2013 BMW X5 SAV Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other X5 SAV years
- Fewer complaints than other years 8th of 13 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 BMW X5 SAV. That ranks 8th out of 13 X5 SAV model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (5 complaints, 38%), typically at around 7,000 miles. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 13owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2013 BMW X5 SAV problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 5 | 38% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 4 | 31% | 50,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 15% | 62,750 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 8% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 8% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 8% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 8% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 8% | 7,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2013 BMW X5 SAV recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 128i and 135i coupes and convertibles and 1 Series M coupes, 2006-2011 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive Sedans, 2009-2011 335d sedans, 2006-2012 325xiT, 328i and 328xi sports wagons, 2007-2013 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive, 335is and M3 Coupes and Convertibles, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i SAVs, 2007-2010 X3 xDrive30i SAVs, 2007-2013 X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M SAVs, 2009-2013 BMW X5 xDrive35d SAVs, 2008-2014 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i, and X6 M SACs, 2010-2011 BMW X6 xDrive50i SACs and 2008-2011 M3 Sedan vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module or inflator depending on the vehicle model, free of charge. The recall began March 9, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
- Idler Pulley Bolt Failure (RQ18001) — opened Apr 18, 2018, closed Dec 1, 2018, led to recall 18V336000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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.
Vehicle was stopped and in park. Passenger was in front seat. Driver locked vehicle prematurely while outside. Passenger was unable to exit vehicle. Attempted to unlock vehicle with key fob but would not respond. Passenger pushed lock/unlock buttons in vehicle with no response. Driver reentered…
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…
Running on the highway received high engine temp warning orange. It quickly went to red and read on dash to pull over. The vehicle lost much power and stepping on accelerator would not let it go faster. I had to move to the right on the highway while some vehicle sped through to the right of me…
Other BMW X5 SAV years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 13 | 1 |
| 2012 X5 SAV | 21 | 4 |
| 2011 X5 SAV | 24 | 3 |
| 2010 X5 SAV | 19 | 5 |
| 2009 X5 SAV | 19 | 4 |
| 2008 X5 SAV | 20 | 3 |
| 2007 X5 SAV | 59 | 5 |
| 2006 X5 SAV | 27 | 0 |
| 2004 X5 SAV | 0 | 1 |
| 2003 X5 SAV | 1 | 1 |
| 2002 X5 SAV | 0 | 1 |
| 2001 X5 SAV | 0 | 1 |
| 2000 X5 SAV | 0 | 1 |
See all BMW X5 SAV problems by year, every BMW model, or the BMW VIN decoder.
Similar BMW models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2013 BMW X5 SAV?
Owners most often report air bags, engine, service brakes problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2013 BMW X5 SAV?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2013 BMW X5 SAV a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other X5 SAV model years, the 2013 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.