Home · 2025 BMW X5 · Complaints

What 56 owners told NHTSA about the 2025 BMW X5

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 (56)Crash / fire / injury (7)Brakes (27)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (18)Electrical system (7)Transmission & drivetrain (7)Driver assistance (5)Backup camera & sensors (4)Visibility & wipers (4)Engine (3)Speed control (3)Steering (3)

Newest first · 56 complaints · page 2 of 3

Jul 10, 2025Backup camera & sensors

My cross traffic warning system is inoperative. Dealer said the sensors are operating normally. This is a safety hazard.

NHTSA ODI 11672440

Jul 10, 2025Electrical systemEngine & cooling

The contact owns a 2025 BMW X5. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that there were twenty-one failure codes displayed on the infotainment system screen. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle the following day, no warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that a dealer mobile technician arrived to the residence, and the vehicle was driven to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that an improper coding of the electronic modules had caused the Digital Motor Electronics (DME) to not communicate. The contact was informed that the electronic modules needed to be recoded. The DME data was cleared, and the DME was reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,165.

NHTSA ODI 11672515

Jul 3, 2025BrakesDriver assistanceCrash

Driving home on a two lane road that is joined by a side road at a 45degree angle. A woman ran the stop sign and suddenly appeared on my road right in front about 40-50 feet away. The BMW did not show any visual or audible warning and the forward collision mitigation system functioned in a substandard way not mitigating the crash into the woman’s drivers door. Damages amounted to 25.8k to my vehicle and took 48 days to repair at my local BMW dealer in Albany NY. BMW states to me that the system worked properly. If that was the case how come I had massive front end damage impacting about 30 mph. The BMW manual shows a frontal cross traffic intrusion and leads one to believe in the system. It is substandard and needs revision by BMW engineering.

NHTSA ODI 11671130

Jun 29, 2025Visibility & wipers

The gloss finish of wood and metal on dashboard and center console along with glass prism gear and infotainment controller of these vehicles present significant visibility issues. These visibility issues manifest in reflections on the driver and passenger window glass in a manner that obscures side mirror visibility. The high gloss finish of the dashboard wood cause blinding reflections from the sunlight depending on positioning of the vehicle relative to the sun. The jewel-like glass of the gear selector and infotainment controller cause additional sunlight reflections which can blind the driver depending on the position of the vehicle relative to the sun.

NHTSA ODI 11670071

Jun 28, 2025SteeringEngineDriver assistance

Multiple issues with the software. 1. Since yesterday, [XXX] car failed to start with the message "software upgrade failed". Sitting like a brick now - engine doesn't start and can't get the car off parking mode. 2, Last week, the remote functions of the software as well as emergency call system stopped working. Called the local dealer BMW of North Canton on June 25, Ohio to check and fix and they scheduled it for Monday June 30. But car refused to start per point 1. 1. Couple of times got the message while driving that driver inability to drive detected and suddenly slowing down the car and veering it to a side. Transient actions. Took it to the dealership, supposedly a software bug was fixed but then the message flashed one more time recently. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11669880

Jun 20, 2025Transmission & drivetrainBrakes

My 2025 BMW X5e was repaired under recall 24V‑104 for the integrated brake system. Before this recall, the vehicle did NOT have any braking hesitation or drag issues. After the recall repair was done (replacement and reprogramming), the vehicle now shows hesitation to move forward after releasing the brake pedal from a complete stop, as if the brakes are still dragging. This creates a safety concern when merging into traffic or driving in stop‑and‑go conditions. The dealer is unable or unwilling to resolve the issue. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate this recall fix as it may have introduced a new defect.

NHTSA ODI 11668264

Jun 12, 2025Brakes

It has now been a year since i picked up my 2025 X5, and I STILL have not been able to get it repaired. My dealer informed me that there is still no remedy for me car. It has now been a year of me owning the car and driving around with a recall on my brakes. This is ridiculous. Not no mention the fact that when i picked up this car, there was already a recall on them that my dealer did not make me aware of. BMW sold me a car with a brake recall and still hasn’t fixed it after a year.

NHTSA ODI 11666446

Jun 7, 2025Visibility & wipers

Visibility in outside mirrors is obstructed by reflections of dash materials

NHTSA ODI 11665542

May 9, 2025Electrical systemLane Departure

The contact owns a 2025 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the blind spot warning light was inoperable, and the Forward Collision Avoidance assist sensor warning light was deactivated on the instrument cluster. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the electrical system and harness had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the Lane Keep Assist System was inoperable. The contact had taken the vehicle back to the same dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80.

NHTSA ODI 11659880

May 5, 2025Speed controlDriver assistance

Forward Collision Braking, a safety system, is deactivated when cruise control is activated. Further BMW sells the X5 with the mode button of the Driver Assistance Package available on the steering wheel. This to me is deceptive. My previous X5 had the system a when I activated it by pressing the mode button it worked. I assumed by pressing the mode button on the new X5 it would also work. To me this is like activating the turn signal- the feature is there, you activate it, you expect it to work.

NHTSA ODI 11658853

May 2, 2025BrakesElectronic Stability Control (esc)

The contact owns a 2025 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11658568

Apr 22, 2025BrakesElectronic Stability Control (esc)

The contact owns a 2025 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 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11656130

Apr 7, 2025Speed control

The contact owns a 2025 BMW X5. The contact stated that while his wife was stopped alongside a curb to converse with an associate, the engine started revving with the brake pedal depressed. The contact stated that the failure had occurred three times. The contact stated that the vehicle had unintendedly accelerated to 60 MPH. The contact stated that his wife was frantically pumping the brake pedal until the vehicle came to a complete stop. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was inspected, and the contact was advised that the failure was not duplicated and the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact stated that a software update was performed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 2,000.

NHTSA ODI 11653203

Mar 14, 2025

My vehicle is only 7 months old. I was driving the vehicle on [XXX] in Tampa between [XXX] and [XXX] at a speed of between 55 and 70 miles per hour and all of the sudden I heard a very loud BOOM and the sound of wind. I stopped in the median and my windows were fine, but I realized that my sun roof exploded. Nothing hit the sun roof to cause it to explode. I have done some research and this has happened to other people on this same model. BMW has refused to recognize that this is a product or manufacturing defect and has refused to cover the cost of the repair. I am concerned about this, but I am more concerned that this is a safety issue. The sun roof was closed and the inside cover was also closed, so the window pieces did not fell on me. I use the car to visit my grandchildren and I am very concerned that if that would have happened with them inside, they could have gotten hurt. BMW is taking advantage of insurance laws and washing their hands, until someone gets hurt. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11648355

Mar 7, 2025BrakesElectronic Stability Control (esc)

The contact owns a 2025 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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11646913

Mar 7, 2025BrakesElectronic Stability Control (esc)

The contact owns a 2025 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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms part not available.

NHTSA ODI 11646986

Feb 3, 2025BrakesElectronic Stability Control (esc)

The contact owns a 2025 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 unavailable. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11640350

Jan 6, 2025BrakesElectronic Stability Control (esc)

The contact owns a 2025 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 local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11634286

Jan 4, 2025

Going 75mph, 16 degrees Fahrenheit out. Car temp was 68 degrees. Loud explosion, panoramic roof glass shattered. From direction of glass looks like it exploded from the inside. Did not hear anything hit car beforehand. Happened out of nowhere.

NHTSA ODI 11634117

Dec 12, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

Vehicle shut off at a stop light and would not restart received a Drivetrain malfunction: Driving not possible. Call Roadside Assistance. message. Have had the vehicle two weeks and has only 710 miles on the odometer. The vehicle was stuck on the highway and unable to move or restart the vehicle the police had the vehicle towed out of the way. Very dangerous situation could have been hit by another vehicle very easily. The vehicle is currently stuck in my driveway until it can be towed to the BMW dealer for repair!

NHTSA ODI 11630271

Nov 12, 2024Brakes

This is an open defect that has been open for close to a year. This seems excessive for the manufacturer to come up with a fix. I have not experienced this problem but am concerned about it because it’s safety related

NHTSA ODI 11624833

Nov 6, 2024BrakesElectronic Stability Control (esc)Crash1 injury

The contact owns a 2025 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 while driving approximately 25 MPH and approaching a motorcycle, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond and crashed into the motorcycle. The motorcycle driver sustained injury and was transported by ambulance. The contact did not sustain any injury and drove from the scene. A police report was filed, but the contact did not have the police report information available. The local dealer was contacted and offered a temporary fix because the recall remedy was not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11623761

Oct 22, 2024Brakes

I went to BMW of Atlantic City to purchase a BMW X5 2024 in April 2024. We ordered the 2024 vehicle and when we went back to sign the papers were told we were getting the first of the 2025 production- purchased on [XXX]. The dealer did not disclose that the 2024 was recalled for the Integrated Brake Module when we made the deal. They knew at the time there was a recall but did not disclose this information. I recently received a recall notice for my 2025 BMW X5. The dealer stated they do not have the part to fix the issue, and it is the same issue as the 2024's. I went to the dealership and asked them to take my vehicle back as I feel I was deceived. They offered me a price in which I would lose a substantial amount of money on a brand new car. Jeysy Velez - Ass. Finance Manager also stated the 2025 X5's being manufactured at this time, now have the new part in them. So they are fitting new vehicles with the correct part, sold me a vehicle that they knew had a defective part without disclosure. They have no idea when my brand new vehicle will be fixed. They also cannot tell me how many failures and / or accidents has been caused by this issue. The following day Sarah #6020 called me to tell me that they cannot buy my car back nor can they sell any recalled vehicles. So, I cannot sell my vehicle at this time. I stated they sold me a defective vehicle with the old defective part and should take it back. She said there is no remedy available at this time, I cannot sell my car, they will not tell me how many accidents or injuries from this recall. Sarah could not tell me when my car was manufactured or would not tell me. THEY KNEW THERE WAS A RECALL AND DID NOT DISCLOSE THIS INFORMATION. They knew they could not sell the 2024 we requested and switched it with the 2025 that was not officially part of the recall yet, but built it with a defective part. We purchased the car on [XXX] and it was manufactured on 4/2024 as per the label in the door. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11621214

Oct 21, 2024BrakesElectronic Stability Control (esc)

The contact owns a 2025 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, there was a loud screeching sound detected. While reversing there was a noticeable loud screeching sound heard. While making a turn, there was an abnormal knocking sound detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. 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 local dealer was contacted. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11621037

Oct 21, 2024BrakesElectronic Stability Control (esc)

The contact owned a 2025 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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11621070

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Working with the data? Download all 56 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 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 2025 BMW X5 verdict →