BMW X5 Complaints (2025)

63 consumer complaints on file.

#11771085October 14, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owned a 2025 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently accelerated and became uncontrollable. The vehicle traveled over a cliff down an 80-foot drop and rolled over several times before coming to a stop. The contact and her husband were transported to a medical facility. The contact sustained multiple cuts and bruises, a broken left index finger cut to the tendon that required surgical repair, and a laceration on the right leg that became infected, requiring ongoing medical treatment and therapy. The contact's husband sustained five broken ribs, a broken right knee, and multiple head and body lacerations and contusions, requiring three months in a wheelchair and ongoing medical treatment and therapy. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and deemed a total loss. A police report was filed, but the report details were unavailable. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone. The failure mileage was approximately 16,368.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11767810September 29, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
VEHICLE: 2025 BMW X5 MILEAGE AT TIME OF INCIDENT(S): 15,512 COMPONENT: Forward Collision Warning / Pedestrian Warning / Automatic Emergency Braking (City Collision Mitigation) DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM: On multiple occasions, the Pedestrian Warning and/or automatic emergency braking system on my 2025 BMW X5 has activated with no pedestrian, vehicle, or obstacle posing any actual risk to the vehicle. These false activations have occurred both at low speed (parking lots/driveways) and at normal driving speed on public roads. In at least two instances, the sudden, hard braking created a real risk of being rear-ended by the vehicle behind me, endangering occupants of both vehicles. SPECIFIC INCIDENTS: 1. XXX, [XXX] (residential/local road): A vehicle merged into my lane from the left ahead of me while maintaining a consistent speed matching mine, posing no collision risk. My BMW slammed on the brakes without warning, nearly causing the vehicle behind me to rear-end us. This endangered multiple passengers in both vehicles. 2. Early XXX parking lot: While backing out of a parking space, a pedestrian was nearby but showed no indication of walking into the vehicle's path. The system triggered hard braking and an audible alarm with no actual risk present. 3. XXX, local street: A pedestrian was walking on the sidewalk with no indication of intent to cross the street. The vehicle braked extremely hard and suddenly, without warning, creating a risk that the car behind us would rear-end us. I have not been in an accident as a result of these events, but the pattern shows the system engaging hard, sudden braking in response to non-threats, including at normal driving speeds on public roads, not just low-speed maneuvers. This creates a risk of rear-end collision and startles/endangers pedestrians and other drivers. I am submitting this report to document the issue and make NHTSA aware in case other X5 owners have this issue. 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
#11760195August 28, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
I was driving my 2025 BMW X5 sDrive40i at approximately 60 mph when the vehicle in front of me stopped abruptly. I immediately applied the brake pedal firmly in an attempt to make an emergency stop. Despite applying heavy and continuous pressure to the brake pedal, the braking force felt unusually weak. The vehicle slowed gradually but continued rolling forward much farther than I expected and did not stop before I made low-speed contact with the rear of the vehicle in front of me. The vehicle did not skid, I did not feel the tires sliding, and I did not observe skid marks. My concern is that the vehicle did not provide the amount of braking force I expected despite firm emergency braking. Because BMW X5 vehicles have been subject to recalls involving the Integrated Brake system, ABS, DSC, and potentially increased stopping distance, I am reporting this incident as a possible safety-related braking defect.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11759784August 26, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
While the daytime running lights are on (this vehicle has front and rear daytime running lights, so when the DRL’s are on, the taillights are illuminated as well as the front daytime running lights). When the DRL’s are on, and you use a turn signal, the rear turn signals are almost invisible to the naked eye during the day time. Reason being, the DRL’s are on, so the rear tail lights are slightly illuminated. This vehicle also has a pulsating (fade on/off) turn signals in the front and rear. It’s not a sharp on/off like a typical LED. So when using the turn signal, the rear turn signals (which also act as the taillight and brake light) are very very dim and hard to see as compared to when the DRL’s are off. The photo I will provide shows the left turn signal at its brightest point, the one on top with the daytime running lights off, are very bright and visible, whereas the bottom photo (which shows the rear daytime running taillights on) also shows the left turn signal at its brightest point, and is almost indistinguishable as to whether the turn signal is flashing. Again, both have the left turn signal on at its brightest point. This is very unsafe, and applies to all 2024-2026 BMW X5’s. J would like this rectified.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758309August 20, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2025 BMW X5...warning lights appeared and voice said emergency stop... emergency stop and tried to pull me off the road. shut down the vehicle for a while... and started up. finished errands. got home. vehicle would not start in the morning. dealership said it was an issue with the braking system... electronics and dead battery . said repaired. got it back. happened again...but got it going. dealership said if it happened again... press the gas pedal and it would clear up the problem. recent issue August 18, 2026. vehicle would not start. got a jump and emergency lights again.. emergency stop. vehicle towed to dealership. was told it had faults with the brake control unit. believed to be fixed but further testing to make sure. I'm worried this will happen on highway or the vehicle is not sellable if I ever want to sell or trade it in
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757153August 15, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
While driving eastbound on [XXX] on XXX between approximately 9:29 and 10:21 AM, the vehicle suddenly displayed a red warning instructing the driver to “Take over braking function immediately.” At that moment, adaptive cruise control braking and automated braking assistance disengaged without warning, requiring the driver to manually brake while in traffic. This created an unexpected safety hazard for the driver, passengers, and surrounding motorists. Prior to this event, the vehicle had exhibited repeated Driver Assistance instability across multiple service visits, including inconsistent adaptive cruise control behavior, braking‑related restrictions, and GPS mislocation affecting ADAS functions. The vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer’s authorized dealer across five service visits, including replacement of the head unit and multiple software resets. The underlying malfunction has occurred repeatedly, but the specific braking alert has not been reproduced by the dealer. No crash, fire, or injury occurred. 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
#11753465July 29, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Our 2025 BMW X5 50e was involved in an accident while slowly pulling into a parking spot at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. While turning right into the striped parking spot, the car suddenly accelerated, swiping the car parked to the right and continued on to break through a rung of the log fence barrier before manual hard braking stopped it from plunging into the canyon below. There was no audible alarm heard and apparently no emergency braking engaged to prevent impact with the other car or log fence. No airbags deployed. Emergency braking was enabled. Drive mode was Hybrid. With the grill damaged and a front sensor hanging below the damaged bumper. We are still awaiting the Park Ranger report.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738055May 15, 2026
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2025 BMW X5. The contact stated while the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact's son drove the vehicle to a local gas station. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, however the vehicle had not been inspected.The tow truck driver informed the contact's son that there was a leak in the brake fluid container. In addition, the contact stated that prior to the failure occurring, the vehicle was serviced on April 30,2026 and the recall, NHTSA Campaign Number 24V104000 (Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Service Brakes, Hydrauli) was performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN was unavailable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732336April 20, 2026
STEERING
Reduced steering effort error message. No accident or injuries. Seems to be a known issue on BMWs. Likely covered under warranty but I feel should be reported
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11731981April 17, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
On April 15, 2026, while driving on the highway with my family in my 2025 BMW X5 (purchased new on September 25, 2025 from Principal BMW of Corpus Christi for approximately $75,000), the panoramic sunroof suddenly and violently exploded. The explosion sounded like a gunshot. Shards of glass sprayed throughout the cabin and got into our eyes. I was barely able to maintain control of the vehicle and prevent a serious accident that could have resulted in hospitalization or worse. Photos of the sunroof taken immediately after the explosion are attached to this email. These images clearly show the large shattered section, missing glass fragments, and debris inside the sunshade right after the failure. You can also see from the picture submitted from the front, the glass is pushed out from the car. This was an extremely dangerous safety failure that put my entire family at immediate risk. Because of this incident, I no longer feel safe driving the vehicle. I am now constantly on high alert, worried that the sunroof could explode again at any moment. This traumatizing experience has completely ruined my ability to enjoy what was supposed to be a luxury vehicle. Instead of the premium driving experience I paid for, I am left with fear and anxiety every time I get behind the wheel. This is not an isolated or “unheard of” incident. BMW has faced multiple reports and a class action lawsuit regarding exploding sunroofs dating back to at least 2017. Despite this known issue, when I contacted Principal BMW of Corpus Christi, the dealership claimed the problem was unheard of and showed absolutely no sense of urgency or willingness to address it properly. The service person took a quick look and told me that this incident has happened two other times within the last two months. Since the incident happened on 4/15/26 @ 6:35PM I was unable to speak to a service member.Service person told me to bring my car in for further evaluation on 4/20/26 since he’s only one working.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11731967April 17, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Incident Description: While driving with my two [XXX] children and husband under normal conditions, the panoramic sunroof glass on my 2025 BMW X5 xDrive50e suddenly and unexpectedly shattered without warning. At the time of the incident: There were no weather events (no hail, debris, or extreme conditions) I did not observe any object striking the vehicle There was no prior damage to the sunroof The glass failure was abrupt and loud, sounding like an explosion, consistent with a sudden break rather than gradual damage. There were no warnings or symptoms or sounds of impact prior to the explosion. I immediately documented the damage with photographs taken at the scene, prior to any inspection or handling. Safety Concern: This incident raises serious safety concerns: The sudden shattering of the sunroof could startle or distract the driver, increasing the risk of an accident Broken glass could fall into the vehicle cabin, posing a risk of injury to occupants The unexpected nature of the failure creates a hazard at highway speeds This type of failure appears consistent with reports of spontaneous tempered glass breakage, sometimes referred to as “exploding sunroofs.” Manufacturer Response: The vehicle was inspected by the dealership, BMW of San Rafael, and escalated to BMW of North America. BMW determined that the damage was caused by “impact” and denied warranty coverage. However: No clear point of impact (such as a chip, crater, or penetration point) has been identified No foreign object residue or evidence of impact has been provided The determination appears to rely on a visual interpretation of crack patterns, rather than confirmed physical evidence Based on my observations, the fracture pattern appears irregular and distributed, including along the edges, which may be consistent with stress-related or spontaneous failure. 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
#11726428March 23, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I have owned my BMW for only 19 months and in that short period of time, I have had to replace my windhsield (with OEM BMW Glass) 2x due to small road debris impacts (normal gravel/sand) becoming major fractures in less than a day. I have been driving for 40 years and only replaced 3 windshields in my life--2 of them in the past 10 months in this brand new BMW. Same roads and weather I have driven on for the past 24 years, in the south [XXX] ) so no unusual road gravel of weather conditions. I have to believe that these windshields are somehow more fragile than they should be. 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
#11724623March 16, 2026
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2025 BMW X5. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, for an unknown reason, she lost control of the vehicle and hit a telephone pole, where the vehicle came to a stop. The driver-side and passenger-side air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was filed. The contact's wife was taken to the hospital by ambulance. The contact's wife did not suffer injuries. The vehicle was towed to a towing yard. The insurance company was notified. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer advised the contact that a field inspector would be sent to inspect the vehicle. The field inspector inspected the vehicle. However, no information was provided regarding why the air bags did not deploy. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11724566March 16, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2025 BMW X5. The contact stated that while reversing, the back-over prevention camera display audio system failed to function as intended. The back-over prevention camera audio alert failed to beep when the vehicle was close to other vehicles or objects. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated that a computer test was performed; however, the failure was not duplicated. Additionally, the technician test drove the vehicle, but the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact had a neck injury and stated that the failure of the back-over prevention system was an inconvenience. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30.
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
#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
#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
#11703128December 4, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle shut off and would not start while at a stop light. It is new: under one year old and still within warranty. The error was a “Restart not possible. Drivetrain fault” as shown in the picture. My safety as well as my passenger’s were put at risk due to being in a congested roadway and unable to move. After attempting to restart the system software, I then observed a “High voltage battery” warning. At that point my passenger and I exited the vehicle. As I was on the phone with emergency roadside assistance while out of the vehicle for about 10 minutes, the vehicle was able to start with the warning now displaying “Drivetrain. You can continue driving. Have the problem checked by your local service center.” I hesitantly drove the vehicle home. While parked, I checked about 15 minutes later and the issue resurfaced (as pictured). The problem has not yet been taken to the dealership. It will be tomorrow. The issue has not yet been inspected by any other representatives. There were no warning signs whatsoever before the issue occurred. The vehicle simply shut off, and upon attempting restart the aforementioned errors were observed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701093November 23, 2025
AIR BAGS, SEAT BELTS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
On September 2, 2025, my 2025 BMW X5 xDrive50e was involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle. Despite the severity of the impact, the following safety systems failed to deploy: Front airbags Driver seatbelt pretensioner BMW Assist / automatic emergency notification Witnesses reported that my vehicle briefly went airborne before landing with the rear wheels up on a curb. I suffered neck injuries, and my vehicle sustained significant frontal damage. BMW later downloaded the Event Data Recorder (EDR) and confirmed: A frontal non-deployment event Three fault codes in the airbag control module (ACSM) post-crash The crash algorithm activated and reset ΔV reached approx. 12.4 mph longitudinal Forward Collision Mitigation system issued an acute warning 0.5 seconds before impact BMW states the “impulse was not sufficient” to trigger restraint deployment BMW has refused to provide: The deployment thresholds (ΔV criteria) for airbags or pre-tensioners Any engineering explanation for why restraint systems did not activate Any technical rationale for the ACSM fault codes Any escalation beyond Customer Relations All I have been given is an unsigned summary letter and the raw EDR file. BMW Customer Relations stated that engineering is “not customer-facing” and that no additional information will be provided. This leaves serious concerns that: The restraint systems did not function properly in a real-world impact. BMW is refusing to disclose the engineering basis for its conclusions. Consumers may be at risk if this is a repeatable failure mode. I am requesting NHTSA review this incident as a potential defect in the airbag, pretensioner, and/or crash-sensing system in the 2025 BMW X5. I can provide the EDR report, photos, BMW’s letter, and full correspondence upon request. VIN: [XXX] Mileage: ~10,700 Crash Date: 09/02/2025 BMW Case #: XXX INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11698859November 11, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
drivetrain lights came on out of no where. i was coming to a red light and when car stopped the light on dash came on and message came on for drivetrain malfunction. Car was turned off and on and message went away. Car was brought to dealer and they were able to diagnose saying 3 injector problem and need to replace cylinder head. Was told this a problem with the new V8 engines. can be dangerous if driving and message is gone and continue driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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