Nine problems related to engine belts and pulleys have been reported for the 2011 BMW X5. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Belt tentioner had to replace. It's recalled on the diesal BMW X5 2011 but not the gas one.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. While driving in reverse, the steering wheel became hard to turn. The contact inspected the vehicle and found that the power steering pump bolt on the pulley failed, which caused the steering wheel to seize and the alternator belt not to function. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 12v550000 (steering, engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Tl the contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. The contact heard an abnormal noise and noticed smoke coming through the vents inside the vehicle. The contact also smelled a strong burning odor. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 18v336000 (engine and engine cooling), but the contact was not notified. While driving, the idler pulley bolt fractured. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign numbers: 18v248000 (engine and engine cooling) and 17v683000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was unable to be driven due to the failures. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was not available.
On Sunday 08/16/2016, my 2011 BMW X5 lost steering power, and I got a bunch of errors on the dashboard including engine not charging. When I looked under the hood, I was able to see that the engine belt is off its track, and idle pulley has broken off. This is the same failure for which BMW created a recall: (recall number -NHTSA campaign id-: 12v5500, recall date: 11/27/2012, component: steering: hydraulic powers assist system). On Monday 08/15/2016, I called BMW of north America llc and informed of the failure and requested that they pay assistance since the issue was a known design flaw under the recall above. Repairs were made to this car (BMW of rockville, 12/21/2012), but failure appears to continue to repeat. BMW instructed me to tow the car to the BMW dealer and once an estimate from the dealer was given they will make a decision. The estimate was available Monday, and when I called them back Tuesday morning, they informed me that a decision will be made within 24-48 hours. I called every day after the period for three days, but was never transferred to the case manager (sam), instead, I was asked to supply my information over and over. On Monday 08/22, I called and requested to talk to a supervisor. The supervisor sounded irritated by my call, and proceeded to tell me that a decision will be made within 5 business days. Two days later, sam called me and informed me that he got the paperwork, and will be working on my case. On Tuesday 08/30, I called BMW back since I haven¿t heard back from them, I requested to talk to sam, but the phone assistant informed me that he is not available, but based on the notes available to her, I am being denied because of the high mileage on the car (62k miles). After two weeks of stringing me along, BMW didn¿t even bother to call me with the bad news. This is a design flaw that BMW should own and pay for.
As I was driving a check battery light came on, I drove for approx 2 more mins as I tried to park an engine malfunction light came on. Then the steering wheel froze and I could not change gears. I blocked city street traffic for over 2 hrs before a tow truck could get me. At the time of the malfunction I was driving 15-20 mph. Thankfully, I was not on a freeway or this would have been a major accident. I was told by BMW that the drive belt fell apart, (while I was driving) it went into the engine and destroyed the timing chain and cam system. The engine is damaged beyond repair. I feel this is a design flaw that the drive belt would destroy the engine in a matter of 2 mins and/or it is defective drive belt. The car has approx 42k miles. BMW offered for me to pay $2800 for them to take the engine apart and investigate the engine malfunction. This car has had numerous problems since I purchased it. Attached are my service records.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. While driving approximately 7 mph, a loud noise was heard from the engine compartment and the steering wheel lost power without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and replaced the belt bolt. The failure recurred after six months. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to a dealer. The dealer stated that a recall repair was already perfomed and could not be repeated. The vehicle was not repaired. The recall details were not provided. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving at an unknown speed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine pulley serpentine belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact also received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 16v071000 (air bags) and 16v364000 (air bags) however, the parts for the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced any failure related to the recalls. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn after the engine and battery warning indicators illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle however the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence and was examined by an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the idler pulley bolt had fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 12v550000 (engine and engine cooling , steering) however, the VIN was not included. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. While driving 55 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn and the engine stalled. The check engine and brake warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the idle pulley bar and belt needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 52,560.