2008 BMW X5 Power Train

car will not start. towed over 120mil to the closest mechanics. starter was dead.

while driving in a highway far from any measure city, the car start slowing down and overheating signal showed up. fan start running like a jet engine. after towing it to a mechanic. it turns out the water pump failed a long with thermostat and the plastic resurve water leaked. it seams like a design fault to make a plastic resurve water that hold hot water. the car had 121000 mile. coast was $5400

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW X5. WHILE DRIVING OVER 40 MPH, AN ABNORMAL LOUD NOISE COULD BE HEARD FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVESHAFT JOINTS WERE WORN OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V311000 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000.

WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 45MPH WHEN HEARD A ROARING SOUND FOLLOWED BY A LOUD SNAPPING SOUND. RPMS WAS STABLE WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS. IT HAPPENED RIGHT AT THE STATE BORDER ON LA PLATA HWY 140. THERE'S NO EMERGENCY LANES ON NEITHER SIDE OF THE HWY. I WAS ABLE BACK UP ON REVERSE FOR 25FT AND PARKED SAFELY AT THE REST STOP ON THE COLORADO SIDE. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THEN. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO A SHOP WHO DISCOVERED THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT BROKE LOOSE WHEN THE UNIVERSAL JOINT SNAPPED IN HALF, COMING OFF FRONT HUB. THERE'S COLLATERAL DAMAGE TO TRANSMISSION CASING, TRANNY COOLING LINES, AND DINGS TO EXHAUST PIPE. O2 SENSOR FAILED AND TRIGGERED ENGINE LIGHT.

I WAS TRAVELING ON I-78 EAST IN PENNSYLVANIA, APPROACHING EXIT 59, AND SUDDENLY THE CAR JERKED AND BEGAN TO DECELERATE. AT THAT TIME MY SPEED WAS 40 MPH. THAT PART OF THE INTERSTATE IS PRETTY MUCH UPHILL, THAT'S WHY I WAS DRIVING AT A REDUCED SPEED. WHEN I PRESSED DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL A LITTLE MORE THAT'S WHEN THE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT APPEARED. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST BMW DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD A NEW TRANSMISSION WILL COST ME $7,776.45 EXCLUDING LABOR AND TAXES. IT'S BAFFLING THAT AN X5 WITH 73K MILES WOULD NEED A TRANSMISSION THAT SOON. *TR

THE GEAR SHIFTING/TRANSMISSION IN MY 2008 3.0 X5 IS AN ONGOING AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM FROM DAY 1. THE CAR DOES NOT ACCELERATE RELIABLY AND I HAVE HAD MANY NEAR COLLISIONS. I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING TO BMW SERVICE (PORT CHESTER, NY) SINCE SEPT. 3 2008. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW AT THE END OF MAY 2008. BMW SERVICE TOLD ME BMW USA WAS AWARE AND THERE WAS A "SOFTWARE UPDATE" COMING THE BEGINNING OF OCT WHICH SHOULD ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. I CALLED THE SERVICE CENTER IN OCT AND WAS TOLD NO UPDATE WAS RELEASED YET. I CALLED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA ON OCT 6 AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A SYSTEM UPDATE RELEASED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND THEY WOULD CONTACT THE SERVICE CENTER MANAGER. I LEFT SEVERAL MESSAGES BEFORE HE RETURNED MY CALL. THE UPDATE WAS INSTALLED ON OCT 14, 2008. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO IMPROVEMENT TO THE HESITATION/STALLING. ON EACH SUBSEQUENT SERVICE VISIT I COMPLAINED OF THIS SAME ISSUE. EACH TIME THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM. I HAD A TEST DRIVE WITH THE REPAIR FOREMAN WHO ADMITTED THAT BMW WAS WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. IT WAS A NEW SYSTEM THAT WAS DESIGNED TO GET BETTER GAS MILEAGE AND WAS "REACTIVE" TO THE OWNERS DRIVING STYLE. IT WAS NOT WORKING AND THEY DID AWAY WITH IT FOR NEW VEHICLES. THE REPAIR FOREMAN HAS SEEN MANY 2008 3.0 X5'S WITH THIS PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD A SECOND UPDATE WAS COMING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ON SEPT 28, 2009 THE UPDATE WAS DONE UPDATE, WHICH AGAIN DID NOTHING. I ADVISED BMW I WAS FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THIS AGENCY.WITHIN A FEW DAYS SOMEONE CALLED TO SAY THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND SERVICE MANAGER WOULD CALL. I NEVER HEARD FROM ANYONE AGAIN AT BMW SERVICE. I HAD A NEAR MISS ACCIDENT AGAIN. BMW IS HIDING THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM FROM THE PUBLIC!! INTERESTINGLY, WHEN I COMPLAIN, BMW DOES NOT ENTER THE COMPLAINT INTO THEIR SYSTEM, BUT ALWAYS SAY THEY WILL LOOK INTO IT. ARE THEY HIDING THESE COMPLAINTS? PLEASE HELP ME BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR

CAR SURGES CONTINUOUSLY AFTER TAKING OFF FROM A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. I HAVE HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD UNTIL IT STOPS. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT OF THIS AUTO. THIS HAPPENS EVERY DAY. IT IS SPORADIC. SEVERAL COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE, AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY BMW'S REPAIR DEPARTMENT THAT THEY KNOW OF NO SUCH PROBLEM, THEN THEY ADMITTED THEY DID KNOW OF THE PROBLEM, BUT IT WAS A "SOFTWARE" ISSUE AND NO DOWNLOAD WAS AVAILABLE FOR ME, AND THEN EVENTUALLY THE DEALERSHIP STOPPED RETURNING MY CALLS. *TR

THE 2008 BMW X5 3.0I HAS MAJOR TRANSMISSION ISSUES WHICH SEVERELY AFFECTS THE THROTTLE RESPONSE TIME AND GEARS SLIPS OCCASIONALLY. WHILE DRIVING ON HIGH WAY VEHICLE WILL NOT RESPOND TO GAS PADDLE AND GEARS SLIP AND MAKE METAL NOISES. ALSO WHEN VEHICLE STARTS FROM A STOP, GEARS SLIP AND IT MOVES THE VEHICLE BACKWARD AS IF IT IS IN REVERSE 'R' GEAR AND YOU HAVE TO HIT BRAKES THEN IT WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH A SEVERE JERK. SIMILAR GEAR SLIPPING HAPPENS WHILE STOPPING THE VEHICLE. THE HESITATION AND GEAR SLIP ARE BIG SAFETY ISSUE AS VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE FAST ENOUGH AS NEEDED (WHILE MERGING ON HIGHWAY RAMP OR CHANGING LANES) AND COULD GET IN TO A SIDE OR REAR COLLISION. SIMILARLY WHEN STARTING FROM STOP THE SUDDEN BACKWARD MOVEMENT COULD RESULT IN CRASH WITH VEHICLE MOVING BEHIND. THE DEALER SAID IT IS HAPPENS WITH X5 AS IT A HEAVY VEHICLE, WHICH NO BODY WOULD BUY AS A JUSTIFIABLE REASON FOR A PREMIUM LUXURY VEHICLE. THESE ISSUES HAPPEN EVERYDAY AND AFFECT THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE ON ROADS. THESE ISSUES SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND BMW SHOULD RECALL THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. *TR

THE X5 DOES NOT RESPONSE WELL TO THROTTLE INPUTS. HESITATION IS EXTREMELY PRONOUNCED AT ALL TIMES. THE HESITATION FEELS LIKE STALLING. NOT SURE IF THIS IS CAUSED BY THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, SOFTWARE OR SOME OTHER REASONS. THIS HAPPENS MOSTLY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS IN REGULAR "D" MODE BUT IT ALSO HAPPENS IN THE MANUAL MODE AT TIMES. PASSING AND MERGING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC SHOULD BE AVOIDED BECAUSE THE X5 COULD RECEIVE REAR-ENDED ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE SUDDEN HESITATION. HAD MANY NEAR-MISSES AND SUSPECT EVENTUALITY. *TR

2002 X5 WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. *TR