While driving on highway at 70 MPH, front AWD driveshaft failed and caused massive damage to engine and underside of car is destroyed. The flailing driveshaft punched a hole in engine and oil pan, causing all engine oil to spray on hot exhaust and the tires while driving. Luckily was able to slow car and steer it to shoulder, near miss accident. There is recall 17V‑138 on this year of BMW X5 for exact issue that happened to me, but BMW states that my VIN is not affected. Yeah right.
2012 BMW X5 transmission problems
53 complaints (20% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 69,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 53
- of this car's complaints
- 20%
- typical mileage
- 69,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
- Transfer case (4-wheel drive)1
- Driveline: driveshaft1
- Automatic transmission: torque converter1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
BMW X5 transmission problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2012 BMW X5 transmission
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC, (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2013 X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M and X5 xDrive35d vehicles, 2011-2014 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6M vehicles, and 2011 x6 ActiveHybrid Vehicles. Water and debris may enter the front driveshaft's universal joint, causing excessive wear and possibly resulting in the joint's failure.
- Risk
- If the front universal joint fails, the front wheels would not be driven, affecting vehicle traction. Additionally, continued driving of the vehicle with a broken front universal joint may damage other components. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began on April 18, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 17V138000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Bmw is recalling certain model year 2012 x5 xdrive 35i sports activity vehicles, manufactured from december 19, 2011, through december 21, 2011. Due to a manufacturing error, engagement of the transmissions parking lock may not occur even if the p position has been selected and is displayed.
- Risk
- If the driver believes that the transmission is in park and does not use the parking brake, the vehicle could roll away after exiting the vehicle increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will replace the automatic transmission free of charge. The safety recall began on february 2, 2012. Owners may contact bmw customer relations and services at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 12V019000 · Recall details
What 2012 BMW X5 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
A recall on the prop shaft was done in 2017 and today 06/24 while driving on the freeway I heard a loud clunking noise and then a huge pop and I pulled over on the side of the road to find my prop shaft had exploded and messed up everything. Now im stuck with a nonfunctional car because a part that was allegedly replaced for safety ended up exploding while I was driving.
The contact owns a 2012 BMW X5. The contact stated that upon coming to a complete stop, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the driveshaft universal joint had failed, causing additional damage to the transmission and oil pan. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to the federal safety agency Campaign Number 17V138000 (Power Train), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2012 BMW X5. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard a loud thumping sound underneath the vehicle. The contact then stated that the vehicle hesitated then decelerated at low speeds while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that his wife was able to navigate the vehicle safely to the residence. The contact was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front driveshaft failed and as a result the power steering hoses had ruptured and the front driveshaft and the power steering hoses needed to be replaced. The power steering hoses were replaced however, the front driveshaft had not yet been replaced. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V138000 (Power Train). The manufacture was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.
The DPF exhaust emissions system failed. BMW dealership refused to replace only replaced a holding tank. That code was not shown. The x5 left shop with a engine light and emissions failure. Independent shop scanned car explained diesel dpf system has failed and is under warranty.. dealership refused to fix. Car runs sluggish, engine warning keeps coming on and take to service. ... The egr cooler failed. The independent shop confirmed codes. Exhaust smell in cabin, reduced power, sluggish, and car goes into LIMP mode while I was driving on the freeway. The shut down of power caused me to almost crash into on coming lane of vehicles at highway speed. Engine light on and warning of engine failure and car stuck in limp mode . System says to take to dealer. . Please help as the dealer will not warranty or recall repair, even though I am under 100,000 miles and there are multiple recall and manufacturer extension warranty for these specific repairs. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine failed because customer care package was never done on vehicle to save engine from killing itself. These engines in these car are problematic due to design of engine they eat oil and valve stems drys out and starts to smoke
Faulty transfer case
As I was driving the vehicle shut off while vehicle coming at a 40 MPH to 50 MPH speed limit.local police had to put out cones to make sure my vehicle wasn't going to cause an accident because my battery was drained fast mybe due to the problem
Engine malfunction light and car overheating caused by water pump, there's no recall for my VIN but it seems this is an ongoing issue with bmw x5 models... The bmw did a recall on my x5 and after they finished the recall the transfer case stopped working properly, however, the transfer case was working perfectly before the recalled. The bmw power train recall damage the transfer case
Shudder at low speed while turning. This is an issue which I observe since an year.
Questions about the 2012 BMW X5 transmission
Does the 2012 BMW X5 have transmission problems?
Owners have filed 53 complaints about the transmission of the 2012 BMW X5, 20% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2012 BMW X5 transmission problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 69,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2012 BMW X5 transmission?
Yes, 2 recalls: 17V138000, 12V019000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the BMW X5 have bad transmission?
The BMW X5 model years with the most transmission complaints are 2011 (58 complaints), 2012 (53 complaints) and 2013 (36 complaints).
Other 2012 BMW X5 problems
Engine 104Airbags 83Electrical 29Fuel system 29Steering 20Body 7Suspension 6Brakes 4Seat belts 4Lights 3Seats 3Visibility 3Tires 2Acceleration 1Locks 1Wheels 1
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