2005 BMW X5

BMW'S HIGH INSTANCES OF "HARD 2-1 DOWNSHIFT" AS THEY CALL IT. MANY MODELS OF BMW'S EXPERIENCE A FEELING OF BEING REAR ENDED WHILE SLOWING TO A STOP AND THEN ASKING FOR AN ACCELERATION. ALSO DESCRIBED AS "SLIP AND SLAM" BY MANY PEOPLE, THERE IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO GET PROGRESSIVELY WORSE THE MORE YOU DRIVE LEADING UP TO EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE. BMW IS OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AS THEY HAVE A NAME FOR IT, BUT GETTING A DEALERSHIP TO ADMIT TO A PROBLEM, LET ALONE FIX IT IS ANOTHER STORY. CAR IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP TO BE "REPROGRAMMED" AT A COST OF $180.00, BUT THE TECHNICIAN FLAT OUT TOLD ME THAT THIS PROBABLY WOULDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM AND MAYBE I COULD JUST LIVE WITH IT. THIS IS NOT AN OPTION, AS EVERY TIME THIS EVENT HAPPENS MY 4 AND 6 YEAR OLD DAUGHTERS ASSUME WE HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND START PANICKING, NOT TO MENTION THE BONK ON THE HEAD AND STRAIN ON THEIR NECKS FROM THE JOLT. MY CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT THEY WILL GLADLY REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT MY COST AND THAT SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM POSSIBLY INVOLVING MANY HUNDREDS OF CARS AND MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS PROBLEM INCLUDING CLAIMS OF WHIPLASH CAN BE FOUND ON CHAT BOARDS SUCH AS EDMUNDS.COM, XOUTPOST.COM AND BIMMERFEST.COM...OR JUST TYPE IN BMW FEELS LIKE BEING REAR ENDED...AND IT WILL ALL COME UP. HOPEFULLY ALL OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE PUT IN A COMPLAINT AS WELL SO THAT SOMETHING CAN FINALLY BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, SEEING AS HOW BMW REFUSES TO FIX IT THEMSELVES. *TR

THE PANORAMIC ROOF ON MY 2005 X5 BMW STUCK IN THE VENT POSITION. THE REAR GLASS WOULD NOT RETRACT. MY BMW DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE COMPLETE CASSETTE NEEDED TO BE REPLACES AT A COST OF OVER $5,000.00. FROM CONVERSATIONS WITH REPAIR PEOPLE I AM LED TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR BOTH THE X5 AND THE X3. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT BMW HAS THREE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF REPAIR KITS SO THAT THE VEHICLES WHICH ARE STILL UNDER WARRANTY CAN BE REPAIRED FOR THE LOWEST COST TO BMW. I SUGGEST THAT BMW KNOWS THIS IS A RELIABILITY PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM ONCE THE VEHICLE'S WARRANTY EXPIRES. *TR

2005 BMW X5 4.4 HAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE CAR SEEMS TO SLIP OUT OF GEAR WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND THEN ACCELERATING THEN VIOLENTLY LURCHES FORWARD. THE SENSATION AND SOUND GIVES THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU WERE JUST REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER CAR TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 50 TIMES OVER THE 2 YEARS I HAVE HAD THE CAR. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO BMW AT LEAST 3 TIMES AND THEY ALWAYS CLAIM THEY CANNOT FIND A CAUSE. *TR

2005 BMW X5 - PASSENGER SEAT HEATER HEATED UP EXCESSIVELY TO THE POINT OF BURNING A HOLE THROUGH THE BACK OF SEAT. NOTICED A BURNING SMELL OF LEATHER AND THEN DISCOVERED HOLE BURNED THROUGH. PASSENGER ALSO FELT EXCESSIVE HEAT ON BACK BY LEFT SHOULDER. REPORTED THIS TO BMW AND THEY MADE NO OFFER TO FIX. COST TO REPAIR THIS IS $1750.00. THE CONCERN I HAVE IS WHEN I RESELL THIS CAR TO SOMEONE ELSE IF NOT FIXED COULD CAUSE A FIRE IN THE FUTURE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY OFFERED TO PAY FOR HALF OF THE REPAIR. HE ALSO INQUIRED ABOUT RECALL 08V384000, AIR BAGS, FRONTAL BUT WAS TOLD THAT HIS MODEL WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 91,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,000. UPDATED 02/1710 *BF UPDATED 02/19/10.*JB

I BOUGHT A 2005 BMW X5 THIS MAY. I FEEL DIZZY AND NAUSEA EACH TIME I DRIVE IT AND I DIDN'T KNOW THE REASON UNTIL RECENTLY. I BOUGHT A GAUSS METER TO CHECK COMPUTER EMF IN MY STUDY ROOM RECENTLY. EMF IS SHOWING AS SAFE IN FRONT OF EVERY COMPUTER IN MY STUDY ROOM. TO MY SURPRISE, IT SHOWED AS DANGER AFTER I STARTED MY BMW X5, EVEN AT THE BACK ROW OF THE CAR. I TRIED IT IN ANOTHER CAR I HAVE, IT SHOWED AS SAFE ALSO. SO I THINK THIS IS THE REASON THAT CAUSED THE DIZZINESS AND THE NAUSEA. I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH IT. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANY CAR ACCIDENT DUE TO DIZZINESS. *TR

1: WE BOUGHT THIS BMW 2005 X5 IN JUNE 2008 AND BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP IN JUNE 08 FOR ROUTINE FULL ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. UPON COMPLETION OF REPAIRS/DIAGNOSTICS, WHICH TOOK ALMOST A WEEK, DEALERSHIP TOLD US THAT THERE WERE NO ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ISSUES. WITHIN JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER RECEIVING DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE AFTER THE "CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH" FROM THE DEALER, THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE MORNING RIGHT BEFORE WORK RESULTING IN LOGISTICAL, FINANCIAL, AND SAFETY ISSUES. THE CAR HAD TO BE JUMP STARTED AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY AND WAS BROUGHT UP MULTIPLE TIMES WITH THE DEALER WITHOUT RESOLUTION. WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED, AGAIN RESULTING IN LOGISTICAL, FINANCIAL, AND SAFETY ISSUES AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. OVER THE NEXT WEEK, WE NOTICED ABOUT 16 OTHER ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ISSUES AND BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP. AFTER RECEIVING THE CAR BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIP, WE CONTINUED TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. ABOUT 2 MONTHS LATER, THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN AS THE CAR DIED AGAIN. WITHIN ANOTHER MONTH, THE CAR DIED YET AGAIN! AGAIN, IT WAS THE BATTERY. AGAIN, THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED. 2: THE FAILURE IS, AMONGST MULTIPLE OTHER ISSUES, A CHRONIC BATTERY DRAIN. 3: LAST REPAIR, ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, THE TCU UNIT WAS REPLACED, ALONG WITH THE BATTERY. SO FAR, WE ARE ON OUR 5TH BATTERY IN 4 MONTHS IN A NEWER BMW X5! OUR FUEL GAUGE STILL DOES NOT READ FULL WHEN FULL AND IS INACCURATE. DEALER STATES THAT "THIS IS THE WAY ALL BMWS ARE MADE". *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT WORK. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LAMP SHORTED AND THE WIRES WERE BURNED. THE LAMP WAS REPLACED AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF $600. SHORTLY AFTER THE REPAIR, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE LAMP FAILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,383 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,550. UPDATED 12/30/08 *CN UPDATED 12/30/08