There are 12 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 2001 BMW X5in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
VEHICLE ELECTRIC WINDOWS STICK FULL OPEN AND CANNOT CLOSE. I BOUGHT THE BMW X5 4.4I NEW IN 2001, I STILL OWN THE VEHICLE, AND THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES SINCE NEW (2004, 2005, 2006, 2010). EACH TIME IT RENDERS THE VEHICLE UNUSABLE SINCE IT CANNOT BE SECURED AND LEFT UNATTENDED. THE WINDOW MOTOR REGULATOR WAS REPLACED TWICE UNDER WARRANTY AND TWICE I HAD TO PAY. THIS SHOULD NOT EVEN HAPPEN ONCE! *TR
DRIVER SIDE FRONT AND REAR WINDOW REGULATOR FAILURE WITH SIXTY DAYS, WHICH CAUSED THE WINDOWS TO BECOME STUCK IN THE DOWN POSTION. IN BOTH OCCASIONS, KNAUZ BMW DEALERSHIP REPLACED REGULATOR AND MOTOR . TO DATE, THE MANUFACTURER BMW HAS FAILED TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE, LAST FAILURE AND REPAIR MILEAGE WAS 78,089 . *TR
WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER 7 TIMES SINCE THE PURCHASE OF MY CPO 2001 X5 ON 10/03/2001. ALL REGULATORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE EXCEPT FOR THE PASSENGER FRONT ONLY ONCE SO FAR. THE FIRST 6 REPLACEMENTS WERE COVERED BY THE 4/50 WARRANTY OR THE CPO WARRANTY AT A $50.00 DEDUCTIBLE. THE 7TH REPLACEMENT COST ME $471. BMW HAS ENGINEERED A DEFECTIVE PART AND DOESN'T SEEM TO CARE THAT IT CONTINUES TO MALFUNCTION. I HAVE CONTACTED BMW USA AND THEY WILL PROVIDE NO COMPENSATION AND SAY THAT I MUST REPLACE ALL FUTURE FAILURES AT MY COST. THIS DOES NOT SEEM APPROPRIATE FOR A COMPANY THAT "SUPPOSEDLY" PRIDES ITSELF ON QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. *TR
TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW X5. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH A PASSENGER TOUCHED THE AUTOMATIC WINDOW CONTROL BUTTON AND THE WINDOW FELL OFF TRACK, FALLING INTO THE DOOR. *AK UPDATED 02/27/07. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ROLL THE WINDOWS DOWN, THE MOTOR FAILED TO OPERATE. ALL FOUR WINDOWS WERE AFFECTED DURING THE PAST FOUR MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THE REGULATORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 12/28/2006 - THE CONSUMER HAS CHANGED ALL 4 REGULATORS IN THE VEHICLE. *NM
THE WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED WITH ALL THE WINDOWS. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW SUDDENLY FELL INTO THE DOOR. *SC *JB
THE WINDOW REGULATORS FOR ALL FOUR WINDOWS HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED OVER A 2 YEAR PERIOD. WAS TOLD BY BMW DEALER THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BUT BMW REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL. EACH WINDOW WOULD MAKE A CLINKING NOISE JUST PRIOR TO THE WINDOW REGULATOR BREAKING LEAVING THE WINDOW STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION. *JB
EXTERNAL MIRRORS WILL INTERMITTANTLY WONDER IN ANY DIRECTION AT ANY SPEED. BMW CAN NOT FIX THEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. DT
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER WINDOW DEVICES WERE INOPERATIVE, WHICH CAUSED THE WINDOWS TO SPORADICALLY BECOME STUCK IN THE UP OR DOWN POSITION. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE REGULATOR AND THE MOTOR. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER WILL NOT ASSUME ANY FINANCIAL LIABILITY BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS EXCEEDED ITS WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,000. UPDATED 7/3/08 *CN UPDATED 07/03/08
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD BECOME INOPERABLE INTERMITTENTLY, CAUSING A LOSS OF VISIBILITY. THE DEALER MADE FOUR ATTEMPTS TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT STATE THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST NINE YEARS BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.
THE RIGHT SIDE MIRROR IS SUPPOSED TO TILT DOWNWARD WHEN THE CAR IS PUT IN REVERSE, TO AID THE DRIVER IN BACKUP OF THE CAR. WHEN THE CAR IS PLACED IN FORWARD GEAR, THE MIRROR IS SUPPOSED TO MOVE IN THE FORWARD DRIVING DIRECTION. THE PROBLEM IS THAT EITHER THE RIGHT MIRROR DOES NOT MOVE BACK TO THE FRONT DRIVING POSITION AND/OR THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR ALSO MOVES, WHEN IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO AT ALL. THUS, YOU MUST THEN USE THE BUTTONS TO ADJUST EACH MIRROR WHEN YOU TRY TO DRIVE FORWARD. SOMETIMES YOU FORGET TO DO THIS AND DRIVE FORWARD AND REALIZE ONCE IN THE STREAM OF TRAFFIC, THE MIRROR(S) ARE IN A DANGEROUS POSITION BECAUSE THEY DON'T LET YOU SEE BEHIND YOU. THIS IS ESPECIALLY HARD IN PARALLEL PARKING IN TRAFFIC. BMW HAS KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM IN ITS CARS FOR 18 MONTHS AS SHOWN IN THEIR PRINTOUT TO ME. THE DEALER SAID AT LEAST 10 OF THEIR CARS HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND BMW DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT AFTER 18 MONTHS. BMW SAID THEY COULD TOTALLY DEACTIVATE THE MIRRORS, BUT THEN THEY COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED FOR A DRIVER OF DIFFERENT HEIGHT, ALSO LEADING TO A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I WROTE THE PRESIDENT OF BMW AND THEY SAID THEY ARE LOOKING INTO IT, BUT AFTER 18 MONTHS, THEY EITHER CAN'T FIX IT OR WON'T SPEND THE MONEY TO FIND OUT HOW TO FIX IT.*AK
THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS RATTLE WHEN GOING UP DUE TO WINDOW REGULATOR FAILURE. *YH
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026