or exhaust related.

NHTSA ID

11423712

Incident

Jul 5, 2021

HEADS UP DISPLAY STOPPED FUNCTIONING. ODB CODE LED TO BMW TECHNICAL BULLETIN SI B62 05 16. THIS WAS A KNOWN SOFTWARE CORRUPTION THAT REQUIRES SOFTWARE UPDATE. DEALER REFUSES TO UPDATE SOFTWARE WITHOUT CHARGING THREE HOURS LABOR ($150/HR). BMW WILL NOT RESPOND TO MY COMPLAINT.

NHTSA ID

11389971

Incident

Sep 4, 2020

Mileage

50,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WHEN I SMELLED SMOKE AND WITHIN SECONDS THE BACK OF MY CAR WAS ENGULFED IN BLACK SMOKE. I WAS ABLE TO GET IN THE BREAKDOWN LANE AND OPEN THE TRUNK WHERE I SAW A FIRE IN THE TRUNK. I SHUT THE TRUNK AND RAN AND THE CAR BLEW UP TWO TIMES. 4 MONTHS PREVIOUS TO THIS THE LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP CHANGED MY BATTERY WHICH IS IN THE BACK AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED IT WAS PROBABLY SOMETHING ELECTRICAL WITH THE BATTERY (IN THE TRUNK) THAT STARTED THE FIRE. IT APPEARS THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS WITH THIS SORT OF ISSUE, NOT SO MUCH AS WHEN DRIVING, BUT I THINK MAYBE MY CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THERE WAS ALMOST NOTHING LEFT TO THE CAR, THAT IS HOW QUICK THE FIRE HAPPENED. *TR

NHTSA ID

11328204

Incident

Jun 2, 2020

Mileage

55,000 mi

BACK UP CAMERA DISPLAYS BLACK SCREEN WHEN IN REVERSE. THIS IS UNSAFE AND I CAN NOT SEE WHILE IN REVERSING! *TR

NHTSA ID

11325448

Incident

Feb 8, 2020

Mileage

55,000 mi

MY WIFE STARTED THE CAR (STATIONARY IN HOME DRIVEWAY) AND A CONTINUOUS BUZZING SOUND (ALARM?) FROM THE REAR HATCHBACK DOOR STARTED. REAR HATCHBACK DOOR WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY OPEN OR CLOSE. WE HAD TO MANUALLY OPEN THE DOOR. UPON INVESTIGATION, WE FOUND SEVERAL INCHES OF WATER IN THE REAR PASSENGER COMPARTMENT BELOW THE CAR FUSE PANEL. ELECTRIC COMPONENTS AND INSULATION WERE WET/SUBMERGED IN WATER. SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT DEALER SAID THE SUNROOF DRAINS WERE CLOGGED AND WOULD NEED TO REPLACE COMPONENTS AT MY EXPENSE. CAR IS SERVICE AND MAINTAINED BY DEALER AND CURRENTLY UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY AND SERVICE PLAN. CAR DEALER SAID IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. NOTHING IS THE CAR MANUAL DISCUSSES THE NEED TO INSPECT OR CLEAN SUNROOF DRAINS. SHOULDN'T THIS ELECTRIC COMPARTMENT AND RELATED COMPONENTS SHOULD BE SEALED FROM WATER RELATED ISSUES. *TR

NHTSA ID

11323337

Incident

May 1, 2020

Mileage

79,000 mi

CARPERT FRONT TO BACK IS FULL OF WATER AND MOLD AND WATER IS GROWING EVERY DAY IT RAIN AND BMW WANT TO CHARGE ME TO FIX THIS HORRIBLE DEFECT. I AM VERY SCARE TO DRIVE MY CAR IN THESE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY WITH THREE KIDS. PLEASE COME AND SEE IT FOR YOUR SELF

NHTSA ID

11322094

Incident

Feb 15, 2020

GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS [XXX]. I AM THE NEW PURCHASER OF A 2015 BMW 35I X5. I RECENTLY GOT THE SUV AT BOCH TOYOTA IN ATTLEBORO MA ON FEB 8 2020. THE SALESMEN STATED HE COULDN'T REALLY TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THE SUVS FEATURES, BECAUSE HE ONLY KNOWS ABOUT TOYOTAS. THE SUV I WAS INTERESTED IN, JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE THE BMW X5 THAT WAS THERE. I LOOKED OVER EVERYTHING AS FAR AS THE LITTLE KNOWLEDGE I HAVE ABOUT THE FUNCTIONING FEATURES OF THE SUV AND CAME ACROSS AN ISSUE WITH THE BACK UP CAMERA IMAGE NOT APPEARING WHEN U SHIFT THE CAR INTO REVERSE. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE NEW WAY THE IMAGES APPEARS, WITH JUST THE CAR POPS UP BUT THE IMAGES OF THE ACTUAL SURROUNDINGS BEHIND SHOWS JUST A BLACK SCREEN. I ASKED TOYOTA IF THEY CAN HELP ME FIND FIX THIS PROBLEM, AS I JUST GOT THE TRUCK AND WITHOUT KNOWING THE REVERSE CAMERA JUST SO HAPPEN NOT TO WORK, I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED IT. THIS OF COURSES WAS AFTER I SIGNED ALL MY PAPER WORK FOR PURCHASE OF THE SUV. I ONLY HAVE A 60 DAY LEMON LAW WARRANTY LEFT NARROWING MY CHANCES TO GETTING THIS FIXED WITHOUT PAYING OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES. I WAS VERY POLITE TO THEM AND THEY STARTED TO ATTACK ME. THEY SAID THAT I CAN USE MY BODY TO TURN AROUND AND LOOK WHILE REVERSING AND THAT U DO NOT FAIL A SAFETY INSPECTION FOR THE BACKUP CAMERA. WELL THAT IS BESIDE THE POINT. YOU BUY A TRUCK THAT IS REALLY NOT THAT MUCH OLD, YOU WOULD THINK THE BACKUP CAMERA SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND IT COMES WITH THE SUV FOR A REASON. I FEEL LIKE I'M THE ONLY DUMMY THAT PICKED ONE NOT REALIZING IT NEVER WORKED. SINCE THEY WONT EVEN BUDGE AT TRYING TO HELP FIX THIS ISSUE, I HAVE BEEN CALLING PLACES AND GOOGLING AROUND MY OPTIONS BEFORE THE NEXT 30 DAYS IS OVER, THEN I WILL BE STUCK WITH A BLACK BACK UP CAMERA IMAGE. I HAVE SEEN THE RECALLS FOR EVEN THE NEW BMW TRUCKS WITH THE SAME ISSUE THE BACKUP CAMERA IMAGE STAYS STUCK. I DON'T WANT TO CAUSE A ACCIDENT INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

11316212

Incident

Feb 8, 2020

Mileage

53,000 mi

THE VEHICLE STARTED TO COLLECT WATER WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE IN THE CAR. IT WAS ONLY UNTIL A UNNOTICEABLE NOISE CAME FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. I INSPECTED IT AND THE REAR AREA WAS SOAKED WITH WATER. SO BMW THINKS IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO STORE ALOT OF ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT IN THE REAR WERE THE WATER WAS. THEY FIRST CLAIMED THAT IT WAS POSSIBLY CLOGGED DRAINS AND THAT IF THEY WERE CLOGGED, THAT NOTHING WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS "AN OUTSIDE FORCE". AFTER THE INSPECTION, THEY TELL ME THAT A LEAK WAS DISCOVERED AND THAT IT WAS FIXED. BUT NOTHING WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE WATER GOT INTO THE CAR. THEY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OLDER MODELS AND DUE TO IT BEING A BAD DESIGN OF THE CAR, REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT WAS THEIR PROBLEM. I READ THAT THERE WAS A SETTLEMENT BACK IN 2010 AREA AND THAT THEY WERE FOUND LIABLE. THE CAR HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE THEN AND THEY ARE STILL USING THE FLAWED CAR DESIGN IN THE X5. I WAS TOLD THAT TO AVOID FURTHER LEAKS, THAT I SHOULD NOT PARK IT ANYWHERE NEAR TREES OR BUSHES AND PREFERABLY INSIDE. A CAR IN THE 21ST CENTURY SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE KEPT INSIDE TO PREVENT LEAKS FROM OCCURRING. A LOT OF PEOPLE DONT HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO KEEP THEIR CAR IN A GARAGE 24/7. SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO USE THEIR CARS ON A DAILY BASIS.

NHTSA ID

11290061

Incident

Dec 6, 2019

Mileage

35,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON THE I-15 SOUTH NEAR CAMINO DEL NORTE, MY CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE CAME FROM THE INSIDE, BACK, DRIVERS SIDE FROM THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS! AS I ENTERED THE 15 A FEW MILES BEFORE, I NOTICED ALL OF THE PRESET STATIONS WEREN'T WORKING AND THEN THE CAR GAVE AN AIR BAG WARNING. AFTER THE AIRBAG WARNING, THERE WAS A PARKING BRAKE WARNING. THAT IS WHEN I PULLED OVER, GRABBED MY PURSE, AND NOTICED THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. I CALLED 9-1-1.THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND PUT THE FIRE OUT.

NHTSA ID

11191544

Incident

Jan 15, 2019

Mileage

3 mi

VEHICLE CONTINUES TO THROW ITSELF INTO PARK WHILE DRIVING AND INTERNIENTKY SHUTS OFF AFTER TWO WEEKS OF PURCHASING VEHICLE PROBLEMS DEVELOPED

NHTSA ID

11140275

Incident

Sep 17, 2018