There are 11 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2008 BMW X5in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE BRAKE LIGHT FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TWO WEEKS LATER THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT FAILED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A WARNING LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATED THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE BRAKE LIGHT HAD MALFUNCTIONED. AFTER REMOVING THE BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE BULB HOUSING HAD MELTED AND WAS DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL BMW DEALER BMW OF HENDERSON, 261 AUTO MALL DR. HENDERSON, NV. WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT THAT ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.
I OPENED THE DRIVERS SIDE PANEL TO REPLACE THE BULBS BUT FOUND THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE BRAKE LIGHT HOUSING WAS BURNED AND MELTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER LOOKING OVER OTHER LIGHTENING COMPLAINTS, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE 2008 BMW X5 AND A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY BMW BEFORE THERE ARE ANY FIRES AS A RESULT OF THE DEFECTIVE TAIL LIGHT HOUSING
I WAS TOLD BY THE BMW DEALER, MY DRIVER SIDE REAR BRAKE BULB SOCKET IS MELTED TO THE HOUSING BECAUSE OF THE BULB HEATING UP AND I NEED TO REPLACE BOTH SIDES HOUSING, THE BULB CAN NOT BE REMOVED BECAUSE THE SOCKET IS MELTED TO THE HOUSING. I CAN NOT EVEN CHANGE MY BLOWN BULB AND IT IS GIVEN ME A BLOWN BULB SIGNAL ON MY DASH BOARD?
A BRAKE LAMP MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH BOARD FOR THE RIGHT TAIL LIGHT, THE MECHANIC OPENED THE PANEL TO REPLACE THE BULBS BUT FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT HOUSING WAS BURNED AND MELTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER LOOKING OVER OTHER LIGHTENING COMPLAINTS, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE 2008 BMW X5 AND A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. IT IS ALSO EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE, MY MECHANIC IS QUOTING OVER $600 FOR ONE SIDE AND I FEAR I WILL HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE OTHER SIDE. THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY BMW BEFORE THERE ARE ANY FIRES AS A RESULT OF THE DEFECTIVE TAIL LIGHT HOUSING. *JS
I HAD THE LIGHT BULB SENSOR ILLUMINATE IN MY CAR. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE LOCAL BMW DEALER FOR LIGHT BULB REPLACEMENT. THE REAR PARKING BRAKE LENSES ARE FUSED TO THE PARKING BRAKE LIGHT BULBS. THE LIGHT BULB CAN NOT BE REMOVED. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF THIS LENS CATCHING ON FIRE THERE ARE MARKS ON THE LENS COVER THAT SHOWS THIS. I SPOKE TO BMW NORTH AMERICA AND THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IT COULD CATCH ON FIRE. I CAN NOT REPLACE THE BULB WITHOUT REPLACING BOTH LENSES. MY CAR WILL NOW NOT PASS INSPECTION IN MY STATE DUE TO THIS ISSUE.. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WIRES WERE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE BRAKE LIGHT MALFUNCTIONED. THE BULB HOLDER HAD TURNED BLACK AND WAS SLIGHTLY MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT WAS NOT INSPECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,200.
MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE OUT. BMW HAS INDICATED THAT BOTH SOCKETS HAVE MELTED TO THE POINT THAT THEY CAN'T REMOVE ANYTHING WITHOUT BREAKING THINGS. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SAME THING AND FIRES HAVE STARTED. WORTH INVESTIGATING! *TR
A BRAKE LAMP MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH BOARD FOR, AT FIRST THE LEFT BRAKE LIGHT, THEN LATER THE RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT. I OPENED THE PANEL TO REPLACE THE BULBS ONLY TO FIND THAT IN BOTH SIDES, THE BRAKE LIGHT HOUSINGS WERE MELTED BECAUSE THE BULBS WERE SO HOT. THE TAILLIGHT HOUSING WERE BURNED BLACK AND MELTED. THIS WAS LESS THAN AN INCHES FROM THE ELECTRICAL WIRING. I WAS SURPRISED THERE WASN'T A FIRE INSIDE BOTH PANELS. AS GOODWILL, AND TO RETAIN MY LOYALTY, BMW OF ALEXANDRIA REPLACED BOTH AT NO CHARGE. EACH ASSEMBLY COST $500, AND I NEEDED TWO. CUSTOMERS SHOULD CHECK TO ENSURE THIS IS NOT HAPPENING IN THEIR CAR BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. *TR
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