Buying Advice BMW X5 (F15) 2014–2018 Common Issues Engines Inspection

Hi everyone, welcome to another buyers review, today we will review the last generation or in the future the third generation X5 that was built between 2014 and 2018. This is quite a popular SUV, this is also understandable from a driving point of view and styling point of view. Personally I always thought the X5 looked good, a bit aggressive and the ML looked more upper class. Rivals for this car are the ML, The Q5/Q7 from Audi and the Lexus RX models. In this review we will point out some of the weaknesses that these X5’s have.

For the record, the internal code for this third generation X5 is F15. As expected the X5 comes with many engines to choose from, 4 cylinders, 6 cylinders and even a v8. Lets start off with the obvious, all X5’s either petrol or diesel are not very frugile, offcource the diesels are better but come on, you are not driving the X5 if you care about fuel saving. And the overall running costs of these cars are high, fuel, tire replacements, roadtax, repairs and depreciation are all higher then other cars outside this segment but comparable to their competitors. With this car you need to funds to keep it maintained, buying an X5 on a budget is not recommended.

Always check the interior for wear and tear. This is people carrier or the car was used to move items around, so check the interior seats, headrests and all buttons on the dashboard and doorpanels. Also check if the electric seats still work if the car was specced with this. Overall the interior is of good quality, there are some reports of damage on the sides of the drivers seat, so check this carefully.

Even though this X5 will not be used in the terrain often, it might be a good idea to check the chassis for damages. Last but not least there is some road noise coming from the drivers door, sometimes the door need some adjustments to decrease the noise.

Chassis

Various options where available when it comes to the chassis, the standard chassis is the most durable but some find it lacks in comfort. The aditional adaptive settings can turn the chassis into comfort mode and sports mode, the difference is noticable. There was an optional airsuspension available for the rear axel which improved comfort. Great feature but just like Mercedes a bit vulnerable. If you opt for a car with air suspension, make sure that you check if the car is leveled on a flat surface. Repairs are expensive.

I say this more often, check what brand of tires are fitted on the car, cheap rubber of the upperclass brands, this says a lot the rest of the car in terms of maintenace.

Drivetrain

Again, I say this more often, BMW says you do not need to do any maintenance on the automatic gearboxes. Flushing the gearbox every 100.000 KM can prolonge the life of the gearbox and can prevent problems from getting out of hand. This is always a better and above all cheaper option than replacing your gearbox. Other thing, if you want to go for a v8 then the xDrive50i is probably one of the most reliable, better than its predecessor. The 4.4 v8 uses some oil from time to time, that is something to keep and mind and regularly check the oil level.

Electronics

The X5 is loaded with electronics, so check if it all works properly, sometimes there are issues with the rear view camera, so check this when your X5 is equipped with this option. Another weaker point is the electronically adjusted stearing wheel. Then another issue with the v8 that was equipped with the Bosch CP4 high pressure fuel pump, make sure you get premium fuel for these engines otherwise over time the fuel pump might fail on you. So with import cars from the United States or Eastern Europe, be extra careful.

Thanks for watching this video, on my website you can find an overview of all available engines for this generation X5.

Engine choices

Petrol
xDrive35i 306 pk/ 400 Nm
xDrive50i met 450 pk/ 650 Nm
X5M 575 pk/ 750 Nm

PHEV
xDrive40e 313 pk/ 450 Nm

Diesel
sDrive25d 218 pk/ 450 Nm
xDrive25d 218 pk/ 450 Nm
sDrive25d 231 pk/ 500 Nm
xDrive25d 231 pk/ 500 Nm
xDrive30d 258 pk/ 560 Nm
xDrive40d 313 pk/ 630 Nm
M50d 381 pk/ 740 Nm