CSR

BMW · NHTSA safety record

2023 BMW X5

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 33 safety complaints about the 2023 BMW X5 with the US government. Of those, 3 describe a crash, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. 4 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 8 complaints, 24% of the total.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers October 2022 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

33 complaints on file

33

Complaints

3

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

1

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8 · 24%
POWER TRAIN 8 · 24%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 · 24%
ENGINE 5 · 15%
STRUCTURE 4 · 12%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 · 9%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 2 · 6%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 · 6%
VISIBILITY 2 · 6%
AIR BAGS 1 · 3%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 · 3%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 33.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 10.

12 9 6 3
22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2023 BMW X5, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV RWD
Overall Not rated
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover Not rated
Chance of rollover 15.9% —
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

4 on file

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

23V821000 · December 6, 2023

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota GR Supra, 3 Series Sedan (330i xDrive, M340i xDrive, M3), 5 Series Sedan (530i, 530i xDrive, M5), 4 Series Gran Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive), 4 Series Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive), 4 Series Convertible (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive), 8 Series Coupe (840i, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Convertible (840i, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Gran Coupe (850i xDrive, M8), X3 SAV (X3 xDrive30i, X3M), X4 SAV (X4 xDrive30i), X5 SAV (X5 xDrive40i, X5 M50i, X5M), X6 SAV (X6 xDrive40i, X6 M50i, X6M), and Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i vehicles. The weld seam of the integrated transmission control unit's cover may not have been manufactured properly, which could allow automatic transmission oil to leak into the transmission control unit.
The risk
Transmission oil that leaks into the control unit can lead to a seizure of the transmission gears, causing a sudden loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the transmission mechatronics module and the automatic transmission fluid, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 26, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 552 vehicles across all model years covered

SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT

23V253000 · April 6, 2023

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 M50i, X5 M and X5 xDrive45e vehicles. The head restraints for the second-row outboard seats may have been improperly manufactured without locking tabs in the guide sleeves. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 202, "Head Restraints."
The risk
A head restraint without a locking tab may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the second-row outboard seat head restraint guide sleeves, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 31, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 235 vehicles across all model years covered

SEATS:CRITICAL FASTENERS

22V942000 · December 19, 2022

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023 X5 sDrive40i, X5 M50i and X5 xDrive 45e vehicles. One of the four bolts that connects the backrest to the driver's seat frame may not have been correctly installed.
The risk
A loose driver's seat backrest may not properly restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the driver's seat backrest and if necessary, install an attachment bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 17, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 4 vehicles across all model years covered

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

22V820000 · November 2, 2022

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023 X5 sDrive40i, xDrive40i, xDrive45e, and X7 xDrive40i vehicles. The windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle which could allow water to enter the vehicle and contact electrical components, possibly resulting in a short-circuit.
The risk
An electrical short-circuit increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the windshield seal and as necessary, remove and reinstall the windshield with a new seal, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 30, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 47 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · crash · towed

While driving the vehicle at highway speed, the vehicle did not respond as expected during braking. Upon attempting to slow the vehicle, control was lost, the vehicle became unstable, left the roadway, and rolled. As a result of the incident, the driver sustained serious injuries requiring emergency transport and hospitalization. No warning lamps, messages, or brake-related alerts were observed prior to the incident. After the crash, the BMW mobile application displayed a brake system malfunction warning indicating an integrated system brake failure, with a timestamp shortly after the incident. The vehicle has not yet been inspected or diagnosed by a BMW dealer or independent service

NHTSA complaint 11707697, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

crash

The vehicle rolled away after the driver exited the vehicle with the transmission in Neutral and the parking brake was not applied. This negligent design flaw is because BMW has chosen to not revert the vehicle to Park if the door is opened like other car manufacturers. A simple software update or design change could prevent a potentially fatal incident caused by BMW’s negligence in this matter.

NHTSA complaint 11515326. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

crash

The car safety features should not allow the vehicle to move with an open door. It should also alert driver with warning if passenger door is ajar before and when in motion. The car did not register at any point (sound, dash light or otherwise) while the car door was moving that the rear driver side passenger door was ajar and door hit something. Even after collision, the vehicle still did not send any collision notice, signal driver door was open or stop automatically at any point.

NHTSA complaint 11609660. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

towed · 5,700 miles

The contact owns a 2023 BMW X5 equipped with Continental Tires, Tire Line: Premium Contact 6 SSR, Front Passenger's Side Tire Size: 275/40R/21, DOT Number: A349D74A, Rear Passenger's Side Tire Size: 315/35/R21 YXL, DOT Number: A372D74B. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, there was an abnormal clunk while the tires were rotating, and a message indicating that the tire pressure was low was displayed. The contact pulled in front of the residence and parked the vehicle. Upon inspecting the tires, the contact noticed that there was a large bulge on the tread of the front passenger's side tire. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the front passenger's side tire was replaced. The tire

NHTSA complaint 11556411, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
The X5 transfer case has a defect that causes the vehicle to shudder when in reverse and at lower speeds. It can be felt sometimes at highway speeds, but is worse at low speeds. Our X5 has only 54,000 miles.

NHTSA complaint 11767547. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Check Control : Add engine coolant. Risk of scalding. Engine coolant level low. Risk of engine damage. Add engine coolant as soon as possible. sign came up. When take the vehicle to the dealer shop for inspection, leak had occurred and sprayed the coolant to top of the hood as well as surrounding parts. Certain modern BMW models have a 7-year / 70,000-mile extended warranty specifically covering the Heat Management Module, however my car is not included. My current mileage is at 56,000 miles.

NHTSA complaint 11765404. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
2023 BMW X5 had a defective water pump replaced under warranty at 27,585 miles on 9/12/2024. Today 8/10/2026 at 52,907 miles the water pump again needs to be replaced. BMW has had water pump recalls in the past for similar years of x5 SUV, but our VIN is not included in the current recalls. Photographs of the recalled water pumps look exactly like our pictures. I believe the recall should be expanded to include additional BMW models/VIN ranges.

NHTSA complaint 11756061. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
A manufacturer defect caused connector pin corrosion and thus the head unit dash stopped working completely and needs to be replaced. The head unit is what the back up camera comes through causing safety concern. It is no longer under warranty because of the miles, otherwise yearwise it would be. BMW won’t provide any good will assistance. This happened in 2026 on a 2023 model year. It has been brought to a bmw service center with a quote of over 6k to fix. No warning symptoms.

NHTSA complaint 11753617. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
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. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Noticed noise. Took to dealer. Dealer confirmed bad front pinion/bearing and need front differential. Will be very dangerous if not fixed! Dealer has had this issue before and online forums state big issues

NHTSA complaint 11736421. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the BMW X5

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 24 2 —
2025 62 5 —
2024 145 8 —
2022 69 1 —
2021 108 12 —
2020 112 11 —
2019 190 13 —
2018 72 5 —
2017 74 6 1
2016 74 5 —
2015 152 6 1
2014 98 8 —
2013 149 6 —
2012 271 10 —
2011 263 14 —
2010 124 14 —

Other 2023 BMW models

Every BMW on this site — 257 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst