Complaint 888189

2004 BMW X5 • EXTERIOR LIGHTING • incident Nov 21, 2006

Crash
No
Fire
No
Injuries
0
Deaths
0
Complaint ID
888189
Make
BMW
Model
X5
Model Year
2004
Component
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Incident Date
Nov 21, 2006
Date Received
Oct 31, 2011
Data As Of
Sep 1, 2026

Complaint Summary

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Owner Narrative

THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES (BRAKE LIGHTS AND RUNNING LIGHTS) HAS FAILED ON THIS VEHICLE THREE TIMES( THE LEFT ASSEMBLY AND ONCE ON THE RIGHT). ALL FAILURES WERE DUE TO CORROSION (VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT). THE LEFT ASSEMBLY FAILED IN NOVEMBER 2006 (AT APPROXIMATELY 42,000 MILES) AND AGAIN IN MARCH 2011 (AT APPROXIMATELY 110,000 MILES). THE RIGHT ASSEMBLY FAILED IN FEBRUARY 2009 (AT APPROXIMATELY 68,000 MILES). THESE FAILURES ARE NOT LIGHT BULBS THAT BURNT OUT BUT COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE HOUSING THAT HOLDS THE LIGHT BULBS. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. WHEN THE DASHBOARD MESSAGE INDICATES "CHECK BRAKE LIGHTS" OR "CHECK REAR LIGHTS" AND I DO THE LIGHTS APPEAR TO WORK FINE (ALL LIGHTS ON WHEN SWITCHED ON OR WHEN BRAKES APPLIED). MESSAGE GOES OFF AND MAY STAY OFF FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND THEN RETURNS AND LIGHTS UP WITH EVERY APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES. THERE ARE SEVERAL SIMILAR CARS IN USE AND ALL OF THEM HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES. *TR

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.