2012 BMW X5 engine problems
92 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2012 BMW X5 — 34% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Two nights ago I was at Domino’s Pizza. I put my car in reverse and the car died and the steering wheel locked up like the power steering was giving out I was able to start the car again, but still with no power steering assist and drove the car home about a mile away, but every time I slowed down…”
filed May 1, 2026
“Front passenger side occupancy seat sensor is bad and computer detected an air bag malfunction. Timing chain broke without warning.”
filed Aug 14, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Engine idler pulley bolt may loosen over time and breakCampaign 18V336000 · May 23, 2018
- Electric auxiliary water pump may fail and cause the circuit board to overheatCampaign 18V248000 · Apr 18, 2018
Related service bulletins
This bulletin outlines the Customer Care Package program that has been designed exclusively for BMWvehicles with the N63 engine. Vehicles with the N63 high performance engine are engineered with EfficientDynamics that…
B110614 · Service Campaign · issued Mar 27, 2025Engine will crank but not start. There is no communication with the integrated fuel module (TFE) whendiagnosing with ISTA. The following two fault codes will be stored in the DME: 032B43 - Low fuel pressure system…
B160623 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 20, 2023
Engine problems in other X5 years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 X5 | 3 | 5% |
| 2024 X5 | 13 | 9% |
| 2023 X5 | 3 | 10% |
| 2022 X5 | 10 | 17% |
| 2021 X5 | 22 | 22% |
| 2020 X5 | 28 | 27% |
| 2019 X5 | 49 | 27% |
| 2018 X5 | 10 | 15% |
| 2017 X5 | 12 | 16% |
| 2016 X5 | 13 | 19% |
| 2015 X5 | 42 | 28% |
| 2014 X5 | 16 | 16% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2012 BMW X5
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.