BMW X3 E83 vs BMW X5 E70: which is more reliable?
According to the MotorFiable Score, the BMW X5 E70 (5.2/10) has fewer serious documented faults than the BMW X3 E83 (4.4/10), mainly because of their engines.
| Item | BMW X3 E83 | BMW X5 E70 |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | Mid-size SUV | Mid-size SUV |
| Years | 2003–2010 | 2006–2013 |
| MotorFiable Score | 4.4 out of 10 | 5.2 out of 10 |
| Engine score | 3.6/10 | 4.5/10 |
| Most recommended engine | BMW N52 / N53 · With caution | BMW N62 / N63 · Buy |
| Score for the rest of the car | 5.3/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Suspension | 7.8 out of 101 faultMedium severity | 8.5 out of 101 faultMedium severity |
| Brakes | 8.4 out of 100 faults | 8.6 out of 101 faultCritical severity |
| Steering | 9.3 out of 100 faults | 8.8 out of 101 faultCritical severity |
| Gearbox and clutch | 5.7 out of 104 faultsHigh severity | 5.2 out of 104 faultsHigh severity |
| Electrical system | 8.9 out of 101 faultLow severity | No documented faults |
| Electronics and infotainment | No documented faults | 8.6 out of 101 faultMedium severity |
| Bodywork and interior | 7.5 out of 101 faultHigh severity | 8.9 out of 101 faultMedium severity |
| Airbags and safety | 7.1 out of 101 faultCritical severity | 8.9 out of 101 faultHigh severity |
Scores out of 10: the higher, the fewer serious documented faults. How we calculate them
Main faults of the BMW X3 E83
Outside the engine
- High severityFrequency: CommonGearbox and clutchFragile xDrive transfer case, with jerking under accelerationThe xDrive transfer case on the X3 E83 has gears that are not very robust and can fail if mismatched tyres, uneven pressures between axles or old oil are combined, causing jerking under acceleration; fiches-auto.fr lists around 43 cases among its owner testimonies.
- High severityFrequency: CommonBodywork and interiorWater leaking in through the panoramic roof drainsThe drainage channels of the X3 E83's panoramic roof can become blocked and let water in, damaging the electronics; gebrauchtwagenberater.de puts the repair at an official BMW dealer at €2,100, and fiches-auto.fr lists similar cases of up to €2,500.Repair: €2,100
- Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalAirbags and safetyRisk of the driver's airbag inflator rupturing (Takata)Yes: BMW has issued three successive campaigns for the X3 E83 over the Takata driver's airbag inflator, whose chemical propellant can degrade over time and, if the airbag deploys, throw out fragments that injure the occupants.
In their engines
- Critical severityFrequency: Very frequentBMW N47Rear timing chain stretch and breakageYes: the N47 has its timing chain at the rear of the engine, next to the gearbox, and on a very high proportion of units, especially those built between 2007 and 2009, it stretches or breaks prematurely because of an inadequate tensioner, with a risk of destroying the engine.Repair (garage): €1,590–€3,000Appears at around 50,000 km
- Critical severityFrequency: Very frequentBMW M47Intake swirl flap breakage (swirl flaps)Yes: the common rail versions of the M47 (built since 2001) have flaps in the intake manifold that, with diesel soot and heat cycles, can break and be sucked into the cylinder, with a risk of serious damage to the piston, cylinder head and valves.
- Critical severityFrequency: CommonBMW N47Broken intake manifold swirl flapsYes: the N47's intake manifold has plastic swirl flaps that, with diesel soot and the passing years, can crack, come loose and be sucked into the cylinder, with a risk of seriously damaging the piston, cylinder head and valves.
Main faults of the BMW X5 E70
Outside the engine
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalGearbox and clutchxDrive transfer case failure on the X5 E70According to testimonies on fiches-auto.fr, the X5 E70 transfer case accounts for 18 mentions out of 152 testimonies, with jerking during low-speed manoeuvres, vibrations and 4x4/DSC warnings, linked to neglected oil changes and wear of the internal clutch plates.
- Critical severityFrequency: RareBrakesOil in the brake servo damages the diaphragm and removes assistance (built 2006-2010)Yes: according to Gebrauchtwagenberater.de, BMW recalled X5s built from 2006 to 2010 because engine oil could enter the brake servo, damage its diaphragm and cause loss of brake assistance.
- Critical severityFrequency: RareSteeringPower steering control unit: loss of assistance and fire risk (X5 E70 from 2011-2013)Yes: Gebrauchtwagenberater.de reports a power steering assistance fault on X5 E70s built in April-May 2012, and a European alert also covers BMW's electric power steering control unit from 2011 to 2016, with a fire risk.
In their engines
- Critical severityFrequency: Very frequentBMW N57EGR cooler leaks with risk of engine fireYes: like the N47 and B47, the N57 is covered by BMW's service campaign for EGR cooler leaks, which can mix coolant with soot and oil to combustion temperatures. BMW checks free of charge the 6-cylinder engines built between July 2012 and June 2015 because of the fire risk.
- Critical severityFrequency: CommonBMW N57Rear timing chain wearThe N57 inherits from the N47 the timing chain at the rear of the block, next to the gearbox, which complicates any repair. Unlike the N47, there is no documented campaign or wave of mass claims, and cases of serious wear appear mainly above 200,000 km.
- Critical severityFrequency: CommonBMW M57Broken intake swirl flapsYes: most automatic M57 and M57TU engines (330d, 530d, 535d, 730d, X3 3.0d and so on) have six metal flaps in the intake manifold that can seize, come loose and wreck a cylinder. The E53 X5 3.0d and the manual gearboxes of the first 330d/530d are free of them, according to a specialist workshop.