Recalls
Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.
No recalls on record for this model
No safety recalls were found in this dataset. It is still worth entering the exact VIN on NHTSA before purchase, since recalls can be added at any time.
Owner complaints by system
Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.
Engine & powertrain
170
Most reports here involve sudden stalling. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 3 mention an injury.
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There's currently an open recall for a number of BMW engines involving aluminum bolts in the vanos assembly that shear, strip, and break off completely. The open recall is somehow excluding some vehicles with the same exact problem like my 2011 BMW X5 xdrive35i N55 E70 with the inline 6. Currently my vanos bolts are already sheared off and sitting in my oil pan. My vehicle started misfiring and acting strange while I was traveling at 75mph, luckily I made it into a gas station and had to have it towed from there because it wouldn't start again and hasn't since. BMW knows about these hazardous bolts and chose to not repair some of them directly endangering drivers and their families. My local BMW dealership won't even confirm that the bolts in my oil pan are the vanos bolts even after I showed them photographic evidence which I still have. I've spoken with BMW North America and they said I need to get it confirmed by my local dealership, so where dies that leave me? Here...over $8,000 in damage/loss from an obvious manufacturer error that THEY ARE AWARE OF!
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11736796 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
Electrical & infotainment
19
Most reports here involve electrical shorts.
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The comfort access door handle, got so hot it started to melt the plastic exterior handle and produce a lot of smoke would have caught fire if i didn't turn off car and disconnect electrical signal to the cas handle
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11675041 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
Brakes
7
Most reports here involve loss of braking. Of these, 1 mention a crash.
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DRIVING THE X5 ON DASH DISPLAY APPEARED THE WARNING FOR PARKING BRAKES MALFUNCTION. 9THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON CITY STREET). FROM THAT TIME THE PARKING BRAKE IS NOT WORKING ANYMORE, THE DASH MESSAGE STAYS ON AND I HAVE THE ERROR ON DISPLAY. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM FOR THE ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKES, MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS SAFETY PROBLEM FOR NOR=T BE ABLE TO SAFE PARK/STOP THE CAR ON SLOPED ROADS/PARKINGS.
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11382835 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
Steering, suspension & tires
19
Most reports here involve loss of steering. Of these, 2 mention a crash, 2 mention an injury.
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The contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel became stiff. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was unknown.
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11537873 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
Airbags & seat belts
70
Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 2 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11372275 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
Structure & body
5
Most reports here involve electrical shorts.
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11532805 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
Other systems
17
Most reports here involve premature wear.
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11482331 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov