2003 BMW X5: recalls and complaints
NHTSA advisory: do not driveCampaign 17V047000. NHTSA received the report on . 230,117 units. Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
Remedy of campaign 17V047000, in the NHTSA record
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver side air bag module, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 15, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA advisory: do not driveCampaign 15V318000. NHTSA received the report on . 419,235 units. Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
Remedy of campaign 15V318000, in the NHTSA record
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-348 in its entirety. Additionally, vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Note: On December 17, 2015 BMW removed the model year 2004 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity vehicle from this recall. Those vehicles were mistakenly identified as including the air bags that are subject to this recall.
Do-not-drive advisory: A mark on a recall campaign in the NHTSA recall file. This site shows the mark as NHTSA sets it.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2003 BMW X5. The newest campaign is 17V047000. NHTSA received the report on 20 Jan 2017. The NHTSA record gives the component Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module. NHTSA has 36 complaints on file for this model year.
This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.
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 . Complaint file through . Recall file through .
Since the last update
No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks
Recall campaigns
3 campaigns, newest first. 649,709 units in total.
17V047000Received . 230,117 units.
Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator ModuleDo-not-drive advisory
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2002 BMW 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 323Ci, 325Ci, 330Ci, M3, 323iT, 325iT and 325xiT vehicles, 2001-2002 525i, 530i, 540i, M5, 525iT and 540iT vehicles, and 2001-2003 X5 3.0i, X5 4.4i, and X5 4.6is vehicles. These vehicles may have had a driver-side air bag module installed as replacement equipment such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bag, or as a remedy part for a prior recall. These replacement modules contain an air bag inflator that may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to lower absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver side air bag module, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 15, 2017. 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: .
15V318000Received . 419,235 units.
Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator ModuleDo-not-drive advisory
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi Sedans, and 325xi and 325i Sportswagons, 2002-2006 330Ci, 325Ci, and M3 Convertibles and 325i, 330i, and M3 Coupes, 2002-2003 M5, 540i, 525i Sedan, and 530i Sedans, and 540i and 525i Sportswagons, and 2003 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity Vehicles. Please note that the 5-series and X5 vehicles are only included if they are equipped with the optional sports steering wheel. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-348 in its entirety. Additionally, vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Note: On December 17, 2015 BMW removed the model year 2004 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity vehicle from this recall. Those vehicles were mistakenly identified as including the air bags that are subject to this recall.
Report filed by BMW of North America, LLC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
03V197000Received . 357 units.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain passenger vehicles, it is possible that the distance between the brake line and the steering shaft joint is not sufficient. If this occurs, the brake line could come into contact with the joint and eventually suffer damage and corrosion.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
A loss of brake fluid, indicated by a warning light in the instrument panel, could occur. This will be accompanied by a reduction in front brake performance. This could lead to a crash.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will inspect the distance between the brake line and the steering shaft joint, and if necessary, increase the distance. Owner notification began june 23, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.
Report filed by BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
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
36 complaints, 39 component mentions.
A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. This model year has fewer than 50 component mentions, so the table shows the number of mentions only.
| Component | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 |
| Power Train | 6 |
| Electrical System | 4 |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 |
| Seats | 1 |
| Suspension | 1 |
| Steering | 1 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 1 |
The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 13.
- Complaints that report a crash
- 1
- Complaints that report a fire
- 0
- Injuries in the complaints
- 0
- Deaths in the complaints
- 0
- Date of the newest complaint
- 13 Sep 2010
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.
Investigations
The NHTSA investigation file has no investigation that names this model year.
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.
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 2003 BMW X5The recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.
Cite this page
Recall Register. 2003 BMW X5: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/bmw/x5/2003/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through .
Sources
- Source
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
- Licence
- US government work, public domain
- Recall file through
- 29 Sep 2026
- Complaint file through
- 29 Mar 2018
- 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 2003 BMW X5?
- 649,709 units in 3 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
- How many recall campaigns does the BMW X5 have for all model years?
- NHTSA lists 103 recall campaigns for the BMW X5, model years 1999 to 2026. 3 of them name the 2003 model year.
- Which component do the complaints about the 2003 BMW X5 name most often?
- Engine and Engine Cooling: 16 of 39 component mentions.
- Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2003 BMW X5 open?
- The NHTSA investigation file has no investigation that names this model year.