BMW i5 Complaints

26 consumer complaints on file.

#11735810May 5, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
While driving under normal conditions at roadway speed, the panoramic sunroof glass suddenly failed with a loud explosive sound. There was no observed impact, no debris strike, and no prior damage to the glass. The failure resulted in a large central blowout with shattered glass and fragments displaced outward from the vehicle. The failed component is the panoramic sunroof glass panel, which remains available for inspection. This incident created a safety risk due to the sudden explosive event while the vehicle was in motion, which could startle the driver and nearby motorists. At the time of the failure, the interior fabric sunshade was closed, which prevented glass from entering the passenger compartment. Had the shade been open, shattered glass would have fallen into the vehicle and could have caused injury to occupants. There were no warning lights, messages, or prior symptoms before the failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735764May 5, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
On May 3, 2026, while operating my 2024 BMW i5 on public roads, the vehicle suffered a sudden and complete loss of power steering with no prior warning. I could not turn the steering wheel at a stop. The instrument cluster simultaneously displayed: "Vehicle may roll. Brake manually," "Drive carefully. Changed steering effort," "Drive carefully. Chassis stabilization," and "Parking assistance malfunction." Auto Hold and the electronic parking brake's hold function were disabled, requiring manual brake application to prevent rollaway. Mileage at incident: approximately 21,344 miles. The simultaneous failure of Electric Power Steering, Dynamic Stability Control, and the Electronic Parking Brake while the vehicle was in motion in traffic created an immediate safety hazard. No crash or injury occurred, but a recurrence at highway speed, on a wet road, or during an evasive maneuver could foreseeably cause loss of vehicle control, crash, injury, or death. The vehicle was taken to an authorized BMW dealer. The technician stated this failure is a known issue following a recent vehicle software update, that BMW has no repair available, and that the only action taken was to power-cycle the vehicle and clear stored fault codes. No software remedy, parts replacement, or TSB was provided. I was given no assurance the failure will not recur and no timeline for a fix. To my knowledge, no recall has been issued for this defect on the i5 platform. I request that NHTSA evaluate the scope of this issue across the i5 fleet and determine whether a defect investigation or recall is warranted.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734453April 28, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While merging onto [XXX] from an on-ramp in [XXX] , I received a dashboard warning stating “Brake system and chassis stabilization – braking may require additional force.” This occurred during active acceleration and merging into highway traffic. At the time of the warning, I experienced reduced confidence in braking performance and increased concern about the vehicle’s ability to stop safely under normal conditions. The situation created a potential safety risk, as I was entering high-speed traffic and required predictable braking capability to adjust to surrounding vehicles. There were no prior warning messages or symptoms before this event. The issue appeared suddenly while driving. After the warning appeared, I drove cautiously and reduced speed, avoiding heavy braking as advised by the system message. I proceeded directly to a nearby dealership and left the vehicle for inspection. The vehicle is currently awaiting diagnosis by an authorized service center. The issue has not yet been confirmed or reproduced by the dealer at the time of this report. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733770April 25, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The dealer is refusing to remedy the recall campaign No.26V-09 stating that we need to wait for service to be due to address it. NHTSA letter says otherwise.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733119April 22, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle listed has an unfixable defect (water valve/coolant issue) that creates a safety hazard in an electric vehicle, BMW, the manufacturer has failed to provide a remedy within a reasonable timreframe. AC Coolant valve and high voltage battery are part of the same loop which make this vehicle a safety hazard. The No fix as of today. Authorized BMW dealer feedback: ROAD TESTED WITH CUSTOMER AND HEARD NOISE CUSTOMER IS CONCERNED ABOUT. CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM A WATER VALVE LOCATED UNDER THE HOOD DURING ACTIVATION. TEST DROVE VEHICLE WITH BMW TSE, NO CURRENT FIX AVAILABLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729663April 7, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
The contact owns a 2025 BMW I5. The contact stated that while driving at 6 MPH before dawn, the brakes became inoperable while making a left turn and a right U-turn around a van. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard, went up the curb, made a quick right turn to avoid a major crash, and eventually crashed into a hedge and a sign. The driver shifted to neutral, and the vehicle rolled to the second street. No warning lights illuminated. The contact sustained an injury to his shoulder, and medical attention was provided. A police report was filed. There was no fire or airbag deployment. The contact called 911. The police department went to the scene. The contact made a video of the incident. The brakes were previously replaced. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. The manufacturer was contacted, and a regional investigator was assigned. The failure mileage was approximately 16,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11729328April 6, 2026
POWER TRAIN, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Vehicle History & Initial Defect: I took delivery of a used 2025 BMW i5 in November 2025 (~1025 mi). Upon delivery, the vehicle immediately displayed a persistent "Acoustic Pedestrian Warning" failure. This was a direct violation of FMVSS No. 141 (Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and EV). Despite dealer assurances that a software update would resolve the issue, the failure persisted through multiple repair attempts in late 2025 and early 2026. Critical System Failures (Jan-Apr 2026): On January 18, 2026, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic drivetrain failure while in motion, displaying the messages: "Stop. Apply parking brake. Drivetrain malfunction. You cannot continue driving" and "Stop carefully now. Faults. Do not continue driving." The vehicle was rendered inoperable. Subsequently, the vehicle has been subject to five (5) total repair attempts for these and related electronic faults, including "Phantom Warnings" of the hood and trunk being open while traveling at highway speeds. Unintended Emergency Braking Event (April 4, 2026): Within 48 hours of a 31-day repair stay (where the manufacturer insisted the vehicle was safe), the Driver Assistance Professional Package (DAPP) failed. While driving on a high-speed highway, the system prompted me to place my hands on the steering wheel. I complied immediately, yet the vehicle failed to recognize human intervention. The car then initiated a sudden, unintended emergency braking maneuver in active traffic. There was a significant lag before the system relinquished control, nearly resulting an accident. Manufacturer Negligence: Despite these life-threatening failures and the vehicle meeting the 30-day out-of-service threshold under California law, BMW North America has formally denied a repurchase on 3Apr26. They have failed to warn of continued safety risks and persist in claiming the vehicle is repaired despite repeated recurrences of the same failures. I have declared a "Safety Stop Use" on the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11722386March 6, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Loss power and system reset
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11721496March 2, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
The car shut off unexpectedly while driving down a main road. There was first a power train warning, suggesting taking the car to the dealer and to drive cautiously. Then the car suddenly had an emergency power failure and the car shut completely off. Luckily I was able to coast into a subdivision. If I had been on a major highway this could have been deadly. The care then become inoperable and could not be turned on or even put in neutral. My car was dead in the middle of the road.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704372December 10, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES
Battery tempature warning-Constant banging sound while driving. Know EV defect per BMW, No fix in place.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688366September 19, 2025
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact's insurer owned a 2024 BMW I5. The contact stated that the insurer received notice of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V104000 (Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while the insurer was parking the vehicle, and the brake was depressed, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated and collided with a store's side wall. The contact stated that, to her knowledge, there were no injuries. The contact added that she did not have notice of a police report or that medical attention was needed at this time. The vehicle was towed to a body shop where it was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686791September 12, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While driving in heavy highway traffic at approximately 5–10 mph, the vehicle suddenly displayed a red warning message and symbol in the driver’s gauge cluster indicating the car was shutting down. About 15–20 seconds later, propulsion was completely lost, although power steering and braking remained available. I attempted to change gears and restart the car by turning it on and off, but nothing worked. I activated the hazard lights since the car was stopped in traffic and posed a danger to surrounding vehicles. Because the vehicle would not respond, I opened and closed the driver’s door and then attempted to restart. At that point, the vehicle restarted, and I was able to continue driving. Out of caution, I remained in the slow lane for the rest of the trip home in case the problem occurred again. The incident created a serious safety risk in the middle of highway traffic. The failure matches the description in BMW’s recent recall (25V395) involving electric drive motor software that can erroneously shut down the high-voltage system after displaying a red warning. However, the manufacturer’s recall lookup currently does not show my vehicle as included. This issue has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center. I will be contacting them this morning and reporting the issue to them and probably taking it in for inspection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686161September 9, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Make extreme high fan noise during and after super fast charging sessions (Electrify America), overheating issues, unlike all other Evs that do not. Constant clunking sound during and after departing from sessions. Periodic banging sound when parked. Sounds can be observed inside and outside of vehicle. Signs of defect and overheating, safety concerns not addressed by purchasing dealer and manufacture BMW NA. I have video recordings of the issue, and have taking it to two separate BMW dealers no resolution and can not have my kids in the car due to safety concerns.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673828July 15, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
While reversing my 2024 BMW i5, the main infotainment display repeatedly blacks out for 3–5 seconds, eliminating the rear-view camera image. The blackout occurs without warning, roughly once every 25-30 reverse maneuvers, leaving zero rearward visibility and forcing hard braking to avoid pedestrians and fixed objects. Component/system: Central Information Display / rear-view camera feed (BMW head unit). The original head unit was replaced by the dealer on 07/15/2025 after BMW opened TSARA case 4211001. The removed head unit is in the dealer’s possession and the vehicle is available for inspection. Safety risk: Loss of the only rear-vision aid on this vehicle during backing makes collision with people or property likely. I have had to stop abruptly multiple times to avoid hitting pedestrians in parking lots. Dealer/manufacturer involvement: • First visit: 03/2025 — dealer “unable to replicate,” no repair performed. • Second visit: 07/09–07/15/2025 — dealer replaced head unit; problem persists. The dealer refused to open a PUMA escalation on the first visit but did open TSARA on the second. Warning lamps/messages: None. Blackout is sudden and without any fault codes visible to the driver. Reproduction: Intermittent; has recurred after parts replacement. Incident dates, times, and durations have been logged by the owner. Availability for inspection: Vehicle and dealership service records—including TSARA log—are available upon request. Hopefully, my issue is resolved. I will endeavor to update NHTSA if the issue persists further.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646396March 4, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
During a red light stop, car took off with a massive acceleration after release of breaks and hit the car standing in front of it, causing a significant damage to the front of the car. None of the accident prevention systems, emergency breaks were triggered or activated. Car is equipped with accident record system for 30 seconds before and after an impact, nothing was recorded. Manufacturer promised to investigate but has been more than a week but no one arrived to the collision center yet.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11639213January 28, 2025
STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
I was driving east bound on [XXX] near the [XXX] exit and using the fully automated driving (where I am watching the road to take over if necessary but the vehicle was maintaining speed and steering) I received the following errors: (I symbol error) Reduced driver assistance, (triangle error) Forward Collision Mitigation, (triangle error) Assisted Driving, (I symbol) Lane Change Assistant. Directly after receiving these errors the steering wheel was stuck at center and required an extreme amount of effort to turn the wheel in any direction. At first I thought it was because the automated system was still engaged but I tried to turn it off and nothing happened. At this point I am getting a little scared as the vehicle is responding to my pedal input but the steering wheel will not release properly. I tried calling the BMW Assist people and they told me to call roadside assistance which would not have helped in my opinion so I told them I didn't want to be transferred over there. I decided to drive the rest of the way home as it was mostly straight getting there. I was concerned that I would have no evidence of this happening so I took a video of what was happening while still on the freeway and recorded my driving for evidence if needed. I was able to exit the highway with extreme difficulty in turning the steering wheel to the point that I was worried I wouldn't be able to capture it on my recording because I thought I might need to use both hands due to the extreme resistance the vehicle was causing. The vehicle finally released the steering wheel so I could drive normally once I came to a complete stop at [XXX] (the exit went into a roundabout and there was no oncoming traffic so I did not stop directly off the highway). I have informed both BMW Northwest (the dealer I purchased from) and BMW USA of this issue and am currently awaiting a response from BMW USA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11631427December 18, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am writing to formally address concerns regarding the recall on my vehicle and its impact on my ownership experience. 1.Recall Disclosure: According to your records, the recall on my vehicle was issued on 2/12/24. However, I purchased (or leased) the vehicle on 7/21/24 from an authorized dealership. At the time of sale, I was not informed of any open recall, nor was it disclosed by the dealership. According to them, there was no stop sale issued for the vehicle. If I had been made aware of the recall, it could have influenced my decision to proceed with the purchase/lease. 2.Ongoing Impact: This unresolved recall has significantly affected my ability to transfer the lease to a qualified individual, creating financial difficulties. Despite nearly a year since the recall’s issue date, my vehicle has not exhibited any signs or warnings related to the recall. This lack of resolution is now directly impacting my personal finances. Requested Resolution: I kindly request the following: •Confirmation of the exact date my vehicle was added to the recall list and whether a stop sale order was issued. •An immediate update on the recall’s resolution timeline. •Compensation or financial assistance for the inconvenience caused by this prolonged delay. I believe this matter warrants urgent attention, as the lack of disclosure and delay in resolving the recall has created unnecessary financial and logistical burdens. Thank you for addressing this issue promptly. I look forward to your response.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629951December 10, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
The contact owns a 2024 BMW I5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V104000 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629241December 6, 2024
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2024 BMW I5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V104000 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11621364October 22, 2024
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE
The contact owns a 2024 BMW i5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V104000 (Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the "Driver Restraint System Malfunction" message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000. The VIN tool confirms that parts are not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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