2010 BMW X5 engine problems

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

See attached document for complaint

NHTSA complaint #11758461 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and was pulled over to the side of the road. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, after the recall repair was performed, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the recall repair indicated that a diagnostic test was required to determine that an engine failure was a direct result of a fractured VANOS bolt. The contact stated that the dealer declined a diagnostic test or the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,000.

NHTSA complaint #11752151 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

My husband and I brought our 2010 X5 (VIN ), mileage: to BMW of El Cajon on 09/29/2025 for a recall service. Before the recall repaire, the vehicale was in normal working condition: -No check engine lights or warning indicators -No unusual noises -Fully drivable on a daily basis After the recall was completed, the dealership informed me that: -multiple check engine/warning lights appeared -The vehicle developed a very loud/high pitch noise -They do not recommend driving the vehicle in its currently condition. They did not warn us about his initial, they did after informed them we do not feel safe driving the car in this condition. The dealership explained this happened because they had open a valve to perform the recall, which they claim disturbed "sludge". They are now refusing to correct the problem unless we pay out of pocket. The issue did not exist before the recall and occurred only as a direct result of the recall repair. The recall left my car unsafe and undriveable, and I am being told to pay for a problem that only arose due to a federally mandated recall work. The recall resulted in a vehicle that is no longer safe to drive, with multiple warning lights and severe engine noise. The dealers refusal to fix this without charing me undermines the purpose of a recall, which is to ensure safety at no cost to the owner. I ask NHTSA to investigate this matter and ensure BMW and its dealerships perform recall repairs properly, at no cost to consumers, and do not return vehicles in unsafe conditions.

NHTSA complaint #11690652 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I own a 2010 BMW X5 xDrive30i (VIN: [XXX] ) with two active recalls: the VANOS bolt recall (23V-707) and the PCV valve heater recall (22V-119). Despite these being federally mandated safety repairs, Sharpe BMW in Grand Rapids, MI refused to perform the work without a paid diagnostic and potential full repair payment upfront, stating reimbursement would be decided afterward. I was sent home in an unsafe, recalled vehicle that visibly and audibly shakes at startup and frequently stalls. Other engine components have now failed due to the VANOS issue and the vehicle is now inoperable. BMW NA has acknowledged contact, but has only redirected me back to the same dealer without offering resolution. This has created financial hardship and an ongoing safety concern. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11665881 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel pump. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); was included and the vehicle was repaired by the dealer. The contact stated that the vehicle operated normally prior to the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 128,000.

NHTSA complaint #11654196 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, her nephew attempted to start the vehicle, and the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated there was an abnormal odor coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact replaced the battery; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to Firestone, where it was diagnosed that the starter and fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,546.

NHTSA complaint #11649292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that when the vehicle wase cold started the vehicle was idling rough and vibrating abnormally. The contact stated that check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle was running rough, with abnormal sounds coming from underneath the floor. The contact stopped the vehicle and towed the vehicle to residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 200,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11610879 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

There is a recall for the VANOS variable camshaft timing somehow my vehicle although listed has not received a recall and this is the exact problem I am having with my 2010 x5 BMW 4.8

NHTSA complaint #11609620 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

See attached document for complaint

NHTSA complaint #11608157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Hello. I am reporting the remedy that is still not available for my car. It effects the VANOS bolts which you know is a big part of how the car engine works and can end up allowing my car to stall mid trip. This recall began in October, and I have yet to see a remedy. I understand this process takes time, but it is affecting my day to day driving and I feel unsafe. I am hoping to put more pressure to provide us with a remedy soon.

NHTSA complaint #11590548 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA complaint #11589073 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle idled unusually rough. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle was leaking oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer twice where it was diagnosed with failed VANOS bolts and valve cover gasket. The contact was informed that the VANOS bolts, and valve cover gaskets needed to be replaced. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA complaint #11578116 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

This is the 3rd time in 2 months that the engine just shut off driving on a highway. I have noticed that it happens if I have driving on a highway for 2 hours or more. The car does not show any sign of issues and does not have any code or check engine light. All of a sudden the engine shuts down and it loses all power, power steering does not work, and brake does not work. It makes for very dangerous condition with traffic coming behind me at 70 miles an hour. I pulled over and tried to start it. It would just crank but not start. All 3 times, after waiting for 30 minutes, it would start just fine and won’t have any further issue. I got the code scanned and it came clean. There is no check engine light either. It just happens all of a sudden without any warning and car shops can’t figure out what’s wrong because every time they test drive it , it works fine.

NHTSA complaint #11543969 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Been having issues with the car for over a month, changed water pump thermostat fuel pump, but it still would crank, got another diagnostic and now I have an engine leak, and FRM ) a serious electrical problem, I feel like some of these things should have been done before the dealer sold the car, I’m asking for help, with getting my car fixed or replaced

NHTSA complaint #11531143 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted several times. The contact stated that white smoke was coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 107,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA complaint #11498059 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the odor of burning oil or plastic started entering the vehicle through the vents. The contact stated engine overheating warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled off the road and turned the vehicle off. The contact made several attempts to drive the vehicle back to his residence; however, he eventually had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic determined that the accumulator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, and the overheating failure reoccurred. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA complaint #11494178 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Ongoing issues with the engine and turbochargers in this SUV. Give no warning of an issue and lose power while driving. Replaced one of the turbocharges in 2017. The car is now smoking, smells like something is burning, using a lot of oil, and losing power, and now being told both turbocharges need to be replaced. Dealer, Downtown BMW in Denver, CO who did repairs in 2017 on turbo did not report the previous repairs in car repair history.

NHTSA complaint #11487892 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced overheating. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The vehicle was towed but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11478883 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle started overheating and an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact veered to side of the road and turned off the vehicle until the engine cooled down. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the PCV valve heater needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA complaint #11466950 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while accelerating from a complete stop at the stoplight, the vehicle hesitated. The contact smelled a burning plastic odor within the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle had become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to replicate the failure. The dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 95,310. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.

NHTSA complaint #11460752 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, she saw smoke exiting the hood. The contact stated the low coolant warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road and call for roadside assistance. The contact states the smoke detained independently, once she turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed the radiator and the water pump was needing to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The contact stated she purchased the radiator and the water pump from the local dealer but had the repairs completed at independent mechanic. The vehicle was repaired but she experience the failure for a second time. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA complaint #11460026 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

My vehicle was covered under a 10 year BMW limited extended warranty to address factory defective bolts that caused a dangerous failure of the VANOS system (bolts backing out) - which can be read about in service bulletin SB-10057335-7958 or SI B01 10 14. I started experiencing the symptoms (warning lamps, rough engine, engine noise, stalling) outlined in this bulletin in 2018, then in 2020, after several failed repairs, I was made aware of the warranty. I immediately scheduled an appointment at my local BMW dealership (BMW of Rochester) and when they called to give me the diagnosis they told me that my car needed an oil change and that if I wanted them to check for the broken bolts they would need to take apart the motor, potentially costing me hundreds of more dollars in labor if the part in question (bolts, covered under warranty) was not broken. They told me the car was running as designed and not to worry about it. I spent the following year and a half attempting to fix persistent issues I thought were unrelated to the part in question. I recently replaced some major parts and upon the mechanic concluded to me that in fact the remaining issues could only be related to the part in question, and to have BMW take another look. I made a new appointment with the dealership to diagnose the issue once again, only this time explaining that I was confident they had misdiagnosed it originally. This time they did not threaten extra costs to take the motor apart and in fact told me it only took them 10 minutes to "scope" the motor with a camera. They confirmed the part in question is broken and are now charging me $6000 out of pocket to fix it, even though the part was under warranty just months ago, the first time I brought it to them. The part being broken makes my car unsafe to drive, and BMW recommends not driving it until it is fixed. BMW NA refuses to honor the warranty due to expiration, and the dealership is also refusing to pay for the repairs. Car is UNSAFE.

NHTSA complaint #11441363 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2010 BMW X5. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 55 mph, the engine temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact's wife pulled over to a service station to let the engine cool off before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed as a water pump failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA complaint #11434188 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

MY VALVE COVER AND CRANKCASE ARE MANUFACTURED BAD THE CRANKCASE IT'S CRACKED AND LICKING, WHICH IT DAMAGE MY VALVE COVERS, MY CAR WAS DRIVING GOOD ALL OF THE SUDDEN IT DOESN'T DRIVE SMOOTH

NHTSA complaint #11352751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE AT LOW SPEEDS THROUGH A CITY, A YELLOW WARNING MESSAGE CAME ONTO THE SCREEN, ALERTING ME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING AND TO DRIVE CAREFULLY. ONLY SECONDS LATER A SECOND WARNING MESSAGE CAME ONTO THE SCREEN, THIS TIME RED, TELLING ME THAT THE ENGINE HAS OVERHEATED AND I NEED TO STOP DRIVING IMMEDIATELY. AS I SLOWED I COULD HEAR A LOUD FAN NOISE AND BEGAN TO SMELL BURNING PLASTIC. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED A TECHNICIAN TO SCHEDULE A REPAIR. I WAS TOLD IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE COOLANT PUMP, AND UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I DISCOVERED THAT IT HAS LED TO VERY COSTLY REPAIRS ON TOP OF POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. I EVEN DISCOVERED THAT THERE MAY BE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THE FAULTY PARTS, AND IN SOME MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED. I CONTACTED BMW DIRECTLY AND THEY TOLD ME MY VEHICLE WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ANY EXTENDED WARRANTY OR RECALL.

NHTSA complaint #11329296 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

CRACKED EGR COOLER. MECHANIC SAID HE HAS NOTICED THIS IS BECOMING A PATTERN.

NHTSA complaint #11325192 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

CLEAN DIESEL SYSTEM HAD SOME FAILURE AND GAVE A WARNING THAT THE CAR CANNOT BE RESTARTED IN 200 MILES. WIFE WAS OUT OF STATE ON VACATION IN THE CAR. HE HAD TO DRIVE NON-STOP HOME AND NOW THE CAR SOFTWARE HAS LOCKED OUT THE ABILITY TO START THE VEHICLE. I CAN'T EVEN DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER. HAS TO DO WITH THE SRC SYSTEM THAT BMW EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 10 YEARS BECAUSE OF KNOWN PROBLEMS. I CALLED THEM TO REPORT THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED BUT COULD NOT BRING IN BECAUSE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT OUT OF STATE. CALLED 12/28/2019 AND WARRANTY EXPIRED ON 12/30/2019. NOW THEY REFUSE THE HONOR THE WARRANTY AND I HAVE TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED FOR REPAIR. INDEPENDENT MECHANICS DO NOT WANT TO TOUCH THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #11299046 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

AS I WAS DRIVING ON A BRIDGE MY CAR COMPLETELY WENT INTO A STOP. BREAKS INSTANTLY LOCKED AND MY CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE, TURN ON, OR GO ON NEUTRAL THE BREAKS STAYED IN LOCK. POLICE OFFERUP EVEN TRIED TO SEE IF IT'S A SIMPLE BREAK BUTTON. NOTHING WORKED I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BRIDGE LUCKY THE CAR BEHIND ME SWERVED RIGHT AWAY AND MYSELF AND MY DAUGHTER WERE SAFE. I CALLED MY SISTER WHO LIVED DOWN THE STREET, SHE CAME RIGHT AWAY AND PARKED BEHIND ME WITH HER EMERGENCY SAFETY LIGHTS ON. THE CAR WENT INTO SHOCK I COULDN'T EVEN PUT IT IN NEUTRAL SO I CAN MOVE IT FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE BRIDGE. TOWED IT TO BMW NOW THEY SAY IT'S THE COMPUTER SYSTEM AND THE WIRES OF THE CAR THAT CONNECTS TO THE COMPUTER. COST TO FIX IS OVER 3,500 I CAN NOT AFFORD TO FIX. I HAVE 4 TEENAGE KIDS AND NOW NO CAR BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR THE CAR SERVICES. IN THE PAST 3 YEARS I HAVE PAID OVER 8K IN REPAIRS BY BMW DEALERSHIP SERVICES. THIS IS NOT FAIR

NHTSA complaint #11203261 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

ENGINE ELECTRIC RECALL FOR ELECTRIC WATER PUMP. CAR WAS BROUGHT INTO SERVICE AT TULLEY BMW IN NASHUA FOR ISSUE WITH WATER PUMP. SERVICE ADVISOR SAID " ONLY NEED TO REPLACE A FEW BOLTS " I FEEL THE CAR HAS ONLY 46,000 AND IS OVERHEATING TO EXCESS SHOWING TEMPERATURE GAGE. HAD VEHICAL TOWED OVER 100 MILES TO LOCAL SERVICE STATION - FAILED ELECTRIC WATER PUMP - " RECALL ISSUE " DEALER FAILED TO SERVICE. ENGINE IS OVERHEATING - DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE $ 1,500.00 TO REPAIR

NHTSA complaint #11163314 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

IN FEB 2016 DURING DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, LOST POWER STEERING AND BATTERY LIGHT COME ON. CAR WAS TOWED TO THE GARAGE TO DETERMINATE CAUSE AND FIX THE PROBLEM. BOLT THAT HOLD PULLEY TENSIONER WAS BROKEN AND BELT FELL OFF. THERE WAS NO EASY WAY TO REMOVE BRONEK HEAD BOLT OFF FROM ENGINE BLOCK. CAR WAS AT MECHANIC FOR A WEEK, REPLACEMENT BOLT WAS AROUND $6 BUT THE LABOR WAS ALMOST $700.

NHTSA complaint #11128649 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.