119 of the
4,530 complaints filed about the BMW X5
are about the body and structure —
3% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2014.
The driver’s door lock has malfunctioned for the second time. The door became stuck in the locked position and could not be opened normally. There were no warning lights or messages indicating a problem with the door latch or lock system. This creates a serious safety hazard because the driver could be unable to exit the vehicle during an emergency. The right rear passenger seat belt also does not retract properly and cannot be used. The vehicle has previously been taken to a BMW dealership for this same issue, but the problem has returned. Because the seat belt cannot be used, a rear passenger cannot be properly restrained, creating a significant safety risk in the event of a crash.
NHTSA complaint #11752936 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sunroof leaks into cabin and there is no known solution for this model year 2023 BMW X5. It is my understanding that model years 2020-2023 all have this issue and a class action lawsuit is being reviewed. BMW has also issued a TSIB but there is no known recall. They will replace the seals under warranty but that is only a 2-3 year solution and will need to be redone.
NHTSA complaint #11745920 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The attaching nut and bolt holding the left suspension to the rear subframe worked itself lose. The nut had completely fallen off. The corresponding bolt was merely hanging on but was about to fall off too. The vehicle was behaving weirdly and unstable even at slower speeds.
NHTSA complaint #11739474 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11731981 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle is exhibiting symptoms that are identical to those described in NHTSA Recall 25V556 — water intrusion through the windshield and A-pillar area. The recall documents that improperly sealed windshields can allow water to enter the power distribution box and electronic control unit, leading to a short circuit and, in extreme cases, a thermal event even when the ignition is off.
NHTSA complaint #11724688 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving under normal conditions with no external impact, debris, rock strike, or other identifiable cause, the panoramic moonroof shattered explosively (with a loud report resembling a gunshot). Glass fragments dispersed across the roof area, and portions of the panel collapsed inward into the interior mesh roof cover. This occurred without warning and posed a serious safety risk. Th problem has not been reproduced by the dealer and only been inspected by the dealer and denied as a warranty claim. Nothing in the vehicle warning system went off prior to the failure.
NHTSA complaint #11722830 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The seal on the sunroof of the car allows water into the car. My car will be available for inspection upon request. This issue allows water into the car around the b pillar airbag and the side window airbag which can damage the airbag and make it deploy without any accidents or make them not deploy in the case of a accident. BMW has an internal document in which acknowledging the issue with the seal but even though they recognize placing a defective part on the vehicle. They will not assume the cost of the repair if outside de 50k miles warranty. In order for the dealership to take a look at the issue an 200 dollar diagnostic is required but I was informed that if they determined that the issue on hand is due to the defective part. I will still have to pay for the repairs. There weren’t any other signs before the incident.
NHTSA complaint #11719455 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sunroof - explosion of glass while driving down the road. No other cars or anything that would cause flying debris. I decided to file this report after reading of multiple accounts being reported.
NHTSA complaint #11707928 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My sunroof spontaneously exploded yesterday, which sounded like a loud shotgun blast going off. Fortunately my vehicle was stopped at the time, but no rocks or debris had hit it to cause this then or previously, and nothing had fallen on it. No warning or other symptoms prior to this happening, the car was in mint condition and always garaged, 34,750 miles. Could have been much worse had I been driving at highway speeds and not stopped at a traffic light.
NHTSA complaint #11706044 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving down the Long Island Expressway at around 60 miles per hour, the retractable part of my panoramic sun roof shattered. It felt like an explosion. Luckily, the sunroof and cloth cover was fully extended so the glass didn't fall in the car. The traffic was light, no one in front of me and wasn't driving under any structure. There were no construction or debris on the road. It's clearly a manufacturer defect. Thanks, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11691803 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When it rains water comes into the drivers side from the roof (sun visor area), and under the dashboard. Depending on how much rain, it leaves a puddle on the floor mat, and constantly drips on the driver as I drive.
NHTSA complaint #11666151 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Emergency call malfunction light came on. System is an important vehicle safety features. Vehicle taken to dealership for inspection. No visual damage present on vehicle however water ingress from roof shark fin is causing damage to electrical components, TCB and emergency call function. Shark fin antenna cover determined to be causing water ingress after inspection by BMW dealership. Per their recommendation, further water ingress could damage additional electrical components, some critical and therefore immediate need to replace TCB, Aerial antenna, and emergency battery. Vehicle warranty not covering this type of issue. Cost of repair estimated at $2500.
NHTSA complaint #11649573 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The front passenger door remained open as I was pulling out of my garage with my kid sitting in the front passenger seat. I thought he didn't close the door, but he was unable to close it. I got out of the car and it turns out the door wouldn't latch. There was no warning to the failure of the soft closing door mechanism. Just an alert that door is open. I had to drive it to the dealership the next day with rope securing the door to the pillar and the rear passenger door.
NHTSA complaint #11588598 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2020 BMW X5 is having the same issues as SIB651222 based on the extensive troubleshooting that I have done with the telematics system. ALL of the exact symptoms can be found in this YouTube video for an X7: [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11587909 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle was communicating with the SOS department while no incident had occurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that a water leak in the rear antenna of the vehicle had caused the electronic malfunction. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 44,500.
NHTSA complaint #11582582 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sunroof unexpected exploded. No external interfaces (rocks or debris or weather) radio off sunscreen open sunroof closed. Speed was approximately 30 mph. Took car to dealership and was told sunroof don't just explode something had to hit it. They mentioned nothing about the issues with these sunroof, complaints or investigations that has done.
NHTSA complaint #11581138 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On the date below, a warning banner and chime signaled that our car's emergency communication system was not functional. Soon after, we noticed that the navigation system was "lost"; ie, showing our car in a different state, sometimes in water, incorrect displays of speed limits being shown, etc. Vehicle was evaluated at a BMW dealership, and the primary defective part was found to be the "sharkfin" on the roof. Water entered the roof structure (not the interior of the car) via this sharkfin, and resulted in damage to the TCB, which reportedly controls many of the car's more-advanced electrical functions. Due to unfortunate clauses in warrantees on the car--both BMW certified pre-owned coverage, and also a 3rd party service contract that was purchased at the time of purchase, from the BMW dealer, as a bumper-to-bumper "platinum" supplement to the certified pre-owned warranty, are currently in effect for this car--this defect is NOT covered. Cost to repair all involvedf parts is approximately $5,000. As a consequence of this expense, it has not been repaired, and likely will not be in the near future. A Google search about this issue yielded numerous identical incidents involving this same model/year of BMW. Several owners wondered if a recall was needed, since it is clearly a manufacturer defect with clear-cut and repeated ramifications, is very costly to repair (so is likely to NOT be repaired, in many instances), and is subject to a loophole in warranty coverage. My impression from this internet search is that other systems in the car might soon stop working. I believe it is a safety issue, now, given the failure of the emergency communication function controlled by the TCB, and might become more of an issue in the future, when/if additional functions fail.
NHTSA complaint #11566226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sometime the rear soft closed door ajar with child safety locks engaged while in motion. Child safety locks used because have small children in the back seats. The children safety are at risk when the door ajar while turning. Had to pull over to re-closed the door because the door ajar warning light and sound is on. The dealership had inspect the issue and said there is a service bulletin on the locks.
NHTSA complaint #11557725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X5. The contact stated while having the vehicle washed, the technician became aware that the floor carpeting on the front driver’s side was wet and had mold and mildew. The vehicle was taken to the dealer that stated that the vehicle was experiencing the failure listed in TSB: SIB 64 04 21; however, the vehicle was not covered under the service bulletin and advised to contact the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 59,000.
NHTSA complaint #11534079 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
this vehicle running board kits failed and almost thrown vehicle off the service lift. It is unsafe to use on this vehicle. it may cause harm or kills someone. these mounting brackets for this running board required removed and took placed of vehicle designed service lift points. Manufacturer claims it is safe to use while not offer specific way or additional parts installed to lift vehicle safely. prior to collapsed on the service lift, it made some creak sound and collapsed. Manufacturer still not want take responsibility.
NHTSA complaint #11522519 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.