Home · 2021 BMW 5 Series Hybrid Sedan Phev · Complaints

What 26 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 BMW 5 Series Hybrid Sedan 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 (26)Crash / fire / injury (3)Electrical system (7)Brakes (4)Engine (3)Fuel system (3)Airbags (2)Backup camera & sensors (2)Seat belts (2)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Driver assistance (1)Seats (1)

2 of 26 complaints match · Airbags · clear filters

Feb 20, 2025AirbagsSeat belts

I have a code Passanger restraint failure that will not come off unless I pay $2700 to fix. This coding came on after 3 months of getting the vehicle and I’m not the only with the same issue. This is a dangerous situation that Bmw is not recalling but putting this as the owners expense. If I were to get in an accident this will not deploy airbags or open the seat belt this can cause sever injuries or worst death.

NHTSA ODI 11643861

Sep 26, 2024Airbags

The contact owns a 2021 BMW 530I. The contact stated that the edge of the air bag leather cover was folding in, which enlarged the split between the air bag cover and the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was inspected, and the dealer informed the contact that the air bag leather cover was of poor quality. The dealer recommended the air bag replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.

NHTSA ODI 11616620

Working with the data? Download all 26 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 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 2021 BMW 5 Series Hybrid Sedan Phev verdict →