2009 BMW X5 problems
NHTSA has received 203 complaints about the 2009 BMW X5, and 22% of them involve air bags. Next are fuel system (21%) and engine (18%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 203 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 22% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 4 and 12
- Injuries and deaths
- 3 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 84,000 miles 130 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 6 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 4 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 12 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 33 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 29 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 12 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 20 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 10 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 3 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 130 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 84,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 93,000 miles (18 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 4 complaints mention a crash; 12 complaints mention a fire; 3 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2009 ranks 23rd most-complained-about out of 27 model years of the BMW X5 with enough data (30 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 12 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 BMW x5. While driving, the contact smelled something burning from the air conditioning vents and smoke began to fill the vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated prior to the failure. The failure occurred numerous times, which resulted in a crash. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The contact received a notice for NHTSA campaign number: 17v683000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not repaired.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 BMW x5. While driving 40 MPH, the contact was involved in a multiple vehicle collision. As a result, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained back, neck, and pelvis injuries that did not require medical attention. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired.
The rear tail lights get water leaks and corrosion and won't work. They need to be replaced. This happened on both the passenger and driver side lights.
The engine idler pulley bolt broke while vehicle was in motion on highway. Vehicle iost all power steering. Alternator warning lamp illuminated along with warning message "charging malfunction". The bolt had previously been replace in 2012.