2008 BMW X5 problems and complaints
Owners have filed 333 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 BMW X5. The most-reported areas: Air Bags (76), Engine (73), Fuel System (58).
Key takeaways
- 333 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 4 involve a crash, 15 a fire, 3 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 76 | 23% |
| Engine | 73 | 22% |
| Fuel System | 58 | 17% |
| Electrical System | 52 | 16% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 52 | 16% |
| Gasoline | 52 | 16% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 33 | 10% |
| Power Train | 25 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 22 | 7% |
| Exterior Lighting | 18 | 5% |
| Unknown Or Other | 13 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 BMW X5 4-DR. w/SAB | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Engine,fuel/Propulsion System - filed 2025-11-05
My vehicle had a faulty PCV valve that was under "Stop Drive," order. I received no correspondence from the NHTSA nor from BMW of North America in regards to this. My BMW X-5 had significant issues that are directly associated with this issue. After contacting BMW of North America directly because I could not reach a...
Electrical System,unknown Or Other - filed 2025-08-16
Last night my 2008 BMW X5 caught fire while parked in a parking lot - the fire was in the engine compartment and appeared to be an electrical fire - police and fire were at the scene and a report was made.
Exterior Lighting,air Bags,fuel/Propulsion System - filed 2025-06-16
Airbag light is on for passenger and fuel injectors messed up. This is a 2008 and other ones had recalls. I don’t understand why mine did not lights are flickering a little bit and before it was smoking really bad and I had to get that fixed.
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More for the 2008 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.