X5 problems to look forward to...
 

Unless I missed it, is there a page somewhere on this forum of which upcoming problems I might expect?

What should I expect to go wrong next with my X5?
I have a 2002 4.4i with the Sports Package and 107k miles which I bought pre-owned at about 51k miles, it was one owner and a perfect carfax (some lady in Manhattan Beach previously owned it) and I realize that you can’t truly subject a common problem, but I think if let's say 25 X5 owners experience something that RX350 owners don't, then it’s reason enough to warn others about it.

Because it seems like I'm always going through something. And my extended warranty ran out 2 years ago.
Coincidentally it seems like everything started going wrong after my first year with the car. (pre-owned, owned it for 3 years now)




So far:

• Radiator went out
  
• 1 year later water pump broke and took out all the belts
  
• Driver door handle broke (common problem)
• Interior door handles pealing
  
• Currently my Self-Leveling Suspension sensor needs to be replaced
• Currently power steering pump is only half working. Steering is VERY hard.
• Steering wheel has squeaked for 2 years now
  
• All 4 window regulators broke, 2 within 2 months, one was 2 months after that (currently 2 are rigged to stay up)
  
• My a/c or heater doesn’t work. Blower is out. (could be final stage resistor – could be another common problem) I found this to be dangerous because my windows COMPLETELY fogged up during the rain and I had to immediately pull over and wipe them down.
  
• I replaced my brakes and they still squeak. (yes I know what I’m doing, I did my fiance’s IS250 the say day and hers are fine).
  
• My rear drive-shaft/transfer case splines stripped. Thanks to RaceMalibu on this forum, that didn’t cost me much to fix (custom extended drive shaft)
  
• None of my pixels work on my dash, I can’t tell what the hell is going on with my car.
  
• Right/passenger rear view mirror stopped moving down when in reverse.
  
• Power heated rearview mirror stopped working on driver side so when it rains, I can’t see.
  
• I GO THROUGH TIRES LIKE A MUTHER F#CKER. Seriously, it’s HORRIBLE!
  
• And unless something is wrong with my car, I’m spending about $400-$500 a month in gas.
  (seriously with these gas prices I could go finance ZERO down a 2001 Lexus IS300 that would pay itself off. The monthly payment and gas combined is not going to be what I pay for gas alone. Then I could just wait my car out until I’m in a position to trade it in. Because I’m very upside-down on it, or this bitch would have been gone a long time ago.)
  And I feel like the more I drive my X5, waiting until I could trade it in, the more I risk something else happening to it.
  

Including repairs, for what I pay for my car, I could buy myself a 2007 M5 and it’ll cost less monthly.

The SUV has a classic look, I don’t know how else to explain what I love about it, but it’s seriously completely embarrassing at this point.
It seems like every other month, I’m telling my friends something is wrong with it and EVERYTIME someone gets in my car they say “should I have my AAA card ready”.

Anyways, what else should I expect?
What has happened to your X5 that you read is common on this forum?

Thanks,

Sorry I can't add from personal experiences, but I am lurking this forum to get a feel for these vehicles. I absolutely love the E53s, and would like to pick up an Xdrive model. But I can't have all these problems in a vehicle like this that I will take on long trips and daily drive. I have an E46 M3 to look after as well, so I've got enough maintenance on my hands there. I am leaning toward a GX470, even though the X5 styling, power, handling and sturdiness are much better. I know the GX would be no fuss.

It seems your vehicle problems are completely rediculous failures that I would be at a point where I get rid of it. A few things here and there--no biggie. But suspension issues, AC problems, electronics--that's BS.

Sorry for your experience. You did not say what model year and how many miles you have. The pre-facelift (pre-2004) and post facelift V8s have some differences in their common problems.

But regardless, you've had way more than the average number of problems one would expect with this model. You did not mention CPO so I am assuming you got it as a private sale. For all you know, the previous owner abused the crap out of it and did not do sufficient miantenance and TLC. Or maybe the vehicle plunged into a river and got fished out (which would explain all the electrical crap you're dealing with). Did you run a Carfax history?

You left out cv boots, front and rear control arms/bushings, intermediate levers on your model I believe, vacuum leaks, alternator and probably another half dozen that both of us missed. You are correct to assume that the longer you drive it the more of a chance something will go wrong. The X is an extremely problematic vehicle. Of course I base that opinion on my ownership of one and various readings on this forum. This forum had got more DIY posts than any forum I have ever seen and for good reason . . . which I might add is the only reason I still own the X. These good people have helped me through my struggles of ownership with their generosity on this forum.

As for the Lexus comparison, you are completely right. There is no comparison. Lexus/Toyota's priority is quality/reliability in addition to luxury. Of course I base that opinion on ownership as well. It seems to me that BMW's priority is strictly about how the vehicle looks and handles and not much of anything else.

I realize that lots of Toyotas are under recall but to me that only reinforces my opinion that they care about a quality vehicle, despite that others might disagree. Conversly, I believe that my X should have had several recalls for parts that have proven to be "prone to failure." But instead BMW just charges us more money to buy more of their unchanged "prone to failure" parts.

Of course my BMW looks good and handles well but it also rides rough and also goes through tires too. My Lexus looks good too and also handles well but it also rides well and I can get 40-50K miles out of a set of performance tires . . . and of course I don't have to work on it every other weekend like the X. Oh did I mention my Lexus has almost 3 times the mileage than my X has.

Lot's of people on this forum love the X despite all of it faults and I respect their opinions. However most of them might be in a different situation than you and I with no more warranty and don't feel the pain as much as we do.

3.0i bought in 2000 (an 01 model). Now running without any warranty with 77K miles. Following were replaced in warranty (both factory and extended - Warranty Direct)

1. Those little shade clips in the windows - 2001
2. Window regulators - 2002
3. 2 pixels were missing, dealer replaced the whole cluster - not bad! - 2002
4. Brake Pads and Rotors (Self as part of regular maintenance - 2002 and 2007)
5. Peeling door handles - 2003
6. CVBoots and water pump (I think) - 2004/05
7. Coolant expansion tank and belts - 2009

Regular maintenance such as oil change, transmission & brake flush, coolant flush, spark plugs etc done by me (2006-)

This list is not bad. I hope I don't jinx it now :)

EDIT: Forgot to add, every little thing in the X works as it did when new.

Excellents posts above. To the OP, sometimes, I feel the same as well. I have a 2004 X5 3.0i that just turned 98k last week (bought it used in Jan 08 with 50k on the clock). She handles great on long trip and around town, but she does lke to hit my wallet a lot. So far, after two years of ownership, I've replaced:

2 sets of Michelin tires
Smog (air pump) and valve twice within two years (items failed just out of warranty)
Various interior trim pieces (front pillars, door threshold pieces)
Both front half shafts
Transfer case (BMW goodwill warranty)
Front winshield washer pump)
Front and rear brakes (maintenance items)
Normal wear items (wipers, plugs, air/cabin filters, oil changes)
Front suspension components (bushings, sway bar end links)
Water pump and coolant

And now, the front differential is making some noise now. I'm going to change out the diff fluid to see if it helps any.

Daniel

TIme to extend my warranty....

I feel lucky, Ive had mine for nearly 11 months and havent had to pay out of pocket for anything besides a few mods I have done. My original warranty runs out this month and then CPO takes over. Hopefully I dont have too many issues, sorry to hear about yours :(

The main reason I bought an X5 was because I was tired of my SC430 but was really upside down on it. And my Credit Union only finances 100% of the Kelly Blue Book value and the X5's value high and sold for less (back in 2006). So I carried over $8,000 of negative equity and bought this car at $38,000 zero down. I think the X5 was only $29,995. Biggest mistake ever. Now I'm stuck with it, because I'm not making the same mistake twice (rolling over negative equity). But before the X5 I tried getting a 2005 M3, 2002 Carrera, 2004 S4, even a 545i and couldn't make any of those happen. They all Blue Booked close to the vehicles selling price and I needed to trade my Lexus in. Also I didn't want to pay anything out of pocket and now I'm stuck in an X5. LOL However I will admit, when I first got it, saying I have a BMW was WAY BETTER than saying I have a Lexus. Especially my SC430. I had dreams of putting some black 22's on the X5, till I realized that would put me at 11 MPG. I'm only an hour away from L.A. and spend alot of time there, so yeah, my X5 gets miles added to it. At this point, it's cheaper for me to pay higher rent and move to Los Angeles, than drive the X5 and have to fix another problem. LOL
I had my SC430 for 2 years and only changed my oil once and THAT'S IT!!!! I swear.
Too bad Lexus' SUV look gay as f#ck. If I stick to an SUV I'm considering a Cayenne S (UNDER WARRANTY) but I heard those swallow tires as well. And only gets 1 more MPG.
I'm not like the other guys on this forum that can afford a brand new 4.8is or an X6. Honestly if I could buy a 65k car, I'd buy a pre-owned M6 or 997 Carrera S. I'd never pay over 65k for an SUV. Some people just have too much money. And I didn't think I was that bad off. Just not in a position to buy a new X5.

I can count on one hand the fixes under warranty/maintenance and then, count on less than the other "hand",
the stuff I've had fixed post warranty...

It could all go KaBoom tomorrow, and maybe my luck has been in lieu of hitting the lotto; just my experience
over 8 1/2 years and 76k miles on our '01 3.0 ...

To the OP: imo, get out from under if you can. If you can't, hang on and then try and toss it on a trade.
Your experience/costs would make me consider leaving it in a parking lot with a spare key in the ignition.
GL, mD

I guess you only had bad luck with that car. In 3 years and 30k miles (have 98k now) I changed the coolant tank, one cv boot and the intake sensor. The water pump, belts and the thermostat were my choice, preventive maintenance. The car had one window regulator changed by the previous owner and to my surprise I still run the Michelin tires that I got the car with. I was offered 7k in a trade for my 2001. If anything major breaks (engine failure or transmission) I'll just disassemble the car and sell it parts. I won't even bother to spend $4-6k for a car that is worth only a couple of thousands more. A car is ONLY a car. If it does the job then is OK. If not, I get rid of it and move to another one that fits my budget. In your shoes I'd get rid of it. I bet you cannot even enjoy driving it watching the cluster to see what's next.

2005 X5, purchased in Feb 07 with 35k miles under CPO/extended Maint till Oct 2010/100k. So far (@80kmiles) the following has been replaced all under warranty except for windshield

- entire sunroof assembly
- oil separator (twice)
- rear license plate light panel
- steering wheel (de-laminating)
- passenger side fold down mirror
- re-program mirrors (were folding/unfolding randomly)

Still on the OEM Michelins but needs a new set of tires, but 40k miles for a set wasn't bad IMO. We love the car but i'm worried what electrical/engine issues will develop once its out of warranty. Probably going to sell it.

Good thread

X5 has been the least reliable car I have ever owned. After X5 I decided not to recommend any X5 and for that matter any BMW to anyone.

I have one of those 2004.5 X5s 4.4i (facelifted)
During the warranty period the following have been done
Transmission clunking when coming to a stop and at the first initial move. Reporgrammed, worked for a year, same issue came back.
Passanger window regulator gave up and was changed
Issue with the speakers (subs) fixed
Heater had some issues, they did change some parts (forgot exact issue)
Stereo had an issue with the CD player, was fixed
Steering wheel tilt/telescope had issues, was fixed
Steering wheel making funky noises when turning right, was lubed and stuff fixed
The stereo display gone funky, and was not displaying all characters, broken digits etc, was fixed
(As far as I remember these were the main issues within first 4 years of ownership)

After warranty expired;
Steering hoses gave up, leaking etc, were changed
The front strust etc (as usual) have been changed
Battery was changed (maintenance issue only, but awesome battery lasted 5 years)
The rear brake assembly was changed due to multiple corrosions
Transmission had a major issue, mecathronics module had to be changed (covered under BMW goodwill, if not cost was close to $4000)
Check Engine Light came on, DTM pump failed, was changed
Stereo decided to have issues, but not in the mood to get it fixed
Seat memory module gave up working, not in the mood to spend money to fix it
Sunroof started acting funky, was fixed with the reset (thanks to a post on the forum)
Steering wheel tilt up down etc is working one dimensionally (this issue was fixed under warranty but now the car is out of warranty the problem decided to come back)
There are a few issues that exist, but forgot as I don't care much, do not want to keep pouring money to this car to keep it running as it was intended to at only 70K miles.

2005 3.0D X5 - still less than 43k miles.

In Warranty failures -
Door mirrors + control module both sides replaced - not working.
Power steering hoses replaced - leaking.
Oil pressure sensor replaced - intermittent operation.
Pano Roof sticking - adjusted.
Rear doors re-aligned - incorrectly fitted.
Internal a/c fans replaced - bearing failure (one is doing it again now).
Rear hatch locking mechanism replaced - failing to close and drew power killing the battery.
Headlight units fogging - replaced and the new ones are now doing it too.
Audio system fault - incorrectly fitted pin in loom, repaired.
In car OEM phone system failed to shut down resulting in dead battery - reprogrammed.

Out of OEM Warranty failures -
Auto transmission failure (Torque converter) - rebuilt as BMW offered no goodwill, covered by Warranty Direct - still faulty with overlap clutch/mechatronic module possibly also faulty now. Being investigated.
Central locking system lost all the keys. Fixed care of this site. :thumbup:

Likely to need replacement near term -
Brake rotors all round, corroded. Will have to change the pads too.

I can concur with some other owners that this is the most unreliable car I have ever owned and that BMW GB (similar to BMW NA) are the least caring folks I have ever had to work with. The Dealers aren't far behind and in most of my experiences, technically incomptetent, so I don't use them any more. I absolutely love the car, it's looks, driving position, build quality and the way it drives, but it lets me down at every possible opportunity which is a real shame, and parts are way too expensive. Would I have another one? Not a chance. Next major repair being required - it's gone. Pure and simple.

I have an 01' X5. 4.4 with 275,000 miles and counting. It has the original motor and trans. I replaced the original water pump at 260,000 I just replaced the radiator 3 weeks ago, and now I have to repair the driver side cv boot this week. I love my X5 and am very happy with it. I only run synthetic oil from BMW in it and change the oil every 15,000 miles. When I change the oil I'm only at about 1/2 quart low not bad for an engine with 275,000 miles

I've got a 3.0 and would never buy a 4.4

Having worked at a dealership and seeing the "Trifecta of Death" happen to so many people, I just don't want to take the risk.

Trifecta of Death:
1. Valve Seals
2. Intermidiate shaft levers
3. Transmission

Each one of the repairs above is $5,000+ and the 3.0i's don't have any of those problems (typically).

Wait, your dealer did a maintenance on the trans? I was under the impression that the ATF was Lifetime, whose lifetime is still debatable.

Anyone have a STEERING ANGLE SENSOR go bad?
It evidently makes the 4x4 dash light come on, is a common problem, and a $500 (indie?) fix, it also disables the ABS (?)
06 3.0 55,000 miles
My "only" other problems with the car also supposedly common and not covered by CPO, were the drivers side DOOR CARRIER (handle, $400) and a TAIL LIGHT ($350)
COMMON PROBLEMS THAT BMW KNOWS ABOUT THAT AREN'T EVEN COVERED BY CPO....
WHAT A CROCK BMW NA.... SHAME ON YOU...

The pre face-lift cars don't have the first two problems, and seem to have very little of the third problem. I think the only sensible recommendation for anyone considering a used X5 is either buy a pre face-lift car, or buy an aftermarket warranty that is as long as one expects to keep the car.

No...the 2002 4.4 does not have the intermediate lever problem.

While I admit, we strongly considered the Lexus RX330 as an alternative to our 2002 X5, I'm very glad we ended up with an X5. While these vehicle seem to have similar utility, the X5 is capable of towing a car on a trailer. The Lexus can tow a jet ski on a trailer. The Lexus is basically a reskinned Camry with AWD, (same platform). The driving feel is totally different. A V8 X5 is a couple of seconds faster to 60 than the Lexus. The Lexus is mushy and soft to drive. The X5 is the closest thing to a sports car you can get in an SUV. All the above are subjective factors of course.

Where the Lexus wins is reliablity and gas mileage...both by a long shot. I can't see how anyone could prefer the driving feel of the Lexus; but women and senior citizens seem to love them. And they purchase them in vast quantities. As I am very mechanically inclined, I can live with the issues of my pre-facelift X5, (had I chosen a post face lift car, I don't know how I'd deal with the major potential issues). After driving our X5 more than 5,000 miles in the last month, it is an amazing road trip car.

As for tires. Have a good alignment shop provide a less aggressive alignment geared towards tire wear. They would know how if they are good at it. Regulators are common and it was BMW and their damn design using certain parts for plastic.

:thumbup::iagree:

Yeah expect window regulators for sure. And im pretty mad at myself for breaking one on accident the other day digging in my door speaker

My 05 4.4 has a little over 87k and nothing major has happend . . . but eventually will as the car gets older - I expect that. It's the cost of ownership of any car. Sure the Lexus and Toyota are more reliable but when things break they are just as expensive to replace and repair. My 2001 Infiniti QX4 was really reliable but started to show some signs of issues right before I sold it (had approx. 110k on it).


Recent things I had to replace:


- front boots torn - decided to replace entire axles and seals on both sides- figure I do preventive maintenance since I was working down there anyway. Axles are aftermarket, inexpensive and have no problems with them. If I do, lifetime warranty . . .


- trifecta lights (ABS/4x4 . . .) - found out it was the alternator - autozone $250 and replaced


- changed shocks and struts - figure I change them since I was already replacing the axles and down there. While I was at it, I lowered it with H&R springs.


- replace coolant resv. - was cracked - cheap as I ordered from a dealer in IN. My local dealer wanted 2x as much.


- replaced battery - 7+ years old .. . that's expected.


- got some deal pixels on teh Nav so planning to replace soon and priced it out at $170 - OEM.


- new tires - DUH they wear out. They are performance tires and they will wear out faster than the ones on the Lexus or Toyota - its the trade you get for better handling.

- replaced a couple of door carriers in the past 2 months - normal wear and tear IMO but not bad for a 7+ year old vehicle.


Overall the X5 has been a workhorse and extremely reliable. I'd take it over any Lexus, Toyota or Infiniti made in the same year. Put it this way, I thought about the Lexus GX450/470 and thought the car was dated. Take for example, greater displacement in the GX450/470 but WAAAY less horses/gas milage AND the thing that made me laugh was that the 4x4 system was still manual (Toyota was the same obviously). You had to pull a lever on the floor - even the 2001 Infiniti QX4 had a switch on the dash.


At the end of the day, it's preference AND most importantly - do your homework on the car you are thinking about buying. You're buying a used car. I'd take my X5 anyday and plan on getting another soon.

What about a 4.8is?

Bottom line is you have a 10+ year old vehicle. Maintenance and worn parts come with the territory. These are heavy vehicles that can perform. The stresses on its most basic components get taxed regularly.

I believe that with every vehicle there comes a point where you spend a bunch of money replacing basic elements in hopes of getting another relatively trouble free 80-100k miles.

I just got rid of mine at 100k because I was off extended warranty and felt any trip to the mechanic was going to be $2k to get it back up and running.

Negative equity doesn't help. I am sure you won't make that mistake again. It is a downward spiral.

Guess maybe spending a bit more more for a vehicle with less than 80k would be a good idea then.

first, regards to all X5 users in world wide ,second i sold my x5 e53 2003 model 3.0i due to the following reasons and i am very sad , it's comes to my dreams every time and usually search on internet for it.
1-radiator leaks.
2-passenger door window not comes up .
3-its very hard and not comfort.
4-also weals very hard 20 inch .
5-eating to much gas.
6-transmission suddenly stop work even in D RBM comes up only with no move.
7-leaders seats is very hard too
.8-steering very heavy and the bump very noisy turning time
9- some electrical issue some times rough idle.
10-maintenance very expensive and no good BMW fitter in my country
11-

EVERYTHING!!!

PLAN OBSOLESENCE BY THOSE VERY SMART VERY GERMAN ENGINEERS.

BMW is a company whose goal is to make money. If a car last forever where is the profit in that. Lifetime fluid means they don't need to include it as part of their FREE maintenance programs to the original owners. Even ZF recommends fluid change for their trans, but they defer to BMW schedule and recommendation because they want to continue selling trans to BMW.

Old Post resurrected from the dead. Walking Dead series 2?

Gee, this whole list from Saudi looks like normal maintenance and wear and tear items on a high end European sport model in a harsh climate.

If you want a low maintenance vehicle buy a boring Jap model and enjoy.

There are only two options on High end cars, the pain of rapid Depreciation or out of pocket repairs that thoroughbreds require.

A well thought out DIY program with tools and knowledge like this web forum makes ownership and repairs easy as you are not the first person experiencing the issue posted.

Good Bye and good luck with your next purchase!