BMW X5 SAV Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 202 consumer complaints across the 8 model years of the BMW X5 SAV (2006–2013) that have at least 5 complaints. 2007 has the most, with 59. Across all years, the part named most often is air bags (53 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All X5 SAV model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 13 | 45,000 | 1 | 12 | — | Not enough data |
| 2012 | 21 | 54,250 | 4 | 10 | — | Stable |
| 2011 | 24 | 78,620 | 3 | 8 | — | Stable |
| 2010 | 19 | 64,000 | 5 | 8 | — | Stable |
| 2009 | 19 | 80,000 | 4 | 8 | — | Rising |
| 2008 | 20 | 70,049 | 3 | 7 | — | Stable |
| 2007 | 59 | 67,000 | 5 | 73 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2006 | 27 | 96,000 | 0 | 10 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Air bags53 23%
- Engine41 17%
- Fuel system31 13%
- Brakes31 13%
- Transmission and drivetrain28 12%
- Electrical system28 12%
- Seats13 5.5%
- Vehicle speed control10 4.3%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2007: “Vehicle keeps stalling and accelerating shuts off in the middle of the road while driving mainly in the city I could b turning or driving straight and shuts off and takes awhile to restart...electrical wiring keeps shorting out sunroof shorts out and tail light keeps burning out...I took it to dealer paid $5000 and same problem continues to occur”
NHTSA complaint #10980933, filed 2017-04, 100,921 miles2011: “I would like to report a vanos issue the camshaft bolts loosen and break and it could be catastrophic. My bolts loosened and I caught it in time but if I didn't know any better I could've had a complete engine failure. My code originally came up as camshaft sticking. When the problem originated I was traveling on a main city road and my car went into reduced power mode.”
NHTSA complaint #11083702, filed 2018-04, 125,000 miles2013: “Running on the highway received high engine temp warning orange. It quickly went to red and read on dash to pull over. The vehicle lost much power and stepping on accelerator would not let it go faster. I had to move to the right on the highway while some vehicle sped through to the right of me while trying to pull over. 45,000 miles and water pump had failed when I took it to a shop.”
NHTSA complaint #11113494, filed 2018-07, 45,000 milesOther BMW models
3,167 complaintsBMW 328I
2,577 complaintsBMW X3
2,018 complaintsBMW 325I
1,377 complaintsBMW Z4
1,271 complaintsBMW 3 Series
832 complaintsBMW 528I
830 complaintsBMW 330I
813 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology