2006 BMW X5 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other X5 years
- More complaints than other years 5th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 168 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 BMW X5. That ranks 5th out of 28 X5 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (83 complaints, 49%), typically at around 70,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 11 fires, 12 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 168owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 BMW X5 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 problems | 83 | 49% | 70,000 | “air bag” (61%) | — |
| Seats | 25 | 15% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 21 | 13% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 20 | 12% | 92,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 5% | 59,627 | — | — |
| Engine | 7 | 4% | 77,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 4% | 86,801 | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 4% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 4% | 52,900 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 3% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 2% | 104,364 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 2% | 112,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 2% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 2% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | 103,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 1% | 150,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1% | 12,476 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 BMW X5 recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
Problem: BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2006 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi sedans and 325xi sports wagons, model year 2007 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi sedans and 328i and 328xi sports wagons, model year 2006-2007 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 550i sedans and 530xi sports wagons, model year 2006 760i sedans, model year 2006-2007 750i, 750Li, and 760Li sedans, and model year 2006 X5 sports activity vehicles, equipped with certain seat types. The front passenger seat occupant detection mat that determines if and how the passenger frontal air bag should deploy in a crash may fatigue and develop cracks which could lead to a system failure.
Risk: Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: BMW will notify owners with an interim notification letter in January 2014 since parts are not currently available. When parts are available, BMW sent a second letter in August and dealers will repair the occupant detection mat to eliminate the possibility that it may crack, free of charge. Additionally, owners of model year 2006-2007 3 Series with standard seats, 5 Series with comfort seats, and Z4 models, will receive an extended warranty on their front passenger seat occupant detection mat. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at [email protected].
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles may have been built with an incorrectly manufactured automatic transmission parking pawl guide plate.
Risk: This could cause the parking lock system not to engage, after the transmission is placed in the park ("p") position. If the vehicle was parked on an incline, and the parking brake was not engaged, this could result in a vehicle rollaway condition.
Fix: Dealers will repair and replace the automatic transmission guide plate free of charge. The recall began on november 30, 2005. Owners may contact bmw at 1-800-332-4269.
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
- Bmw airbag light illumination (EA08001) — opened Jan 4, 2008, closed Dec 31, 2008, led to recall 08V384000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I put a new battery and I need to unplugged the negative every time I turn it off. If I donât do this, the next day, the battery would be dead. I checked with the Ancel OBD2 and thereâs nothing wrong. It doesnât detect anything bad.
Anytime I have a passenger in the car the seatbelt warning light goes off. My passenger is wearing the seatbelt. I put the car in park and tell my passenger to take the seatbelt off then back on. It's off for a bit then the light for the seatbelt comes by on.
The contact owns a 2006 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, there was an electrical burning odor inside the vehicle. The ABS, brakes, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle…
The contact owns a 2006 BMW X5. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to increase in speed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who suggested that the failure was possibly related to a power…
When I switch on my driver seat for the heated seat it became so hot that the coils burned through my seat and make two round burn holes in the seat and burned my leg
Other BMW X5 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 X5 | 26 | 2 |
| 2025 X5 | 62 | 5 |
| 2024 X5 | 145 | 8 |
| 2023 X5 | 33 | 4 |
| 2022 X5 | 70 | 1 |
| 2021 X5 | 109 | 12 |
| 2020 X5 | 113 | 11 |
| 2019 X5 | 191 | 13 |
| 2018 X5 | 72 | 5 |
| 2017 X5 | 75 | 6 |
| 2016 X5 | 74 | 5 |
| 2015 X5 | 152 | 6 |
| 2014 X5 | 99 | 8 |
| 2013 X5 | 149 | 6 |
| 2012 X5 | 271 | 10 |
| 2011 X5 | 263 | 14 |
| 2010 X5 | 124 | 14 |
| 2009 X5 | 138 | 12 |
| 2008 X5 | 215 | 10 |
| 2007 X5 | 71 | 8 |
| 2006 | 168 | 2 |
| 2005 X5 | 82 | 2 |
| 2004 X5 | 64 | 4 |
| 2003 X5 | 99 | 3 |
| 2002 X5 | 102 | 3 |
| 2001 X5 | 160 | 12 |
| 2000 X5 | 29 | 6 |
| 1999 X5 | 0 | 1 |
See all BMW X5 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 2006 BMW X5?
Owners most often report air bags, seats, service brakes problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 83 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 BMW X5?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 BMW X5 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other X5 model years, the 2006 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.