Be aware - Steering Rack Damage
 

Checked today with the dealer a little rattling noise in the front suspension when driving slowly over bad pavement. It turned out to be a damaged Steering Rack which has to be replaced!!! Not a good sign for a SUV with 20,000 km! Have to wait for the parts 10 days + 1 day service + 1 day total reprogramming.

I also had cracked 20” rear wheel and malfunctioning rear view camera, all replaced by the dealer.

Main is 4.8i, sport suspension w/o Adaptive Drive, 20” wheels on RFT. Now on 18” winter Continentals RFT.

I drive 50/50 city/highway. Some times on gravel roads, very slowly off road. I admit we have very bad roads in Latvia, but not bad enough to kill an X5 suspension. It’s a SUV after all!

I used to have 4.6i which had the same problem but at 120,000 km.

My opinion is that 4.8i , sport suspension w or w/o adaptive drive and 20” RFT and hard driving on bad roads/pavement will eventually make you a frequent customer to the dealership.

I am thinking now about Porsche Cayenne S on Turbo.

when they replaced the rear view camera, is it of any better quality than the original (before being broken of course).

> I also had cracked 20” rear wheel

In the U.S. Sales Literature, BMW NA puts the following footnote to Sport Package and larger wheels:

"Due to low profile tires, please note: tires and suspension parts are more suceptible to road hazard and consequential damages."

thanks for the info
 

i've had mine in 6 times to try and fix this rattling/clunk noise. they replaced sway bar end links and "hydraulic accumulator" already but the noise is still there. this time i asked them to look and see if the exhaust was loose, but he said it was tight. i just got the car back yesterday and will wait a while to take it back, but next time will ask them to look at the steering rack!