What 161 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 BMW X5 Xdrive35d

A fire started under my hood immediately after starting my car.

NHTSA ODI 11746602

My family and I were traveling from Maryland to Florida, with a planned stop in Atlanta. We were driving our 2013 BMW X5 x Drive 35i and were traveling southbound on [XXX] through Greenville, South Carolina when the incident occurred. While driving at highway speed, my husband suddenly noticed multiple error messages appearing on the vehicle’s display screen - air bag malfunction, 4x4 malfunction, stabilization, etc. He immediately began pulling the vehicle over. Within moments, he observed smoke and visible flames coming from the rear driver’s-side area of the vehicle. He urgently shouted for me and our daughter to get out of the car. What followed happened extremely fast, within approximately 15 seconds. I yelled for my daughter to unbuckle and run. In a state of panic, I grabbed our dog, and as we tried to exit the vehicle, the fire spread rapidly and aggressively. Thick, black smoke engulfed the area and we fled on foot, coughing and struggling to breathe from the smoke. By the time we reached a safe distance, the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. Thankfully, we were able to escape without physical injury, but the incident was terrifying and could very easily have resulted in serious injury or loss of life. The vehicle was completely destroyed, along with all of our personal belongings - cell phones, laptops, clothing, luggage, etc. We have since checked for recalls associated with the vehicle’s VIN and were told none were listed. However, a vehicle should not spontaneously catch fire while being operated normally on a highway. The sudden onset, rapid spread of the fire, and lack of warning raise serious concerns about a potential defect, whether electrical, fuel-related, or otherwise. We believe this incident was preventable and that there may have been a failure in design, manufacturing, or warning. We had the insurance company and BMW inspect the vehicle, but the fire destroyed the car entirely, and a cause "could not be determined." INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11723213

After driving for an hour I noticed smoke coming from under the hood of the car, I opened the hood to and noticed the smoke coming from under the plastic cover which covers the turbo and catalytic converter In That area. After removing the cover I saw a bright flame coming from under the hood.

NHTSA ODI 11612189

1) The power steering completely failed without any warning as a result of the serpentine belt failing catastrophically. 2) The failure happened in rush hour traffic right as the light turned green to turn left on an extremely busy intersection. I couldn’t turn the wheel and was a few inches from a head on collision with several large trucks which were also turning to the opposite direction. 3) The service center explained that this issue is the most common that they see on bmws with the same engine. They alleged that BMW used a faulty power steering bolt that would leak fluid onto the belt, eventually leading to catastrophic engine failure due to the shredded belt being sucked into the crankshaft seal. 4) Yes. 5) The steering was heavy but the bmw dealer assured me the vehicle was in excellent shape just a few weeks prior to this incident.

NHTSA ODI 11507371

I own a 2013 BMW X5 with the soft-close door feature. On June 2, 2021, I was making a right-hand turn when the driver's door flew all the way open without warning. The door then slammed shut as I finished the turn, injuring my left wrist. It was determined that the soft-close door latch mechanism is failing and needs replaced. The soft-close latch does not consistently secure the driver's door. No warning was given by the vehicle to indicate the door is open or not latched properly. I informed BMWNA of the issue and they declined to offer any assistance with the repair, estimated to cost $900.

NHTSA ODI 11419479

AFTER DROPPING OFF MY BMW X5M FOR SERVICE AT A BMW DEALERSHIP ON 01/27/2021, (THEY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR TWO DAYS), BMW CALLED US, TO INFORM US THAT THE VEHICLE WAS READY TO BE PICKED UP. MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR DIRECTLY HOME, WITHOUT STOPPING, (20 MILES), PARKED THE VEHICLE IN OUR GARAGE, TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND TEN MINUTES LATER, THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED THROUGHOUT AND ALSO BURNING HALF OUR GARAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND NOT IN MOTION AND COMPLETELY TURNED OFF.

NHTSA ODI 11402669

ON THURSDAY, MAY 2ND, 2019, MY WIFE AND 19-MONTH OLD SON WERE AT THE PARK AND RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE, WHICH WAS PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT. MY WIFE HAD THE KEY FOB IN HER BAG. SHE PLACED HER BAG ON THE FLOOR OF THE CAR, JUST BEHIND THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT. SHE PLACED OUR SON IN HIS CAR SEAT, STRAPPED HIM AND CLOSED THE DOOR. THE VEHICLE THEN PROCEEDED TO LOCK ITSELF, THUS LOCKING MY SON IN AND MY WIFE OUT. SHE HAD TO CALL EMS TO COME AND BREAK OPEN THE CAR IN ORDER TO GAIN ACCESS, THIS TOOK CLOSE TO 15-20 MINUTES TOTAL IN WHICH TIME MY SON WAS TRAPPED IN THE CAR WITH TEMPS IN EXCESS OF 100 DEGREES AS IT WAS ABOUT 90 OUTSIDE AT THE TIME IT OCCURRED. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH BMW'S COMFORT ACCESS FEATURE. THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN ONE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR OWNERS TO RECOVER EXPENSES, HOWEVER I FEEL THIS IS A BIGGER ISSUE. IF A PERSON OR PET, WHO ARE UNABLE TO OPERATE DOORS OR LOCKS, GET TRAPPED IN A VEHICLE IT COULD VERY EASILY RESULT IN DEATH UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES. WHEN THEY PULLED HIM FROM THE CAR HE WAS SOAKEDDD IN SWEAT, GLOSSY EYED AND OUT OF IT. THIS WAS A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE THAT NO ONE SHOULD EVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND I FEEL BMW SHOULD STEP UP AND FIX THESE VEHICLES. I DON'T CARE IF THAT'S REPLACING THE SYSTEM OR TAKING IT OUT, IT'S DANGEROUS. HTTPS://COMFORTACCESSSETTLEMENT.COM/HOME/PORTALID/0 THIS IS LITERALLY THE SAME STORY OF WHAT HAPPENED TO US... HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NEWS/2...TTLEMENT.SHTML BMW DESCRIBES THE COMFORT ACCESS SYSTEM AS FOLLOWS: 'THE VEHICLE CAN BE ACCESSED WITHOUT ACTIVATING THE REMOTE CONTROL. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS TO HAVE THE REMOTE CONTROL WITH YOU, E.G., IN YOUR JACKET POCKET. THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY DETECTS THE REMOTE CONTROL WHEN IT IS NEARBY OR IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. COMFORT ACCESS SUPPORTS THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS: UNLOCKING/LOCKING OF THE VEHICLE.'

NHTSA ODI 11205828

WHILE DRIVING ONE RAINY AFTERNOON ON A CITY ROAD, I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE SMOKE TURNED INTO FLAMES. I PULLED OVER AND CALLED 911. AN OFF DUTY POLICE OFFICER STOPPED AND HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. HE WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT MOST OF THE FIRE UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SHOWED UP AND FINISHED THE JOB. THE FIREMEN THOUGHT THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE. THE BMW DEALER SAID THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE WIPER MOTOR. THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALER THE PREVIOUS WEEK FOR THE AIR BAG RECALL.

NHTSA ODI 11197031

VEHICLE PARKED AND TURNED OFF AT MY HOME. MANY HOURS LATER VEHICLE WAS DISCOVERED BY A ONE OF MY CHILDREN ON FIRE . RESULTING FIRE DESTROYED THE AUTO AND IGNITED A MAJOR FIRE TO MY RESIDENCE.

NHTSA ODI 11182450

ON 4/6/2017 I PARKED MY 2013 BMW X5 AT 7:30PM, AROUND 3AM I HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND THE ALARM GOING OFF . I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND FIRE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. ON 3/20/2017 I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE BECAUSE IT DID SOMETHING CRAZY AND THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON, ALSO THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE FOG LIGHTS. BMW SAID THEY THEY CHANGED THE COIL IN THE ENGINE AND FIXED THE LIGHTS THEY ALSO TOLD US WE NEED TO UPGRADE THE SOS BUTTON OR TAKE A $300 REFUND AND NOT FIX THE SOS SYSTEM . THEY COMPLETED THAT REPAIR ON 3/28/17 . 8 DAYS LATER MY TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE

NHTSA ODI 10985023

DURING FRONTAL IMPACT AT 34+MPH, AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY; DRIVER HIT STEERING WHEEL AND PASSED OUT; BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY EITHER (WAS SERVICED BY BMW DEALERSHIP LESS THAN 2 MONTHS AGO); VEHICLE SLID STRAIGHT INTO CAR IN FRONT OF IT AND BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY WITH DRIVER PRESSING BRAKE PETAL

NHTSA ODI 10913921

I WAS COMING DOWN LAKEMONT BLVD (SLOPING DOWNWARDS) AT ABOUT 5 PM AND WHEN I WAS NEARING THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION WITH SE NEWPORT WAY, I STARTED SLOWING DOWN AS I COULD SEE THE LIGHT WAS RED. I PUSHED DOWN ON THE PEDAL BUT THE BRAKE WAS NOT FULLY RESPONSIVE. IT WOULD SLOW DOWN AND SEEM TO BE STOPPING, BUT KEEP GOING. I WAS FEELING A BIT OUT OF CONTROL AND TRIED TO STEER AWAY FROM THE CAR THAT WAS STOPPED AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AND JUST FOR A MOMENT IT SEEMED LIKE THE BRAKE HAD APPLIED AND THE CAR ALMOST STOPPED BUT IT KEPT GOING UNTIL IT CRASHED THE BACK LEFT BUMPER OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. MY DAUGHTER WAS SITTING NEXT TO ME AND SHE KEPT SAYING 'O MY GOD, O MY GOD' AND I KEPT SAYING TO HER THAT ' THE BRAKE JUST ISN'T TAKING'. I WAS FULLY ALERT BECAUSE I HAD SLOWED THE CAR DOWN ALL THE WAY DOWN THE HILL AND WAS ABLE TO STEER IT JUST BEFORE A FULL-ON IMPACT, BUT COULDN'T PULL AWAY COMPLETELY. THIS HAS HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE PAST WITH ONE INCIDENT COMING CLEARLY TO MIND. WE WERE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMING DOWN PARK DR, WHICH IS A SIMILAR INCLINED DOWNHILL ROAD AND WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO REACH THE INTERSECTION WITH 15TH AVE NE, I STARTED TO BRAKE BUT THE BRAKES RESPONDED VERY SLUGGISHLY - WHERE IT SEEMED TO STOP, BUT THEN KEEP GOING AT LEAST A COUPLE OF TIMES, WITH THE CAR EVENTUALLY STOPPING ALMOST IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY AND BEING A SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC AND WE WERE SAFE. I DISMISSED IT AS A ONE OFF INCIDENT, BUT IT HINDSIGHT IT CAME CLEARLY TO MIND AFTER THE INCIDENT YESTERDAY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10606240