2022 BMW X5: What to check before buying

Sudden loss of power with a Drivetrain Malfunction warning is the main pattern. Cars shift into neutral, lose throttle response, or stall on highways and busy roads. Some also show tight steering and a string of chassis and power supply warnings. On 45e plug-in hybrids, several failures trace to the high-voltage box or hybrid safety box, leading to repeat tows and long dealer stays. Other reports describe jerking and shuddering at low speeds and in turns, blamed on the transfer case. A service bulletin fluid change does not always fix it. One parking-lot crash involves unintended acceleration.

The power control system fails again and again, bringing up stop-driving-immediately warnings, and in one case the power steering starts to fail. Coolant pumps leak and set off low-coolant warnings. The AC compressor and condenser can fail between 40-50k miles and send metal shavings through the system. A burning smell during charging raises fire concerns, even after the charging unit was replaced. Other reports cover rodent-chewed wiring and the start/stop system restarting the car in a closed garage. One injury crash happened while a driver-assist mode was active.

Water pump leaks and failures make up every report. They turn up during routine service or after a low-coolant warning. Reported failures fall between about 21,000 and 70,381 miles. In one case the pump was leaking coolant onto electrical circuits in the engine compartment. Owners say the repair was not covered under recall. Campaign 24V608000 addresses this problem, but this model year was not part of the original VIN selection. No crashes or fires are reported.

Automatic emergency braking slams on the brakes at about 45 mph with nothing ahead, which creates a rear-end risk. Another failure starts with a brake system malfunction warning telling the driver to pull over. The pedal then resists underfoot, and the car has to be towed. A third report says the brake did not hold at a red light and the car moved forward. No crashes or injuries are reported in this category.

Problems range from noise to loss of control. A high-pitched squeak while steering progresses to uneven resistance and delayed response within the first 1,600 miles, and dealers wait on parts from BMW. A lower front control arm snaps at low speed at 7,500 miles, and the repair estimate is $16k - $18k. Another failure has the steering wheel moving on its own in reverse with hard brakes. It stops only after a button near the shifter that had activated on its own is switched off.

Adaptive cruise control brakes too late for stopped traffic or brakes hard with no hazard present. One report describes a sudden, sharp stop inside an intersection with nothing in the path, leaving the car at risk of being rear-ended. Owners also describe a driver assistance support reduced warning, in one case at a little over 200 miles, that switches off several safety features at once. No crashes are reported, but owners describe near misses.

Unintended acceleration at low speed, while parking or idling, is the only pattern, and both reports end in crashes. Drivers describe the car surging with their foot off the accelerator, or lunging after a foot caught on the floor mat, with no warning lights. In one case the parking sensors and automatic emergency braking did not step in. In the other, the driver had to use the parking brake to stop the car. No injuries are reported.