BMW X5 Complaints

420 consumer complaints on file.

#11693874October 16, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the coolant warning light illuminated with the message "Coolant Dangerously Low - Fill Right Away" displayed on the instrument panel. The message was displayed on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the dealer discovered coolant leaking from the bottom of the vehicle and diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693718October 15, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine/transmission mounts were diagnosed by Sterling BMW (Newport Beach, CA) as “sagging” and in need of replacement at only 38,437 miles. The components remain on the vehicle and are available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? If engine mounts are in fact deteriorating prematurely, the drivetrain may shift during operation, affecting vehicle stability, steering alignment, and braking response. This could cause a sudden loss of control and create a hazard to occupants and other drivers. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Sterling BMW performed the inspection on October 2, 2025, and documented the issue in their inspection report, listing “motor mounts are sagging” under “Needs Immediate Attention,” with an estimated repair cost of $2,301.12. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? BMW of North America was contacted on October 15, 2025. They verbally denied warranty coverage, refused to provide a written response, and did not investigate further. The issue has not been independently inspected by police or insurance representatives. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No dashboard warning lights or messages appeared. The issue was only reported by the dealer during the October 2, 2025 service visit. I have not experienced noticeable vibration, noise, or performance changes that would typically indicate failed mounts. This raises concern that the diagnosis may either indicate a premature defect or an unnecessary upsell.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692275October 9, 2025
STEERING:COLUMN, STEERING
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692077October 8, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The front differential on my BMW failed at just 47,000 miles. There were no warning lights—only a faint grinding noise that gradually worsened. After inspection, the dealership confirmed the failure and quoted $9,000 for replacement. In speaking with other BMW owners, I’ve discovered this issue isn’t isolated. Many have experienced front differential failures around the 50,000-mile mark, suggesting a troubling pattern. This raises serious concerns about the reliability of this component and whether BMW is adequately addressing what appears to be a recurring problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691863October 7, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving my 2025 BMW X5 xDrive50e, a “Power Supply Malfunction – Stop Vehicle Immediately” warning appeared on the dashboard, advising me to pull over and call roadside assistance. The vehicle had previously been repaired for the same issue at Braman BMW in Miami, but the malfunction recurred the next day after getting it back. Prior to this, the car was out of service for 103 days following an accident due to BMW’s inability to supply a backordered acceleration sensor. The repair was completed in August 2025. The repeated “Power Supply Malfunction” messages raise concerns about the reliability of the electrical and hybrid power systems and potential loss of power while driving. The issue has been confirmed and documented by Braman BMW. The component remains under BMW inspection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691210October 3, 2025
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2024 BMW X5. 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 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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690997October 2, 2025
POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES
2024 BMW X5 with 22k miles, leasing the vehicle. Had the vehicle in the dealer, Herb Chambers BMW of Boston a few months ago to fix a brake recall and change the oil. Dealer said they fixed both, and also said they needed the vehicle all day to fix the brakes, so they got me an Uber and then dropped off the vehicle when it was completed. Fast forward to today, October 2, 2025. Drive train warning came up when driving the vehicle, told to find a safe place to stop, within 10 seconds the vehicle lost most of engine power. Was able to stop in a safe location, contacted roadside assistance, numerous warnings came up on screen. Roadside assistance said to start and stop the vehicle and this cleared the message, said that vehicle was safe to drive, it was probably just a sensor issue that put the vehicle into some type of safe mode (what a horrible thing to do, an enormously unsafe as the operator should determine this). Two days later, another drive train warning and the vehicle on it's own moved the transmission into neutral while driving at 30mph. This issue with going into neutral on it's own, I found out through speaking with my wife, that this happened a couple of week prior as well. I called road side assistance and had the vehicle towed, called the dealer to get a loaner as this vehicle is not safe to drive in it's current condition. After this issue, I looked my vehicle up by VIN and saw that the brake recall wasn't fixed yet to my surprise. When I spoke to the dealer today as the vehicle was being towed there with this drive train issue, I said were my brakes for this recall fixed, they said the software issue was fixed, but not the mechanical issue. I said please fix this brake recall while in there looking at this drive train issue. Vehicle is clearly not safe to drive in this condition, and you can use your imagination if this happened while driving at highway speeds or various other scenarios, not good at all.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690441September 29, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car suddenly dead in the intersection when driving the car, then can’t start the car, can’t shift the gear, stay in neutral position all the time. A message came out staying “Brake problem “! After around 20 minutes, system messaged us “problem solved, OK to drive “, so we were able to start the engine and start driving as normal. I called Service center let them know the scenario but got no answer. After 4 days same problem reoccurring again, this time car dead during left turn, fortunately no car hit our car (we were having 2 babies in the car). A lot of messages showed up, still mentioned “Brake problems “, and after 15-20 minutes, message us again - “Problem solved, ok to drive “. We have AAA tow the car to BMW service center later since we didn’t feel the message was reliable. The service center identified the problem and replaced the Mechatronics Control Unit and returned the car to us after 7 days. I am concerned about the car’s system message, it’s mentioned “Problem solved, OK to drive “, the message could misleading and have been fatal if we continued driving the vehicle to freeway. After we got vehicle back we were still very cautious about the car. I sent my concern to New Central BMW Alhambra CA about one month ago -to the service manager and requested a written explanation of why this faulty message occurred and how BMW engineer plans to prevent this from happening again. But there was no answer so far. There were a “Brake problem recall” and a “Emission Recall “for this vehicle and we went through the procedure already before these 2 brake problems.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690421September 29, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Around September, 2025 several small puddles was under the vehicle. Made an appointment with BMW to have a 2021, X5 inspected. The BMW dealership technicians diagnosed the problem as a Water pump -Engine coolant. There was no previous warning messages notifying a problem with the vehicle cooling system. Vehicle total mileage was around 58,000 miles at the time of problem found.Cost of damage was over $2,000 to fix at dealership.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690191September 28, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
My BMW X5 has a recall on the braking system that was sent to me on October 2024 and still nothing has been done about it yet, the dealer always says it's not available yet, I believe this problem should be fixed by now and wonder if BMW will ever fix this problem, I believe they have had enough time to correct this. [XXX] , [XXX] 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
#11689269September 23, 2025
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2024 BMW X5. 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 not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689259September 23, 2025
STEERING, POWER TRAIN
Steering the vehicle in a low gear causes the vehicle to tremble or shudder. The dealership identified the problem to be the transfer case fluid. In manufacturing, BMW put a fluid which did not meet the specifications of the vehicle. The transfer case fluid is documented in the manual of BMW X5 M50i (2021) to be something which does not require replacement in the lifetime of the vehicle. I raised this issue when the vehicle was under warranty, but the dealership ignored the issue. After the warranty period was over (62,000 miles), the dealer recommended that I replace the fluid to fix the shudder issue. It is a very well known issue, and there is a service bulletin issued to the dealerships to deal with this particular case (SIB 27 02 20). After the fluid replacement, the issue went away. This issue is widely known by the dealership, and it is a safety issue. I had to pay for the fluid replacement, and I believe BMW should have recalled this issue to replace the fluid for ALL X5s manufactured in 2020 and 2021. This is a safety issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689222September 23, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
The rear cross traffic alert on this vehicle either does not work at all or, when it does work, it is ineffective in warning the driver. I brought the vehicle into my BMW dealer and they told me that it is operating as intended. In most cases, when backing out of a parking space or my driveway, I get no warning at all. In some cases, I did get some faint warning that was not obvious enough to actually get my attention. Many times, when I was backing up, I almost was hit by a passing car because I expected to get a warning and did not. There is a very large number of complaints about this problem on the internet. Unfortunately, I did not see these complaints before buying the vehicle. Had I known that this safety feature was ineffective in what it was designed to do, I would not have bought the vehicle. I am actually considering selling vehicle after only 7 months of ownership and taking a loss as a result of this problem. If there is a loss to be taken, it should be by BMW not me as the consumer. I believe that BMW has committed fraud with respect to rear cross traffic alert. They falsely represent that the vehicle has rear cross traffic alert which is a material fact known by them to be false. Buyers, to their own detriment, rely on this false representation in deciding to buy the vehicle. The buyer is not getting an important safety feature that they paid for and the absence of the safety feature puts them at risk of a collision.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689062September 23, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
Component Failed: Water pump (engine cooling system) - Part has been superseded by BMW with upgraded version, indicating manufacturer awareness of defect. Failed component retained and available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: Complete water pump failure at 56,611 miles created immediate risk of catastrophic engine overheating and potential engine seizure while driving. BMW-certified mechanic warned that driving vehicle even short distances could result in total engine failure, creating risk of: Sudden loss of power on highways/intersections Engine fire from overheating Being stranded in dangerous locations/conditions Complete loss of steering assist if engine stops Confirmation: BMW-certified independent mechanic (formerly employed by BMW) confirmed water pump failure and identified it as "common B58 engine issue." BMW dealer (Silver Spring) immediately quoted exact repair cost of $2,300, indicating familiarity with this failure pattern. Mechanic documented that BMW has superseded the original part with an upgraded design, suggesting manufacturer acknowledgment of defect. Inspection Status: Failed part preserved by mechanic with full documentation including BMW's superseded part number from their system. Vehicle not inspected by BMW due to dealer network failure - three dealers failed to respond, one took 5+ hours to return call, none could provide service in reasonable timeframe. Warning Signs: No prior warning symptoms. Failure was sudden and catastrophic. Temperature gauge spiked without warning during normal driving conditions. No previous cooling system issues or warning lights. Regular maintenance performed per BMW specifications. Additional Pattern Evidence: Research reveals extensive documentation of identical B58 engine water pump failures between 40,000-60,000 miles across multiple BMW models (X5, X3, 3-series, 5-series) on owner forums. BMW's decision to supersede the part without issuing a recall suggests they are aware of the defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688338September 19, 2025
SEAT BELTS, SEATS, AIR BAGS
Described by BMW as a "malfunctioning passenger restraint system", the sensor detecting weight in the seats is faulty without any external factors. The safety of both minors and adults is placed at risk when a system like this malfunctions, either keeping the airbag on or off. The automatically-adjusting seatbelt is also affected by this. There was a warning message for this displayed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688281September 19, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Since purchasing the car new, the check engine light has come on repeatedly (probably about ten times in 2+ years). I believe it’s related to the electric charging components. This seems to be a known and unresolved problem with this model. BMW has refused to replace the vehicle or even acknowledge that this is a known problem, even though I paid almost 90K for the car. They just expect me to take it to the dealership every couple of month. I told them I want to trade in the car and asked how they intend to stand behind their defective product, and I have heard nothing in return. The check engine light is currently on since the most recent software update.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688105September 18, 2025
STEERING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
A car from the other side made an illegal left turn in front of me, and I braked very early, yet still slid into them. The car had been inspected at the time at the collision center, and had DTC codes from before repair and after repair, showing the Integrated Brake systems had failures before and after. There was no mention of the results of the inspection until I asked after another braking incident occurred two weeks later. There were moments where a light would pop up for a second, then disappear. It may have happened only once.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688104September 18, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The Integrated Brake System and Dynamic Safety Control both malfunctioned, not turning on. The car is totaled, so I don't think anything is available for inspection. There was water on the highway, and the car ended up going off the road into the grass and rolled over a few times before landing at the bottom of the ditch 100ft away. The car was not inspected because I was not aware of the major recall until I started looking into it. There was a snapshot of the DTC codes two weeks before the incident and there were codes specifically for the IB system as noted in the recall. There may have been one or two times throughout driving the car beforehand that a error light popped up, but then it disappeared almost immediately after.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11687159September 14, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
While driving this new 2025 BMW X5 M60i vehicle with only 6200 miles, all of a sudden battery failure indicator came on in the middle of traffic, followed by drivetrain failure / malfunction indicator came on. BMW roadside assistance was contacted, and advised me to have vehicle stopped and pulled over immediately and towed. Situation was dangerous as the traffic was flowing at 40 mph. Vehicle Eventually totally lost power. It was towed to local BMW dealership where it was purchased from. The dealership service department was able to reproduce the issue, confirmed that it was a cracked transmission casing, resulting in fluid leak, causing electrical failure and leading to mechanical failure. BMW head office was contacted By the dealership service department and new transmission was requested. Please refer to pages 3 and 4 of the service report attached for details. This is a brand-new vehicle, bought directly from dealership 5 months ago, and had been driven with caution and care. No prior indicators were ever noticed. My safety and safety of nearby vehicles was compromised due to the fact that power was suddenly lost and engine failure unexpectedly occured at such low mileage in fastr flowing traffic. It is incomprehensible that a brand-new vehicle such as this would all of a sudden develop a serious malfunction without prior warning, and have a cracked / broken transmission casing which was found to be leaking fluids. It seems it was defective to begin with.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687157September 14, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
NHTSA issued a recall (#24v-104) in Feb of 2024. As yet (1 1/2 years later), no remedy is available. How long must I be at risk of a motor vehicle accident before a solution is available?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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