How has there never been a transmission recall??
 

New X5 owner attempting to resolve a transmission issue. You can read all about my progress on the Transmission fail safe thread. Anyway was continuing my research and decided to check the NHTSA and wanted to share the following complaint. This sounds like the same issues myself and others are experiencing and this was reported in 2005! Maybe we should ALL band together a call to report the issues to NHTSA. Maybe THEN a recall would be issued and the X5’s could run correctly again! Just a thought from a new BMW X5 owner.

March 14, 2005
NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10114059
Components: POWER TRAIN
NHTSA ID Number: 10114059

Incident Date February 18, 2005

Consumer Location RICHMOND, CA

Vehicle Identification Number 5UXFA53522L****

Summary of Complaint

CRASHYes

FIRENo

INJURIES1

DEATHS0
OVER THE YEARS AFTER PURCHASING MY 2002 BMW X5, I HAVE REPORTED TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF WEATHERFORD BMW THAT THE TRANSMIISION WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS PROPERLY AND THAT THE ENGINE WOULD ALL OF A SUDDEN START REVVING UP. AS THIS IS HAPPENING, THE ENGINGE WOULD SURGE AND BUCK AT THE SAME TIME. EVEN THOUGH, I AND MY WIFE HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THESE ISSUES, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE SCENARIO OR EXPERIENCED THESE PROBLEMS WHILE SERVICING MY VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING THE X5, NOT ONLY ME, BUT ALSO MY WIFE, SHE WOULD INFORM ME THAT THE ENGINE WOULD BUCK AND SURGE WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE OF THESE ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND THE ENGINE, THAT MY VEHICLE, A 2002 BMW X5 IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. WITH THIS ALL SAID AND DONE, I WAS INVOLVED IN A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT WHERE THE VEHICLE IS NOW TOTALED, BUT I WAS ABLE TO WALK AWAY WITH ACHES AND PAIN (PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY).

I DO BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS I HAD WITH THE TRASMISSION AND ENGINE, IT WAS A DIRECT CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT AND THAT BMW SHOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR THE 2005 BMW X5 THAT I JUST PURCHASED TO REPLACE MY PREVIOUS X5.

ALSO, IN QUIZZING THE SALES MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY NEW X5, I ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY MAJOR CHANGES TO THE VEHICLE. HIS REPLY WAS THAT DUE TO TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THE X5 - BMW CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION. THEREFORE, SINCE BMW WAS AWARE OF THESE ISSUES, AGAIN, I BELIEVE THAT BMW SHOULD REIMBURSE ME THE TOTAL PURCHASE PRICE OF MY 2005 X5.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT 415.420.9273.*AK

Which transmission are you referring to?

The 3.0i came with a General Motors transmission.
The 4.4i, 4.6is, 4.8is (as far as I know) came with ZF transmissions.
Completely different.

My GM AT is running perfectly well at 192k miles now, never having had any problems that I'm aware of.

One "problem" I can believe to be true is how BMW claimed the ATF in all their ATs (GM or ZF) was lifetime fluid, never needing to be changed. This appears to be based on their own desire to market new cars for sale, regardless of the AT manufacturers' recommendations.

I'd actually say that my AT is pretty good. Even great. In fact, most of the car is, other than anything inside the doors.

The complaint was written about a 2002 x5 in 2005. It should have been under warranty. None of our 14 year old (youngest x5) is going to be covered under any warranty. Completely different situations.

The only systematic thing wrong with our transmissions (GM or ZF) is BMW's stating that the trans fluid is lifetime fluid. And that doesn't usually even become a problem until 100k miles or more.

You'll get your trans sorted and then service it regularly (60k miles is good practice) and likely never have another issue. I'm going through the same right now with my wife's e70 x5 but it has 168k miles on it. Is what it is. :dunno:

+1 Things that move break. What goes up comes down. Death and taxes.

I don't know Prop, I've never had my taxes go down after going up...[emoji848][emoji1787]

Sent from my SM-A730F using Tapatalk

We have a pair of 01 X5 with 360,000 miles combined not just original transmissions, but original fluid. Other than the wife's slipping a little on a full throttle on ramp a couple times in 4.5 years, they have performed perfectly

There is not any systemic problem with one of the best transmissions ever made. An X5 3.0 with a problem transmission is the exception not the rule.

As to the problem exampled above, the guy just didn't know how to troubleshoot. If you have a car that bucks and heaves in the 21st century, you capture that shit on your iPhone! You have no right to complain that an intermittent problem you very likely didn't describe accurately couldn't be magically reproduced by the dealer.

I work in computer IT I know a LOT about problem solving and intermittent and hard to reproduce problems.

If you have a repeating problem and you want it fixed it's up to YOU to do the basic preliminary troubleshooting to at least figure out what magical combination of things makes it reoccur.

Example: wife's X5, when the ambient temp is below freezing, the air bag light comes on. Once the cabin is warn the light will go off after a restart. This tells me the problem is inside the cabin and though I suspected the passenger butt detector, a scan with foxwell found errors in the srs module.

Anyhow the more details somebody can give the mechanic the better chance of a solution.

Random engine surge sounds like possible gas pedal sensor having a dirty contact so at certain positions it suddenly sees half throttle vs 1/4 did example.

:rofl: I'd imagine your current tax situation is better than most here. :cool:

Are you planning to change the fluid ? :dunno:

[emoji849] You wouldn't believe my tax rate and I don't even get representation in the House or Senate [emoji850] but they sure seem to be able to contact me around April 15[emoji848][emoji90]

Pricing goes...

Baby stuff
Taxes income/property/capital gains
BMW parts
Non-VA stuff

Shit... I'm worth more dead[emoji848]

Cough, cough, [emoji88] then new name and [emoji383][emoji383][emoji383][emoji1787]

Sent from my SM-A730F using Tapatalk

Well, shucks! I guess you'll have to wait like the rest of us for your taxes to go down. You know, after we're dead. :rofl: