99 of the
4,530 complaints filed about the BMW X5
are about the glass, mirrors and wipers —
2% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2001.
99
Complaints
2%
Share of all complaints
0
Crashes
4
Fires
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers complaints by model year
This vehicle has AC problem it’s blowing hot air. It has evaporator leaking. I called multiple shops and they said this problem is very popular for the X5 2019 to 2023 in my car is 2020. Please recall the Evaporator Core problem. It is too dangerous to drive in the car without AC and is too expensive to Have the Evaporator Core replacement.
NHTSA complaint #11754754 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Around June 10th, I was on vacation when I noticed my AC was not very cold in this vehicle, which I had purchased used about a month earlier. I took it to get recharged while on my vacation, and it blew nice and cold until a few days ago. After doing a little digging, it appears that the 2019 and 2020 model year of the BMW X5 G05 have an evaporator core made of aluminum, and the refrigerant used (R1234yf) is known to be corrosive to aluminum, causing leaks in the core. While this is widely talked about in online forums amongst those who have experienced this issue, it appears no safety recalls have been made about this issue. The problems, as I see it, are two fold: 1> Without a working AC system, the vehicle cannot safely defrost the windows when conditions are favorable for frost or fogginess. 2> The health hazards of inhaling leaked refrigerant, along with it's by-products (like trifluoroacetic acid) do not need to be explained. Refrigerants are known to be dangerous both to human health as well as to the environment, so this is not an acceptable environment to be exposed to. While I have not had an accident caused by this, I believe preventative steps should be taken to prevent them from occuring, given this is a fairly common problem with the 2019/2020 model year of this vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11754260 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
For my 2019 BMW X5 SDRIVE40i, The A/C evaporator core failed and began leaking refrigerant, resulting in complete loss of cold air from the A/C system. The vehicle had approximately 50,000 miles. The repair required full dashboard removal and cost approximately $4,500 including a rental vehicle. This appears to be a widespread issue on 2019–2025 BMW X5/X6/X7 models, suspected to be caused by R-1234yf refrigerant incompatibility with the aluminum evaporator core. The leaking R-1234yf refrigerant is also an environmental concern. R-1234yf is a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) greenhouse gas with a global warming potential significantly higher than CO2. An uncontrolled leak of this refrigerant directly into the atmosphere — due to a defective factory-installed evaporator core — contributes to environmental harm and violates the spirit of EPA regulations governing refrigerant emissions. Consumers should not bear the financial burden of a known manufacturing defect that also results in the uncontrolled release of a regulated substance. BMW has not issued a recall or extended warranty for this component despite widespread owner reports of the same failure. I am requesting NHTSA investigate this issue and compel BMW to issue a formal recall and provide reimbursement to affected owners.
NHTSA complaint #11741425 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle's HVAC system failed due to a leaking air conditioning evaporator core. This single component handles both cabin cooling and the windshield defrost/defog function, so its failure compromises a safety-critical visibility system in addition to climate control. The failed component is available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: The vehicle is operated primarily in Florida, where ambient temperatures regularly exceed 95°F and interior cabin temperatures without functioning AC can exceed 130°F. Operating a vehicle in these conditions causes driver fatigue, reduced reaction time, and heat-related illness — all of which compromise safe vehicle operation. Loss of the defrost/defog function also creates a visibility hazard in the humid and rainy conditions common to the region. Vulnerable passengers including children and elderly riders are at additional risk of heat-related illness. Confirmation: The failure was diagnosed and confirmed by an authorized BMW dealer service department as a leaking evaporator core requiring complete dashboard removal to repair, with a quoted repair cost in the multiple thousands of dollars. Inspection: The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer only. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. Warning indicators: No warning lamps or dashboard messages appeared prior to the failure. The first symptom was sudden loss of cabin cooling from the AC system. Critical context: This failure occurred at only 12,500 miles on a five-year-old vehicle that has been driven an average of approximately 2,500 miles per year. AC evaporator cores are not wear items and should not fail under any reasonable use conditions at this mileage. This is a widely documented defect pattern affecting 2019–2026 BMW G-series vehicles (X5, X6, X7, and Alpina XB7). Numerous owners across multiple model years have reported identical premature pinhole evaporator leaks at low mileage. The leading technical analysis attri
NHTSA complaint #11740008 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Incident Description: While driving with my two [XXX] children and husband under normal conditions, the panoramic sunroof glass on my 2025 BMW X5 xDrive50e suddenly and unexpectedly shattered without warning. At the time of the incident: There were no weather events (no hail, debris, or extreme conditions) I did not observe any object striking the vehicle There was no prior damage to the sunroof The glass failure was abrupt and loud, sounding like an explosion, consistent with a sudden break rather than gradual damage. There were no warnings or symptoms or sounds of impact prior to the explosion. I immediately documented the damage with photographs taken at the scene, prior to any inspection or handling. Safety Concern: This incident raises serious safety concerns: The sudden shattering of the sunroof could startle or distract the driver, increasing the risk of an accident Broken glass could fall into the vehicle cabin, posing a risk of injury to occupants The unexpected nature of the failure creates a hazard at highway speeds This type of failure appears consistent with reports of spontaneous tempered glass breakage, sometimes referred to as “exploding sunroofs.” Manufacturer Response: The vehicle was inspected by the dealership, BMW of San Rafael, and escalated to BMW of North America. BMW determined that the damage was caused by “impact” and denied warranty coverage. However: No clear point of impact (such as a chip, crater, or penetration point) has been identified No foreign object residue or evidence of impact has been provided The determination appears to rely on a visual interpretation of crack patterns, rather than confirmed physical evidence Based on my observations, the fracture pattern appears irregular and distributed, including along the edges, which may be consistent with stress-related or spontaneous failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11731967 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The AC evaporator failed due to a known manufacturing defect common across the BMW G-chassis platform (G05, G07, G30). This has created two severe safety hazards: The refrigerant leak causes the windshield to fog up instantly and unexpectedly while driving, completely obstructing my visibility and nearly causing an accident. Chemical fumes and oil from the leaking evaporator are entering the cabin through the vents, causing dizziness and respiratory irritation for the occupants. BMW is aware of this systemic issue through numerous owner reports and petitions but refuses to issue a recall or provide assistance. This is a critical component failure that directly impacts vehicle safety and occupant health.
NHTSA complaint #11729636 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have owned my BMW for only 19 months and in that short period of time, I have had to replace my windhsield (with OEM BMW Glass) 2x due to small road debris impacts (normal gravel/sand) becoming major fractures in less than a day. I have been driving for 40 years and only replaced 3 windshields in my life--2 of them in the past 10 months in this brand new BMW. Same roads and weather I have driven on for the past 24 years, in the south [XXX] ) so no unusual road gravel of weather conditions. I have to believe that these windshields are somehow more fragile than they should be. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11726428 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Electrical-soy covered wires causes rodents to chew wires causing electrical defaults and faulty control. Windshield - Minor chips causing massive cracks - happened twice in a 2 week time frame. After it was replaced. Cracked again
NHTSA complaint #11706187 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving, the information LED screen on the car flickered and went black within a second. Other electric components malfunctioned as well, e.g. radio, air conditioning/heating. Obviously, the cameras and safety systems associated with the screen also did not work. There was no warning that this was going to happen and, without these safety features, I felt that I was at a greater risk. The next day, I took the car to a BMW dealership, and was told that the Head Unit High was malfunctioning due to corrosion. The car has just under 51,000 miles and the unit should have been insulated against any moisture (the car was never flooded). I feel that this is a manufacturing defect that has put me, as the driver when it occurred, at risk.
NHTSA complaint #11682887 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On [XXX], while my 2024 BMW X5 was parked and stationary in an uncovered lot in Fort Lee, NJ, a large crack suddenly formed on the windshield. The crack originated at the top edge and extended approximately 8 inches. There was no impact observed, and the windshield had no prior chips or damage. The vehicle was exposed to sustained outdoor temperatures near 100°F for multiple consecutive days due to an extreme heat dome over the region. I suspect a thermal stress fracture possibly related to glass quality or installation. This type of failure raises safety concerns about the structural integrity of the glass. I have contacted BMW and am awaiting their response. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11677455 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 complaint #11670071 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH with no vehicles around, the sunroof suddenly exploded while the sunroof was closed. The glass fell on the driver. There were no reported injuries. There were chards of glass scattered throughout the vehicle. There were three-quarters of the glass missing. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed the contact an unidentified object might have struck the glass. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.
NHTSA complaint #11667487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Center rear view mirror stopped working and was replaced by Chapman BMW of Chandler but was replaced with a small aftermarket mirror that is causing dangers images in the mirrors because it’s splitting the image with the non manufactured mirror they replaced in my vehicle. I have attempted to resolve issues with Chapman BMW of Chandler and BMW North American customer care but was unsuccessful in getting a new manufacturer stock mirror reinstalled in my vehicle. The morrow placed in my vehicle is obscuring the vision of all oncoming traffic at night which is putting me at serious risk of an accident. I am requesting a mirror directly from factory to match the mirror that came stock in the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11639623 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The windshield wiper fluid reservoir failed and leaked out all the fluid at 6.5 years/34,000 miles. Without wiper fluid I am unable to clean the windshield which is a visibility safety issue. The car is currently at the dealer waiting for a repair part.
NHTSA complaint #11635402 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The driver's side and front passenger's mirror has a reflection from the trim of the a/c vent and is obstructing my view. The dealership will not replace the trim under warranty. It is a new car. Other owners of the BMW have the same problem as I have researched this problem.
NHTSA complaint #11624792 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Visibility issues are becoming more significant when the sun reflects from the dashboard onto the windshield. The black leather dashboard is separating along the base of the windshield revealing a white under side. This white reflects the sun and creates artifacts on the windshield visible in the drivers field of view. At the leather separates more and more, the distraction is getting worse and worse. The defective dashboard was reported to my local BMW dealer. I was told BMW will not cover it under warranty and the charge to replace the dashboard is over $5,000.00.
NHTSA complaint #11613553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
- As we were driving down a largely empty highway ([XXX] near Pollock Pines, CA), we heard an extremely loud bang. We looked back and the large rear sunroof (the non-moving one) had exploded - the glass was crazed with shatter fragments and continued to audibly crackle for several minutes. No significant sections of the glass had fallen out, but there were small splinters of glass (< 1mm in size) all over the cabin including on our 4 month old in the rear seat. - The vehicle is currently at the dealer service center awaiting service. It is available for inspection on request. As far as I know it has only been inspected by me and the dealer service representative. - The explosive sound caused a significant distraction while driving, and the glass fragments that rained into the cabin resulted in a minor injury to my hand and posed a risk of internal and external lacerations to all of us. - At no point were there any warnings prior to the explosion. Afterwards, there were also no warnings, though the problem was obvious. There are several nearly-simultaneous reports of this on new X5s: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11571458 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.