What 271 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 BMW X5 Xdrive35d

I own a 2012 BMW X5 that is experiencing a Footwell Module (FRM) failure. BMW issued an Extended Limited Warranty for the FRM extending coverage to 15 years or 186,000 miles. My vehicle falls within those limits. The FRM failure has rendered the headlights, high beams, turn signals, brake lights, and power windows inoperative. As a result, the vehicle cannot be safely operated on public roads. Other motorists may not be able to see when the vehicle is braking or turning, creating a significant safety concern. BMW of Brooklyn and BMW of North America have informed me that I must pay a $360 diagnostic fee upfront before they will determine whether the repair is covered under BMW's FRM Extended Limited Warranty. BMW's warranty letter states that the FRM warranty is subject to the same eligibility requirements and limitations as the BMW New Vehicle Limited Warranty. In my view, requiring a substantial upfront diagnostic fee to evaluate a known defect covered by an extended warranty creates an unreasonable barrier to obtaining warranty repairs. I understand diagnostic charges may be appropriate if the failure is ultimately determined to be unrelated to the FRM. However, I do not believe owners should be required to pay a significant upfront fee simply to determine whether a known and potentially covered defect qualifies for warranty coverage. I respectfully request that NHTSA review both the safety implications of FRM failures and BMW's administration of this warranty program.

NHTSA ODI 11744308

The contact owns a 2012 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the interior lights flickered on and off. The failure was intermittent. The contact later received an extended warranty notification for the foot well. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a misfire in cylinders #3 and #4. The contact was informed that the failure was not related to the extended warranty program. The contact was informed that ignition coils and plugs in cylinders #3 and #4 needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11704702

The contact owns a 2012 BMW X5. The contact stated that when the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed coolant leaking on the ground underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that the low coolant warning light was illuminated. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant pump failure. The contact was informed that the coolant pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,744.

NHTSA ODI 11671552

Water entering into the vehicle, causing vehicle to reduce power in traffic, due to traction control issues.. Not able to drive vehicle when it’s raining., along with other issues, pls see first report..

NHTSA ODI 11665571

Vehical randomly shuts off, it all safety systems warning lamps come on l, like ABS, Airbag, and traction control. Found wiring harness laying in a pool of water in the rear right cargo compartment. Rain water leaking from sunroof collected in compartment. The harness contains wires for the the vehicles CAN buss systems the water causes corrosion in the harness, which causes all sorts of problems that could happen at any time like the vehicle shutting off or the airbag or abs warning light coming on.

NHTSA ODI 11566753

I was using the seat heating on a very cold day recently and 10 minutes into the drive we noticed a weird smell, but couldn’t locate the source. As the smell got worse and worse over time, we stopped the car, turned of the interior lights and saw that smoke had accumulated in the cabin, suddenly we found that the seat heater had burned a hole through the leather seat on the rear passenger side, where my girlfriends father sat .

NHTSA ODI 11510329

Passenger external front and rear door handle assembly caught on fire and melted the rubber grommet. BMW said it was the comfort sensor fuse that should have blown but it did not. The rubber grommet holding the door handle melted. I had to buy two door handles that cost $250 each to replace the ones that burnt out.

NHTSA ODI 11451903

Passenger interior Door handle assembly caught on fire and melted the rubber grommet. BMW said it was the comfort sensor fuse should have blown but did not. I saw blue smoke while driving from the passenger door mirror blowing out of the door handle like a volcano for 2 ft sideways. The rubber grommet holding the door handle melting completely down the outside door exterior. BMW fixed the sensor but my entire electrical system has been a disaster since. the passenger seat air bag warning, the parking brake, sensors working intermittent in the vehicle. There is a problem there should be a recall on the entire electrical system.

NHTSA ODI 11448972

Ever since the rain starter my aux water pump don't work and brake light too. And it seems like something has been draining my battery because battery discharge comes up. And I think the idle idle pulley issue affects almost most of that year bmw X5 because my serpentine belt only installed 10,000 miles ago and already see threads being worn out. Unless that's how long they last. I had to bring the car back in multiple times to get it adjusted because kept making squealing noise. They blamed it on water pump and didn't change the thermostat. Water even leak into front passenger side where all the fuses were. When I connected the battery charger I could hear the pump all of sudden working and the radiator tank sputter water out. I don't want to bring it to dealership and get charged for things that they should fix with charging me but they tell me it's some other issue and have me pay for it. The way they act are worse than gangsters because if you get it fix elsewhere they say it's not covered by them them. And the driveshaft issue, even alot of the cars not in recall are affected and how are they to assume which car need replacing and which dont? I think the v8 engine is just too much power for the other parts to handle and they don't want to admit it. Because how many bmw X5 owners complain about these issue ??

NHTSA ODI 11445639

Front passenger door would not unlock or open from inside or outside. Per dealer and report this appears to be failure of the passenger door actuator/solenoid. Door panel will require removal to confirm. There was no immediate safety issue, however with 3 small children, there is a reluctance to drive this car with the potential for doors locking and no way to extricate them should the problem occur on all doors. My understanding is there is no mechanical release associated with these doors. In addition, if an elderly/handicapped person had been in the front passenger seat during this occurrence, there could have been serious issues with extrication. I have been an engineer for 30 years and liken this problem to the old refrigerator doors latches trapping children inside and similarly, rear trunk latches with no interior releases. I have notified the manufacturer and reported this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11428534

RIGHT INNER BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY ON HATCHBACK IS PRONE TO WATER DAMAGE WHICH RESULTED IN CORROSION OF LED CONTACTS RESULTING IN FAILURE OF THE ASSEMBLY. LOSS OF FUNCTION WAS EVIDENT AS THIS TAILLIGHT WENT ENTIRELY DARK AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT

NHTSA ODI 11397582

AS I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE VEHICLE COMING AT A 40 MPH TO 50 MPH SPEED LIMIT.LOCAL POLICE HAD TO PUT OUT CONES TO MAKE SURE MY VEHICLE WASN'T GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE MY BATTERY WAS DRAINED FAST MYBE DUE TO THE PROBLEM

NHTSA ODI 11397432

THE IDLER PULLEY BOLT BROKE FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE CAR HAS APPROX 60 K MILES, AND THE LAST REPLACEMENT WAS DONE IN MAY 2018, APPROX 15 K MILES AGO. VEHICLE WAS MOVING AND IT LOST THE STEERING (STEERING HYDRAULICS STOPPED WORKING, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER), BATTERY INDICATOR CAME ON AND THE ENGINE COOLING FAN SET ON HIGH SPEED. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING, APPROX HALF THE MILE FROM THE HOUSE. WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY PULLED IT IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE. NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND WAITING FOR THEM TO COME AND PICK IT UP, THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEABLE. THIS INCIDENT, WITH THE IDLER PULLEY BOLT IS THE THIRD TIME AFTER THEIR INITIAL RECALL. BMW DOES NOT HAVE A REMEDY FOR THIS.

NHTSA ODI 11360844

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HE WAS ASLEEP, HE HAD AWAKENED TO A LOUD POPPING SOUND COMING FROM OUTSIDE. THE CONTACT LOOKED OUTSIDE AND SAW HIS VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE RIGHT WHICH WAS PARKED IN AN RV PARK RIGHT NEXT TO HIS CAMPER. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE AUTHORITIES WHO WERE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD AND AWAITS AN INSPECTION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD NO SAFETY RELATED ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER HAD YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11340386

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW X5. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE BATTERY SENSOR INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE MISFIRED. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE IGNITION COIL. LATER, WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE OIL AND ENGINE INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE OIL LEVELS WERE VERY LOW AND OIL HAD TO BE CONTINUOUSLY ADDED TO THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE BATTERY FAILURES AND THE MESSAGE ON AND BATTERY HIGH DRAINAGE COMFORT ACCESS FEATURE MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BMW OF BRIDGEWATER (655 US-202, BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP, NJ 08807) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE OVERHEAD ROOF MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11246353

MY CAR HAS PCV HEATER CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CODE COMING ON AND OFF. BMW IS FORCED BY NHTSA TO DO RECALL ON BMW CAR FIRE BUT ONLY COVER UP TO PRODUCTION MODEL THRU DECEMBER 2011. MY CAR HAS JUNE 2012 PRODUCTION, THE PCV HEATER VALVE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND OFF FROM LAST YEAR, I HAD REPLACED HVAC HEATER VALVE (WRONG DIAGNOSE FOR PART SPECIFIC FROM MY MECHANIC) BUT NOW I FIND OUT THERE IS A RECALL FOR IT, BUT NOT COVERING MY YEAR. PLEASE ADVISE ME IF NHTSA CAN MAKE BMW EXTEND THE RECALL YEAR COVERAGE? THANK YOU.

NHTSA ODI 11243024

ELCECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION! CONTINUED DRIVING IS NOT POSSIBLE. HAVE THE SYSTEM CHECKED BY THE NEAREST BMW DEALER

NHTSA ODI 11220485

MY BATTERY WAS WEAK AND THE TIME CAME TO CHANGE IT. I CHANGED THE BATTERY, THE CAR STARTS BEAUTIFULLY. HOWEVER I HAVE A LIGHT SYSTEM AND RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. MY INTERNAL LIGHTS DO NOT WORK, MY INDICATOR LIGHTS DO NOT WORK. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT MY FRM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE X5 SERIES. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT AND I ONLY DRIVE IT ON THE WEEKENDS. THIS IS THE SECOND MAJOR MALFUNCTION THIS YEAR. THE WATER PUMP NEEDED REPLACEMENT IN FEBRUARY. I PURCHASED THIS CERTIFIED POS IN 2016 FROM THE MAMARONECK DEALERSHIP WITH 26000 ON THE VEHICLE. OH I FORGOT TO MENTION LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE CASE THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK IN THE ENGINE. I CAN'T WAIT TO FINISH PAYING FOR THIS CAR SO I CAN GO BACK TO THE MORE RELIABLE MERCEDES BENZ THAT I WAS ACCUSTOMED TO.

NHTSA ODI 11141514

I WAS DRIVING MY BMW X5 AND OUT OF NOWHERE AN "ENGINE MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT" CAME UP ACCOMPANIED BY AN ENGINE OVERHEATING, I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND CALLED A TOW-TRUCK WHO TOOK MY X5 TO THE NEARS BMW DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN STATED IT WAS THE IVM AND THE CHARGE AIR PIPE THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AFTER SPENDING $1,500 ON THE 2 ITEMS, I DROVE OUT OF THE DEALER AND LESS THAN A MILE DOWN THE ROAD, THE SAME "ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND VEHICLE OVERHEATING LIGHT" CAME BACK UP. CALLED THE DEALER AND ANOTHER TOW-TRUCK PICK UP MY X5, THEN I REQUESTED TO SPEAK WITH THE SHOP MANAGER WHO INFORMED ME THE PROBLEM WITH THE X5 WAS NEVER PERTAINING TO THE IVM OR CHARGE AIR PIPE, AS THEY MISS OVERLOOKED THE DIAGNOSIS WHICH STATED THE DME WAS NOT WORKING. THEY CHANGE THE DME AND ANOTHER $2,000 WAS CHARGED, AFTER IT WAS REPAIR AND I DROVE AWAY, THE SAME ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT AND VEHICLE OVERHEATING LIGHT CAME UP, CALLED THE DEAELR AND THEY TOLD ME THAT AFTER CHANGING THE DME, THE NEW DIAGNOSIS STATED THE WATTER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THIS WAS THE PART THAT WAS CREATING THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND OVERHEATED VEHICLE WARNING TO COME UP. I ENDED UP CHANGING THE WATER PUMP AND OTHER VEHICLE PARTS, THAT DID NOT NEEDED TO BE CHANGED AND NOW A RECALL FOR THE WATER PUMP CAME OUT. ON THE MEANTIME, I SPENT ALMOST $4,000.00 ON REPAIRS WHEN EVERYTHING COULD HAVE BEEN DONE IF THEY WOULD HAVE CONDUCTED THE WATER PUMP RECALL. WHO CAN REIMBURSE ME THE AMOUNT OF MONEY PAID? I SENT THE ORIGINAL DME TO SEE IF IT WAS DAMAGE, AND THEY CAME BACK STATING IT WAS NOT DAMAGE AT ALL, THEREFORE THE PROBLEM WAS THE WATER PUMP AND NOT THE DME, OR IVM OR CHARGE AIR PIPE. PLEASE HELP!!!

NHTSA ODI 11123312

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW X5. THE CONTACT WAS ALERTED TO AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE IT WAS PARKED AT HER HOME. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE. TEN MINUTES LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 72,000.

NHTSA ODI 11101578

THE VEHICLE HAD IT'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATE WHEN STARTED COLD, ROUGHLY 83K MILES. DEALER RAN DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND SAID THE FLUID LEVEL SENSOR IN THE SCR PASSIVE TABK HAD FAILED AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. 6 MONTHS PRIOR, THE CEL HAD COME ON, AND WAS RELATED TO THE SCR ACTIVE TANK SENSOR. BMW EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE ACTIVE TANK ONLY TO 10Y/120K MILES. IF BMW IS AWARE OF A DEFECT IN THE ACTIVE TANK, AND THE SAME PARTS ARE PRESENT IN THE PASSIVE, THEY SHOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY OF THE PASSIVE TANK MODULE AS WELL.

NHTSA ODI 11031978

ON JULY 31ST 2017, THE BOLT SECURING IDLER PULLEY AND ALTERNATOR SHEARED. BATTERY CHARGE MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON FOLLOWED BY LOSS OF POWER STEERING. LOOKING AT MY SERVICE RECORD, I SEE THAT THIS SAME BOLT WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL IN JANUARY 2013 WHEN CAR WAS AT 12332 MILES. THE CAR IS NOW AT 63456. ALSO NOTED ON BMW OWNERS WEB SITE THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS E70 SERIES DESIGN HAVE HAD THE SAME REPEAT PROBLEM. BMW DEALER IN CT PERFORMED THE LATEST REPAIR AND OFFERED NO EXPLANATION, EXCEPT THAT THEIR WORK IS GUARANTEED FOR 2 YEARS. ORIGINAL RECALL PERFORMED BY DEALER IN RALEIGH NC WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW HAS ADVISED ME TO POST THIS REPORT AND CALL BMWNA. I AM WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM, BUT FIRST DISCUSSION WAS NOT GOOD. THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A RECORD OF THIS AS A CONTINUING PROBLEM AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GIVE ME ANY ASSURANCES THAT IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. I NOTE THAT THE PART NUMBER OF THE NEW BOLT JUST INSTALLED IS THE SAME AS THE OLD BOLT INSTALLED IN 2013. WE WERE VERY LUCKY NOT TO BE INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND WITHOUT SOME CLEAR ASSURANCES THAT BMW UNDERSTAND HOW TO FIX THIS CONTINUING PROBLEM I AM VERY WORRIED ABOUT DRIVING THE CAR. AT THE TIME OF THE BOLT FAILURE WE WERE DRIVING AT ABOUT 20MPH THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE TOWN OF STRATFORD CT AND JUST MANAGED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD INTO A TRAIN STATION PARKING LOT.

NHTSA ODI 11013643

BOUGHT IT USED 58K MILES , ON FIRST DAY THE BATTERY DIED, TOOK IT TO BMW DEALER, LABOR+PARTS+PROGRAMMING $475! ONLY AFTER 4YRS THE BATTERY FAILED ? AFTER 2 MONTHS ENGINE OVERHEATING, TOWED THE CAR TO THE DEALER, WATER BUMP +THERMOSTAT +FLUSHING COOLANT AND A FEW MORE FLUSHING ALL TRANS, ETC PLUS ALIMENT, $1800 FOR WATER BUMP AND THERMOSTAT+ THE OTHER THINGS ALL TOGETHER CAME UP TO $2500 AFTER$300 DISCOUNT, WE WENT TO PICKUP THE CAR ASKED FOR DISCOUNT AND GOT THE BILL DOWN TO $1978. VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF BMW AND ELECTRIC WATER PUMP THAT FAILS AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ON ALMOST EVERY BMW ONLY AFTER LIKE 30K AND UP? UNLIKE OTHER CARS WATER PUMP WILL FAIL AFTER 150K-200K MILES.

NHTSA ODI 10938867

VEHICLE MILEAGE 56,341MI. VEHICLE ENGINE WOULD CRANK BUT NOT START AFTER COMING OUT OF BUSINESS WHILE RUNNING ERRANDS. DASH WARNING MESSAGE "ENGINE MALFUNCTION" WAS PRESENT. CODES READ VIA GENERIC OBD2 DEVICE WERE P10E4, P10F5,P10E5,B2AAA. THESE CODES ARE RELATED TO THE VALVETRONIC SYSTEM IN THE ENGINE. CHECKED RELATED FUSES AND NO PROBLEM. HAD TO GET VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE VALVETRONIC SYSTEM ERROR. VEHICLE WAS FIRST REPROGRAMMED AND ISSUE REMAINED. VALVETRONIC SYSTEM WAS REPLACED DUE TO DTCS THAT LED THEM TO BELIEVE ECCENTRIC SHAFT WAS STUCK. TALKING WITH THE TECHNICIAN THE ECCENTRIC SHAFT WAS NOT STUCK AND HE ASSUMED THE ACTUATOR\ MOTOR HAD FAILED. PER BMW INSTRUCTIONS THE ENTIRE SYSTEM WAS REPLACED THOUGH. TECHNICIAN STATED THAT HE HAS DONE MANY REPLACEMENTS OF VALVETRONIC SYSTEMS AND THE PARTS WERE ALREADY IN STOCK WHICH RAISED A FLAG TO ME. THE ENGINE WAS REASSEMBLED AND THE ENGINE WOULD STILL NOT START. THERE WERE FAULTS LEFT IN THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT. APPARENTLY THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT WAS DAMAGED BY ACTUATOR\ MOTOR THAT WAS DRAWING HIGH CURRENT.(CONFIRMED BY BMW SERVICE ENGINEER) ENGINE CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED AND REPROGRAMMED AND ENGINE IS NOW REPORTED TO BE IN OPERATIONAL CONDITION. BMW AND DEALER HAS DISCOUNTED THE SERVICE AND PROVIDED A LOANER VEHICLE BUT BASED ON INFORMATION FROM THE TECHNICIAN THIS ENTIRE REPAIR COULD POSSIBLY BE A RECALLABLE ITEM AS IT CAN LEAVE THE END USER STRANDED AND WITH A HEALTHY REPAIR BILL WITH A VEHICLE THAT IS NOT TOO FAR OUT OF WARRANTY. REPAIR BILL HAS BEEN UPLOADED.

NHTSA ODI 10902991

MY VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCK/UNLOCK MECHANISM THAT DUE TO A MALFUNCTION WILL NOT ALLOW THE CAR TO BE UNLOCKED FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. IT LOCKS AUTOMATICALLY WHEN DRIVING AND IS SUPPOSED TO UNLOCK WHEN THE INSIDE HANDLE IS USED TO OPEN THE DOOR; HOWEVER, IT WILL NOT UNLOCK AND THOUGH BMW IS AWARE OF THIS MALFUNCTION (IT IS A COMMONLY KNOWN DEFECT), THEY WILL NOT AUTHORIZE THE DEALER TO REPAIR. I FEEL THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE IN THAT IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY THE DRIVER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE DOOR LOCKS WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING BUT WILL NOT UNLOCK AFTER THE VEHICLE IS PLACED IN PARK.

NHTSA ODI 10822596