Home · 2017 BMW X5 Phev · Complaints

What 73 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 BMW X5 Phev

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (73)Crash / fire / injury (4)Electrical system (17)Fuel system (15)Engine (12)Transmission & drivetrain (9)Brakes (7)Airbags (5)Body & structure (5)Fuel System, Diesel (5)Seat belts (5)Engine & cooling (4)

5 of 73 complaints match · Body & structure · clear filters

Feb 9, 2022Body & structureSeats

Sunroof drain clogged, causing leaking of water into vehicle. The dealer tested and found the same issue. They stated that there is a fix for this, to reroute the drain, and that it was not done on my vehicle prior to it clogging.

NHTSA ODI 11451168

Feb 2, 2022Body & structure

Rear tailgate suddenly flew open while driving at a speed of roughly 25 mph without any user input. Car was fully locked and at speed, trunk/tailgate release button was not pushed. The tailgate was fully closed and locked, and there were no warning lights or chimes indicating otherwise. This has only occurred once as of today and has not been able to be replicated, so it is not necessarily "available for inspection upon request". My safety, as well as others, were put at risk by this malfunction as our family dog is often transported in her crate that is located in the trunk, and if this malfunction had occurred while she was back there, her crate could have very easily fallen out of the car at high speed, undoubtedly leading to death. In this same instance, her crate falling out of the trunk at highway speeds, or really anything else being transported in the trunk, could have easily penetrated another car's windshield, resulting in injury or death of another vehicle's inhabitants. As previously stated, this problem has not been able to be reproduced by a dealer or independent service center at the time of this writing. The tailgate has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or any other parties. There were no warning lamps, messages, or any other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, nor have there been after the fact.

NHTSA ODI 11449841

Jun 8, 2021Electrical systemBody & structure

Front passage door becomes unlocked/ not secure while driving My doors are set to auto-lock when I drive off. Today’s incident occurred when I hit a normal bump in the road. I heard a pop, which was the front passenger door unlocking. This jarred the door from the locked position to rattling in the door frame. The car’s auto lock issue is activated therefore, it’s trying to lock the door. Then car system reports a need to stop the car to prevent rolling as the doors are not secure. It Goes without saying how dangerous this is. Searchers this issue In the Internet. Seems some X5 owners reporting a issue with the door cables? Saw no recall. My car is out of warranty but this is a serious safety issue BMW should address Help! Note, this bumpis located in the parking lot entrance to my office’s garage.

NHTSA ODI 11420147

Jan 23, 2018Body & structure1 injury

BMW X5 HAS A STORAGE PACKAGE, IT ADDS TWO LASHING RAILS AND 4 LASHING EYES IN CARGO/TRUNK. THE FINISH OF THIS LASHING RAILS IS LIKE A RAZOR. I WAS UNLOADING A BOX AND MY PINKY FINGER GOT TRAPPED INSIDE THIS LASHING RAIL AND IT SLICED THE FINGER SKIN. IT TOOK ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO CONTROL THE BLEEDING FROM FINGER AS LASHING RAILS HAD SLICED GOOD CHUNK OF PINKY FINGER.

NHTSA ODI 11064408

Jan 16, 2017AirbagsBody & structureCrash2 injuries1 death

OUR 2017 BMW X5 WAS INVOLVED IN A FATAL CAR ACCIDENT AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSING A HEAD INJURY. A DRIVER WAS DRIVING SOUTHBOUND LOST CONTROL ON ICE AND WENT INTO THE NORTHBOUND LANE WHERE ANOTHER VEHICLE STRUCK THE OUT OF CONTROL CAR CAUSING THOSE VEHICLES TO HIT OUR BMW AND PUSHING OUR VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10945481

Working with the data? Download all 73 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2017 BMW X5 Phev verdict →