13 of the 267 complaints about the 2019 BMW X5 are about the driver-assist systems — 5% of everything reported for this model year.
13
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
* Intelligent Braking system. * yes it is available for inspection * I was inches from colliding with the vehicle in front of me when my car finally stopped. * Yes local official BMW dealership inspected and diagnosed the IBS module is defective. * there was no prior warning.
NHTSA complaint #11747866 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
* Intelligent Braking system. * yes it is available for inspection * I was inches from colliding with the vehicle in front of me when my car finally stopped. * Yes local official BMW dealership inspected and diagnosed the IBS module is defective. * there was no prior warning.
NHTSA complaint #11747866 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
The vehicle is at A&L Motors in Monroeville Pa. The vehicle has suffered a catastrophic, cascading electrical failure caused by a known manufacturing defect in the roof antenna seal. Rainwater entered the vehicle through the defective shark fin antenna seal and flooded the Telematics Control Unit(TCU). Because the TCU communicates directly with the main iDrive head unit via the vehicle's MOST/bus central data network, the water-damaged TCU short-circuited and flooded the network with corrupt electrical data, hard-bricking the iDrive system. A dealership engineer confirmed that water did not physically touch the head unit, eliminating user-error fluid spills. This cascading electrical failure has completely disabled vital safety systems, including the backup camera, forward collision driver-assist radar warnings, blind-spot monitoring alerts, and critical dashboard diagnostic notifications, creating an immediate highway safety hazard. Simultaneously, the active grille shutters (active air flaps) failed due to a defective internal actuator motor, creating a severe risk of sudden engine overheating and thermal shutdown. This component is under a 150K mile manufacturer warranty extension(SIB01 12 19 and later sib01 03 25). BMW of North America Claims Manager Joe 1-800-831-1117Ext1427 has issued an arbitrary final denial for these repairs based on a hearsay rock wedged/strike despite no apparent physical damage and zero photographic evidence. BMW is actively evading its extended warranty obligations for the air dam and a pending class-action settlement framework (Craft v. BMW NA) on the IDrive components. Additionally, this vehicle is actively subject to the critical BMW Starter Motor Overheating Fire Risk Recall NHTSA Campaign No.25V644/26V056. The dealership is unable to complete this urgent fire-safety remedy due to the same bricked Idrive unit. Grounding an owner in an un-safe car with a bricked safety display and an outstanding unremedied recall
NHTSA complaint #11746709 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
I am reporting a recurring safety-related defect with the infotainment/iDrive head-unit in my 2019 BMW X5 xDrive40i. The central display repeatedly goes completely black or shows “No Signal” while the vehicle is otherwise drivable. When this happens, iDrive is unusable and I lose: 1. Rearview camera and visual parking aids 2. Parking sensor visuals 3. Navigation and key vehicle information 4. Access to settings that only exist in iDrive BMW service says this is due to the vehicle’s “age” and recommends a full head-unit (hardware) replacement at my expense, even though this is a software-driven system. A previous identical failure on this car resolved on its own with no hardware change, which strongly suggests a software/firmware defect, not a worn-out part. This problem is widespread, not just my car. Many BMW owners report the same black-screen/“No Signal” iDrive behavior on similar models and years, often after software updates and even after multiple head-unit replacements, with no lasting fix. One example thread: [XXX] As a long-time BMW owner, it is extremely frustrating that BMW has not given a convincing engineering explanation or solution and keeps falling back on expensive hardware swaps. 1. Driving risks when the display/iDrive fails include: 2. Reversing or parking without a rearview camera 3. Low-speed maneuvering without visual parking sensors 4. Driver distraction from a sudden blank screen 5. Loss of navigation and information needed for safe route choice and lane changes I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate whether there is a systemic defect in the infotainment/iDrive system and software on the 2019 BMW X5 xDrive40i (and related BMW models), and whether BMW’s remedies and owner guidance are adequate from a safety standpoint. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11703805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The automatic emergency braking is activating when nothing is on the road. It has happened three times in six months. Once in a drive thru, once in the middle of a clear intersection while moving at 30pmh and today while traveling at 35mph on a city street. The car acts as if it's attempting to prevent a forward collision. The red car icon displays and blinks on the instrument panel, fast beeps sound, the car hard brakes. It nearly caused the car behind me to rear end me today.
NHTSA complaint #11690608 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The automatic emergency braking is activating when nothing is on the road. It has happened three times in six months. Once in a drive thru, once in the middle of a clear intersection while moving at 30pmh and today while traveling at 35mph on a city street. The car acts as if it's attempting to prevent a forward collision. The red car icon displays and blinks on the instrument panel, fast beeps sound, the car hard brakes. It nearly caused the car behind me to rear end me today.
NHTSA complaint #11690608 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Subject: Complaint Regarding Water Intrusion and Electrical Failures in 2019 BMW X5 To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding a recurring and potentially hazardous issue with my 2019 BMW X5. The issue involves water intrusion through the shark fin antenna, which has caused significant electrical malfunctions in my vehicle. Description of the Problem Water appears to be leaking into the vehicle through the shark fin antenna located on the roof. This has resulted in: 1.Failure of the infotainment system (screen not functioning). 2.Inability to start the car (starter not activating). 3.Turn signals operating without the typical cabin clicking sound. This issue has left the vehicle inoperable on multiple occasions and poses a safety risk, as critical systems such as the emergency call function and vehicle ignition are affected. Impact on Safety •A malfunctioning starter prevents the vehicle from being driven, potentially leaving me stranded in unsafe locations. •Turn signal failures reduce the audible warning, increasing the risk of accidents. •Water-damaged electrical components could lead to further issues, such as shorts or fires. Research and Observations After researching, I found that other BMW owners have reported similar issues involving water intrusion through the shark fin antenna, leading to widespread electrical problems. This suggests a potential design or manufacturing defect. Request for Action I respectfully request that the NHTSA investigate this issue to determine whether it constitutes a safety defect requiring a recall or service bulletin from BMW. Vehicle Information •Make/Model: BMW X5 •Year: 2019 •VIN: [XXX] •Mileage at Time of Failure: 72,000 •start Date of Incident(s): [XXX] Supporting Documentation I am happy to provide photos, repair bills, or any other supporting evidence upon request. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11636812 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Subject: Complaint Regarding Water Intrusion and Electrical Failures in 2019 BMW X5 To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding a recurring and potentially hazardous issue with my 2019 BMW X5. The issue involves water intrusion through the shark fin antenna, which has caused significant electrical malfunctions in my vehicle. Description of the Problem Water appears to be leaking into the vehicle through the shark fin antenna located on the roof. This has resulted in: 1.Failure of the infotainment system (screen not functioning). 2.Inability to start the car (starter not activating). 3.Turn signals operating without the typical cabin clicking sound. This issue has left the vehicle inoperable on multiple occasions and poses a safety risk, as critical systems such as the emergency call function and vehicle ignition are affected. Impact on Safety •A malfunctioning starter prevents the vehicle from being driven, potentially leaving me stranded in unsafe locations. •Turn signal failures reduce the audible warning, increasing the risk of accidents. •Water-damaged electrical components could lead to further issues, such as shorts or fires. Research and Observations After researching, I found that other BMW owners have reported similar issues involving water intrusion through the shark fin antenna, leading to widespread electrical problems. This suggests a potential design or manufacturing defect. Request for Action I respectfully request that the NHTSA investigate this issue to determine whether it constitutes a safety defect requiring a recall or service bulletin from BMW. Vehicle Information •Make/Model: BMW X5 •Year: 2019 •VIN: [XXX] •Mileage at Time of Failure: 72,000 •start Date of Incident(s): [XXX] Supporting Documentation I am happy to provide photos, repair bills, or any other supporting evidence upon request. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11636812 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
Driver seat is ripped at the base interior The seat frame is not mounted to the base.
NHTSA complaint #11628160 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
My backup camera is so dim at night I cannot see many obstacles. The dealer adjusted the camera to maximum brightness, but it's still so dim that I cannot see pedestrians wearing dark clothing and other obstacles behind me. Only the acoustic warning has prevented me from hitting an object or running into a person. I have talked to many other owners of this year BMW X5, and all of them have a similar complaint. The dealer adjusted the camera to its maximum night-time brightness but to no avail. The dealer then told me BMW designed the camera to be hard to see at night. I have normal night vision, as confirmed at my yearly vision exam by a licensed ophthalmologist, so I find it dubious that BMW would make their backup camera too dark to use at night. I found that shinning a bright light at the lower-left area of the instrument binacle causes the backup camera image to become much brighter and solves the visibility problem. Therefore, I think there is a BMW SW problem that dims the rearview camera too much when it believes it is night time.
NHTSA complaint #11598307 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Today, we experienced a some kind of sudden stop in a normal speed driving. Red alert car symbol flashed on our dashboard. It is without stepping on a break but it’s like our car is braking or like abrupt stopping. No car or any object that may hinder in front of us. It was scary coz there’s car behind us in a good speed. I don’t feel like it’s safe for what we had experienced today. Please try to look at it before anything like this scenario to happen again. I am and anyone else is into safety that’s why we choose this vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11546023 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
1.Cross traffic warning will warn me so late or sometimes not at all.No sound the most of the time.Can’t trust the safety of this future if it’s not alerting right on time. 2.forward Collision warning doesn’t work
NHTSA complaint #11502904 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
1.Cross traffic warning will warn me so late or sometimes not at all.No sound the most of the time.Can’t trust the safety of this future if it’s not alerting right on time. 2.forward Collision warning doesn’t work
NHTSA complaint #11502904 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.