AI Damage2013 BMW X5 SAV: common problems
Owners of the 2013 BMW X5 SAV filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 13
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 38% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 31% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 8% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
- Air bags: 5 complaints (38% of all).
- Engine: 4 complaints (31% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (15% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (8% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 13 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Oil leak from the valve cover gasket gets into the hot manifold causing a burning oil smell and smoke getting into the cabin through the ac vents causing a major safety issue.
N63 engine failure and battery charging problems. Engine blows massive amounts of white smoke from rear tailpipes and battery indicator states low charge. This is a known defect to bmw as thousands have complained but bmw is attempting to weasel there way out of this by not releasing a recall.
Unable to help and driver's door would not open. Opened window and had to use key to unlock drivers door. Rolled down window on passenger door and after pulling up on manual lock and pulling handle multiple times the door finally opened freeing passenger.
When parking the vehicle the parking brake symbol went yellow and it showed a message stating it was malfunctioning and the vehicle may roll. This car has an electrically actuated parking brake. Since the car moved fine without any noise and it gave no indication otherwise it seemed safe to continue driving.
Takata recall - takata recall continues to go unresolved. Vehicle in question in primary means of transportation for my spouse and nine-year old son. Bmw shared this week only due to my contact them that the airbag for this vehicle would be available in one month.
Takata air bag recall, feb 05,2016 manufacturer recall numberna nhtsa recall number16v071 recall statusrecall incomplete summary driver's front air bag: during air bag deployment in an accident, the driver's front air bag module may produce excessive internal pressure that could cause the inflator to rupture.
This results in the parking brake becoming inoperative. Please see upload photo.
Sluggish and hesitating running when acceleration 2. Between transmission and gasoline sensor problem?!(I think) 3. Not smooth transition and feel heavy moving 4. This is not bmw x5 power running weak. 5. Driving terribly heavily responding. 6. I was recalled for front airbag.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 9,843 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 27% most complained about).
On average one model year of the X5 SAV has 23 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 13, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2013 BMW X5 SAV?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine, service brakes. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rollaway, parking brake (23%), A/C or heater (15%), smoke, burning smell, fire (15%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 BMW X5 SAV?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2013 BMW X5 SAV from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2013 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.