NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 BMW X5. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
MY 2003 BMW 5 SERIES CAR WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC AND REAR-ENDED. THE COLLISION PUSHED THE CONTENTS OF THE TRUNK INTO THE BACK SEAT AREA BY BREAKING THE LATCHES THAT HOLD THE FOLD-DOWN SEATS. ANYONE IN THE BACK SEAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PUSHED FORWARD BY THE SEAT BACKS, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY HELD IN PLACE BY THE SEATBELTS.*AK
THE VEHICLE STALLS WHILE IN MOTION. PURCHASED AN X5 IN DECEMBER 2002. PRIOR TO REACHING 400 TOTAL MILES, THE CAR STALLED TWICE WHILE IN MOTION, THUS CAUSING ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS TO FAIL. THE DEALER REPORTED THE PROBLEM SOLVED. LAST WEEK, WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH THROUGH THE EZ PASS LANES ON THE PA TURNPIKE, THE CAR STALLED, ONCE AGAIN LOSING POWER WHILE IN MOTION. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME AS THEY WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY REAR ENDED MY VEHICLE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT ANOTHER CUSTOMER HAD THIS PROBLEM. I DROPPED THE CAR OFF ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2004, THE DEALER HAS YET TO DIAGNOSE THIS RECURRING PROBLEM.*AK
THE OIL SEPERATOR COULD CRACKS IN COLD WEATHER CAUSING OIL TO SPREAD ALL OVER.
I HAVE A NEW BMW 3.0 X5 WITH 3,500 MILES AND HAD MY VEHICLE DIE AND REQUIRING TOWING TO THE DEALER WITH A CRANK CASE VALVE FREEZE UP DRAINING OIL ALL THRU THE ENGINE AND REQUIRING A NON ORIGINAL DESIGNED REPLACEMENT VALVE THAT NO SERICE TECH FEELS WITH BE RELIABLE BELOW 10 DEGREES ABOVE ZERO. I LIVE IN MINNESOTA AND THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR A NEW VEHICLE IN THIS WEATHER. NOW MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER RELIABLE AND IT PRESENTS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THIS COULD HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY OR ANY WHERE. NO GUARANTEES OF IT NOT HAPPENING AGAIN. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALER NEW ONLY FIVE MONTHS AGO. *AK
2003 BMW X5 THE BRAKE PEDAL MOVES BELOW THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IN A EMERGENCY STOP CAUSING THE CAR TO ACCELERATE UNTILL THE FOOT IS MOVED MORE CENTERAL TO THE BRAKE. *AK
OCTOBER 2002 I PURCHASED A NEW BMW X5 - SHORTLY THERE AFTER I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS - HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT SHUT OFF WITHOUT RE-STARTING THE CAR, INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF, THE FLASHERS WOULD COME ON, THE REAR LATCH WOULD DISCONNECT, THE KEYLESS ENTRY INTO THE CAR WOULD NOT WORK, BATTERY WAS BEING DRAINED AND ULTIMATELY THE BATTER WOULDN'T EVEN HOLD A CHARGE. AFTER 3-4 MONTHS OF EXPERIENCING THESE INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS, I INSISTED THE DEALER TAKE THE CAR BACK AND LET ME PURCHASE A 2003 BMW X5. I RECEIVED THE NEWEST BMW X5 ON FEBRUARY 26, 2003 AND ON MARCH 10, 2003, I STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS AGAIN! THIS TIME, WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED ON, THE FLASHERS CAME ON AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD NOT SHUT OFF WITHOUT ME OPENING THE DOOR AND CLOSING IT AGAIN - I HAD TO MANUALLY SHUT OFF THE FLASHERS. MINUTES LATER AFTER DRIVING THE CAR, I SHUT OFF THE IGNITION, GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND USED THE KEYLESS ENTRY SYSTEM TO LOCK THE CAR AND ARM THE ALARM. I WASN'T ABLE TO LOCK THE CAR DOORS BUT THE ALARM WAS ACTIVATED. I HAD TO TURN THE ALARM OFF AND OPEN THE DOOR AND CLOSE IT AGAIN. THEN I WAS ABLE TO LOCK IT. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER SINCE AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. *JB
THE ENGINE SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. AT THE TIME THE ENGINE STALLED; LIGHT, WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM THE EXHAUST. THE CAR AND ENGINE SEEMED TO OPERATE FINE FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES PRIOR. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME UP OR SMOKE CAME FROM THE EXHAUST DURING THE 20 MINUTES OF DRIVING. REGULAR ENGINE AND OIL CHANGES WERE PREVIOUSLY DONE. THE MECHANIC IS SAYING A NEW ENGINE IS REQUIRED. *TR
I OWN A 2003 BMW X5 3,0. THE VEHICLE IS LESS THEN TWO MONTH OLD. THE CARS MAIN AND ALL OTHER HEADLIGHTS WILL COMPLETELY GO DARK IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. I TRIED PANICALLY TO PLAY WITH THE SWITCH BUT TO NO AVAIL. IT HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND IS A REAL SERIOUS & DANGEROUS ISSUE. THE LIGHTSD WILL THEN SOMETIME LATER WILL RESTORE AND SOMETIES WILL FUNCTION WELL FOR 24 HOURS OR SO. SOME TIMES ONLY ONE HEADLIGHT WILL COME ON, ETC. I BEEN ON THE ROADFLY.COM- A CHAT ROOM WHICH IS THE MOSY IMPORTANT BMW CHAT LINE AND THIS VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL. IT IS MAYBE THE MOST SERIOUS HAZARDOUS PROBLEM ONE CAN HAVE WITH A CAR--IMAGINE THE LIGHTS GO DARK IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. THE DEALER CANT SEEM TO FIND THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH ADMITS THAT THERE IS ONE. REAL SCARY STUFF AND NEEDS IMMIDATE INTERVENTION!!!! SCARY!!! PLEASE TAKE ACTION ASAP BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED!!!.
I OWN A 2003 BMW X5 3,0. THE VEHICLE IS LESS THEN TWO MONTH OLD. THE CARS MAIN AND ALL OTHER HEADLIGHTS WILL COMPLETELY GO DARK IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. I TRIED PANICALLY TO PLAY WITH THE SWITCH BUT TO NO AVAIL. IT HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND IS A REAL SERIOUS & DANGEROUS ISSUE. THE LIGHTSD WILL THEN SOMETIME LATER WILL RESTORE AND SOMETIES WILL FUNCTION WELL FOR 24 HOURS OR SO. SOME TIMES ONLY ONE HEADLIGHT WILL COME ON, ETC. I BEEN ON THE ROADFLY.COM- A CHAT ROOM WHICH IS THE MOSY IMPORTANT BMW CHAT LINE AND THIS VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL. IT IS MAYBE THE MOST SERIOUS HAZARDOUS PROBLEM ONE CAN HAVE WITH A CAR--IMAGINE THE LIGHTS GO DARK IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. THE DEALER CANT SEEM TO FIND THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH ADMITS THAT THERE IS ONE. REAL SCARY STUFF AND NEEDS IMMIDATE INTERVENTION!!!! SCARY!!! PLEASE TAKE ACTION ASAP BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED!!!.
MY COMPLAINT IS ABOUT A PROBLEM THAT I BELIEVE IS GETTING SERIOUSLY OUT OF HAND -- THAT OF INCREASING NUMBERS OF CARS AND SUVS ON THE ROAD WITH EXTREMELY BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS.*JB I AM 52. I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S A VISION PROBLEM. FOR FIFTY YEARS OR SO, I GENERALLY HAD NO PROBLEM WITH ONCOMING HEADLIGHTS. THEN CARS WITH THESE NEW HIGH-INTENSITY BEAMS STARTED APPEARING ON ROADS. THESE LIGHTS ARE PAINFUL TO MY EYES. THEY MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SEE. I WANT TO AVERT MY EYES BUT I KNOW I MUST KEEP MY EYES ON THE ROAD. AT FIRST I HOPED THEY WOULD JUST GO AWAY OR BE OUTLAWED, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE AS MORE NEW VEHICLES WITH THESE LIGHTS ENTER THE ROAD. COMBINE HIGH-INTENSITY LIGHTS WITH AN SUV AND IT IS A PAINFUL AND BLINDING EXPERIENCE TO HAVE ONE OF THESE VEHICLES COMING HEAD-ON OR FROM BEHIND, WITH THE LIGHTS REFLECTING IN MY REARVIEW MIRRORS. I SEE NO SENSE IN MAKING IT EASIER FOR THOSE WITH THESE OFFENSIVE LIGHTS TO SEE BETTER WHEN IT BLINDS EVERYONE ELSE. BUT SOON EVERYONE WILL BE BLINDED WHEN ALL CARS HAVE THEM -- UNLESS IT IS STOPPED NOW. PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO GET THESE BRIGHT LIGHTS OFF THE ROAD AND LET PEOPLE GO BACK TO THE TYPE OF HEADLIGHTS THAT WORKED JUST FINE FOR 100 YEARS. THANK YOU, WES COGAN
2003 X5 BMW THREE SPOKE STEERING WHEEL HAS A ONE-INCH GAP IN ONE OF THE SPOKES. I GOT MY FINGER CAUGHT IN THERE A COUPLE OF TIMES WHILE DRIVING. *JB
MODEL X5 RPM'S INCREASED RAPIDLY WITH NO PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR.*MR *TS *JB
WHILE DRIVING DASHBOARD LIGHT/HEADLIGHTS FLICKERED ON AND OFF. THIS HAPPENED 90% OF THE TIME WHEN THE HEATER FOR THE SEATS WAS USED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. VEHICLE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK