BMW X5 Recall Issued Due to Power Steering Problems

Russell Maas

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About 30,000 BMW X5 sports utility vehicles sold in the United States will be recalled within the next month, amid reports of sudden problems with the power assist steering that may potentially increase the risk of drivers having an auto accident. 

Information about the BMW X5 recall (PDF) was received by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on November 27, impacting diesel powered xDrive 35d sport utility vehicles from the 2009 through 2012 model years.

According to information provided by the company, the BMW X5 diesel SUVs may experience steering assist failure.

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The recalled BMW X5 vehicles have a part called the engine idler pulley, which can loosen over time and possibly break, causing the vehicle to lose the power to assist for its steering. This defect can be caused by low ambient temperatures putting wear-and-tear on the parts.

The steering assist allows for smooth and easy turning of the steering wheel but when that fails it requires greater effort to turn the vehicle, posing a high risk for an accident if the defect occurs while driving.

The recall affects 29,800 BMW X5 vehicles in the U.S. from model years 2009 through 2012. Another 5,500 are being recalled in Canada. In total, about 250,000 X5 vehicles are being recalled worldwide. The vehicles are four-door sport utility vehicles built from September 1, 2008 through November 15, 2012.

BMW’s recall will be initiated in light of an investigation earlier this year conducted by Transport Canada, the Canadian counterpart to the NHTSA. BMW there received at least 85 reports of bolts in the engine idler pulley cracking.

There have been no reports of accidents related to the defect, but BMW has advised that consumers with the vehicles listed above should contact their BMW dealer to replace and tighten the pulley bolt. A coating will also be added to keep the bolt from coming loose.

BMW will begin contacting consumers with registered affected vehicles next month which will direct them to dealers who will make repairs free of charge.

Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/titrans/ CC BY 2.0

Written by: Russell Maas

Managing Editor & Senior Legal Journalist

Russell Maas is a paralegal and the Managing Editor of AboutLawsuits.com, where he has reported on mass tort litigation, medical recalls, and consumer safety issues since 2010. He brings legal experience from one of the nation’s leading personal injury law firms and oversees the site’s editorial strategy, including SEO and content development.

Tags: Auto Accident, Auto Recall, BMW, Steering

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2 Comments

Miriam
I bought the 2011 X 5 in 2010. It has been nothing but headaches and trips to the delaer. I am very disappointed that a luxury vehicle has performed so poorly and BMW does not want to take responsibility for a defective product. I tried to reason with them but they do not want to do anything about it. I am planning to take them to court. I have all my papers to prove my case. It is not fair to spend more than $60 thousands dollars for nothing. I do not feel safe to drive it.
Jeremy
Our 2011 BMW X5d (diesel) what was involved in a minor vehicle accident in Dec 2012 due to a sudden loss of power steering at a low speed, just months before issuing a recall for the identical problem. The vehicle still to this day has a problem with the power steering and unusual tire wear. The problem was first identified in Jun of 2012 and continually worked on until Feb 2013. We purchased the vehicle new in 2010. We do have a recording of a BMW of North America Master Technician admitting to the problem that BMW refuses to correct. In fact BMW refuses to even perform work on our vehicle even though it’s advertised as “no maintenance for 4years/50,000 miles”. This is at any dealership we have gone to due to a note in the database from BMW of North America. Also, vehicle service history has been fraudulently erased from their database along with the inspection results from the accident investigation.

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