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.
My daughter was driving my BMW X5, it went to neutral and not moving, she was panicked and stopped the car and ignition. After restarting the car, it worked for a day, then it happened again, also, I see notifications on dashboard for restraint warning, saying, airbag, and seat belt tension are reduced. I took to Fairfax BMW in VA, BMW quoted $2662, informed that my BMW went out of extended warranty over a month, I asked Goodwill request to BMW, still declined.
NHTSA complaint #11733217 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On September 2, 2025, my 2025 BMW X5 xDrive50e was involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle. Despite the severity of the impact, the following safety systems failed to deploy: Front airbags Driver seatbelt pretensioner BMW Assist / automatic emergency notification Witnesses reported that my vehicle briefly went airborne before landing with the rear wheels up on a curb. I suffered neck injuries, and my vehicle sustained significant frontal damage. BMW later downloaded the Event Data Recorder (EDR) and confirmed: A frontal non-deployment event Three fault codes in the airbag control module (ACSM) post-crash The crash algorithm activated and reset ΔV reached approx. 12.4 mph longitudinal Forward Collision Mitigation system issued an acute warning 0.5 seconds before impact BMW states the “impulse was not sufficient” to trigger restraint deployment BMW has refused to provide: The deployment thresholds (ΔV criteria) for airbags or pre-tensioners Any engineering explanation for why restraint systems did not activate Any technical rationale for the ACSM fault codes Any escalation beyond Customer Relations All I have been given is an unsigned summary letter and the raw EDR file. BMW Customer Relations stated that engineering is “not customer-facing” and that no additional information will be provided. This leaves serious concerns that: The restraint systems did not function properly in a real-world impact. BMW is refusing to disclose the engineering basis for its conclusions. Consumers may be at risk if this is a repeatable failure mode. I am requesting NHTSA review this incident as a potential defect in the airbag, pretensioner, and/or crash-sensing system in the 2025 BMW X5. I can provide the EDR report, photos, BMW’s letter, and full correspondence upon request. VIN: [XXX] Mileage: ~10,700 Crash Date: 09/02/2025 BMW Case #: XXX INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11701093 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When fully extended, the seatbelt will occasionally twist or fold as it is being retracted, sometimes causing the belt to be stuck or jammed in the retractor and rendering the seatbelt inoperable and in need of repair. BMW considers this an issue caused by "outside influence" (not a manufacturer defect) that is not covered under warranty repair, even if this issue occurs during normal operation of the seatbelt.
NHTSA complaint #11695356 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Described by BMW as a "malfunctioning passenger restraint system", the sensor detecting weight in the seats is faulty without any external factors. The safety of both minors and adults is placed at risk when a system like this malfunctions, either keeping the airbag on or off. The automatically-adjusting seatbelt is also affected by this. There was a warning message for this displayed.
NHTSA complaint #11688338 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I received a message of Restraint system malfunction and when I called the local dealer I was told the part is not availabel anywhere in the USA. What am I supposed to do with this. I was told the air bags and seatbelts may malfunction. The vehicle only has 85k miles. its a 2012. At this point who will take the car as a trade? It's not safe and they don't have an answer except to say I'm [XXX] and i guess you need to get a new vehicle!! Can you believe this? I have to get a whole new vehicle because they don't have a part! You can't make this stuff up. I spoke with BMW USA and was told they only honor 4yr and 50k miles and after 10years they are not responsible for parts to be made. The I was told to get it further diagnosed to the tune of 250.00 so they can "MAYBE" have the parts manufactured. What the heck! this company is saying our cars are garbage after 10yrs! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11678691 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2020 BMW X5
at 65,327 milesPearland, TXCrash2 injured
SEAT BELTS
The contact owned a 2020 BMW X5. The contact stated while the contact's mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, another vehicle attempted to make a left turn and crashed head-on into the front driver and passenger side of the vehicle. The driver's air bag did not deploy. During the impact, the driver's head hit the windshield causing it to crack. The police and paramedics arrived on the scene. The contact and the contact's mother were transported to the local medical center. The contact's mother was treated for a severe concussion and severe cuts and bruises. In addition, the contact's mother had broken glass in her hands which was removed. The contact sustained cuts and bruises. The contact's mother received additional testing because of the impact of the steering wheel on the chest, however the test results were negative. A police report was filed, however, the information was unavailable. In addition, the police officer inspected the vehicle and noticed the driver's seat belt had a lot of play, which could have contributed to the contact's mother's head injury. The vehicle was towed to the local tow yard and condemned as a total loss. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,327.
NHTSA complaint #11648949 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Anytime I have a passenger in the car the seatbelt warning light goes off. My passenger is wearing the seatbelt. I put the car in park and tell my passenger to take the seatbelt off then back on. It's off for a bit then the light for the seatbelt comes by on.
NHTSA complaint #11648526 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
one seat belt in the BACK SEAT on PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT PULL out . stay stuck . can pull out to 1.5 inches then somtimes "3. then back to "1.5
NHTSA complaint #11640864 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Passenger Seat Belt Malfunction indicator on stating the system has a malfunction. Passenger safety systems are reduced in the stated malfunction. It has not been inspected by the dealer or service center. There were no known issues prior to the vehicle indicator stating the system malfunctioned.
NHTSA complaint #11618326 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driver Restraint Malfunction warning light turned on while driving and stated dangerous driving conditions and to see a Dealer immediately. The Dealer diagnosis was a faulty airbag wire harness due to rubbing against the metal which caused the airbag light to malfunction. Car had 47500 miles but BMW did not cover this faulty wiring under warranty. Should be a recall on faulty wiring.
NHTSA complaint #11571073 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The car currently has 28,899 miles to date. Mid November 2023, the dashboard indicated that there was a default with the safety system. I took the car to the authorized service center and their diagnostics indicated as follows: Faulty crash safety module. The recommendation was to replace and program ACSM control unit. Since this was a matter of my personal safety I had to pay $2100 to fix it. The second issue was the sunroof not closing. The diagnostic found the following problems: excessive corrosion on sunroof cassette it to fail ( water entering the sunroof).
NHTSA complaint #11561956 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving approximately 30 mph. As I continued to accelerate the fuel system light came on and the car shut off in the road. I had to have it towed to the dealership as it would not start. Gas fumes could also be smelled coming from the car. Once looked at by BMW service center I was told “ EKPS and the fuel pump are intermittently failing. I was able to able to verify the concern briefly. Vehicle may lose fuel pressure randomly. Upon removing rear seats and inspecting harness, I found the wires going into the EKPS to be burnt. The wires from the EKPS to the low pressure fuel pump will also need to be replaced.” I did research and saw that this was recall on other years of this model. Also the middle back seatbelt does not work. Also even after multiple alignments my car still pulls aggressively to the right causing near collisions and off roaring.
NHTSA complaint #11559361 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
A portion on the Airbag system was/is disabled due to an issue, known to BMW, with the wiring harness connected to the passenger seat. It is available for inspection if requested. Normal movement of the electric seat in turn pulls a wiring harness that failed by being "chaffed". This flaw results in a "Restraint System Error", passenger side - a significant problem since this harness controls an integral safety system of the vehicle and ultimately disables part of the airbag system until repaired. During inspection at the dealer's service center, the car was connected to a fault reader that reported a wiring harness/module failure due to "chaffing". This chaffing caused a short that triggered the warning light and deactivated a key air bag safety feature. I was told that normal movement of the passenger seat moves the wires and causes the system failure. After consulting with my Service Advisor, the repair was explained as "installation of a new, modified (longer) wiring harness that allows for rerouting of the wires so that the condition is corrected" What alarmed me as a consumer was when I asked if they were sure this would fix the problem, the dealer told me they see it quite often and 99% of the time it is a problem with the original design and routing of the harness. From my perspective, this indicates BMW acknowledges this is a known problem impacting the safe operation of the vehicle. The repair requires removal of the entire center console and replacing and rerouting a newly designed wiring harness. The estimate for repair to the consumer is almost $1300 - making it likely that many consumers would delay this important repair. In my opinion, this engineering flaw should be the subject of a voluntary recall at the least.
NHTSA complaint #11545997 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle airbag/seatbelt warning light on 9/2022. Airbag (seatbelt) module replaced. Caused by condensation or leak due to BMW not sealing cupholders and placing KEY SAFETY EQUIPMENT directly under unsealed cupholders. I was told other modules likely damaged but airbags and seatbelt were first to go out. 2023 April/May - steering issues. Windshield wipers run continuously and cannot be turned off. Horn and turn signal also stopped working. Need steering column replaced. BMW said possibly also related to cupholder defect. I am concerned the unsealed cupholders are going to kill someone if airbags deploy unnecessarily or seatbelt/airbags fail. BMW should have not placed KEY safety equipment under unsealed drink holders.
NHTSA complaint #11528927 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.