is this a common cargo cover issue?
 

past couple times I've pull the cargo cover its kinda fought me on my 2001 x5.

yesterday I pulled it so I could put the seats down and put in a screen door. the passenger side gave me a fit.

put the cover back in a couple minutes ago and noticed that the tracks/teeth in the side panels had chunks taken out of them with pieces of the track laying in there...which would catch the cover's rolling teeth and cause all the binding.

is this a common thing? I want to buy replacement panels but I dont want to risk buying used ones (expensive even used on ebay) and they be all torn up.

is it just dry rot that causes this or a design flaw? should I just update to the newer 04-06 cargo cover system?

If you have completely removed the cover it is fairly easy to get it started so that a gear of one side meshes before the other which puts the cover in a bind. It is also possible to have one side in the gears and the other inside where it should be. If either happens the teeth on either the track or cover gears will be damaged.

Instead of buying new side panels you need to throw that piece of garbage cargo cover in the nearest trash and convert yours to the late 2003-2006 roll up cargo cover. The BMW engineers must've been drinking heavily the day they came up with thing...lol! I converted my 02 4.6is to the roll up cover last summer and sold the old one on Craigslist, the new is so much better! I don't know why the BMW guys felt like they had to reinvent the wheel to come up with a cargo cover, as you can see they later reverted to the simple cargo cover that's been around for decades.:rofl: There was a DIY but the link doesn't work anymore, sorry.

Those early covers were the invention of satans mistress when she had PMS.

WOW..... Nuff said:wow:

I haven't had a bit of problem with the cover in my 2002. I have had it in and out and closed and open countless times. I like the design because it can't sag like so many of the roll up type do. I am not familiar with the new design, it may be great, but I would have no reason to consider it based on my experience with the track design.

I don't know about ants_OX but I can't remember a time romeokc10 has had anything good to say about an X5.

I still have mine in the garage - probably been sitting there for the last 10 years.
Occasionally will do the fold the seat - load up the trunk routine. Too much of a hassle taking it out, putting it back in routine.

Now, if they made one, where it would slot down into the floorbed and then your would put back up, I probably would be utilizing it.

There have been times where I was like, it would be nice to have the cargo cover and out X things on the bottom and X things ontop of the cover.

happy for you.

some of us though, tote stuff around they dont want nosey people seeing and saying to themselves "heck, I'll just break this glass and take it"

I never leave anything of *high dollar value* if I'm going to leave it parked streetside - most usual suspects would be the laptop or camera gear. Everything else, strollers, kids beach toys, etc - I could care less..

I just can't understand by BMW re-engineered the cover to an inferior design. Then, when the decided it didn't really work, went back to the same design as everyone else uses.....because it works.