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2013 BMW X5 SAVProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 13 owner complaints about the 2013 BMW X5 SAV, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 16V-071 the manufacturer reports only 47% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 47%Owner complaints130 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage7kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 2, 2019. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2013 BMW X5 SAV has problems

13 complaints 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 bags50
Engine40
Service brakes20
Power train10
Electrical system10
Structure10
Vehicle speed control10

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

1 recall

2013 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.

47%repaired · 2018 Q1

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 16V-071 · Feb 5, 2016 · 840,000 vehicles · 394,589 repaired

Risk. 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…

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

2013 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
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2013 BMW X5 SAV, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
  2. Idler Pulley Bolt FailureRQ18001 · closed Dec 1, 2018
    Led to recall 18V-336
In owners' words

What X5 SAV owners report

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

TAKATA RECALL - TAKATA RECALL CONTINUES TO GO UNRESOLVED. VEHICLE IN QUESTION IN PRIMARY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION FOR MY SPOUSE AND NINE-YEAR OLD SON. BMW SHARED THIS WEEK ONLY DUE TO MY CONTACT THEM THAT THE AIRBAG FOR THIS VEHICLE WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN ONE MONTH. I HAVE NO FAITH AND AM SEEKING…
Complaint 11024216 · Sep 19, 2017
TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL, FEB 05,2016 MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBERNA NHTSA RECALL NUMBER16V071 RECALL STATUSRECALL INCOMPLETE SUMMARY DRIVER'S FRONT AIR BAG: DURING AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT IN AN ACCIDENT, THE DRIVER'S FRONT AIR BAG MODULE MAY PRODUCE EXCESSIVE INTERNAL PRESSURE THAT COULD CAUSE THE INFLATOR…
Complaint 11016453 · Aug 21, 2017
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW X5 SAV. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V071000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED WAS UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.…
Complaint 10967712 · Mar 22, 2017

Own a 2013 X5 SAV?

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