Transfer Case Problems of BMW X5 - part 1

I purchased a used and well serviced, one owner, BMW 2020 X5 on 6/28 from Acura of west chester, PA. After driving the vehicle for a week the car began jerking and shuttering forward. I live in philadelphia where space is limited and pedestrians, children included walk close to cars at stop lights and stop signs. I almost had an accident while just parking the car due of the shuttering and additionally the car unexpectedly jerked towards a pedestrian when I was stopped at a stop sign. I researched and discovered that this is a known issue concerning my year and model due to a manufacturer error when the vehicle was assembled. The incorrect oil was place into the transfer case which ultimately causes damage leading to the unsafe driving condition that I am currently experiencing. There are no warning or check engine lights to make the driver aware of the issue. Below is the direct from BMW's notice on the issue, sib 27 02 20. To my surprise, there was never a recall to fix this issue for the make and models affected . I am asking for the NHTSA to investigate and issue are recall for repair and replacement of the transfer case that was damaged prior to consumer purchase for the models outlined in the service bulletin. BMW replaces the oil as the first level repair at the cost of the owner which seems to only be temporary. Some owners say the problem goes away and other owners the problem returns requiring replacement as the true option. I would like for BMW to recall and replace to the vehicle safe to drive. Sib 27 02 20 jerking or shuddering from the driveline (xdrive transfer case atx13 situation there is a jerking or shuddering during either or both of the following: cornering or accelerating from low speeds driving with low to medium loads there are no warning lights or check control messages. Cause unevenly worn or incorrect fitment tires are installed on the vehicle, or the factory-filled transfer case oil does not meet BMW specifications.

See all problems of the 2020 BMW X5 🔎.

Front driveshaft needs to be replaced due to excess wear, perhaps transfer case as well. Very similar to safety recall campaign 17v-138:from April/2017 (same issue, my model is one year older than recall notice), but BMW na will not cover the repair cost for this defect.

See all problems of the 2016 BMW X5 🔎.

Faulty transfer case.

See all problems of the 2012 BMW X5 🔎.

Tl the contact owns a 2015 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving 20 mph, the vehicle started to hesitate. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to his destination. The vehicle was taken to independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the transfer case needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to melbourne BMW (1432 s harbor city blvd, melbourne, FL 32901; (321) 727-3788) and the dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,600.

See all problems of the 2015 BMW X5 🔎.

Transfer case: slipping and hesitation in motion/driving and acceleration. Also popping and slipping in front end near front wheels. . . Looked up online troubleshooting and found problems with 2011 model design.

See all problems of the 2011 BMW X5 🔎.

Very well maintained and documented vehicle. . . . Engine seized at 95k miles. No codes or reason given. Vehicle has had $20-30k work done at a registered BMW dealer over the last 2 years. BMW=bring money with. I will never buy another BMW and if someone tried to give me one, I would run the other way. Ive owned many cars and this is the absolute, worst purchase ive ever made. Cost to replace engine, $12k. Crooks in my opinion and do your research if you do not listen to this freindly warning. Oh and one more thing. . . After I spent $12k to replace engine, now they say the transfer case maybe compromised. Dare you look up what that costs to fix. I will not put one more dime into this vehicle. I am disgusted with their entire operation. The only positive is the wheels did not lock up when the engine seized, otherwise, I may not be able to file this complaint. All X5's should be recalled. Do not buy BMW!!!!!!!!!!!!.

The vehicle shudders /learches while turning during low speeds. Transfer case issue which has not been addressed by BMW.

Vehicle shudders and hesitates when making a hard left of right turn from a full stop. (ie. Turning right on red or pulling out of a place of business onto an active highway. ) I read about 30 other complaints about the same issue - all pointing a faulty "transfer case". My vehicle 2011 bwm X5 35i has 76,000 miles. I do see a power train recall for the 2011 X5's but mine (for some unknown reason is not included and it is a 2011 (recall 17v138000) my mechanic said it was the transfer case and will cost $3,000 to repair.

My 2012 BMW X5 developed transfer case problem. The transfer case shutters and the car start jumping when I make left or right turn from the stop, which is clearly a safety issue. The car has 49200 miles as of today, Sep 2019. This represents danger in driving the car and transfer case has to be replaced. Searching the internet revealed that it's a common issue with 2012 BMW X5 vehicles and in my opinion, BMW must fix faulty transfer case free of charge. As it stands today, bramin BMW in miami quoted me $5000 plus tax to replace transfer case.

Tl the contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle shook hard whenever the accelerator pedal was depressed. The failure occurred at any speed. There was also a slight vibration in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to BMW global imports (500 interstate n pkwy, atlanta, GA 30339, (800) 294-1853) where it was diagnosed that a new transfer case needed to be installed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. The failure mileage was 116,000.

When we accelerate, the vehicle shudders/hesitates to the point where it feels incredibly unsafe to drive. When we took the X5 to the mechanic, the mechanic said that it was odd that there would be a transfer case problem at such low mileage on the X5, which was at 67000 miles at the time. . Read more...

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Tl the contact owns a 2012 BMW X5. While driving approximately 40 mph, the contact heard a clicking noise under the vehicle. The vehicle started to lose power, the transmission warning indicator illuminated, and an unknown fluid emerged from the transmission area. The vehicle was towed to an unknown independent mechanic who determined that the drive axle fractured and damaged the transfer case, which needed replacement. The vehicle was towed to BMW of manhattan (555 w 57th st, new york, NY 10019), but was not diagnosed unless it was paid for by the contact. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact also mentioned that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 17v138000 (power train). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

Front wheels of the vehicle shudder badly when turning at slow rates of speed. Online research shows this to be a common issue with the transfer case needing to be replaced.

Engine malfunction light and car overheating caused by water pump, there's no recall for my VIN but it seems this is an ongoing issue with BMW X5 models. . . The BMW did a recall on my X5 and after they finished the recall the transfer case stopped working properly, however, the transfer case was working perfectly before the recalled. The BMW power train recall damage the transfer case.

While driving, I stopped at an intersection. When I started to go, there was a loud grinding noise and the car would not move. I had to get the car pushed out of the intersection. I tried restarting the car and as soon as you put it in gear, you heard the grinding noise. I had it towed to my local mechanic, upon his inspection, the front drive shaft was broken and then discovered that the inside of the transfer case was also stripped. So now I'm stuck with no vehicle, thousands of dollars in repairs, and this is the second time this has happened to me, the first was in January 2017.

See all problems of the 2003 BMW X5 🔎.

The agent of BMW of tenafly said there is serious safety issue need to fix, the problem they call faulty transfer case and emf unit faults for emf and transfer case connected battery charger. The system may stop working suddenly and cause the vehicle transfer power to wheels and roll over.

Tl the contact owns a 2011 BMW X5. While operating the vehicle, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine had overheated. Upon inspection, it was discovered that hot water had leaked from the engine area. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer (united BMW, 11458 alpharetta hwy, roswell GA) where it was diagnosed that the water pump and thermostat had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but while leaving the dealer, the vehicle began to violently shake and rattle. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the drive shaft and transfer case failed. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 86,000.

I notice when turning a vibration or shudder coming from the front of the vehicle. Doing some online research, including the NHTSA site, I find that this is a common problem for X5s. The apparent fix for this is to replace the transfer case, a several thousand dollar repair. I bought this for my wife but I would not have her drive it because between the transfer case and the driveshaft, both known issues, I am concerned for her safety. My vehicle only has 69,000 miles on it, there is no way it should have these kind of problems barring a very poor design.

My wife & I purchased this 2012x5 2 years ago,last year the vehicle was being driven off the driveway where there was a loud snap&ban. The car didn't move. We called a tow and had it brought to jupiter BMW FL . We found out that the drive shaft snapped. Mileage was 45-48k miles. We called BMW na it was a warranty recall part and the dealer stated it was replaced. After that in the last 10 months we have experienced many strange movements in the rear and in turns. We called the dealership and spoke to a tech where they stated it was tires in the rear. We recently replaced the tires & it remained to be there where it was mild but there. During this time period we had many serious obstacles with cancer & family in pr devastated. We received a recall notice airbag, we called the dealer to replace it. While there we failed to mention it being in a rush & still only one of the two airbags still unavailable. After we left during the month we felt it more so, at that time I try to reach the service advisor & failed to reach her in several attempts. After driving this week it got seriously worse while my family little children in car, we pulled over called our local mechanic and he said bring it if possible or tow. So we did! at that time we never discussed we replaced any recall drive shaft (make note). The mechanic called us in shop said the shaft is broke and leaking grease has a lot of play in it, also do to that is directly related & cause to be a issue with transfer case!!!. We took a video of it and the mechanic & us called BMW na discussed it & they recommend to take to BMW under extended warranty. Upon arrival we provided the service tech a video of the discovery . 6 hours later they claim the shaft is fine & video & inspection was not issue, &transfer case having issues. They said our bill 9000$. There is over 300 claims exact issue #17v138000see attached pic & compl.

At 75k miles my BMW X5 began shuttering while making sharp, slow turns. I thought it was the new tires we put on. Then the stuttering happened when coming to a stop, as well. Took it to the dealership where it has been serviced all along and they said the transfer case needs to be replaced. Really, at 75k miles. When I went online to research the item I found that the previous year model was a recall. Obviously, BMW did not fix the item on the 2012 that I own. A faulty transfer case in the X5 can cause loss of drive and this can cause serious injuries or death if the occupants are on a freeway or in an intersection etc where they are stuck. What would it take for someone to look at this issue and hold the manufacturers accountable.

Well last year at this exact same time the front drive shaft broke causing a domino effect of damages the front drive shaft snapped and smashed the transmission pan and dented the exhaust pipe. Service adviser at dealer was not wanting to repair the damages under recall program acted like they have never heard of this issue or the recall in effect. After I presented all my findings they contacted BMW na and they agreed to replace the transmission ,exhaust and the drive shaft at no additional cost to me. However I did end up paying over $4k for other oil leaks etc. Now the vehicle is back at the dealers with popping noise very hard jerking. This happens when the vehicle is in motion they now claim that the transfer case is bad and it'll cost $2700 (for the part alone) and labor to replace this to fix the issue. I looked up on line and there are several people having the same issue and BMW is not doing anything about this. Surely the front drive shaft and the transmission are connected to the transfer case. So if the drive shaft has caused the transmission to go out once then that malfunction must have damaged the transfer case also or if the install was not done correctly this could have damaged the transfer case. Which I believe BMW should address under the recall for front drive shaft. Why is no one taking any action on this matter. A faulty transfer case in the X5 can cause loss of drive and this can cause serious injuries or death if the occupants are on a freeway or in an intersection etc where they are stuck. What would it take for someone to look at this issue and hold the manufacturers accountable for such defective and poor quality products. Premium dollar for these cars demands premium service and customer care. Currently my car sits in the shop with a repair estimate of almost $9k to replace turbo hoses and transfer case.

Car was purchased used with about 50k miles. Repairs have been normal throughout. Car now has about 78k miles. Under the recall BMW replaced the driveshaft bc they apparently sheer in half under normal stress. Got the car back and noticed the transmission was slipping when accelerating. Brought the park Ave BMW in NJ and complained that it just started happening after the recall was preformed. They diagnosed it was the transfer case that needs to be replaced $2750. I'm going to speak to manager and also contact BMW na considering online it seems like transfer cases are being replaced very frequently around 75k miles. The part seems to be a weak link that will need to be replaced at some point. Will update when I have more info.

Transfer case problem. Bought the car new, after the 2nd year felt vibration /shudders when making turns from a stop or low speed. Dealer replaced front brake rotors, changed front wheels. Still same issue end up changing 4 new tyres after a year. Up until 2016 changed again front and rear brake whole systems, front drive shaft replaced due to safety recall last July but still the vibration/shudders remains. Service advisor told me it could be the transfer case as it is most issues they received. Quoted me for $2650. Told him that my extended warranty expired 2016. The fact that the same exact problem was already reported to them early on and now I've been asked to pay for that long outstanding problem. Very disappointed. Went to two different dealer; tenafly under penske group where I bought the car even quoted me for $8000; reached out to BMW direct us recall service and willing to pay half so it'll end up still for $4000. BMW hackensack under park Ave group quoted me for $2650 parts and labor excluding tax. Really very disappointed after spending/investing a lot of money to the car. Hope BMW issue a safety recall especially I've been seeing a lot and same problems with the transfer case in X5. Just look online and you'll see a many complaints. I'm sure BMW sees how many transfer cases they been replacing under the warranty or they probably won't even bother their overhead expense especially it's being paid off buy other consumer/owner who ends up paying the cost out of warranty, considering they don't have a fix or standard prices. Pretty sure if I go to other dealer, they'll quote me differently.

It appears that the BMW X5 35i has this issue with the transfer case on a huge number of the vehicles. While there is a recall on some VIN #'s I feel that it is imperative to extend it to all of them. My X5 has an extended warranty on the front drive shaft but unfortunately it has expired because of mileage. This is a very dangerous safety issue. There may not be enough notice when it goes out to pull off the road safely. When it happens it can certainly cause injury and possibly death. Does BMW or the national safety administration really want to take a chance ? I think not only my VIN # needs to be included but all BMW 2011-2012 X5 should be included. BMW has been made aware that this is a defect and needs to do the right thing.

Transfer case slips while turning at low speed in parking lot or on city road.

As I was driving my BMW X5 I stopped at a red light and once the light turned green I begin to press the accelerator to move it didn't move and it made a loud rowing noise. U was then stuck in the middle of the hwy with moving traffic. I took it to the mechanic shop and they said it was the transfer case. He then said he see alot of them like that being worked on because of this problem.

Vehicle shudders and makes loud noises while turning. Took it to a mechanic and found out that this was a transfer case failure and a result of bad engineering in general. There are several other similar complaints on this website and also on other model years of the same model. The transfer case replacement is estimated to cost $6500. Others online have reported transfer cases falling off while driving! this entails a significant safety risk and one that the manufacturer appears to be aware of. BMW needs to repair this as soon as possible to avoid further endangering customers' lives.

My vehicle has 80,886 miles and just had oil changed at BMW dealership, fields BMW winter park FL. I requested a check on the vehicle as there has been a grinding/vibration noise on turning left and right at intersections or moving from a parked position. The dealership said the transfer case is failing and to replace it would be $6,666. 40. I am shocked to hear this diagnosis for a vehicle that has less than 81,000 miles on the odometer. I am really concerned about the gearbox failing while driving and this could be a high safety hazard for myself and the family. I certainly think that BMW gearbox should last longer, however the vehicle is out of warranty and the dealer said I really cannot afford to pay another ~$7000 and wondered if this is a recall issue?.

Very disappointing. My pampered BMW X5 2011 mileage only 38200. I went to the dealer for driveshaft recall fix. Dealer told me that in my BMW transfer case has gone bad and needs replacement soon. Cost is $6000+. They also told me that I should sell it if I don't want to get this fixed. But after that recall fix, I hear some weird sound coming whenever I I am driving. Don't know what to do? spent so much money to buy this car and now this? not ready to spend this big amount because of poor part quality by BMW. Car is in the garage now and I am scared to drive :-(.

Problems relating to transfer case. Car vibrated on turns in steering column and the turning both on the right side and the left side is vibrating a lot.

I have a 2012 BMW X5 with about 70k miles on it. About 12-18 months ago, I started noticing issues with shudder/shake when turning at low speeds. I mentioned it to BMW service but they told me that they don't see any issues. About 4-5 months back when I complained again, this time they told me that there is an issue. The issue is with the transfer case. They said it's a very expensive repair and told me the original parts+labor runs at over $7,000 but I can get a refurbished part at around $3,200. For a vehicle like BMW, I didn't expect it to have such major issues soon after the warranty ended. I did some research and I see so many individuals reporting the exact same issues with BMW X5 in that time range. I hope BMW will accept the problem and issue a safety recall for it so we, the customers, don't have to pay for such a major issue with the car. After this experience, I have decided not to buy anymore Bmws and have been recommending the same to others.

Have experienced vibration on the steering column, while making sharp turns at very low speeds. The BMW dealership diagnosed the problem and confirmed that the vehicle had a bad transfer case and needed to be replaced. The cost to replace the transfer case was $7500.

After driving for an extened period of time, I pulled over to place a new destination in my gps. I noticed as I was positioning my vehicle perpendicular to the road, I felt a shuttering in my traction. It felt like a locked differential 4x4. I placed my new address and proceeded to turn right onto the roadway with heavy traffic. I felt a huge hesitation in my acceleration nearly causing my vehicle to be broad sided (t-boned). At that point, I had to floor the vehicle, which caused me to shoot across the road into on-coming traffic. Luckily, the vehicles were far enough to avoid a major accident. My whole family could have been severely injured. I brought my vehicle to BMW to have it diagnosed. They found a faulty transfer case as they were replacing my front drive shaft under a recall.

Transfer case failure at only 59,000 miles, manifested by extreme steering wheel vibration when turning wheel left or right at least 180°.

At 84,500 miles, during front driveshaft recall service, the vehicle was diagnosed with a failed transfer case. Symptoms include vibration during acceleration, and turning.