2003 BMW X5 Transmission and drivetrain Problems

“As I was driving my Bmw X5 I stopped at a red light and once the light turned green I begin to press the accelerator to move it didn't move and it made a loud rowing noise. U was then stuck in the middle of the hwy with moving traffic. I took it to the mechanic shop and they said it was the transfer case. He then said he see alot of them like that being worked on because of this problem.”

“Driving on highway at approximately 60 MPH, felt as if something fell off or came loose and vehicle began to slow down in middle on traffic and would not accelerate when gas pedal was pushed, which could have caused anyone to crash the back of me. Luckily I was able to get to the shoulder and stop. Very tragic, this could have been fatal. I was told there was a recall but my vehicle came from the wrong manufacturer. Very unfair :-(”

“I have a 2003 Bmw X5 4.4. Which seems to vibrate/jerk between 20 and 30 MPH. The first time (2009) I went to the dealer they told me I needed to replace my tire which I did. This did not help. I went back to the dealer again and now they tell me I need to replace the transmission. After researching this issue online, I am learning many other Bmw owners have this same problem. I am curious to know if this is a defect.”

“While driving, I stopped at an intersection. When I started to go, there was a loud grinding noise and the car would not move. I had to get the car pushed out of the intersection. I tried restarting the car and as soon as you put it in gear, you heard the grinding noise. I had it towed to my local mechanic, upon his inspection, the front drive shaft was broken and then discovered that the inside of the transfer case was also stripped. So now I'm stuck with no vehicle, thousands of dollars in repairs, and this is the second time this has happened to me, the first was in january 2017.”

“On 01/15/2009, the extremely chilly day, my wife drove the X5 on route 2 east bound around exit 58 in arlington, ma, the exhaust system suddenly emitted heavy white smoke, but the oil warning light did not turned on at all. My wife pulled over the car and turned off the engine immediately. 15 minutes later, she found the engine was disabled when she tried to restart it. After the car was towed to Bmw service center ,I was informed the car needs the following replacements 'crank case vent valve 'valve cover gaskets and spark plugs 'transfer case the total cost is $1360+$3125= $4485.”