Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 BMW X5 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2006 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, there was an electrical burning odor inside the vehicle. The ABS, brakes, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle was driven to the residence. On another occasion, the contact had to redirect the steering wheel into a different lane while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who changed the oil and replaced the alternator; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic and was diagnosed with multiple electrical failures. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer and a diagnostic test was pending. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 193,000.
I put a new battery and I need to unplugged the negative every time I turn it off. If I don't do this, the next day, the battery would be dead. I checked with the Ancel OBD2 and there's nothing wrong. It doesn't detect anything bad.
My drivers side seat ( cushion) caught on fire when I turned on the heated seats. I first smelled a burning / plastic smell. Then I felt my glutes and hamstring getting warm. I looked down ( I was driving) and saw an orange ember on the seat. I pulled over as soon as I could, hot out of the car, and saw that the seat was actually burning. Luckily I had a bottle of water in the car and put out the flame and turned off the seat. I called the dealer- got a quote to repair. BMW will not take responsibility for this. I have a small burn on my leg, and a good size hole in the seat. I like my heated seats living in the northeast during winter months. Very disappointed that BMW refuses to address this dangerous issue.
While driving on interstate in high speed lane engine suddenly lost power creating danger of rear end collision. In moving to break down lane engine continued to run but would not propel the vehicle over 5 MPH. This problem had occurred two weeks previously when the vehicle was towed to BMW dealer for service. At that time the vehicle was electronically diagnosed and no faults were found or repairs made.the vehicle was again towed to the BMW dealer and no electronic faults were found. This time a mechanical diagnosis was performed and fuel pressure was found to be 12 psi rather that the 55 psi specified. Subsequently the contacts in the fuel pump relay were found to be burned, the fuel filter and pressure regulator were found to contain metal shards, the fuel pump showed no external signs of damage. …
Fire hazard, potential engine shutting of unexpectedly: battery cable at charge point under hood melted and charred . Discovery preceded by noticeable burning smell idling in traffic. Plastic terminal mounting base melted and charred, terminal disconnected from base, plastic insulation around cable terminal crimp charred and missing. Parts affected: 12 42 7 531 720 main power cable charge point to alternator; 12 52 1 439 674 base b+; 61 13 8 371 016 cover base b+. Examination of the crimped terminal connecting the cable to the charge point bolt shows the cable not fully inserted in the terminal before crimping and the terminal not completely soldered to the cable resulting in a high electrical resistance at the terminal and excessive heating when the electrical system under load when the engine is running. …
Heated seats were getting hotter the past couple of uses...until today when I warmed up the car (approximately 3 minutes). I was putting my daughter in her safety seat in the rear passenger side. When I opened the door, the cabin of the vehicle was filled with thick white smoke. I removed my daughter and proceed to ascertain where the smoke was coming from. There was a swirling funnel of smoke coming from the front driver side. I opened the driver side door and observed the driver seat leather burning (fizzling amber fire). I looked over to the seat warmer light and it was on. I turned it off and had to put out the fire by batting my hands against the fire while holding my daughter in the other. The fire left my hands charred and the entire interior of the car smelling like smoke.
Started X5 up and turned on driver 's seat warmer. Let car warm up for 5 minutes and commenced to drive away. One minute down the road I smell smoke like an electrical fire. I feel my left hip getting hot at the same time. I stop car and look down and see a dull red glow from the seat. Immediately turn off heater and get out of car. The driver seat warmer had shorted and burned a hole through the leather seat along the left side of the seat. How hot was it! My pants had been burnt and had a small red mark on my skin. Think goodness I was not severely burned due to the area of my pants that was burnt was also the left back pocket area so the interior pocket fabric help protect me. Wow! Will BMW fix this?????
The passenger side air bag off warning light came on and stays on. The dealer reset the computer. Light went off. The failure recurred again in a few months. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the sensor needed to be replaced. I was informed that my VIN did not meet the recall for replacing the failed mat sensor although other 2006 BMW x5s were recalled for that same failure. The warning light is presently on. I have read of many examples of the same problem. The aging mat become brittle and cracks breaking the circuit. BMW needs to send me a letter and replace my passenger seat mat sensor for free before I have an accident and the passenger is injured.
My vehicles battery keep draining when not drove for two days. I have replaced the battery and it still wont fire after 2 days. I saw the recall about moisture getting into the vehicles positive crank case ventilation valve heater and thought this might be happening with my vehicle causing my battery to be drained. However, I find that my vehicle is not on the recalled list. It still continues to do this.
My vehicles rear doors will not open from the inside or outside. The lock goes up and down, but the doors will not open. The rear passenger door stopped working on the 12th of December 2012 and the rear driver side door stopped working today 18 December 2012. The driver side door stopped working this morning when I dropped my daughter off for school. She was unable to get out of the back seat after multiple unlocking attempts of the rear driver side door. I had to have her climb into the front seat in order to get out of the car. That is terrifying to think that she would not have been able to get out in an emergency, fire, or accident. After doing some research online I found that this seems to be an ongoing issue with this model and other BMW models. I am assuming and concerned that my front driver side and passenger side door will do the same. …
Electrical complaints in other X5 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2006 BMW X5?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 BMW X5, 11% of the model year's 195 complaints. The component named most often is wiring (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 BMW X5 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2006 BMW X5, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 BMW X5 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 5 fires and 4 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.