Most common 2018 BMW X5 problems
Share of the 73 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
BMW X5 complaints by model year
Best X5 years: 2016, 2014, 2017. Years to avoid: 2024, 2025, 2012, 2011, 2019. Compare all years →
2018 BMW X5 recalls (5)
Electrical system › Wiring › Connectors/plugs/receptacles
BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, 2015-2016 428xi vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the water pump and plug connector as necessary, and install a protective shield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025.
Fuel system, diesel › Delivery › Fuel pump
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.
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.
Equipment › Electrical
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW 330e iPerformance, i3 Rex, i3 Sport Rex, X5 xDrive40e, i3 BEV, i3 Sport BEV and 2019 i8 and i8 Roadster vehicles and 2018-2019 530e iPerformance, 530e xDrive iPerformance and 740Le xDrive iPerformance vehicles.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the charging cable, and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower arm
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 xDrive35d, and X6 sDrive35i vehicles. The pivot bolt on the front lower-left control arm may not have been properly hardened, which may cause the control arm to break.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lower-left control arms and replace if necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 11, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Suspension
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW X5 SAV, X5 M SAV, X6 SAV, and X6 M SAV vehicles. Bolts that secure the front suspension may not have been properly tightened.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the wishbone suspension bolts, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 8, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2018 BMW X5:
High pressure fuel pump failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE21-021 on October 14, 2021, to investigate incidents alleging a stall/loss of motive power as a result of high-pressure fuel pump failures in certain model year (MY) 2019-2020 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 heavy duty trucks equipped with 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel engines.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles.
What 2018 BMW X5 owners say
Engine & cooling all 20 →
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X5. The contact stated that a low coolant message was displayed on the instrument panel while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was initially taken to a dealer where an oil change was performed, and the contact was informed that there were no other defects found with the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure returned a week after the oil change and the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic informed the contact that the intake manifold was cracked and that the EGR valve cooler was defective, and that both parts needed to be replaced. The mechanic replaced the intake manifold and the EGR cooler and informed the contact that there was an unknown recall on the vehicle for the defect. The manufacturer was notified of the failure; however, the contact was denied a reimbursement request. …
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X5. The contact stated while his wife was starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooling system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but experienced the failure a second time three days later. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer, where the vehicle was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V907000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 47,190.
Fuel & propulsion system
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. After restarting the vehicle, the contact observed white smoke and embers coming from the EGR cooler and intake manifold. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V907000 (Fuel System, Diesel); the VIN was included, but the vehicle was already repaired in 2022. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 66,000.
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X5. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the coolant low warning message was displayed. The contact checked the coolant level and noticed that the coolant level was low and added coolant. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but no failure was found. The coolant level was topped off however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V907000 (Fuel System, Diesel) and that the recall repair was previously performed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and case was filed but did not provide no assistance. The failure mileage was 49,000.
Electrical system
In the last week my BMW's wires are chewed by the rodents twice. After doing some research, I found that BMW uses soy/oil based wire coatings or coverings that attract rodents and cause damage to the vehicle. I found many forums where this incident is reported or discussed, but no action has been taken by the BMW to replace the material of wires. With the wires chewed up the communication of different parts of the system becomes incommunicable. It is not able to communicate the pedestrian warning, collision warning, power steering wheel becomes hard and not easy to navigate, chassis stabilization error and many more errors pop up. BMW Dealership as well as BMW north America's response is that this is external forces that they do not have control and not covered in any warranty. …
BMW issued a recall in October 2024 regarding the engine coolant pump electrical connector on my 2018 BMW X5 xDrive40e, warning of electrical shorts and fire risks. It's now late March 2025-approximately six later-and BMW dealerships still state explicitly they have no available remedy and no timeline for repair. Recently, my vehicle showed a drivetrain warning message, which I suspect is recall-related. I called BMW corporate recall hotline and my local BMW dealership (BMW of Tenafly) today (March 24, 2025). The dealership explicitly stated that they can only perform diagnostics, and even if their diagnostics confirm my drivetrain issue is recall-related, they 'cannot do anything' due to BMW's lack of available recall remedy. …
2018 BMW X5 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 23 / 29 / 25 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo plug-in hybrid | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 23 / 25 / 24 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 18 / 25 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 18 / 24 / 20 |
| 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2018 BMW X5 a good car?
Based on 73 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2018 X5 rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the X5 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 BMW X5?
The engine & cooling — 20 complaints, 27% of all complaints for this model year, most often about exhaust system › emission control › gas recirculation valve (egr valve). Next are the fuel & propulsion system (18) and electrical system (15).
How many recalls does the 2018 BMW X5 have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2018 BMW X5, the most recent from August 13, 2024 (connectors/plugs/receptacles). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the BMW X5?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2016, 2014 and 2017. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2025, 2012, 2011 and 2019. See the full BMW X5 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2018 BMW X5 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 32,000 miles; 67% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.