Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

BMW X5 Maintenance and Repair

12467…14

Comments

  • nnutternnutter Member Posts: 2
    I have an order in for a BMW x5. I am getting the x5 to be able to go back and forth to work in the snow. Sometimes I have to travel 200 miles a day. I have read lots of stuff regarding the x5 with and without the sport package. Can anyone give some real world experiences with the x5 in the snow, with out the sports package and with the standard 18 H-rated all season tires.
  • mbml55amgmbml55amg Member Posts: 57
    I have driven the new platform GM pickups for 2 years & been favorably impressed. Often I need to travel with 4 or 5 adults & luggage, impractical in any mid-sized vehicle, I have owned several suburbans & had excellent service, my 84 model has 187,000 miles with no extraordinary repairs. The heads have never been off the 454! I have been waiting to purchase a new large SUV, hoping the Denali package would be available on the XL & have on ordered, build date Jan. 9, 2001. Good luck...
  • bmwfan1bmwfan1 Member Posts: 4
    ...for the feedback on the Denali. Funny, as soon as I asked the question, then this weekend I happen to see one w/new tags at a Starbucks. I asked the owner how he likes it (as he was throwing something in the back with disgust). You would never believe what he said. "I should've gotten the X5 or waited for the new Volvo Sport UT."

    That's a real blue collar truck. And the seats...my Gawd! Yuck! I don't know what they were thinking about. Maybe the automaker was going against the tide (like most makers of recent SUV/SAV) of car-like performance with truck-like utility and instead shooting for the market of people/companies who just need a point A to point B "bruiser" that they can beat up cause they just don't give a sh.t. (I know I'll catch heat for that:)
  • bgm2bgm2 Member Posts: 15
    To those of you that have purchased an X5-- I am curious how much below sticker you were able to get? One dealer here in Dallas says $1500 off and the others won't budge.

    Thanks.
  • ms_joannems_joanne Member Posts: 69
    Most places are selling at MSRP or above (especially for the 4.4). I had to talk with virtually every dealer in the Chicagoland area to get what I got (a 3.0i at $1k off MSRP plus Red Star service for the life of the vehicle...that alone was worth it all!)

    If anyone wants information on a GREAT dealer in the DC area or one here in Chicagoland let me know and I'll gladly pass their info along. The guy in DC offered me almost $1500 off and the one here gave me what I stated above. Both guys are really nice and I would highly recommend either (and I don't impress too easily!)

    Good luck on your purchase!

    Joanne
  • bgm2bgm2 Member Posts: 15
    I found on the internet a company that guarantees they'll find the lowest price for you or they can also order one. I'm interested to see really how much they can get off on an X5.
  • atlaatla Member Posts: 1
    Hi All . . . I have a 1997 Disco with 48300 miles and I'm thinking of buying an extented waranty . Can anyone tell me if there ok or its just a waist of money . If there ok wich are the ones to get . Thanks for all your help .
  • vaithavaitha Member Posts: 1
    bgm2- I'm in Dallas and could you share who is the dealer that offer flexible prices on the X5? Thanks in advance.
  • bgm2bgm2 Member Posts: 15
    The dealer was Classic BMW in Richardson. The salesman said they have enough in stock now that they can discount a little. He seemed pretty honest about it.
  • stevex5stevex5 Member Posts: 1
    I've just taken delivery of a 4.4 X5. Beside the shift lever is a little orange light that indicates which gear you're in (reverse, park, drive etc...). On my vehicle, this light never goes out!!

    According to the dealer, the light is a low power LED that is supposed to be on all the time, yet I have a friend who took delivery of his 4.4 X5 about 6 months ago, and his indicator light goes out about 15 minutes after turning the ignition off.

    Any X5 owners out there who see similar behaviour to mine ? Or do I actually have a problem that needs to be taken up with the dealership ?
  • nonnelnonnel Member Posts: 2
    I'm interested in buying a 3.0 X5 in the Chicagoland area and I would appreciate any help on a reasonable dealer.
  • bmwdreamerbmwdreamer Member Posts: 2
    Ms_Joanne,

    I'm interested in your information about the dealership in Northern Virginia. Thanks for any information.
  • androulidakisandroulidakis Member Posts: 2
    My transmission indicator light goes out after ten minutes or so.

    The child-proof window indicator light also stays on for a while.

    Along these lines, my dealer had to switch out my nav system because it wasn't turning off. The third day I had the X5 (4.4) I went out to start it up and found a dead battery. Luckily, it's a piece of cake to use a booster to start a BMW. Turned out the nav system drained the battery because it wasn't turning off.

    No problem with that since the swap.

    Although my X5 has shown some quirks (which I'll post under a different heading) I'm still thrilled with it overall. After owning two ML 430's for about six months, my wife and I couldn't stand them. I got my X5 three weeks ago. My wife's will be here before Christmas.

    Hope this helps.

    Nick Androulidakis
    nick@significance.com
  • androulidakisandroulidakis Member Posts: 2
    Although I'm very happy with my X5, there are some things I'd like to see corrected or improved:

    There seems to be a bug in the phone system programming: When the phone rings, you should be able to adjust the ringer volume with the steering wheel volume control (the way I can in my 540i). In the X5 you can't despite what the manual says. You have to use the handset while hooked to the X5's cable.

    No caller-id with the phone system either.

    When I try using the console button to unlock the rear hatch, it usually takes two tries before it actually releases the door lock.

    Easy access to the headliner console to hook up a radar detector would be nice. Particularly with the fuse box being back in the trunk.

    The garage door opener should be active without having the key in the ignition.

    My 540i had a weather channel button on its radio. The X5 doesn't.

    Of course, I've had the opportunity to think about these changes or improvements because the X5 works so well it allows you to nitpick. The car's performance and features make it a joy to own. And my dealer (Prestige in Ramsey New Jersey) makes the ownership of any BMW I've had a genuine joy. Even when my vehicles have had problems, the folks at Prestige performed flawlessly to solve them. Beth (who's my service contact) and Pete Lehman (Who's the shop foreman) are the best I've met in 30 years of buying and servicing vehicles. While I'm at it, let me put in a plug for Ali in sales and Peter the dealership manager.

    And I paid list for these X5's! So this is unsolicited testimony.

    Hope this helps someone out there. Feel free to contact me if there's any way I can help.

    Nick Androulidakis
    nick@significance.com
  • ms_joannems_joanne Member Posts: 69
    Northern VA, actually. Talk with Fred Meloan at www.eishman.com. His email address is FDMeloan@heishmanbmw.com and you can get his phone number off the website.

    If you do talk with Fred please tell him that Joanne sent you. Maybe he will comp me something.

    Fred is a great guy, btw. I liked him very much and had the local dealer not offered me the service deal he did I would have purchased from Fred.

    Good luck to you!

    Joanne
  • bmwdreamerbmwdreamer Member Posts: 2
    Ms_Joanne,

    Thank you for the dealer here in Northern Virginia. I had such a bad time buying my last car that I wanted referrals this time. We're looking to buy in about 4-6 months so I'm keeping all this info. and will say Hi to Fred and let him know of my referral.

    Thanks again!
  • nonnelnonnel Member Posts: 2
    I hope my experience at Patrick BMW is as pleasant as yours. I'll let Terry know you sent me...good luck on the comp :) By the way, I ran into snotty sales people when I bought my Mercedes. They must attend the same seminars! Keep giggling.
  • ms_joannems_joanne Member Posts: 69
    If you're reading this there is an easy way to hard wire your radar detector into the bottom left side of the dash next to the steering wheel.

    If you go to www.bimmer.org/x5/messages and look back about a week or so (there are a bazillion messages there) you will find a link where the guy actually does a step-by-step thing. I think the heading is Valentine One (I started a thread about this brand of detector and I am pretty sure that is where the link is).

    Good luck!
  • dpb54dpb54 Member Posts: 6
    I've owned an x5 for 7 months (3.0, sport pkge).
    It has many problems, and the dealer has trouble
    fixing them all. I would suggest to anyone that you wait and not purchase one for a year or two until BMW gets the buge worked out. If you read other chat-rooms (bimmer.org) you'll see that many people have stalling and wind noise difficulty that has been problematic to fix. The reponse from BMW has been that wind noise is inherent to the car. With a car of this caliber, one shouldn't have to live with that much noise. There have been many people, including myeself, that have had the fuel guage not work. Seatbelts, door latches, trunk latches, gaskets, steering column motors have had to be replaced and adjusted. BMW has been less than helpful to deal with. I haven't had problems with previous BMW's I've owned.
  • cldawsoncldawson Member Posts: 1
    Just as info. I have had my 2001 x5 4.4i now for eight months. It has been back to the dealership once for poor door fits and twice for wind noise at the front driver's and passenger doors. It does have the air conditioning smell. The steering column growls as it retracts to the home position (leather rubbing on the instrument panel). We cannot come up with a fix. Tried armor all, vaseline, etc. It is scheduled to go back to the dealership in two weeks for wind noise and the transmission. The transmission got stuck in first gear. It would not shift out. Then it went into "Trans. Failsafe Prog." It would start out in second gear and shift from there. It would not let you out of the auto mode into the "S" mode. The the service enging soon light came on. The next day it corrected itself. How? I don't know, but I am have the dealership take a look at it. Aside from this, this is a stunning vehicle even though it is highly priced.
  • disco323disco323 Member Posts: 1
    What is the web site or url address for this dealer that guarantees the lowest price? I'd love to known.
  • danm8danm8 Member Posts: 5
    Had my X5 4.4 sport for over 4 months. A pleasure to drive except for these iritating shortcomings: Windshield defroster only comes on in one temperature-really hot. So hot it starts to burn your face in about 1 minute and the edges of the windshield don't get clear. Wipers have a bad squeek. Wind buffetting from sun roof when fully opened. Tires on the sport package are not very good in snow but alternates not available in the 19' rims. Everything else is great so far.
  • ms_joannems_joanne Member Posts: 69
    Where are you? I have a great dealer in Northern VA and one in Chicago who are discounting. If you're near either let me know. I highly recommend both of these guys.
  • ms_joannems_joanne Member Posts: 69
    Can you set the controls for high/medium/low (defroster, panel, floor) instead of the defrost only setting and then use the temp setting to adjust accordingly?

    Just a thought...I just got mine and haven't had the chance to play with it yet.
  • cocofonixcocofonix Member Posts: 1
    Many thanks to all these posts. It really helped in my decision. I finally got my BMW x5 3.0, silver black interior. $1500 off MSRP.
    Test drove it again over a few inches of hard snow. Handles extremely well. feel very safe. Brakes near perfectly. Didnt skid even once. I didnt hear any significant wind noise at 80mph. The wind noise in fact was less than MDX and RX 300 and ML 320. Speeds up pretty fast and I hardly realize I are at 80. Drive is just fantastic - much better than MDX and RX 300. That and the safety test results are the ones that would rank this SAV higher than the competition (looks great too!). CONS: I cant beleive that many accesories including automatic transmission which should be standard for a vehicle that costs this much are optional and they make u pay a price for it. Cargo space if you or your family requires it. We were just two and did nt really matter for us. Overall a fantastic vehicle and as far as drive and handling goes - the one to beat. Acura MDX came a close second.
    I dont know if this will help. I made note of all the minor problems that previous owners had (from bimmer.com)and asked my dealer to specifically check those out to make sure those are alright. Picking up my beaut in a few days. Cant wait!!!!!!!
  • ms_joannems_joanne Member Posts: 69
    I got my new X last week (and promptly drove it out of state for the snowy, icy, crappy-weathered holiday weekend)and specifically looked for the issues that had popped up on the bimmer.org board.

    My X, too, is whisper quiet! There is a tad more road noise when the sunroof visor is open than when closed...I could only imagine if the sunroof was actually open (something I almost never do so noise there wouldn't be an issue for me). I might get a deflector just because. There was no stalling at tight, moderately accelerated, turns, and there was NO windnoise coming in from passenger or driver doors. Had there been any noise I would not have accepted it. I can't stand that...it would drive me nuts.

    I was fully prepared to turn it away if there was something wrong with it. I had them PDI it only (pre-delivery inspection) and I drove it and approved it prior to their actually prepping it for delivery.

    Thus far (only a whopping 450 miles thus far) it has been great. I am getting what I expected thus far...a great vehicle. We'll see if any of these other problems pop up. I will post them if they do.

    Oh, my dealer was great about everything. If anyone is in the Chicagoland area and looking for a really good dealer (who discounts!!), let me know and I will give you my sales guys name. I loved the deal I got!
  • galvanggalvang Member Posts: 156
    Nice, I figure after all those months on pondering what to get your X5 finally came in. Did your X5 come in with Michelin MXV4 "17" tires.
    I figure that with snow it should not be a problem
    going around. Update us on how good is going or things that nag you.

    Something going on with my Audi in which I can't really discuss on this board. The result could land me a SUV soon. Wish me luck. Again, Congrats!! Thanks.
  • danm8danm8 Member Posts: 5
    Tried Ms Joanne's suggestion-worked fine. Thank You.
  • ms_joannems_joanne Member Posts: 69
    I thought I would share my experience of dealing with Fields BMW, a Chicagoland dealer.

    I went there to follow up on a trinket that I had purchased (but not received) for a friend for Xmas. While I was there I thought I would have them wash my car as it had a lot of salt on it. I pulled into the service area (which is where Parts is also located) and asked the service guy if I could get my car washed. He looked at it and said that because I had not bought it there they wouldn’t wash it. I told him that I didn’t expect him to do it for free that I would pay for it, of course. No, they do not wash vehicles not purchased there. (They do offer detailing, both interior and exterior, but that wasn’t offered. Just a flat NO.)

    Ok, fine…I will go find my little F1 racing keychain and leave. Parts said it should be there somewhere and spent about 10 minutes looking for it. In the meantime the service people had moved my brand new, three day old X5 closer to the door where it was promptly HIT by a customer who was leaving. I screamed STOP! But it was too late. Boomph. He sideswipped my front driver-side wheelwell.

    The service manager then runs out, grabs a dry rag and proceeds to rub the salt off of the front fender to see if there was any damage. I asked him to stop stating that he was going to rub the salt into the finish at which point he started yelling at me. HUH? EXCUSE ME, you idiot, it was MY vehicle that was hit! Why are you yelling at me? I was then informed that I would have to exchange information with the guy who hit me and have our insurance companies handle it. I don’t think so!

    Ok, it was General Manager time. I spoke with her and gave her the rundown of what happened. I started my discussion with her by stating that I was “beyond angry” and that I had stopped there for two reasons, 1. to pick up my trinket, and 2. to scope out their service department as they are closer to my house than the place I purchased the vehicle and I was looking for a service provider closer to my home…and I told her that her service department failed miserably. “Well, it is our policy to not wash other vehicles…” blah, blah, blah, was pretty much her response until I got to the point where I told her that my car, my BRAND NEW, 3 DAY OLD X5 was hit in her service area and under no circumstances should her service guy have raised his voice to me. Amazingly I was able to control my frustration up until now…but at this point tears started flowing down my cheeks.

    I will admit that she was nice about it after that and gave me an X5 coffee table book but the overall experience with them left me wanting (not to mention shaking and upset to the point I could barely talk). She had the car washed and then we looked for damage - thankfully the schmoe that hit me was in a car and his wheelwell scraped mine and with the plastic piece that goes around the X’s wheelwells it only got a scratch and a rub on the paint…something I could handle myself. She offered to give me the drivers information (the dealer took no responsibility what-so-ever) at which point I must have looked at her like she was from another planet. She then offered to have them buff it out next time I came back (yeah like I would EVER go back there) but I politely refused. I asked for a refund of the keychain (that they still couldn’t find – now 45 minutes later) stating, to myself, that there was no way in hell I would ever cross their doors again. I could only imagine what would happen if I entrusted my baby to them for ANYTHING. I don't think so!!

    So now they have lost a service customer, a potential future customer, and one who is very vocal in offering my opinion to those on the internet….other potential customers. Thankfully the place I bought the car will be the primary servicer but it is nice to have a backup closer to home. Fields will definitely NOT be that baclup!

    BEWARE! This dealer has decent sales people but service is the pits!

    I’ll now relate my first experience at Fields - when I ordered the key chain. I had asked them if they could look at the tire of my 4Runner (before the X came in) as I thought it had a leak. They told me that their union people wouldn’t work on my car…it was against their rules or some such. I said that I only wanted them to look at the tire as it was going flat. After much discussion (including that I was purchasing an X5) they looked at it and found that it needed to be plugged and repaired it. What an effort, though. My safety meant nothing. Jeez…it wasn’t like I asked them to work on my Japanese car…I just wanted the tire looked at! That first experience left me wanting. This last one was the clincher.

    This was the worst service experience of any dealer I had ever worked with and I have owned over the 100 vehicles in my lifetime. THE WORST EVER….and let me tell you I have had a lot of service dealings over the years.

    Thanks for letting me go off and please, warn any friends considering purchasing from them. Caveot emptor…let the buyer beware!
  • vaw113vaw113 Member Posts: 1
    ms Joanne
    Which dealer was the one you finally bought from? I'm looking at an X-5 and I need to know where to go for the best price/service.
  • ms_joannems_joanne Member Posts: 69
    I purchased my X5 from Patrick BMW and the sales person I dealt with was Terry Shoemaker. His number is 847-310-4311. He is a very nice guy (albeit quite busy and not the best at returning calls in the timeliest of manners...but it's worth it. I got a great deal from them. None of the other Chicago area dealers would discount as much as Terry did.) The entire experience with Patrick was positive. I talked with their parts and service people and watched how they interact with customers and each other. Good job overall.

    Terry is a great guy and Patrick is a great dealer. If you do contact him, please tell him that Joanne sent you...maybe he will comp me a little something.

    Good luck!! This X5 is the best vehicle I have ever owned. It is more fun to drive than anything I have ever driven and I am just crazy in love with it. I have a huge smile on my face whenever I drive it.
  • finsupfinsup Member Posts: 2
    Uh, guys that noise isn't unique to the X5. My 2000 3 series had the same noise, as well as my X5. The noise I speak of is the "booming" noise. I believe it is caused by the rather large tires on the vehicle, however, once up to speed you don't notice it. I don't think it is something that can be fixed unless you want to completely dismantle the car...
  • manjpmanjp Member Posts: 1
    I bought my wife a fully loaded X5 3.0i for Xmas/B'day. It is a great vehicle. Really quite and really fun to drive. I got the climate control package and when I have the setting at AUTO the middle(upper body vents as BMW calls them) does not pump hot air. I have the rotating bezzle all the way to the 3 red dots and it still continues to pump cold air. Also, when I have it in a configuration such as lower vents and the middle vents, or the defroster and the middle vents I get hot air only from the lower vents or the defroster respectively. The car is at the dealer and they are keeping it overnight since they could not figure out what is wrong. I checked a few other X5s and the middle vents seem to be working fine. Has anyone else seen this problem? Also, looking at Dan's post I believe that there could be some issues with the climate control system.
  • kljohnkljohn Member Posts: 1
    I bought an x5 in early spring. For the last three months, my pretty truck has been without heat. Each moring I fill the radiator with antifreeze. BMW just didnt have the parts. No problem, I drive my pretty car with gallon of antifreeze in back seat.
    I suppose that really isn't such a problem when you consider that iv'e had the car in the shop three times because the engine would stall, when i took a hard left turn. BMW came to ma rescue and increased the idle. Now i have a fifty thousand dollar car that vibrates when sitting a a stop light. But the problems have only just begun. My newest problem is that my dash board looks like a pinball machine, and the care only shifts between 5th and 2nd gear.
    What can I say, BMW calls each time the car is serviced, and asks how would i rate the serive. And truthfully I have to say the service people are nice. Then I tried to tell the BMW rep. my problems, she said sorry I dont have a box on my form for that response. I aske who should i talk to about my dissatisfactions, the response was a rude person telling me to talk with the dealer.

    Well
  • jeanne12jeanne12 Member Posts: 1
    KLJOHN, co-worker had the same stalling problems after numerous shop visits BMW did lemon the x5 and delivered on a brand new vehicle.
    It took from June 2000 until Oct 2000.
  • dgoldstein1dgoldstein1 Member Posts: 1
    Picked up my beautiful blue X5 4.4 in November 2000. I now have 4000 miles on it , and over the past few weeks have driven in some deep snow and lots of ice. The X5 handles great ( better then my Jeep Grand Cherokee did ) in the snow and the DSC system is super. The X5 is super quite for a big ole V8, and handles fantastic. I had a very annoying problem with the integrated cell phone system and would like to share some advice. Apparently the X5 as that were built in October of 2000 and beyond had a wiring change in the radio and with the BMW cell phone system installed , when driving you would hear a dentist drill sounding "whine". This occurred the first day of ownership and the dealership ( who is the best ; Competition BMW of Smithtown NY ) tried everything in its power to fix it. The dealer had a factory tech come down and he could not find the cure. Since the whine was so loud I had them just take out the phone for now and I will wait and see if BMW finds a cure. Apparently I am the first person that this happened to.

    My main complaint is centered around BMW of North America not acknowledging the problem. After my car was in the shop for a week and after the factory rep confirmed he had no idea on how to fix the problem one would assume a letter would come from BMW aplogising for the problem and stating that they will keep in touch once they find a cure. Perhaps the huge success that BMW is enjoying has blinded them towards the basics of customer satisfaction.

    In any event , it is a great, great driving machine and I would recommend it to all.

    PS- Keep in mind that when you get a call from BMW after your car is in for service, the people you are speaking with are NOT from BMW. They are an outsourced telemarketing group whose client is BMW of North America.
  • mrsnomanmrsnoman Member Posts: 5
    Hey, I just started reading these different discussions on the X5, ML320 & MDX. I am in the market to buy one around the first of July and saw that you own two of them. In YOUR opinion, is either one of them really better?

    Thanks for your time!
  • tuan5tuan5 Member Posts: 4
    Hi ms_joanne. I read some of your message and I believe that in one of your message you stated that you know of a BMW dealer in the Norther Va who would give a discount (of $1500) can you please give me info on that dealership.

    Can you also give me the speicification and price of your X ?

    Thanks. My email address is money_trail@hotmail.com
  • tuan5tuan5 Member Posts: 4
    I read a lot of posting here concerning problems with the X5. In particular with the stalling of the engine, freezing of the navagation system, integeration with the cell phone, key/seat memory, and engine light.

    Because the internet is not only a source of lots of useful information as well as MisInformation, I decided to call BMW coporate office to get their perspective on these matters. There response to these matters is that it is nothing more then isolated incidents. They are not aware of ANY widespread bugs or problems with the X5.

    Granted that one must take this info with a grain of salt, but are the people here reporting these problems reporting because
    1. They expect perfection out of the BMW badge and $50K badge
    2. Exaggerating isolated incidents
    3. The incidents are as widespread as being reported here

    Your input is greatly appreciated as is your complaints.
  • bernard1bernard1 Member Posts: 58
    One could say that each owners problems would be an isolated incident. There is a TSB on the stalling. While we haven't experienced the items you've mentioned, we have had two minor problems (isolated). When many people have the same problem we tend to share, hoping BMW will fix these problems. I guess that we like some others were surprised that we would have any problems so soon into the ownership of this SAV.
  • alpinex5eralpinex5er Member Posts: 1
    Looks like BMWNA is once again in denial about the consistent X5 problems. They are all not "isolated" issues (just spend a couple days reading through the X5 archives at bimmer.org). Granted some are minor and have been fixed by service/dealerships. But not all of them are minor (IMHO) and not all of them are being fixed. Here's a couple that I've had:

    1. Service Engine Soon light comes on, car runs rough and feels like it's going to stall. After driving for a couple miles, the car returns to "normal" but light stays on. Diagnostic test done by the service department confirms it's a "misfire fault" but doesn't pinpoint the faulty coil. After 5 days in the shop, nothing done. Can't replicate the issue. I was told to "see if it happens again, and if so, bring it back in" and I'll get another Enterprise rental for the week!! I've seen several other X5's with similar issues on the bimmer.org board.

    2. The car vibrates when stopped in drive with the brakes on (it stops vibrating when put into neutral). Service told me that I had the latest "software" from the factory and everything was normal. Normal? The vibration is so bad (thru the steering column, steering wheel, front seats, and both front doors) that the window switch plates on both front doors creak/squeak when I'm stopped at a light. Again, several others have complained of the same issue on the bimmer.org board and no one is having luck getting the problems resolved by BMW service.

    3. Rattles, squeaks, and creaks. Primary culprit - those darn fold-down rear seats. I now have 6 waxing pads shoved between each of the seats and seat/frame locations where leather rubs against leather or plastic. It's cut down about 70% of the creaking noise. I also have clicking noises coming from the steering column / front dash area when going over bumps.

    4. This might be an isolated problem (although I've received responses back from several folks on the E39 board with the same problem). My driver front seat (sport seat) moves/pops when making turns. Service has tried to fix it twice and has been unsuccessful. Next step might be to get BMW Technical reps involved since my local dealership is clue less as what to try next.

    Are those complaining expecting too much from a $50,000 vehicle? I don't think so. I've owned everything from a 1976 WV Bug to a 1999 Mercedes E320 and have never had so many annoying problems (especially in the first 3 weeks of ownerhship with less than 800 miles).

    I'm sure there are many X5's out there with little or no problems. I'm jealous. I love this car. The driving experience is like no other. I can't get enough of it (I find every excuse to run erands after work!!). I've got my fingers crossed that the problems will eventually be resolved, but frankly I'm fed up with BMW's denial about the problems and lack of conviction to fix them. Do they not want to satisfy their loyal customers??
  • tomjavatomjava Member Posts: 136
    Last week I went with my buddy to Peter Pan BMW at San Mateo, CA to pick up his order after waited for more than 2 month.

    He's so excited when his salesman gave him the car key. He jumped in and tried to start to car. Guess what! it didn't start at all. Dealer changed the battery, didn't work. In the end, the dealer had to order another X5.

    I was so flabbergasted. Does BMW test drive each vehicle before leaving the factory? If I were him, I am going to cancel the order period. IMO, $51,000(including tax & license) car is unacceptable to be death on arrival.
  • ctk1ctk1 Member Posts: 79
    To SteveX5

    I just pickup my X5/3.0i few days ago. I find out that my SAV has the same problem exactly as you mention. I speak to sale man and service tech at the dealer but they do not have clear answer. I think the light should goes out when all doors are lock or when the alarm is on. I see other X5 at the dealer, the light go out after all doors are close.
    I hope you can share with me how do you resolve this problem ? Thank you.
  • dpb54dpb54 Member Posts: 6
    In response to Tuan5, my 3.0 x5 has 12,000 miles and has been in for service about 5 times for a total of 11 days. This includes stalling, malfunctioning fuel guage, tailgate not closing, and wind whistle, amongst others. The dealer tries their best, but BMWNA isn't going to want to admit to any major problems with the cars. It appears, from the large number of people having difficulty with their vehicles, that the car was put into production too soon. They've been selling the cars and trying to work the bugs out using all of us as guinea pigs. BMWNA is difficult to get hold of (beyond a phone operator) and not the best at responding.
  • dgunx5dgunx5 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2001 X5 and the transmission selector light will not go off, when the car has been turned off. SteveX5 has written a message (#160) about this problem, but I cant seem to find a solution on this board. Does anyone else have a problem similar to this or have you heard of a resolution to this type of a problem. Please respond and thanks for your help.
  • ctk1ctk1 Member Posts: 79
    To : degunx5


    My does not goes out. I check with dealer. They contact BMW North America about the trans light. Service tech call me back and states that most of the latest build X5 (PRND)light does not go out. I went to different dealers and checkother X5, 8 out 10 SAV light does not go out.

    So far I have no problem of starting the X5 after it sit in the garage for 1 week (Cold weather in New England).

    Here is the bimmer.org for your reference. I Alos mention to the service tech about the "Direction Indicator" replacement, but they say that is not the issue, as long as it does not drain the battery. There is no problem.


    Note:Mine is X5/3.0i with Auto steptronic trans. Build on Jan 2001


    http://www.bimmer.org/x5/messages/archive/y2001w03.html


    http://www.bimmer.org/x5/messages/archive/y2001w05.html

  • werner41werner41 Member Posts: 3
    Why BMW didn't just shoehorn the M5 engine into the X5 is beyond me. Instead they created a brand new (4.6L) engine when they already had a 4.8L engine in production. I guess new models still display many unexplained quirks, even BMW's.
  • dgunx5dgunx5 Member Posts: 3
    To: ctk1

    Thank you very much for the information on the transmission light. I did call BMWNA about this problem and they mentioned that the light is designed to stay on, but I was not sure if they were pulling my leg. I still dont understand the need for the feature, but who cares as long as it does not effect the ride or starting. I do love my black X5 and it seems like I cant get enough of it.
    Thanks once again ckt1.
  • ms_joannems_joanne Member Posts: 69
    What I had heard is that the M5 wasn't tuned for and couldn't properly handle the X5 AWD system. I don't know if there was a weight issue (as it is quite heavy) or other issues ,as well. FWIW....
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "BMW's answer to Mercedes-Benz's ML55 rips out 6.5-second zero-to-60s at 347 horsepower. With revised fuel injection mapping and new induction and exhaust systems, this SAV is missing little except an "M" in its name":

    link

    Steve
    Host
    Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles