2003 BMW X5 Engine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW X5. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD. WHEN HE OPENED THE HOOD, HE NOTICED FLAMES AROUND THE MOTOR. THE CONTACT QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED BMW OF DALLAS (6200 LEMMON AVE, DALLAS, TX 75209, (972) 763-5528) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 180,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIMING CHANGE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE TIMING CHANGE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND EXHAUST PIPE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE OIL SEPARATOR WAS LEAKING AND DRAINED ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPE AND ENGINE ABNORMALLY, CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD ONLY OCCUR IN COLD TEMPERATURES. THE OIL SEPARATOR WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,200.

DRIVE ONE MILE ONE 1 IN 22 DEGREE WEATHER BMW 2003 X5 BEGIN TO BLOW THICK WHITE SMOKE FROM EXHAUST PIPES AND ENGINE SHUT DOWN. THERE WERE NO INDICATOR LIGHTS THAT WARN THERE WAS A PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH SMOKE STARTING COMING THROUGH THE VENTS WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE CCV VALVE FROZE CAUSING AN OIL SPILLAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 58,076. UPDATED 3/14/11 *CN ACCORDING TO THE INVOICE, THE VALVE COVER GASKET WAS LEAKING OIL EXCESSIVELY. UPDATED 06/24/11

OIL SEPARATOR MALFUNCTIONED IN COLD TEMPERATURES. WHEN DRIVING EXPERIENCED SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD AND WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER. DROVE SLOWLY WITH HAZARDS TO NEAREST MECHANIC AND INCURRED $1,955 IN REPAIR CHARGE. MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS BECOMING A POPULAR DEFECT WITH THE OEM OIL SEPARATOR ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL. *KB

1. THE WEATHER OUTSIDE WAS -10 DEGREES CELSIUS. 2. I OWN A 2003 BMW X5, 4.4 LITRE ENGINE, V8. THE CRANK CASE VALVE FROZE SHUT, CAUSING OIL TO SPILL INTO THE ENGINE. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED TWICE - ONCE LAST WINTER (2010) AND THIS WINTER (2011). IT HAS COST ME A TOTAL OF $1,600 THIS YEAR AND $3,000 LAST YEAR TO REPAIR. 3. SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, ENGINE NEEDS TO BE CLEANED, AND A NEW HEATER BLANKET WAS INSTALLED LAST YEAR, BUT FAILED TO KEEP THE VALVE FROM FREEZING SHUT AGAIN THIS YEAR! *TR

INTERMITTENT ENGINE SHUT-DOWN. ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AT ANY SPEED. "ENGINE FAILSAFE" WARNING LIGHT COMES ON. VEHICLE MUST BE STOPPED, KEY TURNED OFF AND RE-STARTED. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT BMW IS AWARE OF AND HAS ISSUED A RELATED TSB. $2000 PLUS REPAIR BILL FOR A NEW "ENGINE WIRING HARNESS". BMW SHOULD BE RECALLING THESE VEHICLES. *TR

2003 BMW X5 CCV "OIL SEPARATOR VALVE" HAS ISSUES IN COLD WEATHER AND IS KNOWN TO FAIL. THE PROBLEM RELATES TO A NON PROPER DESIGN WHERE THE VALVE CAN FREEZE. THE ENGINE BLOCK CAN THEN BLOW OIL AND CAUSE FIRE. BEFORE IT BLOWS THE BLOCK THE ENGINE WILL HAVE "HARD STARTS" WHICH WILL PUSH FROZEN OIL THROUGH THE SEPARATOR. IF THE CCV FAILS IT WILL COMPLETELY BLOW YOUR ENGINE GASKETS. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THEIR IS A BMW X5 SERVICE BULLETIN THAT THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT. BMW WILL NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE UNTIL IT BLOWS. IT IS A MAJOR MALFUNCTION THAT IS NOT ONLY EXPENSIVE TO FIX WELL OVER THE 3000 BUT VERY DANGEROUS. I THINK AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE BMW PROBLEM SHOULD BE LOOKED CLOSELY. *TR

2003 BMW X5 RADIATOR CRACKED DURING DRIVING AND WATER SPILLED. CAR WAS IDLING AND SMOKY SMELL AND OIL PRESS, STOP ENGINE PROBLEMS. HAD 2 CHILDREN IN THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AND SEEMS LIKE CONNECTION/HOSE PROBLEMS WHICH DO NOT ALLOW THE ENGINE TO WORK PROPERLY. DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR, WON'T HOLD THE COOLANT WATER IN. A CAR THIS EXPENSIVE SHOULD NOT BE SO DEFECTIVE. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF TRAFFIC AT 55 MPH MY BMW X5 STARTED POURING SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST AND COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN LEAVING ME HELPLESS WITH NO POWER ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. *TR

BMW 2003 X5 STALLED 3X. ABS, ENGINE FAILED SAFE TURNED ON. IRVINE BMW REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. LAST MONDAY OCT. 19, 2009 I PICKED UP MY VEHICLE AFTER DRIVING IN THE FREEWAY FOR ABOUT 10 MILES IT STALLED AGAIN FOR THE 3RD TIME. *TR

THE DRAIN VALVE IN 2003 BMW X5 DISINTEGRATES DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECT, IT IS INHERENTLY DEFECTIVE AND IS A SOURCE OF LEAKS AND IF NOT REPLACED WOULD CASE THE RADIATOR TO DRAIN OUT, CAUSING OVERHEATING AND RUINING THE ENGINE. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN NOTED ON BMW OWNER WEBSITES. HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=154553 HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=287894. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW X5. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THEN COMPLETELY SHUT OFF, LOSING ALL POWER AND ELECTRICITY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE OIL SEPARATOR WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 83,000.

THIS PAST WEEK CONNECTICUT HIT A VERY COLD SPELL. 0*F. CRANK CASE VENT VALVE FROZE. AS A RESULT, TREMENDOUS PRESSURE BUILT INSIDE THE CRANK CASE, THE OIL CAP BLEW OFF AND THE ENGINE STOPPED WORKING PROPERLY. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE IN THE 2003 MODEL YEAR AND THAT IT IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM IN VERY COLD WEATHER. WE HAVE ALSO LEARNT THE 2003 MODEL HAS A DESIGN FLAW WHERE THE VALVE IS NOT INSULATED AND NEWER MODELS HAVE CHANGED THE DESIGN TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PART REPLACED BY DEALER. WE WERE LUCKY OUR ENGINE DID NOT FAIL COMPLETELY. SINCE THIS PROBLEM IS KNOWN BY BMW, AND IS A CLEAR DESIGN DEFECT. SHOULDN'T IT BE THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL? *TR

ON 01/15/2009, THE EXTREMELY CHILLY DAY, MY WIFE DROVE THE X5 ON ROUTE 2 EAST BOUND AROUND EXIT 58 IN ARLINGTON, MA, THE EXHAUST SYSTEM SUDDENLY EMITTED HEAVY WHITE SMOKE, BUT THE OIL WARNING LIGHT DID NOT TURNED ON AT ALL. MY WIFE PULLED OVER THE CAR AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY. 15 MINUTES LATER, SHE FOUND THE ENGINE WAS DISABLED WHEN SHE TRIED TO RESTART IT. AFTER THE CAR WAS TOWED TO BMW SERVICE CENTER ,I WAS INFORMED THE CAR NEEDS THE FOLLOWING REPLACEMENTS 'CRANK CASE VENT VALVE 'VALVE COVER GASKETS AND SPARK PLUGS 'TRANSFER CASE THE TOTAL COST IS $1360+$3125= $4485. *TR

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE INCLUDING FAILURE OF SUSPENSION SYSTEM BUT OF CONCERN IS WHEN ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO I WAS MAKING A U TURN AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, COMPLETED THE U TURN AND MY ENGINE DIED. CAR CAME TO A STOP. I TURNED OFF THE KEY AND RESTARTED THE IGNITION AND ENGINE TURNED ON AGAIN. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT IT MIGHT IN LIGHT OF RECENT ARTICLES THAT BMW HAS BEEN HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH NEWER CARS. *TR

COLD WEATHER (NEW YORK WINTER). 2003 BMW X5, 3.0 ENGINE SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. OIL SEPARATOR AND VALVE COVER GASKET FAULTY. THE CRANK CASE VALVE FREEZES, CAUSING OIL TO SPILL INTO THE ENGINE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED THREE TIMES. 1. FEB 13 2008 2. JAN 28 2009 AND 3. JAN 2011. TOTAL COST FOR USED ENGINE $6,000 THIS YEAR AND $3000 IN 2008/2009 TO REPAIR. SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, ENGINE NEEDED TO BE CLEANED 2008 AND DEFECTIVE DISA VALVE REPLACED 2009.

WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, THE CAR (2003 BMW X5) WILL STALL. THE STALLING HAS OCCURRED IN TRAFFIC AND IN PARKING LOTS. *TR

CRANKCASE VENT VALVE FROZE & BLEW OFF OIL CAP. OIL ALL OVER ENGINE. REPLACED CRANKCASE VENT VALUE, W/ NON ORIGINAL, & ALL HOSES. REMOVED & CLEANED OUT DIPSTICK TUBE, DISTRIBUTION PIECE. REMOVED LOWER ENGINE SPLASH PAN & STIFFENING PLATE. DE-GREASED TOP & BOTTOM OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THIS PROPENSITY FOR THE CRANKCASE TO FREEZE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE IN COLD WEATHER STATES. THE AUTO IS SOLD IN THE COLD WEATHER STATES REGARDLESS. *TR