This vehicle has had an open recall 18v‑336 since may of 2018 . The vehicle manufacturer has yet to provide a remedy to correct this dangerous defect in the vehicle. When will a remedy be provided? It seem almost a year would be enough time to fix this defect .
The worst 2010 BMW X5 SAV problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine8
- Fuel system6
- Airbags4
- Electrical3
- Steering3
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine8
- Fuel system6
- Airbags4
- Electrical3
- Steering3
- Transmission2
- Seats1
Recalls 5
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: crankcase (PCV)
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 1 Series Coupe (128i); 2007-2013 3 Series Coupe (328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive); 2007-2010 X3 SAV (X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i); 2008-2013 1 Series Convertible (128i); 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi); 2006-2012 3 Series Wagon (328i, 328i xDrive); 2007-2013 3 Series Convertible (328i); 2006-2010 5 Series Sedan (525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi); 2006-2007 5 Series Wagon (530xi); 2007-2010 X5 SAV (X5 3.0si, X5 xDrive30i); 2006-2008 Z4 Coupe (Z4 3.0si); and 2006-2011 Z4 Roadster (Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si, Z4 sDrive30i) vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
- Risk
- An electrical short can cause the PCV valve heater to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire while driving or, soon after driving when parked.
- Remedy
- This recall supersedes and expands previous the federal safety agency recalls 17V‑683 and 19V‑273. Dealers will install an electrical wiring harness with fuse protection for the PCV Valve heater in potentially affected vehicles, free of charge. This recall supersedes and expands previous the federal safety agency recalls 17V‑683 and 19V‑273. Vehicles previously repaired under the prior recalls will need to come back for the new recall remedy. The remedy is currently being developed. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 1, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 22, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 22V119000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 128i and 135i coupes and convertibles and 1 Series M coupes, 2006-2011 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive Sedans, 2009-2011 335d sedans, 2006-2012 325xiT, 328i and 328xi sports wagons, 2007-2013 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive, 335is and M3 Coupes and Convertibles, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i SAVs, 2007-2010 X3 xDrive30i SAVs, 2007-2013 X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M SAVs, 2009-2013 BMW X5 xDrive35d SAVs, 2008-2014 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i, and X6 M SACs, 2010-2011 BMW X6 xDrive50i SACs and 2008-2011 M3 Sedan vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module or inflator depending on the vehicle model, free of charge. The recall began March 9, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 16V071000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 128i Coupe, 128i Convertible, 328i Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 328i Coupe, 328i Convertible, 328i Sports Wagon and Z4 sDrive 30i, 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 135i Convertible, 335i Sedan, X5 xDrive 35i, and X6 xDrive 35i, 2011 335i xDrive Sedan, 335i Coupe, 335i Convertible, 528i Sedan, 535i Sedan, 535i xDrive Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, and X3 xDrive 35i, 2010 X3 xDrive 30i, and X5 xDrive 30i, 2012 640i Coupe, and 640i Convertible and 2010-2012 535i Gran Turismo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit can loosen over time and may possibly break.
- Risk
- If the bolts loosen or break the engine may have reduced power or stall. An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four VANOS housing bolts for both VANOS units (intake and exhaust), free of charge. In addition, owners of approximately 170,172 model year 2010-2012 BMW vehicles equipped with inline 6 cylinder engines not covered by this recall, will receive an extended warranty to address this condition. The recall began on September 24, 2014. Owners may contact BMW at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 14V176000 · Recall details
Service brakes
- What is wrong
- BMW is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 X5 SAV vehicles, manufactured September 12, 2006, through March 18, 2010 and equipped with an 8-cylinder engine. The brake vacuum pump may leak a small amount of lubricating oil into the hose. The contamination could result in a loss of power assist braking.
- Risk
- The loss of power assist in braking could increase stopping distance and lead to a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake vacuum line with one that contains a check valve, free of charge. The recall began during March 2013. Owners may call BMW at 1‑800‑525‑7417 or email BMW at [email protected].
Recall number 13V045000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: diesel
- What is wrong
- BMW is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 X5 xDrive 35d SAV diesel vehicles manufactured September 1, 2008, through November 15, 2012. The engine belt idler pulley bolt could loosen and break over time.
- Risk
- If the engine belt idler pulley bolt breaks, the vehicle may unexpectedly lose power-assisted steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace and tighten the idler pulley bolt. The recall began on January 15, 2013. Owners may call BMW at 1‑800‑525‑7417 or email BMW at [email protected].
Recall number 12V550000 · Recall details
See all 5 recalls for the 2010 BMW X5 SAV
Defect investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
EA21002
Idler Pulley Bolt Failure
In a May 23, 2018 letter, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) notified the federal safety agency of a safety defect that may result in the loss of power steering assist in certain model year (MY) 2009 through 2013 BMW X5 xDrive35d vehicles (Recall 18V‑336). The recall, which affects approximately 33,214 vehicles built from March 12, 2008 through June 27, 2013, corrects the remedy and expands the scope of a prior BMW recall (12V‑550) which addressed idle pulley bolt failure in approximately 29,800 MY 2009 through 2012 BMW X5 xDrive35d vehicles built from September 1, 2008 through November 15, 2012. BMW's analysis indicates that due to a number of contributing factors it is possible that the bolt's pre-stressing force could drop to an extent that it results in the bolt becoming loosened over time. A loosening of the bolt could cause additional bending stress on top of the bolt. As a result, the bolt could break. If this were to happen, then a sudden loss of power steering assist could occur.If there were a loss of power steering assist, manual steering capability would be retained, although the effort required to steer the vehicle would be greater, and therefore may increase the risk of crash.ODI's analysis of the complaints it has received from the public (VOQ's) and BMW complaint data submitted in response to the information request letter for RQ18-001 identified a total of 93 unique VIN reports alleging failure of the idler pulley bolt after recall 12V‑550 was completed on the vehicle, including 31 VOQ's and 72 BMW consumer complaints (5 complaints received by the federal safety agency and BMW, 3 unique VIN's submitted multiple complaints to BMW, and 1 unique VIN submitted multiple complaints to the federal safety agency).BMW is developing a new idler pulley fastening system as the remedy for 18V‑336.The remedy is planned to begin in February 2019.Based on BMW's safety recall, this recall query is closed.The 31 VOQ's referenced in this resume are: 10499780, 10559422, 10579534, 10655424, 10661614, 10702323, 10819617, 10903433, 10948014, 10984353, 11002447, 11010667, 11013643, 11041551, 11054759, 11054909, 11066063, 11083479, 11097562, 11098865, 11113332, 11128649, 11130277, 10552773, 10817406, 10937632, 10956710, 11032006, 11042259, 11063010, 11091513.
RQ18001
Technical service bulletins for the 2010 BMW X5 SAV 8
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- While performing a 12-Volt battery jump start, disconnect, or replacement, Vehicle test, and/or...
- The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few...
- Discharged Battery Energy Diagnosis Must Be Performed: The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been...
- Bmw: on some vehicles, the high pressure fuel injector, CAN lead to an internal failure due to incorrect...
- Bmw: some vehicle engines may experience a delay in response to acceleration, after slowing down, due to...
- Bmw: warning lamps are illuminated for the dsc, ABS and brake and a possible warning in control display...
- Bmw: on certain model year 2008-2011 vehicles, a defect involving the electric auxiliary water pump CAN...
What 2010 BMW X5 SAV owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Lost power steering as car was driving approx 50 MPH on garden state parkway at top of bridge over the raritan river. Battery warning came on dash, car lost power and then stopped. No collision or injury. Car was towed and repaired by c&t towing and auto repair, rahway nj. Damage observed was partially melted idler pulley and shredded drive belt. Repair included replacement of drive belt, a.c. Stretch belt, idler pulley, drive belt tensioner and serpentine tensioner.
Repairing the twin-turbo in my car again in less than a year. Last year the hoses were all replaced this year the dealer says one of the two turbo units in the vehicle needs to be replaced (smaller one). The car is doing the same thing it did last year losing power and making it dangerous to drive in traffic. If I am at a light, it takes about half a block for it to accelerate to normal speed. I ended up having the care towed to the bmw dealer because it was not safe to drive in traffic. After doing some research, the turbo has been an ongoing problem in the x5d. The car is just under 85,000 original miles and since I purchased two years ago, have logged less than 20,000 miles. .
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 bmw x5. The contact received a recall notification for the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 16v071000 (air bags) and 16v071000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer (critz bmw of savannah, georgia) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. Updated 08/11/17 *bf the consumer stated the fuel throttle also malfunctioned. Updated 08/23/2017
Takata recall as stated in the notice, "if the manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for your vehicle in a timely manner...file an online complaint with the federal safety agency." the recall is coming up on a one-year anniversary. Alternative transportation is not available, and now have a teenage driver with learner's permit, increasing odds/risk of accident. While not "technically" in the first zone priority, north carolina's climate is one of high temperatures and humidity for a significant portion of the year, and the vehicle does spend time at the coast. Dealer was contact immediately upon receipt of notice in february 2015, and several additional times. Dealer response is that parts are not available or the vehicle VIN has not been selected for replacement yet.
A known defect of an engine compartment partition/seal caused outside water to enter the engine compartment. The water drips and accumulates over the last fuel injectors, leading to an eventual short. When the short occurs, the vehicle looses all power. The engine shuts off preventing acceleration, power steering no longer functional, power brakes no longer assisted. The short occurred while driving through an intersection. The car stalled in the middle of the intersection and needed to be towed. Fortunately, traffic was minimal and other vehicles were able to slow down and drive around my vehicle, preventing a collision.
I am the owner of the bmw x5 2010 with sport seat, I hardly seat any passenger in there, and a couple months ago the passenger seat trigger the screen to show message of restrain airbag error on screen, however I though this have something to do with the airbag recall, I diagnose my car with my mechanic, the conclusion was the "seat mat sensor passenger defective", this car as your recall at the botton shows that was a previous recall with this type of seat "sport" same as I have, I call bmw, they said my car is not affected and they can not honor this recall, I hope you get more issues similar so your agency looks into this. Report receipt date: nov 12, 2013 the federal safety agency campaign number: 13v564000 component(s): air bags potential number of units affected: 76,565 manufacturer: bmw of north america, llc
Takata inflators/air bags - except for receiving a couple generic letters about the recall absolutely nothing seems to be happening to expediently resolve the issue. Seems like lawyers have done the paperwork to comply with recall but the process is in stall mode now and nothing is being done? It would be nice if there was some accountability to make some progress and the consumers are being informed and provided some actual proof this recall is going to be fixed within a reasonable timeframe. Given that most cars last 10 years typically before getting new one, how long is it reasonable to wait? I can tell you if bmw does not take action and responsibility to fix this recall soon ... It will be my last bmw I purchase new or used. It just looks like a total lack of concern, lack of action, lack of accountability.
I had the fuel heater replaced and battery on my bmw x5-35d a couple of months ago at considerable cost. The engine was also throwing the fuel heater activation code. I have documentation of the repair. I have recently learned of recall 13v‑339 that covers this part for this exact reason with a build date window mere weeks from the build date of my vehicle. The build date range on this recall is june 13, 2009- november 9, 2009. The build date for my VIN is listed as december 2009. Bmw did not cover despite the proximity of the build date and the exact same problem. I can see that there are other complaints on the federal safety agency.dot.gov website for this problem for vehicles with a december 2009 build date'
The fuel filter heater was recalled (recall no. 13v‑339). We had to have our fuel filter heater replaced and was not covered under warranty because the recall was for vehicles produced from 6/2009 - 11/2009 and our car was produced in 12/2009. We had our fuel filter heater replaced because we had a check engine light on and when we took to dealer we were told that we needed a new fuel filter heater, therefore we feel we are intitlled to the recall.
Compare the 2010 BMW X5 SAV
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Questions about the 2010 BMW X5 SAV
Is the 2010 BMW X5 SAV reliable?
Owners have filed 19 complaints about the 2010 BMW X5 SAV, close to a typical X5 SAV model year.
What is the 2010 BMW X5 SAV year score?
The 2010 BMW X5 SAV scores 73 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the BMW X5 SAV: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2010 BMW X5 SAV?
Engine and cooling, with 8 complaints, typically around 66,000 miles. Next is fuel system (6).
How many recalls does the 2010 BMW X5 SAV have?
5 recalls, covering engine and engine cooling, air bags and service brakes.
Was there a recall on the 2010 BMW X5 SAV engine?
Yes, 3 recalls: 22V119000, 14V176000, 12V550000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the BMW X5 SAV have bad engine?
The BMW X5 SAV model years with the most engine complaints are 2007 (11 complaints) and 2011 (10 complaints).
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