2000 Bmw X5: complaints, problems and recalls

THE BRAKE SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE VEHICLE. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 61,758 miles reported. Look up ODI 10017201 at NHTSA ↗

THE WAY THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT WAS DESIGNED CAUSED PREMATURE WEAR . *PH THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE WHEN IN GEAR AND A WHINING NOISE WAS HEARD IN THE TRANSMISSION AREA. *SCC. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THERE WAS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW WITH THE DRIVESHAFT. THE DRIVESHAFT HAD A COUPLING ON ONE END AND A SPLINE ON THE OTHER END, THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY SEVERAL ENGINEERS THAT IT REQUIRED TWO FLEXIBLE COUPLINGS TWO UNIVERSAL JOINTS OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO TO HANDLE THE MISALIGNMENT THAT THE SAHFT WOULD ENCOUNTER. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 59,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10031745 at NHTSA ↗

1.WINDSHIELD WIPERS SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING AT HIGHWAY SPEED DURING HEAVY RAIN AND TRAFFIC PUTTING ME IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION (PROBLEM WAS NOT CAUSED BY A FUSE). 2. WINDSHIELD SEEMS TO CONTINOUSLY DEGRADE (MINI-CRATERS LIKE IT WOULD DESINTEGRATE ITSELF) ... NOT CAUSED BY STONE OR OTHER ROAD RELATED OBJECTS. DEALER CLAIMS THAT STONES ARE CAUSING IT, WHICH IS NOT TRUE, THEY ARE TOO MANY OF THEM AND TOO SMALL.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 70,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10067618 at NHTSA ↗

MY WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE FAILED TWICE ON MY 2000 BMW X5 4.4I. RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ON THE WEB, IT IS A COMMON OCCURENCE. MY COLLEAGUE WITH A 2000 BMW 3 SERIES HAS HAD HIS FAILED 6 TIMES. BOTH TIMES THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED, BUT I HAD TO PAY.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10108310 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED DRIVER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT. DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10111265 at NHTSA ↗

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COMPLETELY AND RANDOMLY FAILED TO WORK. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER QUIT FOUR TIMES IN TWO YEARS. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED THE BMW DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE MOTOR. IT QUIT AGAIN ABOUT SIX MONTHS LATER. SINCE THEN THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM; MOSTLY BECAUSE OCCURRED RANDOMLY.*AK UPDATED 12/27/05. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10143354 at NHTSA ↗

TL*- WHILE DRIVING THE 2000 BMW X5 AT 40 MPH THE TRANSMISSION DISENGAGED, CAUSING THE RPMS TO RISE RATHER THAN DROPPING BACK INTO GEAR. THE DISENGAGING AND DROPPING BACK INTO GEAR HAPPENED ABOUT 4-8 TIMES WITHIN 10-15 MINUTES. THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE TO A EUROPEAN VEHICLE REPAIR FACILITY, AND THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY BURNED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO CHECK OR CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID OTHER THEN REMOVING THE TRANSMISSION FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS DONE SOME RESEARCH ONLINE ,AND THAT THI…

Owner-reported narrative. 82,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10180819 at NHTSA ↗

TRANSMISSION FAILURE 2000 BMW X5 4.4 AUTOMOBILE 70,000 MILES. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10234897 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2000-01-18 (January 18, 2000)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT COUPLING INCLUDES A PLASTIC COLLAR WHICH FITS OVER THE LOWER STEERING RACK INPUT SHAFT. THIS COLLAR IS PUSHED DOWN ONTO THE STEERING RACK AND TIGHTENED DURING ASSEMBLY. ON SOME OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, THE COLLAR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PUSHED DOWN FULLY ONTO THE RACK AT THE ASSEMBLY PLANT.

Consequence: OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY IN ROUGH ROAD CONDITIONS, CAN CAUSE THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE COLLAR AND THE STEERING RACK TO INCREASE TO THE POINT WHERE THE INPUT SHAFT CAN SEPARATE FROM THE RACK, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF STEERING CAPABILITY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE STEERING RACK INPUT SHAFT COLLAR FOR PROPER POSITIONING, AND REPOSITION IS NECESSARY.

Reported: 2001-06-14 (June 14, 2001)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 4.4I SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THERE IS A PLASTIC CARRIER TO WHICH THE OIL FILTER HOUSING IS ATTACHED. OIL SUPPLY AND RETURN LINES ARE ATTACHED TO THE FILTER HOUSING. OVER TIME, THIS CARRIER COULD SAG SLIGHTLY. IF THIS HAPPENS, ONE OF THE OIL LINES, WHICH ARE ARMORED WITH STEEL MESH, COULD COME INTO CONTACT AND CHAFE A STEEL BRAKE LINE LOCATED IMMEDIATELY UNDERNEATH.

Consequence: CONTINUED CHAFFING CAN CAUSE THE ANTICORROSION COATING OF THIS BRAKE LINE TO FAIL, ALLOWING THE BRAKE LINE TO RUST THROUGH AND LEADING TO LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID, FAILURE OF THE REAR BRAKE CIRCUIT, AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES, AND A POSSIBLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RUBBER SPACER BELOW THE PLASTIC CARRIER TO PREVENT SAGGING AND SUBSEQUENT CONTACT BETWEEN THE OIL AND BRAKE LINES. BRAKE LINES WHOSE ANTICORROSION LAYER IS FOUND TO BE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF CONTACT WITH THE OIL LINE WILL BE REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 14, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.

Reported: 2001-06-14 (June 14, 2001)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 4.4I SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, ABRASION PARTICLES COULD DEPOSIT ON THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WITHIN THE SWITCH, CAUSING A DISRUPTION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT THROUGH THE CONTACTS. IF THE DISRUPTION OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THE NEUTRAL OR PARK POSITIONS, THE TRANSMISSION WILL SWITCH AUTOMATICALLY INTO THE EMERGENCY PROGRAM, WHICH IS DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER VIA A WARNING LAMP AND A MESSAGE, "TRANS. FAIL-SAFE PROG." IN THIS CASE, THE VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN IN LOWER GEARS ONLY WITH LIMITED ENGINE OUTPUT.

Consequence: IF THIS PROBLEM OCCURS, THE ABILITY TO MAINTAIN SPEED IN TRAFFIC AND/OR ACCELERATE COULD BE GREATLY DIMINISHED, POSSIBLY LEADING TO A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION GEAR POSITION INDICATOR SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 14, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.

Reported: 2002-07-24 (July 24, 2002)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, DUE TO A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, THE BRAKE PEDAL ARM PIVOT SHAFT COULD LOOSEN FROM ITS SUPPORT BRACKET.

Consequence: EVENTUALLY, THE BRAKE PEDAL ARM COULD DETACH FROM THE BRACKET, RENDERING THE SERVICE BRAKING SYSTEM INEFFECTIVE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL CHECK THE BRAKE PEDAL ARM PIVOT SHAFT FOR PROPER SEATING IN ITS SUPPORT BRACKET. IN ADDITION, A PIN WILL BE INSTALLED TO SECURE THE SHAFT TO THE BRACKET. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 14, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-332-4269.

Reported: 2003-01-09 (January 9, 2003)

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE FOR THE FRONT BRAKE LINE TO SLIP OUT OF THE RETAINING BRACKET LOCATED AT THE FRONT STRUT. THE BRAKE HOSE THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE BRAKE LINE COULD COME IN CONTACT WITH THE TIRE AND BE SUBJECTED TO WEAR AND ABRASION.

Consequence: THIS COULD INITIALLY CAUSE SOME BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE, AND EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A SUBSTANTIAL LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID. THERE COULD BE A NOTICEABLE REDUCTION IN BRAKE PERFORMANCE IF A LOSS OF FRONT BRAKE PERFORMANCE OCCURS.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL RETAINING CLIP TO FURTHER SECURE THE BRAKE LINE TO THE FRONT STRUT. ADDITIONALLY, IF INSPECTION OF ANY BRAKE HOSE INDICATES THAT IT HAS EXPERIENCED DAMAGE, THE HOSE WILL BE REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 14, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.

Reported: 2025-10-31 (October 31, 2025)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2001 X5 vehicles that may be equipped with a sport steering wheel containing a Takata PSDI-4 air bag inflator. The inflator may explode during deployment due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature, and temperature cycling.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's front air bag, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 23, 2025. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 19V015.