2008 BMW X5

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE MESSAGE 'ENGINE TEMPERATURE HIGH, DRIVE SLOWLY TO COOL THE ENGINE' AND THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRIC AUXILIARY PUMP FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

I HAD ALREADY SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT UNDER 10586821 DUE TO THE RADIATOR BUT DID NOT INCLUDE THAT THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE REASON THAT RADIATOR WENT OUT WAS BECAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION OF THE WATER PUMP WHICH I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE. I WAS TOLD TO AMEND THE COMPLAINT ONCE RECEIVED BUT I NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING IN THE MAIL. BMW KNOWS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO FIX IT. ALSO THE PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR HAS BEEN ON FOR OVER A YEAR. I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE AND HAVE THE AIRBAGS AND SENSORS REPLACE. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HAVING SOMETHING THAT IS SUPPOSE TO BE FOR SAFETY BUT IT'S MALFUNCTIONING. THEREFORE I HAVE AIRBAGS THAT ARE NOT GOING TO PROTECT ANYONE IN THE COURSE OF AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS ALSO A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BMW. THIS IS NOT AN AGE OF CAR ITEM BECAUSE I HAD LESS THAN 40,000 MILES WHEN THE INDICATOR CAME ON. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 95 IN PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA JUST NORTH OF THE AIRPORT MY VEHICLE SIMPLY SHUT OFF IN POST GAME RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING AND THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES FAILED. IT WAS NOTHING SHORT OF A MIRACLE THAT ME AND MY SON WERE NOT HARMED AND THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MUSCLE TO CAR OFF THE ROAD. THIS CAR HAD 66,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND ACCORDING TO BMW, AFTER MY CALL, WAS NOT PART OF THE 2008 X5'S VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR THIS MODEL YEAR WITH NORMALLY ASPIRATED IN-LINE 6 CYLINDER ENGINES TO REPLACE THE LOW- PRESSURE FUEL PUMPS. INTERESTINGLY, IN THE BMW PRESS RELEASE DATED OCTOBER 26, 2010 - 1130 AM EDT THEY STATED THAT THEY HAD NOTIFIED THE NTSBA THAT THESE PUMPS FAIL ON MY MAKE AND MODEL OF WHICH THEY RECALLED 20,800 CARS, THE ENGINE WILL STOP RUNNING AND THE DRIVER WILL LOSE POWER ASSIST FOR THE STEERING AND BRAKES. WOW, AT 50 MPH ON A SUPER HIGHWAY THAT WAS A NIGHTMARE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TR

ON A RECENT RIDE HOME FROM VACATION (SUMMER 2014), MY FAMILY AND I HAD TO ENDURE OUR 2008 BMW X5 STALLED OUT AND SLOWED TO ABOUT 30 MPH ON INTERSTATE 95. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS OF A POTENTIAL PROBLEM OR ANY UPCOMING MAINTENANCE NEEDED. THE INFORMATION SCREEN STATED CRUISE CONTROL/ENGINE MALFUNCTION. WE WERE EXTREMELY SURPRISED, OVERLY ALARMED AND FRIGHTENED AS THIS WAS A DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE EVENT. WE WERE NOT USING AND HAVE NEVER USED THE CRUISE CONTROL. MY FAMILY WAS SCARED OF THIS UNSAFE ORDEAL BUT THANK GOD, NO ONE WAS INJURED. AFTER RESEARCHING THESE CONDITIONS, WE FOUND THIS SIMILAR INCIDENT OCCUR TO MANY OTHER X5 BMW OWNERS AND DATE BACK AS FAR AS 2001. THIS THROTTLE BODY DEFECT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND CAN CAUSE BODILY HARM OR DEATH. IF THIS CAR DECREASES IN POWER, ESPECIALLY ON AN INTERSTATE, SERIOUS AND DEADLY ACCIDENTS CAN OCCUR. QUITE INTERESTING IS THAT THIS SAME DIAGNOSIS WAS IDENTIFIED WITH PREVIOUS OWNERS WHO'VE ONLY OWNED THEIR VEHICLES LESS THAN A YEAR. RESEARCH SHOWS THIS CONDITION HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS AND BMW HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED, RECALLED AND CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. MY 2008 BMW X5 HAS ABOUT 52,000 AND RECEIVE REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON TIME AND AS REQUIRED. MORE IMPORTANT, THE DAY BEFORE THE INCIDENT WE CHECKED THE VEHICLE SYSTEM CHECK AND ALL SYSTEMS WERE "OK." AND TWO DAYS LATER, THE CAR SHUT DOWN WITH NO WARNING. MY CAR WAS TAKEN TO NORTHWEST BMW IN OWINGS MILLS WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A THROTTLE BODY DEFECT. *TR

THE 2008 X5 3.0L STARTED TO SOUND LIKE A JET ENGINE WITH THE SUPER LOUD FAN NOISE. I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS GOING TO BLOW UP. TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR, AND LUCKILY THE ENGINE HADN'T OVERHEATED YET. THEY FOUND THAT THE WATER PUMP WAS FAULTY, WHICH CAUSED THE WIRING TO BURN OUT, AND OBSERVED OIL LEAKAGE NEAR ENGINE. IF I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR ANY MORE, IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE OF THE VEHICLE. BMW SERVICE CENTER TOLD ME THAT I HAVE TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT, AND OTHER PARTS INCLUDING GASKET SOMETHING. THANK YOU. *TR

MY BMW OCCASIONALLY STALLS AT A LOW SPEED AFTER A BRAKE OR IN A TURN. THE ENGINE IS QUIETLY OFF AND THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. WHEN I RESTART THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE LIGHT IS OFF AND IT DRIVES NORMAL. IT LOOKS LIKE A MINOR PROBLEM, BUT CAN BE HAZARDOUS. AT ONE TIME, MY CAR STALLED AFTER I MADE A BRAKE AND STARTED TO TURN. SUDDENLY I FEEL THE STEER WHEEL IS LOCKED AND I LOST SOME BRAKE FORCE. I ALMOST CRASHED INTO THE BRICK FENCE AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT WAS REALLY SCARY. I THINK IT COULD BE EVEN MORE DANGEROUS IF IT HAPPEN IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, FOR EXAMPLE, BRAKE BEFORE ENTERING A HIGHWAY, SLOW TURNING ON A BRIDGE. I'VE SENT MY CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY TRACED NO ERROR AND PROBLEMS, AND ASK ME TO DRIVE UNTIL THE PROBLEM BECOME MORE OBVIOUS. I WOULDN'T DO THIS BECAUSE WITH THIS PROBLEM THE CAR MAY BECOME A KILLING MACHINE FOR MYSELF AND OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROAD. I DO HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME TO CONTACT BMW TO FIND A SOLUTION. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM STORE WHEN THE COOLANT FAN CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. DISPLAY STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS OVER HEATING AND IF IT CONTINUES TAKE IT IN FOR SERVICE. THE NEXT MORNING I TURNED ON THE CAR AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED AND WAS TOLD NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE COULD DAMAGE THE ENGINE. HAD THE CAR TOWED AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE RADIATOR. WAS TOLD THAT BMW RESIGNED THE RADIATOR THERE FOR THE HOSES HAD TO BE DONE OVER. THERE WAS NEVER ANY OTHER INDICATION PRIOR TO THIS. WAS ON MY WAY DRIVING OUT OF TOWN. LOOKED ONLINE AND IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING WITH ONLY 46,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I HAVE BEEN THE ORIGINAL OWNER. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH A LOUD NOISE STARTED COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, SOUNDED AS IF THE FAN WAS RUNNING AT WARP SPEED. A FEW MILES LATER A WARNING CAME ON STATING ENGINE WAS RUNNING HOT, I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ALLOWED IT TO COOL DOWN. AFTER IT COOLED DOWN I DROVE 2 MORE MILES TO MY OFFICE AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO SEND TO BMW DEALERSHIP. BMW INFORMED ME THE ELECTRIC WATER PUMP WENT OUT AND NEED REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $1400.00. INTERNET SHOWS 38,000 RECALLS OF X-5 FOR WATER PUMP PROBLEM BUT JUST MY LUCK MY CAR IS EXCLUDED. I AM WAITING ON A RESPONSE FROM BMW USA REGARDING MY REQUEST TO HAVE ISSUE COVERED. MY VEHICLE HAS ONLY 40,000 MILES AND WE HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, THE FUEL PUMP RELAY AND NOW THE WATER PUMP. THIS CAR WAS OVER $70,000 WHEN PURCHASED AND YOU WOULD THINK THEY WOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, AROUND 40MPH AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I STARTED TO LOOSE THE POWER TO MY CAR TO THE POINT THAT IT SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO TO START THE CAR TO MOVE IT TO THE SIDE. IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO RESET SOME ELECTRONICS AND WAS TOLD ITS A SAFETY ISSUE ON THE CAR. I ASKED THEM TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I WAS ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE OR STATEN ISLAND EXPRESSWAY OR ROUTE 17 IN NJ WHAT WOULD HAPPEN . NO EXPLANATION WELL I CAN EXPLAIN IT . I WOULD PROBABLY BE REAR ENDED AND CAUSE A PILE UP. I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO. I WONDER HOW MANY TIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED AND THE ACCIDENTS IT HAS CAUSED. *TR

CAR WAS DRIVEN AT 25 MPH. STOPPED AT DESTINATION FOR APPROX 10 MIN. WHEN RESTARTED MADE LOUD BLOWER SOUND BUT KEPT DRIVING AT 25 MPH. AFTER ABOUT 10-15 SECS, MESSAGE CAME THAT " ENGINE IS OVERHEATED AND DRIVE AT MODERATE SPEEDS" . IN ABOUT 10 SECS AFTER THAT, MESSAGE CHANGED TO " ENGINE OVERHEATED, STOP TO LET IT COOL DOWN" . STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. CALLED AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED HAT CAR BE TOWED TO THEIR GARAGE PROBLEM HAS STILL NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. CAR IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED. *TR