2002 BMW X5

BMW 4.4I X5. HAD SECOND OF TWO VALVE COVER LEAKS DUE TO OIL SEPARATOR BLOCKAGE. BOTH HAPPENED UNDER COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE ORIGINAL OIL SEPARATOR DESIGN WAS PRONE TO BLOCKAGE AND BMW HAD REDESIGNED THE SEPARATOR TO A "HEATED PART" ACCORDING TO MY DEALER. IN BOTH INSTANCES OF MY CAR'S FAILURE, THE VALVE COVER GASKET FAILED UNDER PRESSURE AND OIL LEAKED OUT ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO FIRE. BMW DEALERSHIPS ACKNOWLEDGED THE COMMON FAILURE OF THE OIL SEPARATOR DESIGN. ALTHOUGH BMW OF NORTH AMERICA WOULD NOT RESPOND TO MY INQUIRIES. SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY I PAID FOR ALL REPAIRS. I HAVE UPDATED THE VEHICLE TO THE NEW "HEATED PART" BUT HAVE NOT HAD A FULL WINTER ON THE VEHICLE TO STATE WHETHER OR NOT THE RE-DESIGN WAS SUCCESSFUL. *TR

MY 2002 BMW X5'S ENGINE SUDDENLY STALLED ON MY WIFE FEW HOURS AGO TODAY, 09/16/08, WHILE SHE WAS JUST PASSING THROUGH A STOP LIGHT AROUND WHERE SHE WORK AT. THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR IS ABOUT 47000 MILES. I'D TO THANK GOD SHE WAS NOT DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WHEN IT STALLED. NOW THE CAR WITH MY MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, THE CAR'S FRONT FAN THAT COOLS THE ENGINE FAILED TO WORK ALL OF A SUDDEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT ON A HIGHWAY WITH THE AC ON. I HAD TO PULL OVER ON SIDE OF THE ROAD AS THE TEMP GAUGE WENT STRAIGHT INTO THE RED ZONE. I HAD TO GET IT REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE. THEN, ABOUT A MONTH AGO, THE CAR'S FAN MOTOR THAT DISTRIBUTES THE AC/HEAT INTO THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. I'D TO HAD IT REPLACED ALSO WITH A NEW ONE. THAT'S ALL & THANKS. *TR

ON 2/11/08 COLD DAY VEHICLE FAILED TO START SHOWING SAME SIGNS AS RECALLS ON 2004 AND 2007 MODELS THAT ARE RECALLS. VEHICLE SENT TO SHOP RETURNED 2 DAYS LATER WHILE TRAVELING ON MAJOR EXPRESSWAY VEHICLE STALLS OUT WITH OUT ANY ADVANCE WARNING AS IN 2004 AND 2007 MODELS SENT BACK TO SHOP VEHICLES OIL AND COOLANT MIXING CAUSING TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. BMW'S RESPONSE NOT A RECALL FOR THIS YEAR BUT AWARE OF PROBLEM. *TR

2002 BMW X5 WITH OIL SEPARATOR SAFETY ISSUES. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE OIL SEPARATOR FAILED. CONSUMER WAS SHOWN THAT WATER WAS MIXING WITH THE OIL CREATING A FOAMY SLUDGE. LUCKILY THE PROBLEM DID NOT AFFECT THE ENGINE. *KB THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE DOOR LOCKS DID NOT WORK ON ONE OF THE DOORS AND THE WINDOW FELL INSIDE THE DOOR. THE WINDOW MECHANISM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER INSERTS WERE REPLACED. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW X5. WHEN MAKING A TURN AT 10 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER IT WAS SHIFTED INTO PARK. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE DME, HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER X5 ON A VERY COLD DAY IN JANUARY. SHE HEARD A LOUD BANG AS IF SHE HAD HIT SOMETHING. SHE STOPPED THE CAR BUT SAW NOTHING SO SHE DROVE ANOTHER 1/4 MILE HOME. AS SOON AS SHE STOPPED THE CAR FUMES STARTED BILLOWING FROM THE ENGINE. ON OPENING THE HOOD WE FOUND A SHATTERED VALVE COVER. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO WAS VERY GOOD ABOUT EXPLAINING WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND FIXING THE PROBLEM. APPARENTLY, BMW DECIDED NOT TO INSULATE PART OF THE OIL SEPARATOR VALVE FOR SOME OF THE X5 ENGINES. IN COLD WEATHER THE VALVE CAN STICK OPEN OR CLOSED CAUSING EITHER ENGINE FAILURE OR, AS IN MY WIFE'S CASE, A HIGH CRANKCASE PRESSURE WHICH EXPLODES THE VALVE COVER. THE VEHICLE WAS ABOUT 17 MONTHS OLD AND HAD ABOUT 5 THOUSAND MILES ON IT WHEN THIS HAPPENED, SO THE REPAIR WITH REPLACEMENT OF THE INADEQUATE PART WAS DONE UNDER WARRANTY. BMW KNEW THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD OCCUR, THEY HAD ALREADY SENT A BULLETIN TO EVERY DEALER LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT IT BUT HAVE DECIDED AGAINST ISSUING A RECALL.*AK

WITHIN 6 WEEKS OF DRIVING IN HOT WEATHER, THE VEHICLE (2002 BMW X5 3.0 LITER) STALLED WHEN TURNING LEFT. MOST RECENT WAS IN TRAFFIC, NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AS I WAS BLOCKING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. VEHICLE ROLLED TO A NEARBY RESTAURANT WHERE ON BOARD INSTRUMENTATION WAS LIT UP WITH ALL WARNING LIGHTS. RESTARTED ENGINE IN A FEW MINUTES OF COOLING. REPORTED TO BMW DEALER ON 5/18/2004 - DEALER REPORTS NO TROUBLE CODES OR ANY ABILITY TO REPLICATE TROUBLE. *AK