BMW X5 BMW X5

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BMW X5 repairs by problem area

Engine (40%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (7%)

Brakes and Traction Control (4%)

Suspension and Steering (13%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (24%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (7%)

Other (6%)

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Chart based on 1643 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the BMW X5.

BMW X5 body repair cost distribution

$2500+ (0%)

$1000 - $2499 (7%)

$500 - $999 (6%)

$100 - $499 (20%)

< $100 (67%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 81 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2020 BMW X5 4dr SUV

6200 mi Active Head Restraint on Passenger seat replaced due to excessive vibration and noise 
11780 mi Pano Sunroof required replacement control unit and re-programming due to recurring fault 'rain closure not possible' that could not be resolved via programming / reset alone. 

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2017 BMW X5 4dr SUV

turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 8-speed shiftable automatic RWD

42805 mi Various clunks and rattles coming from interior rear during starts, stops, bumpy roads. 

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2017 BMW X5 4dr SUV

turbocharged 255hp 3.0L I6 Diesel 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD

69690 mi

US $1000
The driver side, seat radar, door seal, passenger rear door seal. Broke letting go could not replace had to order new parts and replace. 

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2014 BMW X5 4dr SUV

turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD

34000 mi Rattle from tailgate 

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2013 BMW X5 4dr SUV

turbocharged 400hp 4.4L V8 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD

45000 mi Persistent rattle and creak at low speed over semi-rough terrain from rear hatch area. Repair attempted: replaced hatch auto-latch mechanism. Unsuccessful. Owner wrapped elec tape on D latch and tightened latch mechanism. Works so far.. 

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2013 BMW X5 4dr SUV

turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD

41000 mi Glove box trim piece was warped and peeling away from the backing / door. Replaced under warranty. 

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2013 BMW X5 4dr SUV

turbocharged 265hp 3.0L I6 Diesel 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

9000 mi plastic protective housing which shields the electronics for power seat in the front right passenger seat keeps popping out. First time took it to dealer and they clipped it back in. Happened again. Objects on floor mat push to cause this. 
48200 mi Also sun visor was broken and was replaced 
42160 mi When the amplifier and head unit were replaced, the dealer damaged the air vent grill 

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2012 BMW X5

Engine not specified

36580 mi

C $31
Hatch was making creaking noise. Problem still not fixed 

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2012 BMW X5 4dr SUV

turbocharged 302hp 3.0L I6 Diesel 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD

21700 mi Controller aluminum trim had buckled. Controller needed to be replaced. 

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2012 BMW X5 4dr SUV

turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD

14000 mi A creaky rear lift gate which the problem has reappeared and will be looked at again at next service. 
18200 mi Rear lift gate creak. 
19900 mi Rear lift gate repair previously not fixed correctly. Dealer service manager rode with me and diagnosed the issue. Lower rear portion of the lift gate was too tight and causing the upper gate to creak. Adjusted 
3300 mi Lift gate making a hollow noise. Dealer put felt tape on the rear portion of the gate. Noise is not as noticeable but not gone. When I asked why car rattles at traffic stop, they said it was normal. Rental X5 made the same noises. 
Went in to rectify lift gate rattle and roll noise. Took 3 appointments so far. 
100120 mi

US $300
Rear floor pan had standing water after snowfall. B-Pillar drains were cleaned and problem has not returned. 
42000 mi bad rattle in rear iDrive screen badly scratched. Dealer attempted to clean, but didn't fix the issue 

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2012 BMW X5 4dr SUV

turbocharged 265hp 3.0L I6 Diesel 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

9300 mi Wind deflector for Sunroof repaired 
31820 mi glove box door trim replaced 
51460 mi Same bad design with the glovebox peeling back 
59520 mi replacement of roof rails from painting peeling - under warranty bc of extended warranty 
43400 mi Leak in drain valve from sunroof damaged computer for transmission. Had to order part from back east. 
11500 mi Leak developed in the dome light near to the windshield. There is a TSB on the issue but we had to return a second time to get something replaced entirely. 
73000 mi Front passenger door panel loose near door lock pin. 
27700 mi On passenger seat, the leather seat would have a circular bulge on the side. This just make it look ugly. The dealer stated BMW warranty does not cover wear and tear item. 
26000 mi problem with the telescoping steering wheel 

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2011 BMW X5 4dr SUV

turbocharged 400hp 4.4L V8 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD

57000 mi

US $50
Drivers sun visor falls out of roof 
87700 mi

US $180
Right front fender reflector came out after a car wash, bought adhesive tap and reinstalled 
97000 mi

US $4
Side light on driver side, glued in place with silicon. 

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2011 BMW X5 4dr SUV

turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD

9600 mi

US $50
Sand abrasion on rocker panels; sanded and repainted 
6900 mi Plastic covers for back seat hinges came off, dealer replaced plastic cover. Old cover had deformed clips so it couldn't hold on tight. 

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2011 BMW X5 4dr SUV

turbocharged 265hp 3.0L I6 Diesel 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

44500 mi Leather covering the side bolster on bottom of the driver's seat had ripped loose from the seat frame. Overnight stay required as part had to be shipped in from remote warehouse. 
47000 mi Cover on vanity mirror in driver side sun visor slides freely causing the vanity light to come on unexpectedly during driving. 
49500 mi Rattle and squeak in rear hatch when driving. 
16000 mi Headlight washer covering was broken 
20000 mi Hedlight washer cover broke for second time. Fixed on 1st trip. 
10540 mi Black bumper trim on front bumper was misaligned. Dealer noted the clips holding the black bumper piece were not in and readjusted. 
17980 mi Window seal on drivers door became loose and was replaced by the dealer. 
49000 mi Rear hatch rattling. Adjusted 
10000 mi Popping/creaking noise in left a/b pillar area when right front tire encountered raise in pavement. Happens occasionally. Techs reset all trim inside left door/window areas. No change. Reports on internet indicate it could be a cracked weld. Headliner, all left side door and window trim removed. Areas checked for broken welds. None found. Factory engineer applied "sound proofing sealer" around all areas to eliminate "oil can" distortion in unibody. 
13300 mi Spot weld defect. Car made a small tick noise when turning or going over some bumps. They did the repair and for the most part the tick frequency definitely went down. Most people would not even hear it. 

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2010 BMW X5 4dr SUV

turbocharged 265hp 3.0L I6 Diesel 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

60100 mi

US $350
Turn signal came loose 
35300 mi Driver's door had rattles that could not be isolated. Dealer cleaned and lubed doors seals, which appears to have fixed the rattle. 
42000 mi Rattle in cargo area due to incorrectly adjusted bump stops for tailgate. 
24000 mi Rear hatchaikovsky popping. 
6000 mi Driver's side mirror developed a crack from the cold weather. BMW replaced under warranty. New mirror looks different than old, so obviously was a change in vendor or design due to common defect. 
3000 mi Slight rattle from trunk latch. 
2000 mi misaligned bumper cover 
27000 mi Power hatch failure due to water leak 
8000 mi Cruise Control stalk loose, makes clicking sound when toggling stalk. Entire switch unit replaced. 
10000 mi Constant wind whistle on passenger side and rattling tailgate and/or moonroof. They could not replicate the rattles and said they did not have time to diagnose the wind noise, told to come back another time. 
16420 mi Rattles from moonroof resulting from rain gutter coming into contact with moonroof glass. Buffer installed to eliminate noise. Persistent wind noise coming from passenger side outside mirror. Service bulletin found, repairs made. Persistent wind whistle from passenger outside mirror. Rattles from moonroof resulting from rain gutter coming into contact with moonroof glass. Buffer installed to eliminate noise. 
18720 mi Drivers electric seat makes loud creaking noise when raised or lowered. 
30000 mi Drivers electric seat made loud creaking noise when raised or lowered. 

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2010 BMW X5 4dr SUV

260-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

9000 mi tailgate rattles, fixed by adjusting latch. 
18000 mi Tailgate would not close properly-Even when apparently close system would indicate it was open. Would rattle and de activated surround view of camera 
27000 mi noise coming from tailgate, body rattle 
24607 mi Fix left Rear Sunshade 

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2009 BMW X5 4dr SUV

turbocharged 282hp 3.0L I6 Diesel 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

72000 mi rattle from tailgate 

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2009 BMW X5 4dr SUV

260-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

86000 mi

US $200
sunroof wind deflector broke, had to install a new one 
34410 mi 8 Trips to fix: - Tailgate rattles, seat rattling, strut mount failure, bumper moving.. thats right moving out of place, tailgate lock change, tailgate adjustment.. and rattles persist. I gave up. Cant wait till lease is up.. switch to merc 

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2008 BMW X5 4dr SUV

350-horsepower 4.8L V8 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

111600 mi

¤1000
water leaks into the cabin during car wash. Water comes in from the panoramic roof. 
75020 mi

C $2000
the track that the moon roof was on cracked and the moonroof would not close. 
138640 mi

C $321
Replaced rear lights on door. they accumulate water from washing the vehicle and eventually fail. 
2480 mi 1) rear boot trim rattles since day-1, unable to repair due to the flexing of the body shell 2) noise on front-right suspension, dealers could not reproduce problem, so not repaired, but problem still exists. Please dont buy a BMW X5 at least. 
3720 mi

A $280
intermittent noises from front suspension, very hard to reproduce. 
8680 mi Boot trunk rattles from plastic trims. Spent nearly 6hours to remove all trims, apply tapes and re-fit 
162000 mi

US $400
Problem-class first noted 2016, during heavy rain, right-rear quarter-panel leaked, with electronic tailgate failure, replaced by dealer, who advised body shop replace moon-roof drains. In March, 2018, moon-roof drain plugged, left-rear quarter-panel flooded with strong rain or car-wash. Electronics (bluetooth cellphone function, USB, SOS) all failed. Independent shop cleared drain, with leakage resolved. Electronics repair postponed d/t cost. Also changed wiper blades, oil during this trip. 
33300 mi Rattle behind the 2nd row latch (fixed) Rattle in the tailgate (not fixed) 
35000 mi This time, they actually adjusted the rear hatch guides. It worked this time. Further, now that I know what to adjust, I can do so when the rattle comes back (comes back when weather changes from cold to hot, hot to cold). 
41000 mi Center console wood trim cracked and steering wheel trim peeling = replaced Rear seat rattle = adjusted (again) 
50800 mi Rear passenger seat creaks and rattles 

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2008 BMW X5 4dr SUV

260-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

44000 mi

US $350
leather on back of driver's seat separated and carpet anchor for driver's carpet mat was loose. 
47000 mi Sunroof trim rattling 
90000 mi Water ingress in rear lights in tailgate 

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2007 BMW X5

Engine not specified

24000 mi Glove compartment door warped, preventing it from opening. Upper compartment door was replaced. Dealer had part in stock, so I waited under an hour for the complete repair. 
66000 mi

US $1850
Sun roof drain channels clogged; caused short and replaced tailight and effected wiring harness and electrical components 

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2007 BMW X5 4dr SUV

350-horsepower 4.8L V8 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

61380 mi

C $150
Plastic piece off of the parking brake e-swith broke. Was replaced with a new switch. 

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2007 BMW X5 4dr SUV

260-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

86180 mi

C $500
Leaking rear doors were wetting rear floor 
30000 mi Warped glove box leather panelling impeding opening of glove box 
110000 mi

US $300
Water sipped into the back trunk near the storage compartment and down onto the electronic module near above the right wheel well causing the OBC to malfunction throwing multiple error codes while driving. 

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2006 BMW X5 4dr SUV

315-horsepower 4.4L V8 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

88040 mi

C $509
amplifier damaged by water (due to leaking sunroof drain) replacement amp purchased, still not installed 

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2006 BMW X5 4dr SUV

225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

67000 mi

US $300
Driver's door was inoperable from outside. Ended up replacing several components in the door, cost was around $300. 
89000 mi

US $50
Also replaced the worn out roundel emblem on the hood of the X5. It's not a big deal. 

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2005 BMW X5 4dr SUV

355-horsepower 4.8L V8 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

50000 mi

US $550
Had the windshield replaced. Leaking water from the overhead into the shifter and finally puddling on the drivers floor. Thought the sunroof was the issue. After removing the headliner the sun roof was ok. 4hr job. 

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2004.5 BMW X5 4-door

turbocharged 6-cylinder diesel automatic AWD

58280 mi Door handle carrier broke. Pixel on MID dead 

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2004 BMW X5 4dr SUV

315-horsepower 4.4L V8 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

143300 mi

US $350
Right front door handle 

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2004 BMW X5 4dr SUV

225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

71000 mi

US $50
exterior trim around windows clouded, faded, and, in spots, anodization came off and revealed bare alum. estimate from dealer was $2300. painted myself instead. good immediate results, time will tell. this is a common problem with an X5 
126000 mi

US $300
Replaced rear windshield wiper nut cover. 
68200 mi

C $1410
leaking sunroof, damaged elecrtrical module. fixed roof, dried floor and changed module 
102300 mi

C $380
Leaking sunroof, onto floor. Drain plugs were unblocked and cleaned 
108800 mi

C $700
roof leaking. cleaned, etc 

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2003 BMW X5 4dr SUV

282-horsepower 4.4L V8 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

83080 mi When sold, water leaking in through sunroof,  

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2003 BMW X5 4dr SUV

225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

120000 mi

US $400
Replace rear wiper plastic cover, front wiper blades, plastic cover for the headlight washer, plastic insert for changes, oil and filter change, air filter replace with K&N filter. 
108000 mi

US $1200
The factory HID headlight lenses were cloudy and could not be buffed out with standard restoration methods. Replace headlight assemblies. 

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2002 BMW X5 4dr SUV

340-horsepower 4.6L V8 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

184240 mi

C $650
Both front inner outside door handles broke. 

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2001 BMW X5 4dr SUV

282-horsepower 4.4L V8 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

133000 mi

US $108
Broke driver's door handle. 

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2001 BMW X5 4dr SUV

225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

112500 mi

US $66
TAILGATE LATCH ADJUSTED TO REDUCE RATTLE IN TAILGATE 

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BMW X5 Body Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently BMW X5 problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.