The 2000 BMW X5 has 10 recalls, the most serious being a Takata airbag inflator in the driver's sport steering wheel that can explode during deployment and send metal fragments into the cabin, with the potential for serious injury or death.
Two separate steering recalls cover the same underlying defect: a plastic collar on the lower steering shaft may not have been fully seated during assembly, and over time, especially on rough roads, the input shaft can separate from the steering rack, causing a sudden loss of steering control. On the brake side, the brake pedal arm pivot shaft can loosen and eventually detach from its support bracket, leaving the brake pedal with no effect. A separate brake line issue involves the front brake hose slipping out of its retaining bracket and rubbing against the tire until it wears through, leading to brake fluid loss and reduced stopping ability. There is also a drivetrain concern on 4.4i models: debris can build up on the contacts inside the park/neutral switch, causing the engine to lose power unexpectedly while driving. One recall involves a missing wheel rim size on the compliance label, which is an administrative issue with no direct safety consequence.
