2011 Bmw X5 - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2011 BMW X5 SUV 4WD has not been rated for overall safety, front crash, or side crash ratings. However, it has a 4-star rating for rollover safety. It comes equipped with standard electronic stability control, which enhances the vehicle's stability and safety on the road. This model does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems.

Despite the lack of safety ratings, it is worth noting that there have been 300 complaints reported for this vehicle and 15 recalls. It is essential for owners of the 2011 BMW X5 to stay up to date with any recalls and address them promptly for the safety of the vehicle occupants and other road users.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

300

Recall Count

15

Investigation Count

1

Safety Rating

Not Rated

Search Vehicle Details

Advanced Search

The advanced search lets you search by safety ratings and features. This will return a list of vehicles that match your search criteria.

Safety Features

2011 BMW X5 SUV 4WD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2011 BMW X5 SUV 4WD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2011 BMW X5 SUV 4WD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2011 BMW X5 SUV 4WD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2011 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 4
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 Not Rated 4
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 Not Rated 4

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2011 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 4 Not Rated 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 Not Rated 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2011 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 4 Not Rated
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Complaints for the 2011 Bmw X5

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"after bmw replaced my battery on 1/11/24, a check engine light immediately appeared. it said that the scr active tank needed to be replaced and it would cost upwards of $3,000. i immediately found a nhtsa bulletin that informed that this particular part had been on recall, but had a 10 year/120k mile limitation. my car only had 101k miles, but bmw denied my recall work on goodwill because they say it was well past 10 years of my in-service date. the warranty, however, should still be effective, as many customers have different rates of utilization and i am still 19k short of the mileage limitation, which should not be time limited. bmw worked with the nhtsa for a reason - they acknowledged that they had a flawed part, and this needs to be changed at their expense, not passed on as $3,000 unfairly to the customer. please see the recall bulletin attached."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2024-11-01

Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2011 bmw x5. the contact stated that while stopped at a stop sign, the vehicle unexpectedly turned off and independently shifted into neutral. the “engine failure - reduced power” message was displayed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty variable valve timing system. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the vin was not included in a recall. the failure mileage was approximately 107,000."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2025-06-09

Complaint:
"passport bmw told us that there was a recall on the engine of our x5 and asked if we had to add oil periodically; our answer was yes. we were told that the engine failed the oil consumption test performed by passport bmw and the engine needed to be replaced. passport then said that we had to pay for the replacement of the engine, $2,500. the engine has been replaced, however the engine still leaks oil and now also leaks antifreeze additionally, engine malfunction is displayed permanently on the dashboard."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2024-07-02

Complaint:
"my vehicle has symptoms of the auxiliary water pump for turbocharger going bad. th epump is noisy, and smells very hot/burnt. there was a recall in 2011-2012 that was done on my car for this part, however it appears the same issues are currently arising. under the 0011730400 b110518 recall: electronic auxiliary coolant pump , updated in 2018, my vehicle isn't listed as affected, however i believe it should be."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2022-02-02

Complaint:
"bmw usa is hidden recall information and repair history and i am worried about cause i don’t know what they change or do of my care i need this information please."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2021-04-01

Complaint:
"excessive oil consumption under normal driving conditions"
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2020-04-08

Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2011 bmw x5. the contact stated that the check engine light illumunated. the vehicle would roughly turn off and had a sound of the engine still running when the vehicle was turned off and parked. the dealer checkered flag bmw 5225 virginia beach blvd, virginia beach, va 23462 (866) 414-7820 stated that the extended warranty did not cover the issue.the egr cooler that cools the exhaust fumes was diagnosed as the issue and needed to be replaced and there were no recalls. the manufacturer had not been contacted yet. the failure mileage was 81,719."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2020-11-02

Complaint:
"i have received an engine code 4bcc " passive tank fill sensor" for my 2011 bmw x5d. this is in the the emission system def tank. this appears from my research that it is a frequent problem."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2019-02-08

Complaint:
"vanos bolts on exhaust cam sheared off while driving at hwy speeds resulting in engine malfunction, reduced power to a no start condition. the recall for this exact bolt issue was done at 86k miles, and now 70k miles later the issue occured anyway. bmw will not cover as the replaced part only had a 2 year warranty."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2020-02-08

Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2011 bmw x5. while driving approximately 35 mph and attempted to accelerate, "engine malfunction reduce power" appeared on the instrument panel and the vehicle lost acceleration. the contact drove into a parking lot and turned off the vehicle. the vehicle failed to restart and white smoke emerged from the tail pipes. the vehicle finally restarted and was driven home. the vehicle was towed to bmw of temple (6006 s general drive, temple, tx 76502), but was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 113,900."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2020-07-07

Recalls for the 2011 Bmw X5

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain 2007-2013 x5 xdrive30i, x5 xdrive35i, x5 xdrive48i, x5 xdrive50i and x5 m vehicles, 2008-2014 x6 xdrive35i, x6 xdrive50i and x6 m vehicles, 2009-2013 x5 xdrive35d vehicles and 2010-2011 x6 activehybrid vehicles. these vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling."
Consequence:
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began March 14, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2019-01-14

Recall:
"bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain 2009-2012 x5 xdrive35d, 2008-2012 x6 xdrive35i, x6 xdrive50i and x6 m, 2007-2012 x5 30si, x5 xdrive30i, x5 xdrive35i, x5 48i, x5 xdrive48i, x5 xdrive50i and x5 m and 2010-2011 x6 activehybrid vehicles equipped with non-desiccated, passenger frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (pspi-2) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous takata recalls. these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling."
Consequence:
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger front air bag, free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2020-01-15

Recall:
"bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain 2007-2013 x5 xdrive30i, x5 xdrive35i, x5 xdrive48i, x5 xdrive50i, x5 m, 2009-2010 x5 xdrive35d vehicles and 2009-2013 x6 xdrive35i, x6 xdrive50i, and x6 m vehicles ever registered in the states of alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. virgin islands or "zone a." bmw is also recalling certain 2007-2010 x5 xdrive30i, x5 xdrive35i, x5 xdrive48i, x5 xdrive50i, x5 m, x5 xdrive35d, x6 xdrive35i, x6 xdrive50i and x6m vehicles ever registered in the states of arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia, and west virginia or "zone b." bmw is also recalling certain 2007-2009 x5 xdrive30i, x5 xdrive35i, x5 xdrive48i, x5 xdrive50i, x5 m, x5 xdrive35d, x6 xdrive35i,..."
Consequence:
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger front air bag module, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2018-01-09

Recall:
"bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 x5 xdrive30i, x5 xdrive35i, x5 xdrive48i, x5 xdrive50i and x5m vehicles, 2009-2011 x5 xdrive35d vehicles, 2008-2011 x6 xdrive35i, x6 xdrive50i and x6 m vehicles, and 2010-2011 x6 activehybrid vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. virgin islands, or "zone a." additionally, unless included in "zone a" above, bmw is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 x5 xdrive30i, x5 xdrive35i, x5 xdrive48i, x5 xdrive50i and x5m vehicles, and 2008 bmw x6 xdrive35i, x6 xdrive50i and x6 m vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia, and west virginia, or "zone b." vehicles of..."
Consequence:
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or air bag module, free of charge. The recall began July 28, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2016-05-26

BMW Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

BMW ranks 12 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

Related Vehicles

Why not check out other BMW vehicles?

2019 6 SERIES
BMW
  • Overall Safety Rating: Not Rated
  • Complaints Count: 1
  • Recall Count: 0
View Car
2019 I3 BEV
BMW
  • Overall Safety Rating: Not Rated
  • Complaints Count: 4
  • Recall Count: 1
View Car
2015 ACTIVE HYBRID 5
BMW
  • Overall Safety Rating: 5
  • Complaints Count: 0
  • Recall Count: 0
View Car
2021 X5 M
BMW
  • Overall Safety Rating: Not Rated
  • Complaints Count: 44
  • Recall Count: 12
View Car