Powertrain and brake issues are among the top complaints reported by vehicle owners to the NHTSA
The 2022 BMW X5 is labeled as a luxury sports activity vehicle that’s created to impress. The automaker claims that it “gets you where you need to be.” But some customers are more than happy to return this BMW because of faulty brakes, defective powertrains, and other serious safety issues.
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A total of 12 consumers filed complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) between October 9, 2021, and January 25, 2023. Of these, 4 cite problems with the powertrain, specifically the drivetrain, and 3 focus on brake issues. Several complaints emphasize safety concerns. There are also complaints about failures occurring when the SUV is still brand spanking new.
Safety issues highlighted in NHTSA complaints include a malfunctioning start-stop feature (see below) and an issue with the driver assistance package. The latter, of course, controls many of the BMW X5’s safety features. An owner from Tennessee reports getting a message stating, “driver assistance support reduced”. And the vehicle only had about 200 miles on the clock.
We discuss powertrain issues in more detail below. But it is worth mentioning here that one of these complaints reports a drivetrain malfunction that occurred only 45 minutes after buying the car. Also, an owner from Texas reports having to replace the right rear damper/shock less than a week after taking possession of a new 2022 BMW X5.
Other components and systems mentioned in complaints include the electrical system, engine, forward collision avoidance, lane departure, steering, suspension, tires, and vehicle speed control.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Power Train | |
| Engine | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Electrical System | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Steering | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Back Over Prevention: Warnings |
There are 4 complaints about powertrain issues, 2 of which were filed by owners of the 2022 BMW X5 hybrid. Of these, 3 mention a drivetrain malfunction, including the Californian owner who noticed the problem 45 minutes after buying the vehicle.
An owner from Pennsylvania got the drivetrain malfunction alert at about 1,500 miles. While driving on the highway, the X5 automatically shifted into Neutral and stopped. “This could have been a multiple-car accident if the cars were going at highway speed. BMW SOS called me saying they received a drivetrain malfunction alert. They had me pull over, asked me a few questions about the car and roads, and let me go back on the road.”
BMW later inspected the vehicle, “but said the issue cannot be reproduced.” So there is no resolution.
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One of the hybrid owners, from California, identified a transmission problem when “the engine started sputtering and the throttle became non-responsive.” A warning light came on and the message “drivetrain malfunction” displayed. At that stage, the vehicle was in the middle of a busy throughway and there was zero power. “This was an unsafe condition for everyone in the vehicle (and other drivers).” The vehicle had to be rolled to the side of the road and towed to a service center.
The other hybrid owner, from Massachusetts, slowed down before accelerating. Suddenly, “the car pulled forward in a jolt and even braking the car did not help.” It had been in hybrid mode and he thought it might have been automatically switching to electric mode. “It was scary and I finally switched to sport mode to avoid the electric / hybrid model altogether.
“This is the second time it has happened to me in the month I (have) owned the vehicle. I found that I am not the only one as there are several other owners on the BMW blog forum describing a similar issue.”
Brake issues vary, but all describe brake failures of some sort.
The owner of an X5 with 1,000 miles on the clock had an experience that ended with a crash. He caught his foot on the mat inside the driver’s side and the car accelerated. He had to engage the parking brake to stop. Then, while it was idling in the driveway, it instantaneously lunged forward, crashed into another vehicle, and then into the garage. Even though there was no fire reported, the fire department was on the scene. The owner, from Massachusetts, also filed a police report.
An owner from North Carolina had problems controlling the steering wheel, which “was moving on its own.” Additionally, the brakes were “hard,” and wouldn’t press down more than a fifth to a quarter of the way down. After reporting and discussing the issue with BMW support, they said it was best if they towed it away. The complaint states that this has happened before. “The brakes are hard like trying to press on a brick wall.” It has also happened while driving. But usually, he can shift it back into gear. This time he couldn’t!
An owner from Hawaii experienced a brake system malfunction less than 3 months after buying a 2022 X5. The dealer’s diagnosis was that the brake booster needed replacing. The owner demanded a new car, but nearly 2 months later still hadn’t resolved the issue. This was after BMW agreed to swap the vehicle with a new 2023 BMW X5 because it has the same features. “However, once again, BMW failed and the new vehicle did not have all the same features.” He was told by BMW corporate that they could do nothing more.
BMW’s stop-start feature is designed to save fuel in traffic jams, at red lights, or wherever your vehicle is idling and burning fuel unnecessarily. It automatically switches off the engine when the BMW isn’t moving and the driver engages the brake. The engine is supposed to start up again as soon as the driver takes his or her foot off the brake.
An owner from Illinois listed a complaint about the start-stop feature under Electrical System and Unknown or Other. The complaint states that the feature automatically started up his car while it was in a garage and turned off. This resulted in the garage filling up with carbon dioxide.
A statement on the KBB website also refers to problems with the auto stop-start system. It started playing up while an owner was caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the George Washington Bridge. “I cannot fully explain my disappointment with the auto start-stop system. At times I thought I was driving a 1975 pinto with a bad transmission, not a $70,000 luxury SUV. When rolling, the engine turns off. When I stepped on the gas to move forward, I was surprised by the vehicle bucking. Just no fun in traffic. In My X3, I could disable the auto start-stop system. Not in the X5.”
An owner from Alabama experienced 3 sidewall tire failures on different tires within the first 20,000 miles. “The sidewalls blew out to a point that the ‘run flat’ functionality of the tire was compromised,” and the SUV had to be towed to a dealership. On another occasion, the owner spotted “a large slit in the sidewall and a bulging section around the slit on my front driver’s side tire. The tire is currently still pressurized, but is not safe to continue operating.”
Another 2022 BMW X5 owner (from Ohio) states that BMW doesn’t ship lug adaptors with the X5 anymore. Owners have to order these and it can take about 6 weeks to arrive. “What do I do in the meantime if the tire needs to be changed due to damage? My wife and I were going cross country on a family visit. Not now. We both don’t feel safe not being able to change a tire if something happens.”
When vehicles have problems that recur and affect your use as well as the value of the vehicle, this is an indication that they might be lemons. While auto manufacturers replace, buy back, or make cash settlements to thousands of lemon owners every year, it can be a challenge to persuade them to do this. This is why it’s best to get an expert lemon lawyer involved.
Lemberg Law has helped thousands of consumers sort out their lemon problems. If you need our help simply call our Helpline or fill out a contact form. The law makes BMW pay the legal fees of lemon law cases. So, don’t think twice. Call us today.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 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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The June 2, 2022 complaint from Massachusetts is confusing. Is this one incident or two? If your foot steps on the accelerator for any reason, the car will accelerate. Stepping on the brake pedal will stop the car much more efficiently than the parking brake will. There will be no warnings as this is what the car is designed to do. You step on the gas and the car goes. End of story.