2013 BMW X5
Complaints about this year name power train far more often than the other years of this generation — 9% of them, about 20× the usual rate of 0.5%.
Last year of its generation. This BMW X5 ran from 2007 to 2013, so it had the whole run for its faults to be found and fixed. Last years are usually the most sorted of a generation.
| Complaints filed | 483 |
|---|---|
| Median for this model | 143 |
| Involving a crash | 6 |
| Involving a fire | 21 |
| Recalls | 6 |
| EPA combined | 19 mpg |
What the complaints were about
- driveshaft — 7.5% of this year's complaints, against 2.5% across the other years of this generation (3×). Owners wrote it as: driveshaft, usa, bang, train contact.
Words owners used for the same problem are counted together, so a fault written four different ways is measured once. Grouped by which complaints they appear in, not by a list anyone wrote in advance.
Also unusual this year
- open — 9% of complaints, 3× usual
- door — 7% of complaints, 4× usual
- safety issue — 7% of complaints, 3× usual
What owners wrote
SPORADICALLY, THE DOOR LOCK WILL NOT ALLOW THE DOOR TO BE OPENED FROM INSIDE CAR WHEN PULLING ON DOOR HANDLE. THE DOOR CAN BE OPENED WITH ELECTRONIC KEY FOB OR POWER UNLOCK BUTTON IN THE MIDDLE CONSOLE. THE DOOR FAILURE TRAPS THE OCCUPANT IN THE CAR AND IN THE…
The doors locked and does not open even from the inside trapping passengers inside the car. Door locks click into place and the doors can't be opened from the inside. Pull the handle and the lock will pop up, but the door won't open. Release the handle and the…
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint filings, with identifying details removed.
Recalls for this year
- 19V017000 AIR BAGS Fixed free of charge.
- 20V017000 AIR BAGS Fixed free of charge.
- 18V336000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING Fixed free of charge.
- 18V030000 AIR BAGS Fixed free of charge.
- 17V138000 POWER TRAIN Fixed free of charge.
- 12V267000 STEERING Fixed free of charge.
How this was worked out
Every year of the BMW X5 was compared against its own history rather than against other cars, which removes popularity and age from the answer — a common car draws more complaints at equal reliability, and an older one has had longer to accumulate them. A year is flagged when it drew at least 2.5× this model's median and at least 50 complaints.
This is a fault record, not a review. Nobody files a federal complaint to say the car was fine, so it shows what tends to go wrong — not whether owners liked it, and not whether it is a good car.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations, retrieved . Look this vehicle up directly on NHTSA's site to check anything here.
Own a 2013 BMW X5? What happened to yours?
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