BMW X5 Reliability: Best and Worst Years

The BMW X5 is a midsize luxury SUV built at BMW's plant in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, and first sold in the U.S. for the 2000 model year. It uses unibody construction and is offered mainly with all-wheel drive. An optional third row became available in 2007, and engine choices over the years have included inline-six, V8, diesel and plug-in hybrid versions. This page lines up every BMW X5 model year from 2010 to 2024 on one scale, so you can see which years drew unusual numbers of owner reports and which stayed quiet.

Why these years stand out

2011: most complaints. The 2011 BMW X5 scored 708 complaints per 100,000 sold, 2.8 times the model average. Of its 287 complaints, 193 involve the engine or transmission, and the parts named most often are engine (120), air bags (70) and power train (62). NHTSA lists 17 recalls for this model year and 2 defect investigations.

2012: most complaints. The 2012 BMW X5 scored 656 complaints per 100,000 sold, 2.6 times the model average. Of its 292 complaints, 172 involve the engine or transmission, and the parts named most often are engine (98), air bags (86) and power train (60). NHTSA lists 14 recalls for this model year and 2 defect investigations.

2017, 2022 and 2023: fewest complaints. The 2017 drew 75 complaints, or 148 per 100,000 sold; The 2022 drew 72 complaints, or 87 per 100,000 sold; The 2023 drew 34 complaints, or 47 per 100,000 sold. These years have been on the road at least three years, which gives owners time to report problems, so a low count means something.

What BMW X5 owners report most

Engine complaints lead for the BMW X5, at 33% of all complaints for 2010-2024. Engine and transmission reports together make up 50%. One complaint can name more than one system, so the bars can add up to more than the total.

When problems are reported: mileage

872 BMW X5 complaints list the odometer reading at the time of the problem. 37% were reported before 50,000 miles and 16% after 100,000. The reports are spread across the mileage range rather than bunched at one point.

BMW X5 compared with other luxury suvs

In 6 of 15 model years the BMW X5 drew fewer complaints per 100,000 sold than the average luxury suv we track for the same year. For 2024, the BMW X5 scored 200 against a class average of 83. The class average only uses models with clean, published sales figures.

BMW X5 generations

• 2005-2006
  First generation (E53)

  3.0L inline-six; 4.4L V8; 4.8L V8 (4.8is) · Manual or automatic

  These final E53 model years followed a 2003 facelift, and the 4.8is replaced the 4.6is as the top version in 2004.

• 2007-2013
  Second generation (E70)

  3.0L inline-six; 4.8L V8; 3.0L turbo inline-six and 4.4L twin-turbo V8 (2011 on); 3.0L turbodiesel inline-six (xDrive35d, 2009-2013) · 6-speed automatic; 8-speed automatic (xDrive35i and xDrive50i, 2011 on)

  The E70 was the first BMW to offer an optional third-row seat, raising capacity to seven.

• 2014-2018
  Third generation (F15)

  3.0L turbo inline-six; 4.4L twin-turbo V8; 3.0L turbodiesel inline-six (xDrive35d); 2.0L turbo four plug-in hybrid (xDrive40e) · 8-speed automatic

  U.S. models included a rear-wheel-drive sDrive35i, with the xDrive35d diesel added in early 2014 and the xDrive40e plug-in hybrid in 2015.

• 2019-2024
  Fourth generation (G05)

  3.0L turbo inline-six; 4.4L twin-turbo V8; 3.0L turbo inline-six plug-in hybrid (xDrive45e, then xDrive50e) · 8-speed automatic

  A facelift for 2024 revised the grille, headlights and taillights and added a Highway Assistant driving aid.

The high-performance X5 M was first offered for the 2010 model year. The xDrive45e plug-in hybrid reached the U.S. in the summer of 2020, and the 2024 xDrive50e replaced it with more power and about 40 miles of electric range. Diesel X5 models were sold in the U.S. in the E70 and F15 generations.

BMW X5 fuel economy

The 2026 BMW X5 is rated at 15 to 25 MPG combined by the EPA, depending on the version. Every year and engine will be on its own MPG page.

Crash test stars

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave the BMW X5 these overall ratings (out of 5) for the model years it tested: 2016: 5, 2017: 5, 2018: 5, 2019: 4, 2020: 4, 2021: 4, 2022: 4, 2023: 4, 2024: 4. Ratings can differ between body styles and drive types of the same year.

Questions