2011 BMW X5 Diesel SAV: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2011 BMW X5 Diesel SAV. The newest campaign is 16V311000. NHTSA received the report on 17 May 2016. The NHTSA record gives the component Power Train / Driveline / Driveshaft. NHTSA has 44 complaints on file for this model year. 1 NHTSA investigation names this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 16V311000, in the NHTSA record

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 VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 30 Sep 2026. Recall file through 30 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

2 campaigns, newest first. 22,416 units in total.

16V311000Received 17 May 2016. 21,493 units.
Power Train / Driveline / Driveshaft
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
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, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by BMW of North America, LLC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 8 Jul 2016.
11V332000Received 23 Jun 2011. 923 units.
Engine and Engine Cooling / Engine / Diesel
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
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, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 10 Aug 2011.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

44 complaints, 59 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

2011 BMW X5 Diesel SAV
All 2011 vehicles

2011 BMW X5 Diesel SAV: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	2011 X5 Diesel SAV	All 2011 vehicles	X5 Diesel SAV, all years	Mentions
Engine	305.1	125.8	305.1	18
Air Bags	169.5	111.2	169.5	10
Fuel/Propulsion System	152.5	45.9	152.5	9
Power Train	84.7	88.6	84.7	5
Unknown or Other	84.7	63.9	84.7	5
Steering	50.8	104.2	50.8	3
Wheels	33.9	10.9	33.9	2
Structure	33.9	43.2	33.9	2
Electrical System	33.9	129	33.9	2
Tires	16.9	9	16.9	1

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 12.

Complaints that report a crash: 1
Complaints that report a fire: 0
Injuries in the complaints: 2
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 13 Jun 2019

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 2011 BMW X5 Diesel SAV, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2017, with 13 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 2011 BMW X5 Diesel SAV
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
RQ18001	Recall query	Idler Pulley Bolt Failure	Steering	18 Apr 2018	1 Dec 2018	18V336000

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

20112

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 2011 BMW X5 Diesel SAVThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2011 BMW X5 Diesel SAV: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/bmw/x5-diesel-sav/2011/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 30 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 30 Sep 2026
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: BMW of North America, LLC

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2011 BMW X5 Diesel SAV?: 22,416 units in 2 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the BMW X5 Diesel SAV have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the BMW X5 Diesel SAV, model year 2011. 2 of them name the 2011 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 2011 BMW X5 Diesel SAV name most often?: Engine: 18 of 59 component mentions, or 305.1 per 1,000. For all 2011 vehicles the figure is 125.8 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2011 BMW X5 Diesel SAV open?: No. The 1 investigation that names this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.