2017 BMW X5 problems, complaints & recalls
Updated from NHTSA data · How we count
Owners have filed 54 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 BMW X5, most often about fuel, hybrid & EV propulsion. There are 6 recalls for this model year.
- Complaints
- 54
- Recalls
- 6
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Median mileage
- 54,050 mi at time of problem
Key facts
- Fuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion is the most-reported problem area, named in 16 of 54 complaints (30%).
- Engine (12) and electrical system (12) follow.
- Half of the complaints that list mileage happened before 54,050 mi.
- The 2017 BMW X5 has 6 recalls on file.
- NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations covering this vehicle.
- It ranks 15th of 22 BMW X5 model years by our severity-weighted complaint score (1st = worst).
- That is 7% fewer complaints than the 2016 model year (58).
2017 BMW X5 problems by category
- Fuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion16 complaints
- Engine12 complaints
- Electrical System12 complaints
- Other / Unknown8 complaints
- Seats & Seat Belts6 complaints
- Transmission & Drivetrain6 complaints
- Brakes5 complaints
- Airbags3 complaints
- Suspension3 complaints
- Body & Structure3 complaints
- Wheels & Tires2 complaints
- Steering2 complaints
- Driver Assistance & Safety Tech1 complaints
- Visibility & Wipers1 complaints
A complaint can mention more than one problem area, so categories add up to more than the total.
Most-reported components
| Component (as filed with NHTSA) | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical system | 12 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 11 |
| Engine | 8 |
| Unknown or other | 6 |
| Power train | 6 |
| Fuel system, diesel | 5 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 4 |
| Seat belts | 4 |
When problems happen (mileage)
2017 BMW X5 recalls (6)
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:CONNECTORS/PLUGS/RECEPTACLES · ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:PUMP
BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, 2015-2016 428xi vehicles. An improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit.
Risk: An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the water pump and plug connector as necessary, and install a protective shield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
- FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2018 328d, 328d xDrive, 2014-2018 328d Sports Wagon, 328d xDrive Sports Wagon, 2014-2016 535d, 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d SAV, and 2014-2017 X5 xDrive35d SAV diesel vehicles equipped with an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) module with an integrated cooler. The EGR cooler may leak internally, causing coolant to mix with diesel engine soot, which could result in smoldering particles and a melting intake manifold.
Risk: A melting intake manifold increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the EGR cooler and inspect the intake manifold, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. This recall includes all vehicles previously recalled under 18V-755. Vehicles previously recalled under 18V-755 will need to have the new remedy performed for this recall. An interim owner notification letter was mailed on January 18, 2022. The remedy is expected to be available in June 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 6, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
- FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2018 328d, 328d xDrive, X5 xDrive35d, 2014-2016 535d, 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, and 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d vehicles. The high-pressure fuel pump may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the high-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 14, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2018 BMW 328d and 328d xDrive, 2014-2018 328d Sports Wagon and 328d xDrive Sports Wagon, 2014-2016 535d and 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d SAV and 2014-2017 X5 xDrive35d SAV vehicles equipped with an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) module with an integrated cooler. If the EGR cooler leaks internally, the coolant can mix with diesel engine soot. The high EGR temperatures may result in these particles possibly smoldering and melting the intake manifold.
Risk: The melting intake manifold can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the EGR cooler as necessary. If a leak has already occurred, the engine intake manifold will also be replaced. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
- EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS · TIRES
BMW North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2017 BMW X5 M and BMW X6 M vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with 21-inch tires, however the Tire Information Label states that the vehicles are equipped with 20-inch tires. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: The incorrect tire size on the label does not comply with FMVSS number 110.
Remedy: BMW has notified the affected owners and is providing them with a corrected tire information placard, free of charge. The recall began June 15, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
- AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
BMW of North America, Inc. (BMW) is recalling certain 2017 X5 sDrive35i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 xDrive35d, and X5 xDrive40e vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag modules using certain air bag inflators that may not vent properly in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag.
Risk: If the inflator cannot vent properly, the inflator may rupture, resulting in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants and causing serious injury or death.
Remedy: BMW has notified owners, and dealers will replace the air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on March 20, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA defect investigations
High pressure fuel pump failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE21-021 on October 14, 2021, to investigate incidents alleging a stall/loss of motive power as a result of high-pressure fuel pump failures in certain model year (MY) 2019-2020 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 heavy duty trucks equipped with 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel engines. During the investigation, ODI sought to determine if the related defect allegation was limited in scope to the recalled population. After review of information request response materials from both FCA and BMW, NHTSA determined that sufficient information to identify a compreh…
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after Marc…
- EA21002Opened Sep 17, 2021Open
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.C…
Recent 2017 BMW X5 complaints
Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
- Filed Oct 5, 2026MDSeats & Seat Belts
2016 BMW X5 — Driver’s seat unexpectedly moves forward toward the steering wheel while driving. The seat moves without activation of the seat adjustment controls. This creates a safety hazard because the driver’s position can suddenly change while the vehicle is in motion, potentially interfering with steering and pedal control.
NHTSA complaint #11769021 · source - Filed Sep 24, 2026NCTransmission & Drivetrain
The component experiencing the malfunction is the transfer case on my BMW X5. The transfer case has already been serviced in an attempt to correct the problem; however, the vehicle continues to experience issues related to the transfer case even after the service was completed. The vehicle and transfer case are available for inspection upon request. This issue is a safety concern because the transfer case is an important part of the vehicle’s drivetrain and all-wheel-drive…
NHTSA complaint #11766594 · source - Filed Jan 23, 2026FLBrakesElectrical System
While driving, the electronic parking brake (EPB) system malfunctioned. The vehicle was stopped in DRIVE with Auto Hold active. When the driver door was opened briefly, the vehicle attempted to transition from Auto Hold to applying the electronic parking brake as a safety function. At that moment, the EPB malfunction warning appeared and the parking brake system faulted. There were no prior mechanical brake issues (no dragging brakes, no unusual noises, no brake wear…
NHTSA complaint #11712937 · source - Filed Jan 9, 2026NYOther / Unknown
The contact owns a Nuna car seat, Model Type: Rava, Model Number: CS05103CVR, Manufactured Date: July 14, 2022. The car seat was being used in a 2017 BMW X5. The contact stated that the left side harness on the safety car seat was loose, preventing the child from being securely restrained in the car seat. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The car seat was not repaired or replaced.
NHTSA complaint #11709867 · source - Filed Oct 8, 202560,000 miTXTowedEngine
The contact owns a 2017 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving or while the vehicle was parked and occupied, there was an abnormal smoke odor coming from the engine of the vehicle. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 60,000.
NHTSA complaint #11692092 · source - Filed Jul 25, 202578,000 miCATowedElectrical SystemEngine
The contact owns a 2017 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with several unknown warning lights illuminated. In addition, the vehicle lost electrical functions. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed coolant pump. The contact was informed that the coolant pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no…
NHTSA complaint #11676273 · source - Filed May 6, 202530,000 miSCEngine
The contact owns a 2017 BMW X5. The contact stated that the oil drain plug and the oil pan do not have adequate space after being stripped. The metal in the oil pan was very thin. There was oil located on the engine and the ground. The contact was losing a quart of oil every 600 miles driven. The contact added oil to the vehicle as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the oil pan needed to be…
NHTSA complaint #11659218 · source - Filed Apr 19, 2025CAFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion
I am writing to formally document two significant incidents involving the complete failure of the high-pressure fuel system in my BMW vehicle, VIN [XXX] , which have raised concerns about the reliability of this component. On [XXX], while navigating city street traffic, my vehicle, with 57,376 miles, experienced a total loss of power, resulting in the vehicle stalling in the left lane. The vehicle was towed to an authorized BMW dealership, where the entire high-pressure fuel…
NHTSA complaint #11655567 · source
Compare the 2017 BMW X5 with another vehicle →
Other 2017 BMW models
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology