2008 BMW X5 SAV Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 20%of 20 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 68,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the engine of the 2008 BMW X5 SAV, 20% of the 20 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 68,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“When I was driving around 30 MPH and about to merge onto the highway, an orange warning sign came up that the engine was overheating and then immediately afterward a red sign came up stating that the engine was overheated and I could hear the loud noise from the fan. Immediately after that the vehicle stalled and I had to pull over to the shoulder. I waited for about 15 min. And when I restarted the vehicle, the fan was still loud and the red engine overheated sign came up again. I then had the vehicle towed to a repair facility. …”
NHTSA complaint #10595557, filed 2014-06, 67,000 miles“While vehicle is running transmission malfunction code comes on and vehicle instantly loses power. Almost been rear ended on highway several times.spent 1000 recently on transmission parts. Researched and found out this is a soft ware issue and Bmw has not acknowledged although thousands of reports have been filed-some by owners with only 1000 miles on them this has been an ongoing issue that Bmw has ignored.”
NHTSA complaint #10966379, filed 2017-03, 85,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10052360May 1, 2013Bmw: some vehicle engines may experience a delay in response to acceleration, after slowing down, due to an unfavorable software calibration. Models f10, 25, 07, e70, 71. No…
Engine: other model years
Other parts of the 2008 BMW X5 SAV
9 complaintsElectrical system
4 complaintsBrakes
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsSeats
3 complaintsSeat belts
2 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 BMW X5 SAV
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology