BMW X5 Complaints

420 consumer complaints on file.

#11719455February 20, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY, AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The seal on the sunroof of the car allows water into the car. My car will be available for inspection upon request. This issue allows water into the car around the b pillar airbag and the side window airbag which can damage the airbag and make it deploy without any accidents or make them not deploy in the case of a accident. BMW has an internal document in which acknowledging the issue with the seal but even though they recognize placing a defective part on the vehicle. They will not assume the cost of the repair if outside de 50k miles warranty. In order for the dealership to take a look at the issue an 200 dollar diagnostic is required but I was informed that if they determined that the issue on hand is due to the defective part. I will still have to pay for the repairs. There weren’t any other signs before the incident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717419February 11, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
the vehicle delays to start and will not recognize that key is in the vehicle. the starter button has to be pushed three times until the vehicle recognizes the key is in the vehicle. the vehicle was inspected at a BMW dealership and no codes or errors were found. battery is still good but possible issues with the starter.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716132February 6, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
I am writing to formally express my concern regarding serious and repeated safety-related failures with my 2022 BMW X5 xDrive45e, VIN [XXX] . I purchased this vehicle in 2022 through a custom build, at a purchase price exceeding $80,000, with the expectation of reliability, safety, and premium quality consistent with the BMW brand. In October 2025, while my wife was driving with my son in the vehicle, the hybrid component safety box failed without warning, causing the vehicle to stall on the roadway. This created a dangerous situation for my family. The vehicle was towed to the dealership, repaired, and returned to me on November 4, 2025. Unfortunately, on February 3, 2026, a second serious incident occurred. After my wife picked up my son from school, the vehicle began jerking violently while driving, and a strong sulphur-like odor entered the cabin. Fearing for their safety, she immediately stopped driving. The vehicle was again towed to BMW of Jackson. I was informed today by the service advisor that the failure is due to another hybrid-related component, specifically the EME Hybrid Inverter, and that BMW North America is declining to cover this repair under warranty. These repeated hybrid system failures are deeply concerning, particularly given that both incidents involved my wife and children and posed clear safety risks. As a result, both of my children are now fearful of riding in the vehicle, and this situation has caused significant emotional distress to my family. Given the nature of these failures, the vehicle’s purchase price, and BMW’s emphasis on safety and engineering excellence, I find it unacceptable that a critical hybrid component failure would not be covered under warranty—especially following a prior hybrid system failure less than four months earlier. I am requesting that BMW North America review this matter promptly and provide a reasonable resolution, including warranty coverage for the EME Hybrid Inverter repair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716116February 6, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
I bought this car and started to have issues after a couple weeks. Because it is a hybrid model, it works perfectly fine when the car is running on the battery. Immediately the engine began to work, I get hesitation and the car drives rough. I took it to the first dealership that said there was water in the engine but they were proved wrong because what they show as water was apparently fuel that did not burn the right way in the cylinder. The dealership came with another excuse that the filter had traces of water which makes them to believe something was wrong. I took the car to another bmw dealership as I did not trust their diagnosis. The other bmw dealership performed some work on the car but then came to the conclusion that their hands were tied because of what the previous dealership reported to bmw north america. I called bmw north america and they told me to go back to the dealership after I had no success at the dealership. I believe this is a lemon case and also constitute a safety hazard because I nearly had an accident because the car switch from running on battery to combustion and immediately on the highway. The speed slows abruptly and car began to drive rough. I would appreciate any traction this can get from the board to resolve this with the manufacturer
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11715819February 5, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
We are reporting a safety issue with the BMW X5 xDrive50e model year 2025. I purchased this car on December 9, 2024, from BMW of Pembroke Pines, 14800 Sheridan Street Pembroke Pines FL 33331. Within two months of purchase, we found that car has unintended acceleration while it is about to be parked at very slow speed. I reported this safety issue to BMW dealer in Pembroke Pines FL where I purchased the Car. The dealership kept this car of investigation. After about five weeks they returned the car with a comment on my invoice that car is working normally. On October 24, 2025, while on vacation to St. Augustine FL and parking at the visitor center SUV accelerated and hit the wall of the visitor center. All the airbags opened and saved us from serious injuries. The crash report of this incident is attached to this report. BMW failed to investigate this issue and put us and others at high risk.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11714543January 30, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the VIN no longer showed the recall as being open. The local dealer was contacted. 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
#11713010January 23, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I purchased the car on 12/29/2025. While driving the car on 1/2/2026, I was parking the vehicle when an error message that said "Drivetrain Malfunction" appeared on the screen, which informed me that I needed to take my car to a service center. Luckily I was not moving at a high rate of speed and I was able to park the vehicle with no issue. I was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer for service the next morning (1/3/2026). They ran diagnostics but were not able to replicate the issue. BMW North America was consulted and they had the dealer drain the battery and reset the system. This cleared the error. The dealer commented that there were two other similar vehicles that were in for the same issue. There were no issues, warning lights prior to the failure, and they first appeared on 1/2/2026. No fix was applied to the car, just a reset of the system. Since then, the car has a slight lurch / jerk when accelerating on occasion in electric only mode.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712989January 23, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle with the Push to START button, the vehicle failed to start. There was a clicking sound coming from under the hood. The failure was intermittent. The contact replaced the hybrid battery; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle started. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a pinned-out emission circuit and starter failure. The contact was informed that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The vehicle was manufactured a month outside the date for the vehicles included in the recall. The contact was advised to contact the manufacturer and make the manufacturer aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712478January 21, 2026
AIR BAGS
Car's information system was giving error stating: "Urgent interior functionality check up. The driver restraint system of your vehicle is malfunctioning. There is an increased risk of injury in case of a collision." Took it to the BMW dealer, they shared this info: Cause: Read out faults found fault 930949 knee air bag drivers short to negative need to replace harnesses as per SIB 65-27-24. Correction: Replace harness for knee air bags. The estimate for this is $2,013.72 which breaks down to parts at $288.96 and 7 hours worth of labor costing $1,724.76. This car is two years old. I would assume this is a manufacturing defect happening at only two years of age.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711745January 18, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
The failure involves the Integrated Brake System, which is subject to a manufacturer issued safety recall, and related braking components including a wheel speed sensor that is part of the brake and stability control system. The vehicle is currently back in my possession and is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of others were put at risk due to sudden and unpredictable loss of braking capability while driving, including abrupt deceleration and stopping in traffic, creating near collision situations. The issue has been reproduced multiple times and confirmed through repeated service visits, with the first and second recall related repairs performed at BMW of West Houston and a third repair attempt performed at BMW of Houston Midtown, following which the vehicle was returned to me. The vehicle has been inspected by authorized BMW dealerships and BMW North America has been notified, though I have not received guidance from corporate BMW regarding a plan moving forward or instructions on how to proceed should a fourth brake failure occur. Brake related warning lamps and system messages appeared following both the first and second recall repairs, and after the October 30, 2025 recall repair the vehicle experienced a brake system failure within approximately 22 miles of driving despite the presence of warning indicators. Given the repeated failures after recall repairs, the prior warning messages, and the lack of direction from BMW North America, I am concerned about operating the vehicle, particularly for longer distances, due to the unpredictable nature of the brake failures and the unresolved safety risk.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710035January 9, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Incident Date: [XXX] Vehicle: 2025 BMW X5 xDrive50e Issue: car fire On [XXX], while operating my 2025 BMW X5 xDrive50e (purchased new on [XXX]), a malfunction warning appeared on the infotainment screen. Immediately following this alert, the vehicle cabin filled rapidly with smoke. Upon stopping and exiting the vehicle, I observed flames coming from underneath the car. The fire quickly spread to the rear and trunk area of the vehicle. The car is likely a total loss. This fire created a life-threatening situation, as the cabin filled with smoke while the vehicle was in motion, requiring an emergency exit before the flames spread. A police report was filed on the date of the incident ([XXX]); a copy of the report is pending. My insurance provider has been notified and is scheduled to inspect the vehicle early next week. Prior to this event, the vehicle had not been involved in any collisions and had no aftermarket modifications. The vehicle is currently located at All Star Collision in Farmingdale, though it is expected to be relocated by Progressive, my insurance carrier, in the near future. A police report was filed today but I have yet to receive a copy. I'm happy to provide if needed upon receipt. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709535January 7, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
Vehicle: 2026 BMW X5 System involved: Parking Assistant Professional (automatic parking) Description of the incident: While using Parking Assistant Professional on my 2026 BMW X5, the vehicle performed an automated parking maneuver and reversed into a stationary wall, causing damage to the rear window, tail light, and paint. The maneuver was initiated by the automated parking system. During the event, there were no audible or visual warnings, no alert prompts, and no system disengagement prior to impact. The vehicle continued reversing until contact occurred. I did not manually apply throttle or steering input during the automated maneuver. The obstacle was a fixed, stationary wall in a normal parking environment. BMW North America later informed me that their investigation concluded the system operated as designed and that certain sensor limitations are described in the owner’s manual. However, from a safety perspective, an automated parking system reversing into a stationary object without warning raises concern, particularly given the absence of alerts or system intervention. I am submitting this complaint to document a potential safety issue involving automated parking behavior and lack of warnings during low-speed automated maneuvers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709532January 7, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Windshield cracks with slightest chip Happened twice
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708344January 2, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, unknown warning lights illuminated on several occasions. The failure had occurred while driving and while restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the starter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 44,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707720December 30, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
During a trip out of town, I saw a warning light that informed me that the engine coolant level was low and that scalding could occur. The next morning, my husband checked the coolant levels and added coolant to the reservoir. Later that day, I received the same warning message. The vehicle was leaking coolant and could not sustain the appropriate levels. We brought the vehicle to the local BMW dealership and was told that the coolant pump had broken from the inside and would need to be replaced.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707697December 30, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
While driving the vehicle at highway speed, the vehicle did not respond as expected during braking. Upon attempting to slow the vehicle, control was lost, the vehicle became unstable, left the roadway, and rolled. As a result of the incident, the driver sustained serious injuries requiring emergency transport and hospitalization. No warning lamps, messages, or brake-related alerts were observed prior to the incident. After the crash, the BMW mobile application displayed a brake system malfunction warning indicating an integrated system brake failure, with a timestamp shortly after the incident. The vehicle has not yet been inspected or diagnosed by a BMW dealer or independent service center. The vehicle remains available for inspection following the crash and has been retained post-incident pending salvage processing.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11706977December 24, 2025
WHEELS
I was driving the car on the middle lane on Northern State Parkway (Long Island, NY) West bound about 55mph. Near exit 26 suddenly my car was automatically moving towards to the right, steering wheel and brake were not working, car was completely out of control, it crossed the right lane and went out of the highway and suddenly stuck in the bushes and stopped. Luckily, there was no car on the right lane at that time. I did not hit anyone and no car hit me. Call automatically went to the police from my car. In short time police came and I came out of the car and found that left rear wheel broke from axel. I do regular service in BMW service center. This year I took to Rallye BMW service center one time in April and one time in August and I did complete servicing as their recommendation. My car is in Rallye BMW for over one and half month but I did not get any information from BMW what happened to my car. I called several times but from service center Mr. Anthony is telling that from BMW corporate one came yet to do inspection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11706385December 21, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While attempting to park forward into a handicapped parking space, the car lurched forward approximately 4 feet instead of braking/stopping. The braking system appeared to fail and the electrical/sensors/ADAS warnings did not engage. The vehicle drove over a cement parking block and struck a building shrub, signage and hvac unit.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11706187December 19, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VISIBILITY/WIPER
Electrical-soy covered wires causes rodents to chew wires causing electrical defaults and faulty control. Windshield - Minor chips causing massive cracks - happened twice in a 2 week time frame. After it was replaced. Cracked again
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11706044December 19, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My sunroof spontaneously exploded yesterday, which sounded like a loud shotgun blast going off. Fortunately my vehicle was stopped at the time, but no rocks or debris had hit it to cause this then or previously, and nothing had fallen on it. No warning or other symptoms prior to this happening, the car was in mint condition and always garaged, 34,750 miles. Could have been much worse had I been driving at highway speeds and not stopped at a traffic light.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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