Your vehicle report
2011 BMW X5 Diesel SAV
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 44
- Received Sep 2011 to Jun 2019
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Exhaust smell enters cabin during acceleration5 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Serpentine belt breaks or slips off3 complaints · 6.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Check engine light comes on repeatedly3 complaints · 6.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #16V311000BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2011 X5 xDrive 35i, xDrive50i, X5 M, X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i, and X6 M vehicles manufactured April 5, 2010, to November 20, 2010, 2011 X5 xDrive35d diesel vehicles manufactured April 7, 2010, to November 20, 2010, and 2011 X6 Active Hybrid vehicles manufactured April 15, 2010, to November 17, 2010. The affected vehicles have a front driveshaft universal joint that may not seal out water and debris from getting in and damaging the joint, which could lead to its failure.
- Recall #11V332000Bmw is recalling certain model year 2011, X5 diesel sports activity vehicles (sav) manufactured from march 31, 2011, through may 19, 2011. Due to a component manufacturing error at the supplier, the welds in the belt tensioner could have incipient cracks. Over time, this could lead a malfunction of the belt tensioner.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 1 crash, 0 fires, 2 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 3 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 13 |
| 2018 | 13 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 44 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhaust smell enters cabin during acceleration | 5 | 11% | – | |
| Serpentine belt breaks or slips off | 3 | 6.8% | – | NHTSA recall #11V332000 |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 3 | 6.8% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #16V311000May 17, 201621,493 vehicles affected
power train: driveline: driveshaft
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2011 X5 xDrive 35i, xDrive50i, X5 M, X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i, and X6 M vehicles manufactured April 5, 2010, to November 20, 2010, 2011 X5 xDrive35d diesel vehicles manufactured April 7, 2010, to November 20, 2010, and 2011 X6 Active Hybrid vehicles manufactured April 15, 2010, to November 17, 2010. The affected vehicles have a front driveshaft universal joint that may not seal out water and debris from getting in and damaging the joint, which could lead to its failure.
If the front universal joint fails, the front wheels would not be driven, affecting vehicle traction. Additionally, continued driving of the vehicle with a broken front universal joint may damage other components. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began on July 8, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA recall #11V332000June 23, 2011923 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling: engine: diesel
Bmw is recalling certain model year 2011, X5 Diesel sports activity vehicles (Sav) manufactured from march 31, 2011, through may 19, 2011. Due to a component manufacturing error at the supplier, the welds in the belt tensioner could have incipient cracks. Over time, this could lead a malfunction of the belt tensioner.
If the belt tensioner fails, there could be a sudden loss of power steering assistance, if power steering assist is lost, manual steering capability is still retained and could increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the engine belt tensioner free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during august 2011. Owners may contact Bmw customer relations and services at 1-800-525-7417, or via email at customerrelations@bmwusa.com.
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2011 BMW X5 Diesel SAV.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN