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In the world of luxury automobiles, there’s one model that gets a lot of attention. The 2018 BMW X5 is labeled as a Sports Activity Vehicle, and modern models have a tagline stating that “confidence never deters.” Yet, research proves that there is nothing to be confident about when sitting behind the wheel of an X5. It has a poorly functioning electrical system, defective steering and a sub-par structure.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2021 2022
Contents
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2018 BMW X5
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Power Train | |
| Electrical System | |
| Fuel System, Diesel | |
| Tires:tread/belt | |
| Engine | |
| Air Bags | |
| Steering | |
| Service Brakes |
Problems with the Electrical System
Luxury models tend to have lots of high-tech features included. Sadly, the X5 might have lots of creature comforts, but nothing seems to work well.
One Edmunds review states the trouble this SAV comes with. “I really wanted this car. I like the look and the drive was nice. But I tote my kids around and spend a lot of time in the car. The technology stinks. It looks very fancy but is a lot of clicks and turns to get things done. Very distracting.Also, connecting to my iphone is awful. I still have to control everything but phone calls on my iphone. That requires me to look at my phone, unlock it and mess with it while I am driving. What good is handsfree if it is only to make calls.Don’t get me started on how podcasts and audiobooks go back to the beginning if you are unlucky enough to receive a call while listening.”
While these problems are quite annoying and distracting, there are more dangerous concerns to think about. One recall talks about the risk of a fire or shock from a defective charging cable. NHTSA Campaign Number 18V652000 illustrates that the capacitors on the TurboCord Portable Chargers could fail. For such a high-end car to face intense failure of this magnitude, it becomes clear that the X5 has no reason to be confident at all.
Problems with the Steering
Whenever a driver gets into a luxury BMW, it’s expected that the ride will be smooth and enjoyable, but that’s not what the X5 provides.
An NHTSA complaint states, “While driving the vehicle over 40 plus miles, the steering wheel gets erratic and twitchy. It tries to make micro turns sometimes to left and sometimes right making you feel as if its windy outside which is making the vehicle pull to one side of other. It becomes a challenge to keep the vehicle in lane.”
While this is a serious issue, it’s also essential to look at some recalls that have been released. The first one talks about how the lower control arm could break, which would affect the handling and control of the X5. NHTSA Campaign Number 18V439000 says that the lower-left control arm in the front might not have been hardened correctly. If that’s not enough, there’s another recall stating that some wishbone suspension bolts might not have been properly torqued, which negatively affects the suspension. NHTSA Campaign Number 17V727000 is one more reason that this vehicle isn’t safe for families. This BMW X5 might have confidence, but that doesn’t make it any less of a lemon.
Problems with the Vehicle Structure
If nothing else is done right, the bones of the car should be constructed well. For the amount of money owners pay to own this SAV, one would expect much more.
Among the many complaints found in this Edmunds review, you will see numerous material-related issues. “This is definitely the worst car I’ve ever purchased. I paid $85k for my 2018 BMW X5. I’ve had numerous issues since I purchased it. It was not aligned from the factory and I had to take it in almost immediately to have an alignment done. The seatbelts were really noisy in the front seats. I had them replaced and they are a bit better now, but it’s ridiculous to have this issue on such an expensive car. The electronics leave a lot to be desired. Sometimes it will automatically switch driver profiles. Sometimes it won’t. There doesn’t seem to be any reason why. Even the so-called ‘geniuses’ at the dealer didn’t know why. At around 8,000 miles, several interior panels started rattling and making noise. The seat motor in the passenger seat went out and that had to be replaced. I’m so done with this car and BMW. It’s my first and definitely my last. There are some nice things about the car, but it’s pretty hard for me to enjoy them when there are so many other things wrong with it.”
What’s most concerning is Service Bulletin #B513016, which illustrates how the tailgate can open on its own, even when the vehicle is locked. As a family car, this simply can’t be allowed to occur, yet BMW owners everywhere are dealing with it. To gain the confidence owners want on the road, it might be necessary to switch brands entirely.
Your Lemon Law Legal Rights
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes BMW pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Complaint Data
| Category | Tires:tread/belt |
| Date | Feb 19, 2023 |
| State | IL |
| Description | Tire tread separated from the tire causing complete failure. |
| Category | Tires:tread/belt |
| Date | Feb 19, 2023 |
| State | IL |
| Description | Tread completely delaminated from the tire at highway speed causing major damage to the left rear of the car. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jan 10, 2023 |
| State | TX |
| Description | In the last week my bmw's wires are chewed by the rodents twice. After doing some research, I found that bmw uses soy/oil based wire coatings or coverings that attract rodents and cause damage to the vehicle. I found many forums where this incident is reported or discussed, but no action has been taken by the bmw to replace the material of wires. With the wires chewed up the communication of different parts of the system becomes incommunicable. It is not able to communicate the pedestrian warning, collision warning, power steering wheel becomes hard and not easy to navigate, chassis stabilization error and many more errors pop up. Bmw dealership as well as bmw north america's response is that this is external forces that they do not have control and not covered in any warranty. My question is if all the systems start to malfunction because bmw installs wires that attract rodents then its a product failure that can lead to a catastrophe to happen. What happen if my bmw stops giving me collision warning while driving and lands up having a collision? Is it not a fault of improper product placed in my car? Do I have to wait for the catastrophe to happen to make bmw aware of the faulty wires? |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Jul 25, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Need asap reply, hello this is the worse service I ever had to encounter march 10 2022 till present date I haven't gotten my vehicle back from https://www. Mckennabmw. Com/ had been a back n forth matter. This recall has gone way too far my pregnant wife n mother in law we're in vehicle when it broke down. I been in a loaner vehicle from the date shown above. This need to be look at asap I'm consulting this to an attorney. I no longer want vehicle back I am requesting a buy it back so I can move on to my next vehicle and it won't be a bmw plz contact me asap @ [xxx] who will I need to contact to request lost of use coverage to be issued to me I been paying insurance to a vehicle that's it's only sitting at the nearest dealer I've also paid a huge amount for a tow truck to pick up my pregnant wife from the highway. Hope to heard from you guys soon . Thank you information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6). |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jun 22, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I own a 2018 bmw x5 x35d and received a notification from bmw about recall under recall number 21v907 last november 2021. It has been 8 months and I've been following up with bmw every 3 to 4 weeks and up to now, they still cannot give me an eta on when the recall will be fixed. This is totally unacceptable. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 27, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Nhtsa recall number21v907 has been in recall incomplete status since november. Holding up my vehicle for months. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Feb 24, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | While driving the bmw x540i on the highway, went to change lanes for an obstacle/debris on the vehicle shut the power of the engine for some seconds and I almost got on a crash due to the vehicle not accelerating. Then the vehicle display a message on the screen “drivetrain malfunction- possible to drive moderately†I pull over on the next exit and shut the vehicle off at the gas station. Once I turn on the vehicle the message was gone but I'm planning yo have the vehicle check by the dealer. This is not safe for anyone, vehicles with this problem could cause a tragic accident. Please investigate if there are other vehicles with this problem. |
| Category | Fuel System, Diesel |
| Date | Feb 07, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 bmw x5. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v586000 (fuel system, diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Fuel System, Diesel |
| Date | Jan 24, 2022 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 bmw x5. The contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 21v586000 (fuel system, diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Fuel System, Diesel |
| Date | Dec 17, 2021 |
| State | CO |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 bmw x5. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v586000 (fuel system, diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Nov 19, 2021 |
| State | MD |
| Description | On 11/10/2021 while driving on us rte 29 in silver spring, md, the car stalled during stop & go rush hour traffic. The car would not move forward in drive but I had enough momentum to move partially in the shoulder lane. Next the car began to drift backwards so I kept my foot on the brakes until the tow truck arrived. I had the car towed to the bmw dealer and the next day I was informed that it needed a new transmission for a cost of ,000. 00. My car has under 72,000 miles and I maintained all recommended preventative maintenance. I bought it brand new for ,000. 00 with 2 miles. Please investigate this obvious manufacturer defect as I believe the dealer and/or bmw should handle all costs. I was lucky since innocent commuters could have been severely injured and killed; including myself. The experience was terrifying and presents a safety hazzard to the public. These tech heavy vehicles are good for the environment and societal progress but they must perform according to the expectations and requirements of the us government. The bmw service dept. Has decided upon merit to my complaint and lowered my contribution to ,000. 00 after I just paid ,000. 00 for the new vehicle. Again, I believe they should handle all costs. Us consumers expect safety, reliability and dependability on all vehicles and when that fails, we only have your agency to supersede and demand justice. Thank you for this opportunity. Sincerely, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6). Consumer's 2018 bmw 40e plug-in hybrid cut off again while driving. Also, had to have it towed on january 18, 2022. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Nov 18, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | Battery charger trigger a fire. It's bmw genuine delphi which comes with car. After charging my car, I unplug it from my car and put on top of plastic ice box before left my garage. Once I'm back to home there was a fire inside of garage. Fire started from battery charger head and it melt plastic ice box and spread to upside of drywall & shelve of garage. There was no damage power cable & plug part of charger. |
| Category | Suspension |
| Date | Nov 06, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | My 2018 x5 had the rear driver side air bag suspension give out where makes the ride very bouncy and hard pound on the uneven roads where makes you lose control of the vehicle and possibly have an incident. Came across a few more x5 owners with the same issue and hasn't been a recall for these years 14-18. Suspension air seems to just give out under 60,000 miles on many people I have talk to along with the dealership confirming this has been an issue with the x5 air suspension system, but no recall or fix of the issue. Please fix and change this part. I'm sure bmw is aware, but need to address before they are more accidents due to this. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Oct 25, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Bmw x5 with sunroof starts leaking water inside. Bmw does not cover and when I called them the response was it is an outside factor that clogs the drainage pipe and it happens on all type of cars, so no action needed. Bmw knows about something and they have not taken any action to prevent it, rather the answer is "it happens with all the cars, so it is okay to happen with bmw model too". I feel it is hazardous for 2 reasons: 1. While driving in rain it suddenly starts leaking which deters an immediate attention from the road. It was by the grace of god, no one was next to me on the road, otherwise an impulse movement would have resulted in the accident. 2. Now, since the carpet soaked the water, although after drying with vacuum, it has started smelling. May be mold is forming which can be hazardous too. Bmw knows the issue but does nothing to prevent it from happening and then they gave me an estimate of about 00 to fix the drainage issue and dry the carpet out. Bmw sold me this car as a certified pre-owned and 10 months later I am having the issue of water leaking in the car for which I need to pay to get it fixed. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train |
| Date | Oct 13, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I was driving in the number 1 lane (leftmost lane) when the dashboard display indicated there was a transmission fault and warned that I should pull over to a safe spot immediately. With the vehicle rapidly slowing, I had to maneuver through traffic to the right side of the road with great difficulty. It was very dangerous to make that maneuver with freeway traffic traveling at approximately 65 to 75 mph. The vehicle is at the bmw dealer in norwalk california and has not yet been examined for the problem. The dealer has confirmed that the engine will crank but will not start. There was no warning prior to the engine/drivetrain failure. The vehicle currently has approximately 57,000 miles on the odometer. This vehicle previously experienced a high pressure fuel pump failure at approximately 21,000 miles on the odometer. The previous failure occurred at a traffic light in town and the hazard to my safety was less severe. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Sep 04, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Fuel system has failed twice resulting in the vehicle shutting down while driving. My safety was put at risk because the vehicle unexpectedly shut down while driving without any warning in the midst of traffic. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer both times and the fuel system replaced each time. There were no warnings or signs prior to each failure. The first failure occurred on 10/10/2019 and the second failure occurred on 8/9/2021. |
| Category | Tires |
| Date | Aug 29, 2021 |
| State | SD |
| Description | My bmw x5 has pirelli scorpion verde run flat tires. 255/50/r 19. For the second time in three months a tire blew and caused extensive damage to my car. Both incidents have taken place on the interstate going 80 mph. No tire warning light came on until the tire had already blown each time. The car has been regularly serviced at bmw dealerships. The first time my two kids were along and they were scared to death, as you might imagine. The first blow out of the rear right back tire happened in may 2021 and caused more than ,000 in damage to my vehicle. The blow out on august 26, 2021 was the front driver's side tire. In may I filed a claim to my insurance, but am hesitant to this time as it will increase my rates. I paid 5 this week to have my vehicle towed on a flat bed to the nearest bmw dealership. I reached out to pirelli and after an hour an half on the phone and being put on hold multiple times, I was able to share the issue with the company and they have said they will be responding. I have also asked the local bmw dealership to assist. Consumer stated latest tire that blew was mailed to pirelli and claim was filed. |
| Category | Structure:body, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 21, 2021 |
| State | SC |
| Description | Moon roof - shattered while driving on free way . Glasses shattered & falling inside & outside car making scary experience. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Oct 13, 2020 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Passenger airbag alert on dashboard constantly when you turn on the car and makes you unable to use any voice command or use display navigation without pressing 3 times ok button... It was like this first time when we got it and every time we took it to service... Most of the time we were told that was triggered by leaving the purse or bag on the seat? Finally after resetting every time , last year the service acknowledge a recall... They supposedly fixed it but this year it happened twice gain... Car was over a month all together in shop for the same issue,, |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Dec 26, 2019 |
| State | IN |
| Description | I am experiencing an issue very similar to the steering issue as reported in nhtsa id# 11196600. The steering very suddenly developed very noticeable play in steering. At speeds above 50 mph or so, because of the steering play, the vehicle has a tendency to wander sometimes to the left and sometimes the right at which point the steering takes hold which is felt as a twitch in the steering wheel. This is most noticeable when the front end becomes light as in cases when driving over an overpass or on roads that undulate some. I took the vehicle to the bmw dealer in lafayette, in on 23-dec-19 to have them look into it. They reported back that they didn't find anything mechanically wrong, but upon road testing the vehicle they confirmed that there is something wrong with the way that the vehicle handles and drives - thought to perhaps be a problem with the eps. They are looking into it further with next steps to be reported back to me. |
| Category | Air Bags, Seat Belts |
| Date | Oct 18, 2019 |
| State | TX |
| Description | 2018 bmw x5 xdr40e. Consumer writes to multiple malfunctions with vehicle; airbag/seat tensioner/belt-force limiters-system. *as *js |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Oct 07, 2019 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Tl* the consumer owns a 2018 bmw x5. The consumer engaged the "car hold" button, which allowed him to remove his foot from the brake pedal while at a stop light. However, the feature failed to operate as needed. The vehicle continued to accelerate while depressing the brake pedal. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The consumer took the vehicle to vista bmw pompano beach (744 n federal hwy #4303, pompano beach, fl 33062, (954) 516-2733) where it was repaired, but the failures continued. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000. The consumer has reported multiple failures after first lemon law hearing reagrding the fist incident. *as |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 11, 2019 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Vehicle was parked in driveway after being serviced. 9,000 miles on odometer. When driving out of driveway noticed glass noise from above. Rolled back sunscreen and glass fell down into vehicle. On further inspection the glass around the hole is raised upward as if compressed from the outside frame. If driving at freeway speeds the safety glass fragments would have injured occupants. This appears not to be an isolated problem and dealers do not disclose that it is. |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Apr 15, 2019 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Whiling driving the vehicle over 40 plus miles the steering wheel gets erratic and twitchy. It tries to makes micro turns sometimes to left and sometimes right making you feel as if its windy outside which is making the vehicle pull to one side or other. It becomes a challenge to keep the vehicle in lane. |
| Category | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Oct 08, 2018 |
| State | GA |
| Description | The passenger blind side detection will not pick up vehicles only 20% of the time. |
| Category | Electronic Stability Control, Service Brakes, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Sep 26, 2018 |
| State | OR |
| Description | This brand new car I bought has the options of "advanced safety system" which was supposed to prevent a collision. I was driving on adaptive cruise control, 4 car distance on highway. As I was driving close to the exit where I needed to take, adaptive cruise control did not seem to be working since I noticed that the car was not slowing down as I was approaching the car in front of me. I pressed on the brake to slow down my vehicle, but the vehicle did not respond to my braking. I pressed down brake as hard as possible to stop the vehicle, but my vehicle continued to move without stopping until it (first car) hit the car in front of it and the car in front of the second car hit the third car. Automatic emergency braking should have kicked in to prevent collision, but it did not. This car was supposed to give me forward-collision warning sign as it was approaching the car in the front, but it never did. Sensor might have not been working at the time of incident. |
| Category | Electrical System, Electronic Stability Control, Power Train |
| Date | Sep 11, 2018 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The car displayed drivetrain malfunction warning message multiple times after the car reached 10k miles. The drivetrain malfunction message was reported to the dealer multiple times and dealer failed to provide proper explanation as well as failed to permanently fix the problem. The car is hybrid and the issue happens randomly when driven at speed between 60mph to 80 mph. When the warning message is displayed the car air condition stops function completely, the car loses acceleration and maintain speed of 60 mph even if the gas pedal is pressed firmly. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Sep 07, 2018 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Engine stall and or flutter when turning at slow speeds |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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