BMW X5 Height Control Failing, Seeking Honest Service

Hey there! Had the exact same issue with my 2010 BMW X6 last year. The height control sensor and control rod were acting up, causing uneven stance and headlight pointing problems. Got the warning light too. Got it fixed at a garage, turned out the control rod on the height level sensor was defective and had some corrosion. They had to replace both the sensor and the rod assembly. It wasn't a quick fix, took them about 4-5 hours total. This is actually a fairly common issue with these models when they age. Not a major mechanical problem, but definitely needs proper fixing to prevent further suspension damage. Just make sure they check both front and rear sensors, as they often fail together. Also, have them verify the suspension compressor while they're at it. My advice: Get it checked soon. The uneven stance can mess with your alignment and tire wear if left too long. Best of luck!

Thanks for sharing your experience! Glad to hear I'm not alone with this issue. My X5 is showing those exact symptoms. Quick question, do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for the full repair? Also, has everything been working smoothly since then? I want to budget properly and make sure I get it done right the first time.

Hey again! Just wanted to follow up, I actually got this fixed pretty recently. The total bill came to 110 € for replacing the control rod on the faulty sensor. Since seeing the mechanic, the "Height control restricted" warning has completely disappeared and everything's back to normal. The car's sitting level again and those annoying headlight issues are gone too. I've put about 3,000 km on it since the repair and haven't had a single problem with the height control system. The suspension's working exactly like it should now. It really was worth getting it sorted properly, driving feels so much better when your car isn't doing that weird tilting thing! I got lucky with the cost since only the control rod needed replacing, not the whole sensor unit. That would've been quite a bit more expensive. Sounds like you're dealing with the same thing I had, so hopefully your repair bill will be similar. Just make sure they do a proper diagnosis first, these BMWs can be tricky sometimes! Let me know how it goes with yours!

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! Just got back from the mechanic today and wanted to share my experience. The repair went better than expected! You were right about the control rod, that's exactly what was causing my issues. Had to wait a couple of hours while they worked on it, but I spent way less than I feared. Bill came to about 140 € for parts and labor. I was honestly expecting much worse after my last mechanic disaster! The car's sitting perfectly level now, and those annoying headlight problems are gone. Already drove it for a few hours and what a difference! No more warning lights, and the suspension feels solid again. Really appreciate your advice, it helped me feel more confident going into the repair. Guess sometimes these car issues aren't as scary as we build them up to be in our heads. Still keeping my fingers crossed, but so far everything's working great. Thanks again for helping me through this!