2003 BMW X5 Body and structure Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 4%of 99 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 104,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the body and structure of the 2003 BMW X5, 4% of the 99 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 104,500 miles. 2 a fire, according to the filers.
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.
“This morning 03/13/2020 at aprox. 2:30am my Bmw X5 2003 was engulfed in flames for no reason and my two german shepherds hey you and my baby diesel were inside,and how one made it out and the baby didnt, I busted windows cause I heard him crying ,,,,I couldnt get him I tried to I tried oh my god my poor baby , I was injured and scared for life with that. My car was off and parked in front of a friends house on a side street, all a loss. No pictures taken ,several police and fire dept. Came.”
NHTSA complaint #11317929, filed 2020-03, 199,000 miles“Driving slowly down street, saw smoke coming from front right under hood, puled over to side, flames visible coming from hood, within 15 minutes, entire front on fire, fire department came within 5-10 minutes, major fire, total loss. All this took about 30 minutes. Fortunately, no injuries.”
NHTSA complaint #11022057, filed 2017-09, 95,000 miles“Water gets inside rear lights, causing corrosion, as a result, the lights stop working and a warning light appears on the dashboard check brake lights , check rear lights .”
NHTSA complaint #10537503, filed 2013-08, 114,000 miles“Takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 Bmw X5. The contact stated that the driver side door failed to lock when exiting the vehicle. The failure recurred numerous. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags) and stated that the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000. Vin tools confirms parts not available.”
NHTSA complaint #10870873, filed 2016-05, 75,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10244239Oct 18, 2023This situation can result in two customer complaints: 1. Wind noise 2. Excess water entry
- 10037027Aug 1, 2010Bmw: model e70 equipped with an automatic tailgate. The rear tailgate may not operate in either direction due to wiring damage.
- 10029008Nov 1, 2008Bmw: water leak in the front right footwell area causing the carpet to become wet.
Body and structure: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 11% |
| 2025 | 1 | 2% |
| 2023 | 4 | 12% |
| 2022 | 1 | 1% |
| 2021 | 4 | 4% |
| 2020 | 4 | 4% |
| 2019 | 6 | 3% |
| 2018 | 2 | 3% |
| 2017 | 5 | 7% |
| 2016 | 4 | 5% |
| 2015 | 6 | 4% |
| 2014 | 15 | 15% |
| 2013 | 5 | 3% |
| 2012 | 7 | 3% |
| 2011 | 4 | 2% |
| 2010 | 3 | 2% |
| 2009 | 1 | 1% |
| 2008 | 1 | 0% |
| 2007 | 1 | 1% |
| 2006 | 4 | 2% |
| 2005 | 5 | 6% |
| 2004 | 7 | 11% |
| 2003 | 4 | 4% |
| 2002 | 9 | 9% |
| 2001 | 10 | 6% |
| 2000 | 1 | 3% |
Other parts of the 2003 BMW X5
24 complaintsElectrical system
17 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
16 complaintsAir bags
15 complaintsEngine
11 complaintsOther or unknown
7 complaintsSeats
7 complaintsExterior lighting
6 complaintsFuel system
5 complaintsVehicle speed control
5 complaintsBrakes
3 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 BMW X5
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 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