The 2013 BMW X5 has 5 recalls, the most serious being a Takata airbag defect where the inflator can explode and send metal fragments into the cabin, posing a risk of serious injury or death to the driver or passengers.
Both the driver and front passenger airbag inflators are affected by this issue, and prior repair attempts may not have fully resolved it for all vehicles. On the drivetrain side, water and debris can work into the front driveshaft's universal joint, wearing it down until it fails and the front wheels lose drive power, reducing traction. There is also an engine concern specific to diesel models: a bolt on the engine's idler pulley can loosen and break over time, causing sudden loss of power steering and raising the risk of a crash.