Recalls: BMW E53 X5
Overview
Manufacturers, or importers, issue recalls for defects or faults which have the potential to cause injury. Generally, manufacturers will inform the original buyers if their vehicle is subject to a recall and of the steps required to remedy the defect or fault. Please note that the recalls below (if any) are for Australian-delivered vehicles only. Furthermore, the number of recalls should not be taken as an indication of a model’s reliability or its safety more generally.
Recalls: BMW E53 X5
2000-01 BMW E53 X5: potential loss of steering
In April 2001, a recall was issued for BMW E53 X5 vehicles manufactured from 21 September 2000 to 19 January 2001. Due to a production fault, the upper and lower part of the steering column may not have been assembled correctly – this could result in the steering shaft becoming separated and cause total loss of steering (PRA 2001/4703).
BMW E53 X5: engine could overheat
In October 2001, a recall was issued for BMW E53 X5 vehicles due to a manufacturing problem with the auxiliary cooling fan electronics that could cause the fan to become thermally overloaded, reducing the cooling system’s performance and causing the engine to overheat (PRA 2001/5017).
BMW E53 X5: impaired braking performance
In August 2002, a recall was issued for BMW E53 X5 vehicles because the brake pedal shaft could become loose and impair braking performance (PRA 2002/5559).
2002 BMW E53 X5: front seatbelt buckles
In March 2003, a recall was issued for model year 2002 BMW E53 X5 vehicles due to the reinforcing ring within the front lower seatbelt buckles potentially not having been securely crimped into the seatbelt tensioner cable (PRA 2003/6016).
2002-04 BMW E53 X5: Takata airbag recall
In August 2016, a recall was issued for BMW E53 X5 vehicles that were available for sale from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2005. If subjected to high levels of absolute air humidity, the gas generator of the driver’s airbag could malfunction; if the gas generator exploded, metal parts could be propelled out of the airbag due to high internal pressure, potentially causing injury to the driver and/or passengers. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2016/15581.
2000-04 BMW E53 X5: Takata airbag recall
In March 2017, a recall was issued for BMW E53 X5 vehicles that were available for sale from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2004. During the service life of these vehicles, or as part of the Takata airbag recall, the airbag inflator may have been replaced and the replacement airbag module may not deploy correctly. If the replacement airbag module was faulty, deployment of the airbag could cause the airbag’s metal case to rupture and disperse metal fragments throughout the cabin which had the potential to cause serious injury or death. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2017/15881.
2001-02 BMW E53 X5: airbags may deploy while parking
In September 2018, recall campaign 00 65 1103 00 was issued for BMW E53 X5 vehicles that were available for sale in Australia from 1 March 2001 to 28 February 2002. Due to a possible mismatch of software and hardware within the airbag control, the front airbags may deploy while the vehicle was being parked and this posed an injury hazard to the front seat occupants. For the recalled vehicles, the airbag control unit was to be reprogrammed. For the VINs of the recalled BMW E53 X5 vehicles, please see PRA 2018/17023.
2000-03 BMW E53 X5: Takata airbag recall
In February 2019, recall campaign 0032790200 was issued for BMW E53 X5 vehicles that were available for sale in Australia from 8 August 2000 to 30 September 2003 and had undergone a steering wheel conversion during the life of the vehicle. The replacement steering wheel in such vehicles may have contained a Takata airbag. Propellant wafers inside the Takata airbag could absorb moisture over time and, in the event of airbag deployment, excessive pressure inside the metal airbag inflator housing could cause it to explode or rupture – this could cause metal fragments to be projected through the airbag and into the vehicle’s cabin. These metal fragments had the potential to cause serious injury or fatality. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2019/17335.
Problems and faults: BMW E53 X5
Overview
This section identifies potential problems, causes and fixes based on the experiences of owners and repairers, online sources and technical service bulletins. This information is provided solely for reference purposes and AustralianCar.Reviews recommends that only properly qualified persons carry out repairs or modifications. Furthermore, the number of items below should not be taken as an indicator of a model’s reliability or the frequency with which they may occur.
To report a problem or fault to the AustralianCar.Reviews team, please use the Contact Us form. Note that AustralianCar.Reviews does not offer advice on automotive problems or disputes; such enquiries will not receive a reply. For vehicles purchased from dealers after 1 January 2011, please see our Australian Consumer Law fact sheet.
BMW E53 X5 3.0i: M54 VANOS failure
For the M54 engine, the VANOS units may fail due to deterioration of the VANOS piston seal O-rings which are made from Buna (a material with limited temperature resistance). Over time, the O-rings harden and shrink, causing them to lose their functional characteristics – this can cause symptoms such as a loss of power below 3000 rpm, surging around 3000 rpm, a louder idle and rough running.
The piston O-rings lies under and provides support to a Teflon piston seal ring. Replacing the O-rings requires the Teflon seals to be removed for access. Since the Teflon seals cannot be removed from the piston seal groove without damaging it, the Teflon and O-ring seals must be replaced simultaneously. For greater longevity, the Buna O-rings can be replaced with O-rings made from Viton.
The VANOS unit had two piston seals with O-rings, while each piston had two O-ring sizes to provide hydraulic sealing in two VANOS cylinders of different sizes and an additional, smaller O-ring that was used to seal off a piston bearing. It is understood that the O-ring for this cap was also made from Buna and deteriorated in the same manner as the piston seal O-rings.
For more information about the M54 engine, please see BMW M54 and S54 engines.
BMW E53 X5: M54 and N62 engine deposits
In February 2008, BMW issued technical service bulletin SI B 13 01 07 for E53 X5 vehicles with M54 or N62 engines. In these vehicles, deposits in the injection and induction system may cause driveability complaints and the ‘Service Engine Soon’ light to be illuminated. This condition could be caused by:
- Deposits at the fuel injector’s tip which affected fuel flow and the air/fuel mixture ratio. Symptoms included hesitation or stumble during acceleration or loss of power; poor fuel efficiency; increased HC and CO emissions; and, the ‘Service Engine Soon’ lamp to illuminate due to misfire faults;
- Carbon deposits at the valves and on the intake manifold ports absorbing fuel during the warm-up phase, causing a leaner air/fuel mixture. Carbon deposits (or build-up) could also disturb the mixture flow at low throttle conditions and/or idle speeds. Symptoms of carbon deposits included a loss of power; unstable and/or rough idle; increased HC, CO and NOx emissions; and, the ‘Service Engine Soon’ lamp to illuminate due to intermittent misfire faults; and,
- Combustion Chamber Deposit Interference (CCDI) when there was contact between carbon deposits on the piston crown and the cylinder head. The noise created by this contact may be misdiagnosed as a ping, knock or other mechanical failure. CCDI occurs first as a cold start noise that can fade as the engine reaches operating temperature. As deposits build, there is an increase in compression temperature that may cause pre-ignition detonations. Symptoms include knocking, pining, poor acceleration, increased NOx emissions and engine idle speed surges.
BMW E53 X5 3.0i: M54 engine and cold climates
In February 2009, BMW issued technical service bulletin SI B11 08 03 for BMW E53 X5 3.0i vehicles with the M54 engine. In these vehicles, extremely cold climate conditions could cause moisture to accumulate and freeze in the:
- Engine oil separator;
- Hose to oil dipstick guide tube; or,
- Orifice in the dipstick guide tube.
Depending on the position of the crankcase ventilation valve when this occurred, the following may occur:
- High crankcase pressures (stuck closed) resulting in valve cover leakage and/or breakage; or,
- An oil hydro-lock condition (stuck open) which could result in engine damage.
To fix, the crankcase ventilation valve, hoses and dipstick guide hoses were to be replaced; a new insulated style of oil separator and hoses were also introduced.
BMW E53 X5 3.0d: M57D30 and M57TUD30 swirl flaps
For BMW E53 E53 X5 3.0d models with the M57D30 (automatic transmissions only) and M57TUD30 engines, the swirl flap mechanism in the inlet manifold consisted of butterfly valves within each individual inlet tract. These butterfly valves were secured to an actuating rod via two small screws and, over time, these screws could become loose. If this occurred, the screws could be drawn into the cylinder and cause significant damage to the piston, cylinder head and valves. If a screw were to pass through the exhaust valve, it could then damage the turbocharger. As a result of this problem, a common modification is to remove the swirl flaps and replace them with blanking plates. From 2004 to 2007, BMW introduced larger diameter spindles (made from plastic) and larger screws, though these engines were not immune to failure. Around 2006, it is understood that plastic swirl flaps were introduced to reduce the likely extent of damage.
BMW E53 X5 4.4i: M62TUB44 VANOS failure
For the M62TUB44 engine (which powered the BMW E53 X5 4.4i), the VANOS unit may fail due to deterioration of the VANOS seals and symptoms include a rattling noise after cold starts (VANOS rattle), a clattering noise at idle once the engine has warmed up, a loss of bottom-end power and uneven power delivery. The VANOS seals comprise:
- An O-ring at the outer perimeter of the VANOS plastic housing; and,
- A dynamic rod seal at the inner perimeter of the same plastic housing.
Over time, the O-ring at the outer perimeter of the housing – made of Viton – experiences compression (flattening) and fails. Due to the sealed nature of the VANOS unit, the outer perimeter O-ring can’t be accessed and replaced. However, the VANOS top lip can be pressed down onto the plastic housing to, in turn, press the plastic housing down and set it on a VANOS wall shelf. This seating creates a functional oil seal that provides the oil chamber seal the O-ring was intended to achieve.
The plastic housing inner perimeter rod seal consists of a Teflon ring and backing O-ring; the Teflon ring is susceptible to wear and loss of material, causing it to lose its functional characteristics. Furthermore, the rod seal O-ring also experiences compression, exacerbating the effect of wear to the Teflon ring.
BMW E53 X5: ZF transmission sealing sleeve seepage
In March 2010, BMW issued technical service bulletin SI B 24 08 06 for BMW E53 X5 vehicles with ZF six-speed 6HP19/21 or 6HP26/28 transmissions that were manufactured up to April 2008. In these vehicles, transmission fluid seepage may be visible in the area of the transmission oil pan; the service bulletin attributed this condition to the tightness of the Mechatronic sealing sleeve’s O-ring. Only if a visible leakage trace indicated a substantial loss of transmission fluid was the Mechatronic sealing sleeve (part no. 24 34 7 588 725) to be replaced.
BMW E53 X5 4.4i and 4.8i: N62 engine and variable idle
In January 2006, BMW issued technical service bulletin SI B 11 02 05 for BMW E53 X5 4.4i and 4.8i vehicles with the N62 engine that were manufactured from June 2004 to February 2005. In these vehicles, the driver may experience erratic or variable idle speed for around 20 seconds after a cold start. Furthermore, the ‘check engine soon’ light may illuminate and misfire faults may be logged in the DME (e.g. FC 2742, 2743, 2744, 2745, 2746, 2748, 2749 and 274E).
According to the service bulletin, this condition was due to incorrect tolerances and geometry of the ‘Valvetronic’ intermediate levers causing uneven cylinder filling during the transitional cold start period (60 seconds after start-up) when the Valvetronic system was switching from the initial 6 mm to a minimum 0.3/0.8 mm valve lift.
To fix, the Valvetronic intermediate levers were to be replaced.
BMW E53 X5 3.0i: manual shift lever sticks in 5th and reverse
In January 2005, BMW issued technical service bulletin SI B04 04 02 for E53 X5 3.0i vehicles with manual transmissions. In these vehicles, the manual gearshift lever:
- May be difficult to move into and out of 5th gear and reverse;
- May not automatically move from the 5th and reverse gears back to the centre/neutral position; and,
- May have a loose shift feel (i.e. lack of guidance).
The service bulletin attributed this condition to the fifth gear and reverse gear selector shaft pin sticking due to a defective bushing that was mounted in the selector shaft bore of the transmission. To fix, the fifth and reverse gear selector shaft pin bushing needed to be replaced.
2002-03 BMW E53 X5 3.0i: delay engaging drive gear
In April 2008, BMW issued technical bulletin SI B 24 07 03 for BMW E53 X5 3.0i vehicles that were manufactured from October 2002 to December 2003 and had automatic transmissions. After a cold start, the driver may – when shifting from ‘park’ – experience a delay of between two and thirty seconds before the ‘drive’ gear engages. According to the technical bulletin, this delay was due to insufficient pressure boost for the C1 forward clutch during the first ‘park’ to ‘drive’ shift after extended (overnight) parking. To fix, the Automatic Electronic Gearbox Control (‘EGS’) control module was to be re-programmed using the ‘manual entry’ method.
BMW E53 X5: squeaking when steering from left to right
In March 2009, BMW issued technical service bulletin SI B 32 07 08 for BMW E53 X5 models, except the 4.6is and 4.8is variants. In these vehicles, there may be a squeaking or squealing noise from the pinion shaft of the steering gear when the steering wheel is turned from left to right. The service bulletin attributed this condition to insufficient lubrication of the steering gear pinion shaft seal. To fix, Lubrizol treatment was to be added to the power steering fluid to lubricate the pinion shaft seal
Problems and faults: BMW E53 X5
- The ‘check oil’ light may illuminate when the engine is turned off despite the dipstick providing a full reading – this indicates that the control module needs to be reprogrammed.
- For early models fitted with the 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine and automatic transmission, steering-wheel vibrations can be corrected with a countermeasure vibration damper.
- The manual transmission may leak from the drain plug, requiring installation of an improved plug.
- For early models, water may leak into the A-pillar and cause a connector to corrode which renders the power locks, windows, and mirrors inoperative. In this case, the connector needs to be replaced and the leak sealed.
- Alternator whine on certain radios after a mobile phone is installed requires a filtering condenser.
- A lack of power to the antenna amp may cause no AM reception and poor FM reception.
- For early models, the bonnet may not provide adequate with the alarm switch, causing false alarms.
