I have been trying to have my car repaired last year. I have expressed to BMW USA that none of their certified dealers want to touch a diesel and/or work on one that another dealership had done poor work on. They have asked me to continue reaching out to this dealership even though I have mentioned I do not feel comfortable about it as I have slipped thru the cracks multiple times with them which they wont admit to. They are understaffed and have employees that are broken from being overworked, are constantly rude, careless, forgetting things and will never admit to error even when you show them mistakes that have even been documented in writing that are a liability. Their mechanics do rushed inspections and the last 2 times I have brought my car in to be scanned they completely disregard all concerns brought up prior. NO ONE WANTS TO TAKE ON A CAR WORKED BY CENTURY WEST BMW and/or A DIESEL. BMW USA is aware of this and its in their favor as its allowed this matter to drag on past my warranty period in their favor. BMW USA is aware there are odometer stamps that confirm codes appeared within coverage yet neglect to acknowledge it from me and only will from a dealer that is a mess, cannot find all my records which I have expressed I have copies of diagnostic scans yet they wont take my word or documents. These delays have resulted not only in exhausting and upsetting me but also further wear and damages to my car with every day this drags on which I pray everyday my car does not break down. This is my only car, I am not in the position to buy a new car or pay for a 5k+ repair and/or anymore emission repairs due to faulty diesel parts, repairs or emission technology which has resulted in many lawsuits against BMW. Its saddening to have to go thru this considering I have been loyal to the brand for many years, this is my second time purchasing a BMW and hoping these experiences wont make it my last. I need help at this time instead of being brushed off.
2013 BMW X5 engine complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 51, newest first, as owners wrote them.
There is an open recall on BMW X5D and other BMW diesel models due to a fire hazard, the recall warns of an EGR code warning on the vehicle. My 2013 BMW X5D 3.5 has that warning code, however BMW claims that there isn’t a recall on it. My VIN is [XXX], and for the last 5 or 6 years I was told by the guy who was my rep at the dealership there was a possible recall, but BMW was having issues keeping up with demand for the parts. Now I have this warning, the dealership is denying the warranty. Yet I’m still at risk. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The contact owns a 2013 BMW X5. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The odor of smoke was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted regarding the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 65,000.
1) The power steering completely failed without any warning as a result of the serpentine belt failing catastrophically. 2) The failure happened in rush hour traffic right as the light turned green to turn left on an extremely busy intersection. I couldn’t turn the wheel and was a few inches from a head on collision with several large trucks which were also turning to the opposite direction. 3) The service center explained that this issue is the most common that they see on bmws with the same engine. They alleged that BMW used a faulty power steering bolt that would leak fluid onto the belt, eventually leading to catastrophic engine failure due to the shredded belt being sucked into the crankshaft seal. 4) Yes. 5) The steering was heavy but the bmw dealer assured me the vehicle was in excellent shape just a few weeks prior to this incident.
The contact owns a 2013 BMW X5. The contact stated that while pulling into his garage, he smelled an abnormal odor. Additionally, he noticed smoke coming from the tail pipes. The contact referenced the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
When the engine cooling system fails (which is common) the vehicle shuts down wherever it is....the occupants of the vehicle are in high traffic areas and are subject to being injured and/or killed as a result of the vehicle being undrivable at the time. It is VITAL that BMW be held responsible for the cooling system(s) optimal operation regardless of the age or mileage of the vehicle due to the safety of occupants when there is a major or catastrophic failure. If this agency does it's due diligence, it will find a mulitude of such failures
After driving, sometimes while driving the engine smokes
Car was purchased in July of 2017. Extended warranty was purchased. Dealership says they do not have that in their records. A letter was sent to our address regarding extended coverage, but had another person's name on it. Regardless, the engine developed excessive oil leaks, and led to complete engine failure. Dealer says it would be several thousand dollars to look at it. Research indicates that this model vehicle had excessive oil leaks, but we were not apprised of this, or any of the recalls when purchased. Also, the seals were not holding oil. Dealer sold the car without disclosing of any of these defects. Further, I believe there may have been a recall on the engine, but BMW tells us that this engine is not in the recall. Additional research conforms that this is a standard practice for BMW. I can be reached any time at [XXX], or [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The Drive Shaft was replaced as part of a recall in 2017 and the damage from that drive shaft has caused an issue in the transfer case resulting in humming and other periodic noises and vibrations. The dealer asked for $5300 to replace the Transfer Case and I have stopped driving it as it could lead to an accident. Mechanics have said this is VERY COMMON in those cars with this recall. I have reached out to BMW USA who said to reach out to you as they will not honor the repair unless a BMW certified mechanic states that it is related OR the federal safety agency agrees it is a safety issue. The car has 65000 miles on it.
The contact owns a 2013 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) passive reservoir failure. The SCR passive reservoir was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and diagnosed with EGR module failure. The contact was informed that the EGR module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was 104,370.
The EGR Cooler has gone bad and I have been driving around with carbon monoxide in my car causing extreme headaches and nausea. I did not know that was the problem and it took 2 visits to the dealer to figure it out. The EGR cooler was dirty and blocked before we purchased the vehicle and there have been a couple other indicators that this was an issue. Also the car did NOT have an engine light on to show there were any issues. I could have passed out if I wasn't driving with the windows open for the last couple months! I took to an other mechanic before taking it to the dealer which told me to take to the dealer because they thought there was a major issue. There may be other issues with the manifold that haven't been exposed yet either. There are other vehicles made during this time that had a recall but not my 2013 X5 d35! There are many others out on sites complaining of the same issues. Seems like this make and year got MISSED and could have caused major health issues and/or death!
Car has only 37,777 miles and the motor/engine is loud knocking. Always on time the maintenance has been supplied by the bmw dealer since car was new. I heard that this problem is affecting similar vehicles. Car is now out of warranty.
As I was exiting a public Starbucks parking lot near my home with my foot on the brake slowly releasing it (as I had a car in front and behind me) my 2013 BWM X5 accelerated on it's own. I quickly glanced at the pedals thinking I might have stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake, but no. My foot was on the brake. I stomped on the brake as hard as I could while the vehicle was jerking and stalling. The car in front of me exited the parking lot and luckily I didn't crash into it. This kept going for about a minute it was as if I had been stepping on the accelerator and brake at the same time. I tried turning off the vehicle, but nothing happened. Finally, after about a minute (or maybe a little more) the engine turned off and the car stopped moving. There was an ATM the right of me with a few people making line. They offered to help me push the vehicle out of the way as I was blocking a very tight parking lot exit, but I was unable to put the car on neutral, drive or anything. I was in shock and very scared of what had just happened. I had my car towed to the nearest auto repair shop where I explained the situation the the auto repair people. I was advised to call BWM as the repair shop was unwilling to give me a diagnosis due to the nature of the incident. I called BMW of North America, reported the incident and after about 2 weeks BWM had my vehicle towed to BMW of San Diego where an investigation was going to be done. After 3-4 weeks I received the results. Since the engine did not start they could not find the cause of what made the vehicle accelerate on it's own in such a way. They did have other irrelevant findings like an after market oil filter and debris in the oil. The final report was that the engine had to be replaced. I asked for an estimate from BMW and they came back with $20,993.50 (which is more than what I paid for the car). Even if I was to replace the engine, I don't trust the car anymore. BMW of San Diego is holding my car as a courtesy.
After dropping off my bmw x5m for service at a bmw dealership on 01/27/2021, (they had the vehicle for two days), bmw called us, to inform us that the vehicle was ready to be picked up. My wife drove the car directly home, without stopping, (20 miles), parked the vehicle in our garage, turned the car off, and ten minutes later, the engine caught on fire and burned throughout and also burning half our garage. The vehicle was stationary and not in motion and completely turned off.
I have to add coolant, I have checked with dealer and said pressure tank is leaking, replace the tank , still problem is there, I told them when I turn on heat, my eyes are burning too, they ask me to replace the tank, so I did, coolant still leak, so diagnosis is not wright. Eyes burning was happening since long time, but I notice in december, I was going to eye doctor,
Engine failed because the crankshaft got so hot it fused the crankshaft and the bearings causing the complete failure and replacement of the engine. Bmw has had numerous claims of engine failures in the x5 but they will not do anything to repair the vehicle. The engine only had 84k miles and then without warning, no oil leaks, no hot engine red lights, nothing at all to speak of in the middle of travel, the engine completely shut off and I have to do everything to get to the shoulder of the road. The bmw dealership in bay shore ny had the vehicle for three weeks and really didn't open the engine up to find the cause. After bmwusa said they would do nothing to resolve their latent defect in the engine obviously metal parts which we came to the conclusion were inferior, I had the engine taken out by a certified trained a mechanic. He stated he has never see a meltdown of parts which welded together from the extreme heat of the engine. No leak were detected for either coolant or oil yet the engine seized simply for the fact, the metal used internally is inferior. For the price you paid for the "ultimate driving machine", bmwusa needs to step up and be honest above the problems that have plagued their engines and their cooling system. I have spend over $15,000 to get this vehicle repaired and bmwusa should reimburse me because of it's known history. I have owned bmws since 1992 and the vehicles lasted passed 175k miles. To have a major engine fail at 84k speaks volumes to the lack of integrity for the engine. Bmw is using steel and metal that have significant strength problems as documented by all the complaints I have read above. To have the engine seized like this is the middle of traffic endangered me and my passengers and totally unconscionable.*dt
Failed original electric engine coolant pump and the coolant thermostat
My water pump failed at 57,000 miles while on the freeway. The car stalled at 30 MPH until I could finally exit. Very dangerous situation. After leaving two messages on bmw dealer voice mail, I was towed to nearest auto shop that I had used previously. $1450 in repairs for faulty water pump/thermostat (bad design flaw - electronic sensor issue? ) bmw will not reimbusrse me since repairs weren't done at their repair shop, and have not issued a recall for 2013's even though they have for 2011-2012 models. It is unfair to limit repairs (per what they say are the certified pre-owned rules) since I wasn't aware of them, they didn't responsd to me in time, and it was obviously an emergency situation. Thank you for your consideration in this matter, so that nobody else is put in this dangerous as well as financial situation. Judy reid
My x-5 started producing smoke from under the hood while driving and while stopped at a traffic light. When I reached home, I didn't see the smoke anymore, but it smelled like something was burning. A few days later, the oil at minimal level warning light came on. I took my truck into the galleria bmw dealership and was told that my valve gasket cover was broken and that oil was leaking out, causingthe burning smell. My last oil change service was less than 6 months prior to having this issue, at the same dealership. The service rep, stated this has been an ongoing issue with other older model bmws and my truck being a 2013 was old and also susceptible to having this same problem. I think this is an extreme safety issue with bmws, and it needs to be addressed asap!
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 bmw x5. The contact stated that his vehicle unexpectedly illuminated with check engine warning light. The vehicle was taken to a used dealer (automax hb 925 n harbor blvd, santa ana, ca 92703) for a diagnostic and repairs. The diagnostic results was a faulty sensor however the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of this failure. The failure mileage was 105,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 bmw x5. The contact stated that the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to tom bush bmw jacksonville (9875 atlantic blvd, jacksonville, fl 32225, (904) 371-4790) where it was diagnosed that the intake manifold, swirl flap, and air cooler needed to be replaced; however, the contact declined the repairs. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 bmw x5. While driving low speeds, the contact heard a loud abnormal noise under the hood. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to bluegrass bmw (3235 park ave, paducah, ky 42001, (270) 444-0660) where it was diagnosed that a hole needed to be repaired in the engine and the driveshaft. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 56,000.
My 2013 bmw x5 35d was in motion on a city street, when it stalled, lost all power and ultimately would not restart. I was able to get it to the side, but not off the road and it was towed to the bmw dealership where they discovered that there had been a still unidentified sourced, fuel leak into the electrical harness and finally pooling into the dde component, frying the dde component to failure. There was enough fuel in the dde component that it was drained into a drip pan and fuel covered the wiring connection points as well as had discolored the wiring. I was informed that had this been a gas engine and not diesel, it would have probably caught on fire as fuel was able to access and travel across the electrical wiring in the car. Bmw has refused to help in anyway to investigating the reasoning for this happening and or any repairs that would be involved as they "do not have a financial responsibility because the car is no longer under warranty" I feel that this is an opportunity for them to discover the reasoning without the destruction of evidence that a fire would have caused and they are choosing not to do so as to claim ignorance to the safety issues that this happening represents.
I was traveling down the highway at 76 MPH when a message came up telling me "engine hot drive moderately." I continued to drive another 3 miles when the light mysteriously shut off. I took it to the shop when I reached columbia. They determined the water pump has failed and must be replaced. The vehicle has 83,xxx miles. Had I not taken the vehicle in to the shop today and drove it after the light went off the engine could have been ruined or possibly the x5 caught on fire if the light didn't come back on.
Engine malfunction, low power output, bmw dealer sw in the module their were 2 separate misfires but cannot locate the problem
Vehicle parked and turned off at my home. Many hours later vehicle was discovered by a one of my children on fire . Resulting fire destroyed the auto and ignited a major fire to my residence.
Running on the highway received high engine temp warning orange. It quickly went to red and read on dash to pull over. The vehicle lost much power and stepping on accelerator would not let it go faster. I had to move to the right on the highway while some vehicle sped through to the right of me while trying to pull over. 55000 miles and water pump had failed when I took it to a shop. A $2000 repair
The vehicle has a throttle delay issue. When stopped at a light or stop sign and ready to go it will take as long as 2 seconds for the vehicle to respond and start moving after you depress the gas peddle. This is very dangerous and will eventually cost someone their life.
Engine overheat due to water pump failure, car automatically slow down on highway. The car only has 44k mile. Also oil filer housing leaking.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 bmw x5. The contact stated that the service engine indicator flashed intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer. The vehicle was unable to pass an inspection. The vehicle was taken to a repair facility where it was diagnosed that the diesel exhaust fluid tank was the cause of the failure. The vehicle was scheduled for diagnostic testing by an independent mechanic to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2013 BMW X5?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history