2014 BMW X5: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2014 BMW X5
On the 2014 BMW X5, the failure owners report most often is fuel pump failure, with 20 reports on file. The earliest to appear is other body or interior problem, reported by a median of 10,000 miles. Overall it scores 79 out of 100, severe risk for a 2014.
Severe risk for a 2014 — 26th riskiest of the 270 2014 vehicles we can rate. 131 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 25 named failure modes on the 2014 BMW X5, and the three most-reported carry 37% of everything filed.
Fuel pump failure leads with 20 reports and about 3.1 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other body or interior problem follows with 16 reports, usually reported between 1k to 15,000 miles. 2 of those reports mention a fire.
Other electrical problem follows with 12 reports, median 10,000 miles. 4 of those reports mention a fire.
By system, the reports fall mostly into fuel (29), body (25) and engine (25).
At what mileage it happens
74 of the reports on the 2014 BMW X5 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 47,500 miles.
Cumulatively, 51% by 50,000 miles, 78% by 100,000 miles and 92% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 23% of the dated reports.
47% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 25. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
Severity, and what it costs
Across the named modes, 3 mention a crash, 12 a fire and 1 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.47, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: fuel pump failure at $600–$2,600, other body or interior problem at $200–$2,000, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000 and other engine problem at $300–$4,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
29% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 20 | 6 | — | 78k | — | 3.1 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 16 | 13 | 1k | 10k | 16k | 2.5 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 12 | 7 | — | 8k | — | 1.9 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 11 | 4 | — | 79k | — | 1.7 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 9 | 3 | — | 77k | — | 1.4 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 7 | 7 | — | 65k | — | 1.1 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure | engine | 6 | 2 | — | 176k | — | 0.9 | $1,200–$4,500 | Critical |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 6 | 4 | — | 116k | — | 0.9 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| CV axle or driveshaft failure | drivetrain | 5 | 3 | — | 65k | — | 0.8 | $450–$2,200 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 4 | 1 | — | 120k | — | 0.6 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 4 | 3 | — | 10k | — | 0.6 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Water pump failure | cooling | 3 | 2 | — | 160k | — | 0.5 | $500–$2,200 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 3 | 3 | — | 20k | — | 0.5 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Door latch or handle failure | body | 2 | 2 | — | 25k | — | 0.3 | $250–$1,200 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 2 | 2 | — | 16k | — | 0.3 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Excessive oil consumption | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 78k | — | 0.2 | $900–$6,500 | High |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 20k | — | 0.2 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Thermostat failure | cooling | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $250–$900 | Moderate |
| Infotainment screen failure | infotainment | 1 | 1 | — | 15k | — | 0.2 | $400–$2,600 | Low |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 58k | — | 0.2 | $200–$900 | High |
| DPF, EGR or DEF system failure | emissions | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $800–$5,000 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 50 | — | 0.2 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 11 | 7 | — | 18k | — | 1.7 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2014 BMW X5 draws about 20 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 93rd percentile of complaint rates among 2014 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 6,400 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2014 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Fuel pump failure
This 2014 bmw x5 has a diesel engine. The fuel pump has failed twice in nine months causing the vehicle to suddenly lose power and completely stop. The vehicle was stationary at a stop light both times. However, this can occur while in motion at any time. This diesel engine fuel pump failure impacts entire fuel system which requires a complete replacement (please see attachment for first repair. The car is currently at bmw service}. This problem will occur again because they keep using the same parts. I am sure with some investigating you will find that this is an unreported problem with bmw. The safety of my family is at stake and bmw is being completely evasive at this point.
Other body or interior problem
My vehicle has soft-close doors, after closing the doors they popped open while driving, not fully open, only about a half-inch, enough to be ajar and for the open door indicator to light up on the dashboard. This happened 4 times in the first 5 weeks of owning the vehicle and bmw has not been able to fix it, giving it back to me each time with the claim that they are unable to reproduce the problem. On one occasion, and as requested by the dealership, I drove the car back with an ajar door without touching it or turning off the engine. The dealership took a photo and stated that this shouldn't have happened given that the car has soft-close doors and that it won't actually start driving if any door is still slightly open. I have a copy of the photo as proof, but the dealership upon instruction from bmw na was instructed to return the vehicle stating that it has no issue. The dealership did replace the locking mechanisms on the two doors (both front and rear passenger side doors) that became ajar, but it happened again, the fourth time. *tr
My vehicle has soft-close doors, when I started driving from home, all the doors were closed, and the doors were locked. After about 2 miles, I suddenly heard loud noise/air coming through the front passenger door. The front passenger door popped open while driving, not fully open, only a little to hear the noise and for the open door indicator to light up on the dashboard. This happened when my kid was sitting in the back. I have to pull over safely within few yards and closed the door manually. This is dangerous as my kids sometime sit leaning onto the door or take a nap with support from the door. I stopped driving the vehicle and took it to the dealership at the next available appointment. The dealership checked and returned the vehicle back saying they are "unable to reproduce". *tr
Other electrical problem
I have leased brand new 2014 bmw x5 on 12/09/2013. Suddenly after 2 days, it has broken. Heated steering function stopped working. Service department of my selling dealer kept the vehicle overnight and found out something is broken and the broken part has to be replaced. They said it would be going to take at least end of january 2014(this is what they told verbally). Neither service department of the selling dealer nor the manufacturer, guarantee when it can fix and refused to provide document evidence on that. Right now 2014 bmw x5s are on the road without having the replacement parts to fix in case of issues. In my case it is heated steering wheel, but I'm not sure the electronics of this vehicle since it has broken so new and it is taking longer time to fix which nobody knows when. What I believe is manufacturers should not release their vehicles, unless they have full control on their production lines. Also I ask document evidence from manufacturer and selling dealers service department, by confirming that this vehicle is safe to drive. They are refusing to provide such document. I really doubt that 2014 bmw x5s are still…
While returning home from chicago, around 3:30 pm on sunday 07/26/14 - I was exiting I-88 on the route 31 exit ramp. Halfway up the ramp the trunk/hatch of the x5 opened on its own. The car was traveling approx. 28 - 30 MPH when the hatch opened under its own control. Both of the drivers (my) hands were on the steering wheel turning the vehicle well away from the trunk controls located on the driver side door at the time. My dog was located in the back/trunk of the car when the hatch decided to open. Luckily he was sleeping at the time it opened as there is usually no holding him back when it comes to entering or exiting the car. Combine this with the fact that I think he was confused as to why the car was still moving at the time the hatch opened, that by the time I got the car pulled over and in park; the dog ([xxx]), was just on the verge of jumping out and I was able to catch him when he attempted to do so. I was fortunate that the car directly behind me on the ramp saw the dog and stopped so I was able to gather the dog and return him to the car safely. I then proceeded to close the trunk using the button located on the…
Recalls on the 2014 model year
NHTSA has issued 8 recall campaigns covering the 2014 BMW X5, affecting an estimated 13,731 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module, air bags:frontal, fuel system, diesel and fuel system, diesel:delivery:fuel pump. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
1,145 vehicles 2024-07-11- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2015 6 Series Gran Coupe, 2014 5 Series Gran Turismo, 2014 5 Series Sedan, 2015 6 Series Convertible, 2015 6 Series Coupe, 2014 X5, 2013-2014 X3, 2014-2015 3 Series Sedan, 2014 4 Series Coupe, 2014 4 Series Convertible, 2014 3 Series Gran Turismo, and 2015 4 Series Gran Coupe vehicles. Please see the recall report for the complete list of models. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
- Consequence
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury or death.
- Remedy
- The driver's front air bag will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
486 vehicles 2023-11-24- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014 X3 xDrive28i, X3 xDrive35i, X5 sDrive35i, X5 xDrive35i, and 2015 X4 xDrive35i vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
- Consequence
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the driver's front air bag, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 19, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
50,404 vehicles 2021-11-19- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2018 328d, 328d xDrive, 2014-2018 328d Sports Wagon, 328d xDrive Sports Wagon, 2014-2016 535d, 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d SAV, and 2014-2017 X5 xDrive35d SAV diesel vehicles equipped with an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) module with an integrated cooler. The EGR cooler may leak internally, causing coolant to mix with diesel engine soot, which could result in smoldering particles and a melting intake manifold.
- Consequence
- A melting intake manifold increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the EGR cooler and inspect the intake manifold, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. This recall includes all vehicles previously recalled under 18V-755. Vehicles previously recalled under 18V-755 will need to have the new remedy performed for this recall. An interim owner notification letter was mailed on January 18, 2022. The remedy is expected to be available in June 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 6, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
11,216 vehicles 2021-07-29- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2018 328d, 328d xDrive, X5 xDrive35d, 2014-2016 535d, 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, and 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d vehicles. The high-pressure fuel pump may fail.
- Consequence
- Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the high-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 14, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
44,368 vehicles 2018-10-25- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2018 BMW 328d and 328d xDrive, 2014-2018 328d Sports Wagon and 328d xDrive Sports Wagon, 2014-2016 535d and 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d SAV and 2014-2017 X5 xDrive35d SAV vehicles equipped with an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) module with an integrated cooler. If the EGR cooler leaks internally, the coolant can mix with diesel engine soot. The high EGR temperatures may result in these particles possibly smoldering and melting the intake manifold.
- Consequence
- The melting intake manifold can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the EGR cooler as necessary. If a leak has already occurred, the engine intake manifold will also be replaced. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
3,606 vehicles 2016-09-21- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 BMW X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, X3 xDrive35i, X3 xDrive28d, X4 xDrive28i and X4 xDrive35i vehicles, and model year 2014-2015 X5 xDrive35i, X5 sDrive35i, X5 xDrive50i, and 2014 X5 xDrive35d vehicles. The affected vehicles have a driver's frontal air bag inflator that may have been improperly welded.
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator housing could separate from the base plate and result in metal striking the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's front air bag, free of charge. The recall began on November 1, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
AIR BAGS
46 vehicles 2015-03-13- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 BMW X5 xDrive 35d Sports Activity Vehicles (SAV) manufactured August 19, 2014, to February 16, 2015, and 2014-2015 BMW X5 xDrive 35i, X5 sDrive 35i, X5 xDrive 50i, Sports Activity Vehicles (SAV) manufactured August 28, 2013, to February 16, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the Head Protection System (HPS) air bag may not be securely connected to the air bag inflator gas generator.
- Consequence
- Without a secure connection to the inflator, the HPS air bags may have insufficient inflation during a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the Head Protection System, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
6,400 vehicles 2014-04-17- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014 X5 SAV vehicles manufactured December 12, 2013, through March 10, 2014, and equipped with the Soft Close Automatic (SCA) option. The rear side door lock mechanisms may not have been manufactured to correct tolerances and when the inside door handle is pulled, the previously engaged child safety lock can disengage.
- Consequence
- A disengaged child safety lock would allow the rear seat occupant to pull the door handle twice and open the door while the vehicle is parked or in motion, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear side door locks and any affected door locks will be replaced, free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2014 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Where 2014 sits in the model line
Severe risk for a 2014 — 26th riskiest of the 270 2014 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Across the 27 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2000 comes out best at 62 and 2024 worst at 84, with 2014 itself at 79.
If the model year is negotiable, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2001, 2006, 2016, 2003, 2026, 2009, 2010, 2005, 2008, 2004, 2013 and 2018 score lower than 2014 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2007–2015 generation specifically, 2007 is the strongest year at 66 and 2014 the weakest at 79.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2007-2015 generation, 2007 BMW X5 scores best at 66 and 2014 BMW X5 worst at 79.
What to look at before buying one
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other body or interior problem from about 1k.
On a 2014 BMW X5 with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other body or interior problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.
Where these figures stop being useful
131 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 131 reports, 74 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 56% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2014 BMW X5?
The most-reported failures are fuel pump failure (20 reports, median 80,000 miles), other body or interior problem (16 reports, median 10,000 miles) and other electrical problem (12 reports, median 10,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 2014 BMW X5 problems start?
Other body or interior problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 10,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 1,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 47,500 miles.
Is the 2014 BMW X5 reliable?
It scores 79 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 26th riskiest of the 270 2014 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2014 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the BMW X5 is best?
Within the 2007–2015 generation, 2007 scores best at 66 out of 100 and 2014 worst at 79. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed