Menu

2003 BMW X5 SAVProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 2003 BMW X5 SAV, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 19V-015 the manufacturer reports only 23% of affected cars repaired.

–
CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 23%Owner complaints10 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage130kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 11, 2019. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 BMW X5 SAV has problems

1 complaint grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

2003 BMW X5 SAV recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

23%repaired · 2020 Q2

Driver side: inflator module

Do not drive

Recall 19V-015 · Jan 14, 2019 · 157,549 vehicles · 36,035 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with BMW.

Best & worst years

2003 vs. every other X5 SAV year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the X5 SAV median. How we score

'00'01'02'03'04'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
In owners' words

What X5 SAV owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TAKATA RECALL. I RECEIVED A CARD IN THE MAIL FROM BMW OF NORTH AMERICA INFORMING ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE AIRBAG FOR MY 2003 BMW X5. WHEN WE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP IN AMARILLO TEXAS, AUTOPLEX BMW, WE WERE TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER KENDRA THAT WE ARE WELCOME TO BUY NEW CARS FROM THEM BUT…
Complaint 11206991 · May 11, 2019 · 130,000 miles

Own a 2003 X5 SAV?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.