NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 BMW X5. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY THE AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON AFTER A LOUD POP NOISE WAS HEARD ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD. WE THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BMW FOR A SAFETY INSPECTION. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED INITIAL REPORT WHERE THEY CLAIM THE AIRBAG HAS FAILED AND WANT US TO PAY $3000 TO REPLACE IT.
I WAS DRIVING MY BMW X5 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30PM ON INTERSTATE 93 GOING NORTH IN MASSACHUSETTS, WHEN I HEARD A EXPLOSION ABOVE MY HEAD. I IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE HIGHWAY TO EXAMINE WHAT HAD CAUSE THE EXPLOSION. WHEN I EXAMINED THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED A HUGE CRATER IN THE CENTER OF THE SUNROOF WITH SHARDS OF GLASS COVERING MOST OF THE CRATER WHERE THE INTACT SUNROOF WAS LOCATED. I DID NOT NOTICE AND OBJECT THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSE THE EXPLOSION, NO ICE- IT IS WINTER IN MASSACHUSETTS, NO ROCKS THAT MIGHT HAVE IMPACTED THE SUNROOF TO CAUSE THE EXPLOSION, THE ONLY THING THAT WAS VISIBLE TO ME WERE BROKEN GLASS. PRIOR TO THIS EVENT, I HAD NO REASON TO BE CONCERNED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE SUNROOF, I HAD NEVER HEARD ANY SOUNDS COMING FROM THE SUNROOF AND I NEVER HEARD OR SAW A ROCK, PIECE IF METAL OR ANY OTHER OBJECT IMPACTING THE ROOF OR SUNROOF.
DRIVER WAS TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN THEY HEARD A LOUD NOISE AT THE REAR OF THE CAR AND FELT THE STEERING BECOME UNSTEADY. DRIVER LOOKED AT REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAW A BLACK OBJECT FLY FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR ONTO THE HIGHWAY. DRIVER PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER AND FOUND THAT A LARGE PIECE OF THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS GONE. THE TREAD ON ONE OF THE REAR PIRELLI SCORPION VERDE TIRES HAD PEELED OFF THE TIRE. THE IMPACT FROM THE LOOSE TREAD CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE REAR OF THE CAR. AT NO TIME DID THE TIRE LOSE AIR PRESSURE NOR DID ANY WARNING LIGHTS TURN ON TO INDICATE ANY TIRE TROUBLE. LUCKILY NO OTHER VEHICLES ON THE HIGHWAY WERE HIT BY THE LARGE TIRE TREAD WHICH FLEW FROM THE CAR AND INTO ONCOMING HIGHWAY TRAFFIC.
THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF SHATTERED AFTER CLOSING THE DRIVER DOOR FROM THE INSIDE. THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARKING LOT.
IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR WITH NO REPAIRS ON THE CAR. WE'VE TRIED TO TRADE IT OFF AT A DEALERSHIP AND THEY REFUSED TO EVEN TAKEN IT IN ON A TRADE BECAUSE THERE IS NO FIX. WE ARE BEING HELD HOSTAGE IN A VEHICLE THAT IS NOW WORTH NOTHING BECAUSE THEY WONT' FIX IT. EVERY TIME WE HAVE IT SERVICED THE COOLANT IS LOW BUT CONTINUE TO SAY ENGINE TESTS FINE.
WHEN DRIVE THE CAR,SUDDENLY DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR CHANGE THE ANGEL.I TRIED THE ADJUST MY MIRROR WITH THE SWITH WHILE I DRIVE THE CAR.IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND BLOOMFIELD BMW DONT KNOW HOW TO FIX IT EVEN I EXPLAIN TO THEM PROBLEM IS A ELECTRIC CONNECTORS PI AND NEEDS CONTACT CLEANER.
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON THE FREEWAY AT AROUND 70 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY THE SUNROOF "EXPLODED" WITH A LOUD NOISE AND THE GLASS CAME DOWN. THE SUNROOF WAS CLOSED AT THAT TIME. THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS CAUSE OR IMPACT AND I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY PRIOR DAMAGE TO THE GLASS.
The contact owns a 2016 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V586000 (Fuel System, Diesel); however, the repair failed to prevent the failure from occurring. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, the same recall failure had occurred. The vehicle was towed to the same local dealer where it was diagnosed with a fuel pump failure due to debris inside the fuel pump. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,239.
I PARKED MY X5 ON AN INCLINE, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, SET THE PARKING BREAK AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. LOCKED IT AND WENT INSIDE. THERE WERE WORKERS OUTSIDE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE COMING IN TO THE HOUSE THAT WITNESSED IT SITTING THERE FOR THAT AMOUNT OF TIME. AFTER BEING INSIDE FOR ABOUT 5 MORE MINUTES OR BETTER, I WENT TO LEAVE AND FOUND THAT MY CAR HAD ROLLED AND HIT A TREE. THE PARKING BREAK WORKED SEEING THAT THERE WAS SNOW BUILT UP ON THE BACK TIRES, HOWEVER, YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PICTURES THAT BOTH FRONT TIRES ROLLED. BMW LOOKED INTO IT AND SAID THE CAR DIAGNOSTICALLY CHECKED OUT FINE AND THAT IT IS NORMAL FOR BOTH FRONT TIRES TO ROLL WHILE IN PARK???
ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER STICKER BMW X5 5.0 GETS 15/21MPG. I WISH I GET ANYWHERE NEAR THAT. I GET ABOUT 11 AVERAGE MPG. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TWICE AND I CALLED BMW NORTH AMERICA AND THEY SAID THAT IS THE WAY IT IS. YOU WILL NEVER GET WHAT YOU SEE ON THE STICKER. SO WHEN YOU BUY A CAR NEVER TRUST WHAT THEY SAY ON THE STICKER PRICE.
BMW HAS IN MY OPINION DELIVERED CARS WITH A SAFETY RISK DUE TO DISTRACTED DRIVING RISK DUE TO THEIR POOR SOFTWARE. THE METHOD FOR CONNECTING TO AND OPERATING AN IPHONE (AND PERHAPS OTHER PHONES) VIA THE RADIO AND SPEAKERS IS CLUMSY AND DISTRACTING. FOR EXAMPLE, THE SOFTWARE DEMANDS SIX OR SEVEN INTERACTIONS WITH THE PHONE SCREEN AND CAR CONTROL ROTARY SELECTOR AND CAR SCREEN TO ACHIEVE TUNING AN AM STATION. (THERE IS NO AM BAND IN THE RADIO BECAUSE THE BRAKES ON THIS HYBRID WOULD AFFECT THE AM SIGNAL.) IN MY OPINION, BMW HAS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS DISTRACTING AND ANNOYING SOFTWARE AND IT SHOWS A CARELESS DISREGARD FOR ENSURING THE SAFEST DRIVING EXPERIENCE FOR ITS CUSTOMERS AND CLACK OF CONCERN FOR OTHER ROAD USERS. THE DANGERS OF DISTRACTED DRIVING ARE WELL KNOWN. I DROVE A RENTAL FORD ON THE WEEKEND - IT WORKED INTUITIVELY AND FLAWLESSLY VIA APPLE PLAY AND DID NOT CREATE ANY DISTRACTIONS. IN MY OPINION BMW SHOULD BE MADE TO RETRO-FIT THAT SOFTWARE TO THEIR AFFECTED PRODUCTS.
WHILE DRIVING, ALL OF SUDDEN, DASHBOARD BECOMES BLANK. I BROUGHT THIS POINT TO BMW BELLEVUE DEALER. IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO ISSUE IDENTIFIED. HOWEVER, IT OCCURRED A COUPLE OF TIMES IN A YEAR. SINCE I WAS DRIVING 35-SPEED LIMIT ROAD, I PULLED THE VEHICLE AND STOPPED THE ENGINER AND THEN RESTART. THE ISSUE DISAPPREAD. I'M NOT SURE WHAT WOULD BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF IT WHEN I'M DRIVING AT HIGHWAYS OR AT HIGH SPEED.
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, WITHOUT OVERPASSES OR CLIFFS NEAR, THE SUNROOF EXPLODED OUTWARD, AND RAINING GLASS DOWN ON TO THE PASSENGERS. THE TEMPERATURE WAS MODERATE. VEHICLE HAS APPROX 6000 MILES.
SUNROOF IMPLODED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 BMW X5. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,140.
I STOPPED AT THE ENTRANCE OF AN APARTMENT COMPLEX AND WAS WAITING FOR THE SECURITY GATE TO OPEN. ONCE I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP THE AUTO START STOP FUNCTION TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. WHILE STOPPED, WITH MY FOOT STILL ON THE BRAKE, SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY, THE ENGINE STARTED AND THE VEHICLE TOOK OFF STRIKING THE SECURITY GATE AS IT WAS OPENING. THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. NO AIRBAG DEPLOYED EITHER.
MY CAR BMW X5 WAS DAMAGES BY ACCIDENT, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE MALFUNCTIONING OF THE TAILGATE, WHICH OPEN SPONTANEOUSLY TWICE WITHOUT WARNING NEITHER BY SOUND NOR BY COMMAND. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED WHEN I TURNED ON THE ENGINE WITH ATTEMPT TO MOVE FROM THE BUILDING GARAGE. ALLEGEDLY WARNING SYSTEM MUST BE DESIGNED IN THE BMW X 5. THE WARNING SYSTEM WAS NOT FUNCTIONING, WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH FOOTAGE, IN WHICH YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE EVENT OF ACCIDENT. ALSO, I CAN DEMONSTRATE, AS YOU CAN SEE ON FOOTAGE, THAT I MADE A FAIR ATTEMPT TO PREVENT THE ACCIDENT BY TRYING TO CLOSE SPONTANEOUSLY OPEN TAILGATE, WHICH RE-OPEN AGAIN SPONTANEOUSLY WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. THE REAR TAILGATE GLASS EXPLODED IN A PIECES OF NEEDLE AND HALF A DIME SIZE AFTER POSSIBLE MINOR TOUCH OF THE REAR WIPER. IF THE MINOR IMPACT OF THE REAR WIPER TOOK PLACE, IT MUST NOT CAUSE SUCH DISPROPORTIONAL DAMAGES TO THE CAR SUCH AS EXPLOSION OF THE REAR TAILGATE WINDOW. THE PICTURE OF THE DEBRIS ALSO IS AVAILABLE. THE ARBELLA INSURANCE COMPANY DETERMINED THIS EVENT AS A SIMPLE CAR ACCIDENT, SINCE THE ARBELLA INSURANCE COMPANY DOES NOT AN EQUIPMENT TO DETERMINE IF LOCKS OR COMPUTER OF THE BMW X5 WERE MALFUNCTIONING. BMW USA WERE NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE FOR THE SAME REASON, LACK OF EQUIPMENT, THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. NEITHER ONE ORGANIZATION THE ARBELLA INSURANCE NOR BMW USA HAD BEEN ADDRESSED THE SAFETY ISSUES DUE TO MALFUNCTIONED CAR COMPUTER NOR EXPLOSION OF THE TAILGATE REAR WINDOW.
UPON FIRST SERVICE, BASED UPON WHIRRING NOISE IN FRONT OF CAR, SERVICE ADVISOR ADVISED THAT THE FRONT TIRES WERE BADLY CUPPED ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE EDGES AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A SECOND SERVICE ADVISOR ADVISED THAT THE BMW X5 WITH THE SPORTS PACKAGE NATURALLY CUPPED THE FRONT TIRES AND MOST PEOPLE CHOOSE TO REPLACE THE TIRES BEFORE 18000 MILES DUE TO NOISE. THIS IS AN 80,000+ DOLLAR CAR. DOES THAT SEEM NORMAL, OR ACCEPTABLE. BMW'S ONLY RESPONSE AFTER SEVERAL CONTACTS WAS TO HAVE A LADY FROM PUBLIC RELATIONS CALL ME AND TELL ME BMW WASN'T GOING TO PAY ANYTHING. I NEVER ASKED THEM TO PAY ANYTHING. IF THE CAR IS DEFECTIVE, IT SHOULD BE RECALLED. KNOWING THEY HAVE PRODUCED A CAR THAT WITH THE SPORTS PACKAGE EXCESSIVELY WEARS TIRES, EXPENSIVE TIRES, MEANS THEY SHOULD NOT PUT THE SPORTS PACKAGES ON THE X5, 50I. SINCE BMW REFUSES TO EVEN RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEMS, WHERE SHOULD I TURN? ONE DEALERSHIP HAS OFFERED TO SELL BE TWO FRONT TIRES FOR $700, BUT SHOULD I HAVE TO BUY THEM. WE'RE TALKING NEW TIRES EVERY 15-18000 MILES.
THE ATTORN. GEN OF FL SUGGESTED I REACH OUT TO YOU TO EXPRESS A CONCERN I HAVE FOR OUR X5 EDRIVE. WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE AT REEVES BMW IN TAMPA. SINCE WE HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE, IT HAS BEEN A MAJOR ISSUE AND NOW THAT WE HAVE A NEWBORN, IT HAS BECOME A SAFETY CONCERN OF OURS THAT THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY SHUTS OFF WHEN THE DRIVER'S DOOR OPENS. NOT ONLY CAN WE NOT PRE-CONDITION THE CAR WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO PUT HIM IN THE CAR SEAT, BUT ANYTIME WE GET OUT TO GRAB SOMETHING, IT LEAVES HIM WITH NO A/C AND IN WINTER THE HEAT WILL SHUT DOWN. I ALSO CANNOT SIT IN THE CAR WITH MY CHILD AND WAIT FOR MY HUSBAND TO COME OUTSIDE OR IF WE ARE AWAY FROM HOME AND HE HAS TO RUN IN SOMEWHERE, THE CAR SHUTS OFF AND WE ARE LEFT IN THE HEAT. WE LIVE IN FLORIDA AND IT IS DANGEROUSLY HOT WHEN A CAR IS NOT AIR-CONDITIONED. I LITERALLY HAVE TO CRAWL FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND EXIT ANOTHER DOOR, IF I WANT TO KEEP THE AIR ON, OR I HAVE TO CRAWL INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT, IF I AM A PASSENGER. WE CAN'T EVEN TURN ON THE CAR TO COOL IT OFF BEFORE WE LEAVE THE HOUSE OR ANOTHER DESTINATION, BECAUSE THE CAR SHUTS OFF IF YOU ARE NOT IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE MOST DANGEROUS THING, IS THAT IF YOU GET OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE, THE CAR REMAINS ON IN ALL OTHER ASPECTS (RADIO, LIGHTS, ETC.) AND APPEARS TO BE RUNNING. THIS MAY CONFUSE SOMEONE TO THINK THE CAR IS SAFE AND THE AC OR HEAT IS RUNNING. I BELIEVE THIS MAY CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT WITH THIS OR EVEN A DEATH, IF ALL CUSTOMERS ARE NOT EDUCATED. THERE IS A PRE-CONDITION FEATURE THE CAR HAS, BUT IT ONLY WORKS IF IT IS CHARGED ENOUGH. ANYTIME WE ARE NOT AT HOME OR WITH ENOUGH BATTERY (WHICH IS OFTEN), WE DO NOT HAVE THIS OPTION AND IT IS VERY INCONVENIENT AND DANGEROUS. IN MY OPINION IT SHOULD BE A 'SAFETY RECALL', SO NO ONE IS HURT FROM EITHER EXTREME HEAT OR COLD CONDITIONS, WHEN THE CAR FAILS.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026