2003 BMW X5 problems and complaints
Owners have filed 114 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 BMW X5. The most-reported areas: Engine And Engine Cooling (25), Electrical System (21), Air Bags (19).
Key takeaways
- 114 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 5 involve a crash, 14 a fire, 4 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 25 | 22% |
| Electrical System | 21 | 18% |
| Air Bags | 19 | 17% |
| Power Train | 17 | 15% |
| Engine | 12 | 11% |
| Unknown Or Other | 7 | 6% |
| Seats | 7 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 4% |
| Steering | 5 | 4% |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 5 | 4% |
| Structure | 4 | 4% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 BMW X5 4-DR. w/SAB | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 3/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Electrical System - filed 2023-10-29
Wiring dash fire. Heavy smoke from dash and vehicle completely in flame in minute. My son sent me a recording while it was happening, he did no know what to do or what was happening.
Electrical System - filed 2023-01-12
The contact owns a 2003 BMW X5. The contact stated the vehicle was parked, while entering the vehicle he noticed the dashboard was melted, which was caused by a fire that occurred independently. The contact stated he reviewed a camera that was near the location of the vehicle and saw the fire occur on the video. The co...
Electrical System,unknown Or Other - filed 2023-01-03
My 2003 BMW X5 was parked outside of my house, turned off and not driven for hours and burst into flames consuming the whole dashboard, fire department said that fire was due to some electrical problem with car, very scary please help could of killed my family the incident was recorded on home surveillance footage, but...
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More for the 2003 BMW X5
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.