The 2004 BMW X5 has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 5,107 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 93 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
POWER TRAIN04V4090002004-08-18358 affected
Defect
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES WITH 3.0 L ENGINES AND MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, IF THE VEHICLE IS IN FIRST GEAR, AND MOVING SLOWLY, WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HELD IN A CONSTANT POSITION OF LOW ENGINE SPEED AND WITH THE CLUTCH PEDAL HELD IN A PARTIALLY DEPRESSED POSITION, ENGINE SPEED MAY INCREASE.
Consequence
THE VEHICLE COULD ACCELERATE UNEXPECTEDLY, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE VEHICLE'S DIGITAL ENGINE MANAGEMENT CONTROL UNIT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE IN-TANK FUEL LINE MAY HAVE BEEN ATTACHED INCORRECTLY.
Consequence
ENGINE STALLING COULD OCCUR, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE'S FUEL GAUGE INDICATES THAT FUEL IS PRESENT IN THE TANK. DEPENDING UPON TRAFFIC AND ROAD CONDITIONS, THIS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE IN-TANK SUCTION JET PUMP FUEL LINE AND IF NECESSARY, REATTACH ACCORDING TO SPECIFICATIONS. THIS RECALL BEGAN SEPTEMBER 9, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
POWER TRAIN04V3440002004-07-144,102 affected
Defect
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 8 AND 12 CYLINDER ENGINES, THE DIGITAL ENGINE MANAGEMENT CONTROL (EMC) UNITS WERE NOT PRODUCED ACCORDING TO SPECIFICATIONS.
Consequence
AS A RESULT, ENGINE STALLING WILL OCCUR AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF OPERATION. THE VEHICLE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART. ALSO, A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND, AFTER REPEATED ACTUATION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, A LOSS OF BRAKE POWER ASSIST WILL OCCUR. THESE CONDITIONS COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW DIGITAL ENGINE MANAGEMENT CONTROL UNIT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 16, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
POWER TRAIN03V4750002003-11-14350 affected
Defect
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL, THE RIGHT OUTPUT SHAFT HOUSING FLANGE AT THE ENGINE, AND THE RIGHT-HAND ENGINE SUPPORT MAY BE INSUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED.
Consequence
WITH PROLONGED DRIVING, THESE BOLTS COULD BECOME LOOSE, CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION HOUSINGS. THE RIGHT OUTPUT SHAFT COULD BECOME DISCONNECTED, AFFECTING THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND RETIGHTEN THE DRIVETRAIN FASTENERS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN NOVEMBER 28, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
Complaints by component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
10
3fires
ENGINE
9
2fires1injuries
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
7
1crashes2injuries
POWER TRAIN
7
SEATS
5
2fires
AIR BAGS
4
2crashes2injuries
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
4
STEERING
4
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
3
SUSPENSION
3
Total complaints93
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“No start no crank sos light battery drain”
“Vehicle rpm’s rev wildly in park and neutral. When driving vehicle speeds up on its own and rpm’s climbs out of control. When stopped at a light or in traffic, car leaps forward against the break .”
“Vehicle rpm’s rev wildly in park and neutral. When driving vehicle speeds up on its own and rpm’s climbs out of control. When stopped at a light or in traffic, car leaps forward against the break .”
“Vehicle rpm’s rev wildly in park and neutral. When driving vehicle speeds up on its own and rpm’s climbs out of control. When stopped at a light or in traffic, car leaps forward against the break .”
“My steering is way to tight. And its hard to move thevcar.”
“Front passenger seat belt doesn't work properly. *tr”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw x5. While driving 55 mph on the freeway, the vehicle jerked severely. Suddenly, the engine powered down in the middle of traffic. The contact was able to pull the vehicle over safely onto the shoulder. A message indicating "fail safe" appeared on the instrument…”
“I bought 4 run-flat bridgestone tires from a bmw dealership: dueler h/l 400 [36110427162] on june 21, 2017 with my suv mileage of 169,318. Yesterday, 1/15/2018, I found out my two rear tires were almost bald after driven 10,384 miles due to summer road trip. Several times these past few days I…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2004 BMW X5 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.