With 327 complaints, the 2008 BMW X5 racked up more of those than any other X5 model year, based on data from the NHTSA. It also had up to 16 recalls, so it put in a poor performance in that aspect, too. Finally, J.D. Power’s quality and reliability rating for the 2008 X5 was 73 out of 100, placing it below all its major competitors at the time.
By category, the most common complaints pertained to airbags, the engine, the cooling system, the fuel system, and the electrical system. This X5 was implicated in the bigger Takata airbag debacle, whereby passenger airbag inflators could explode over extended exposure to humidity and high temperatures. Of the 2008 X5’s 16 recalls (a very high number for one model year), seven were related to airbag issues. Even now, in 2024, there is still an open investigation for this X5 related to Takata airbags.
Over 900,000 BMWs, including this X5, were recalled for a PCV valve heater that could overheat and lead to a fire, specifically on the 3.0-liter models. In November 2023, one owner in Pennsylvania said their 2008 X5’s engine compartment burst into flames, and the car was totaled while parked.
Another large recall (367,682 cars affected) for BMW was for an insulated bulkhead connector for the positive battery cable that can loosen, potentially causing overheating and a fire.
