2014 BMW X5: problems, recalls and reliability
8 recalls and 98 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is fuel/propulsion system (19% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 1 new complaint in the last 90 days · latest recall Jul 2024
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 98 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“I own a 2014 BMW X5 diesel, after the 4 yr warranty expired, my car has had 2 times driveshaft/drivetrain/differential replaced. Valve cover leaking. Chassis stabilization error, suspension/air pump problems, at this moment i have an initialization of driving stabilization error message. Please see what is going on with these expensive cars that after 4 yr warranty give all kind of problems. ThanksTeresa”Owner report · Suspension · Dec 2025
“Due to issues in the engine design the timing chains become loose and get excessive slack. BMW has revised the design multiple times but the corrective action requires complete removal of transmission and engine to replace all timing chain components. Unfortunately my engine has suffered timing chain failure and requires replacement. This leads to engine failure while driving and unsafe conditions.”Owner report · Engine · May 2025
“High Pressure Fuel Pump failed without any sensor notification or prior indication causing the car to suddenly go into safety mode shut down and lose all propulsion while driving at speed. This is a known NHTSA recall issue Part 573 Safety Recall Report 21V-586 specific to 2014 BMW X5 xdrive35d. Attempting to understand WHY this VIN is not included in the recall list especially in light of the fact the resulting catastrophic failure defined is exactly why the recall was supposed to prevent.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Mar 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2014 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove to the residence. The following day, the vehicle was towed to SLM Auto Care LLC - Audi VW BMW Porsche, where it was diagnosed that the N63 engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic also informed the contact that the N63 engine was known to consume excessive oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jan 2025
“Almost caused a major accident when High Pressure Fuel Pump failed unexpectedly while driving. Good thing my family was not in car when this happened. This is completely unacceptable and should be recalled on this vehicle just like many others of this model. I have included picture of metal shavings in fuel system from high pressure fuel pump failure.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Dec 2024
“Vehicle shutoff at high rate of speed causing me to not have power steering or brakes. This was very frightening and lucky to not cause a major accident. This was due to the High Pressure Fuel Pump failing that has extended warranty but should be a recall as this is very dangerous.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Dec 2024
“The contact owns a 2014 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving 10-40 MPH, the vehicle stalled and independently shifted to neutral. The vehicle restarted after a while. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the drivetrain malfunction message was displayed. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V586000 (Fuel System, Diesel). The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.”Owner report · Engine · May 2024
“The vehicle has been part of recall #[XXX] related to engine EGR cooler leakage. The EGR cooler is part of emission's control. On this vehicle the egr can leak which causes coolant to get into intake manifold and potentially cause risk of fire. BMW denied to cover the repair on my vehicle reason I am asking for support. Have already called BMW customer service 1800-831-1117 but unfortunately no support was offered. Car have been fixed by replacing the egr with genuine BMW part. Invoice attached. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Owner report · Power Train · Apr 2024
“The high-pressure fuel pump failed/disintegrated and released metal debris into the entire fuel system and most likely into the engine. The car stalled and shut off in the middle of intersection and almost caused a crash. The entire fuel system will need to be replaced due to the intrusion of the metal fragments into the fuel system.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Mar 2024
“Driveshaft failed during normal driving conditions on normal road. Dealership said bearing in driveshaft u-joint seized, caused driveshaft to fail. This also lead to the transmission pan falling down. Parts are not available for inspection as repairs have already been made and old parts were not kept. Had to pull over mid drive on the side of the road, potential to be dangerous. Dealership diagnosed issue. Vehicle was only looked at by manufacturer/dealership. There were no warning lights or messages leading up to the incident. Only symptom was severe shaking of the car 20-30 seconds before I pulled over to investigate, and I saw the driveshaft hanging out the bottom of the car.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Feb 2024
When filing, owners marked a crash in 3 of these complaints and injuries in 3 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 8 campaigns
BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 BMW X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, X3 xDrive35i, X3 xDrive28d, X4 xDrive28i and X4 xDrive35i vehicles, and model year 2014-2015 X5 xDrive35i, X5 sDrive35i, X5 xDrive50i, and 2014 X5 xDrive35d vehicles. The affected vehicles have a driver's frontal air bag inflator that may have been improperly welded.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's front air bag, free of charge. The recall began on November 1, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2018 BMW 328d and 328d xDrive, 2014-2018 328d Sports Wagon and 328d xDrive Sports Wagon, 2014-2016 535d and 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d SAV and 2014-2017 X5 xDrive35d SAV vehicles equipped with an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) module with an integrated cooler. If the EGR cooler leaks internally, the coolant can mix with diesel engine soot. The high EGR temperatures may result in these particles possibly smoldering and melting the intake manifold.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the EGR cooler as necessary. If a leak has already occurred, the engine intake manifold will also be replaced. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014 X3 xDrive28i, X3 xDrive35i, X5 sDrive35i, X5 xDrive35i, and 2015 X4 xDrive35i vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's front air bag, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 19, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2018 328d, 328d xDrive, 2014-2018 328d Sports Wagon, 328d xDrive Sports Wagon, 2014-2016 535d, 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d SAV, and 2014-2017 X5 xDrive35d SAV diesel vehicles equipped with an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) module with an integrated cooler. The EGR cooler may leak internally, causing coolant to mix with diesel engine soot, which could result in smoldering particles and a melting intake manifold.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the EGR cooler and inspect the intake manifold, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. This recall includes all vehicles previously recalled under 18V-755. Vehicles previously recalled under 18V-755 will need to have the new remedy performed for this recall. An interim owner notification letter was mailed on January 18, 2022. The remedy is expected to be available in June 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 6, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 BMW X5 xDrive 35d Sports Activity Vehicles (SAV) manufactured August 19, 2014, to February 16, 2015, and 2014-2015 BMW X5 xDrive 35i, X5 sDrive 35i, X5 xDrive 50i, Sports Activity Vehicles (SAV) manufactured August 28, 2013, to February 16, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the Head Protection System (HPS) air bag may not be securely connected to the air bag inflator gas generator.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the Head Protection System, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2015 6 Series Gran Coupe, 2014 5 Series Gran Turismo, 2014 5 Series Sedan, 2015 6 Series Convertible, 2015 6 Series Coupe, 2014 X5, 2013-2014 X3, 2014-2015 3 Series Sedan, 2014 4 Series Coupe, 2014 4 Series Convertible, 2014 3 Series Gran Turismo, and 2015 4 Series Gran Coupe vehicles. Please see the recall report for the complete list of models. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Remedy: The driver's front air bag will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2018 328d, 328d xDrive, X5 xDrive35d, 2014-2016 535d, 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, and 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d vehicles. The high-pressure fuel pump may fail.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the high-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 14, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014 X5 SAV vehicles manufactured December 12, 2013, through March 10, 2014, and equipped with the Soft Close Automatic (SCA) option. The rear side door lock mechanisms may not have been manufactured to correct tolerances and when the inside door handle is pulled, the previously engaged child safety lock can disengage.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear side door locks and any affected door locks will be replaced, free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2014 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact X5 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2014 BMW X5 reliable?
NHTSA has 98 owner complaints and 8 recall campaigns on record for the 2014 BMW X5. The most complained-about area is fuel/propulsion system (19% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2014 BMW X5 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 43,000 miles or less.
Does the 2014 BMW X5 have open recalls?
8 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.