BMW · NHTSA safety record

2025 BMW X5

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

Owners have filed 62 safety complaints about the 2025 BMW X5 with the US government. Of those, 8 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 3 people were injured and no death is recorded. 5 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is electronic stability control, named in 18 complaints, 29% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 2,000 miles, the median across the 6 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers August 2024 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

62 complaints on file

Complaints

Describe a crash

Mention fire

People injured

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

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 18 · 29% 18 29%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 17 · 27% 17 27%

SERVICE BRAKES 13 · 21% 13 21%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8 · 13% 8 13%

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 8 · 13% 8 13%

POWER TRAIN 7 · 11% 7 11%

BACK OVER PREVENTION 5 · 8% 5 8%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 · 8% 5 8%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 · 6% 4 6%

VISIBILITY/WIPER 4 · 6% 4 6%

ENGINE 3 · 5% 3 5%

STEERING 3 · 5% 3 5%

0 8 15

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 62.

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 2025 at 35.

40 30 20 10

24 2024 25 2025 26 2026

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2024 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 2025 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

5 on file

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:ELECTRIC:CONTROL MODULE

26V422000 · July 1, 2026

The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2025 Mini Cooper S, Mini Countryman S All4, X2, 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre, 2023-2025 i7, 7 Series, X7, 2024-2025 i5, 5 Series, 2023-2024 XM, X1, 2024-2025 X6, and X5 vehicles. The integrated brake (IB) system may malfunction and result in a loss of power brake assist or cause the Antilock Brake (ABS) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) systems to not function properly.
The risk: A loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle. Additionally, malfunctioning ABS and/or DSC systems can cause a loss of vehicle control. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: The Integrated brake system will be inspected and, if necessary, replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 21, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce customer service at 1-877-877-3735. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning August 21, 2026. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 24V739 or 24V104 will need to have the new remedy completed.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 428 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC):CONTROL MODULE

24V697000 · September 18, 2024

The defect: BMW of North America (BMW) is recalling certain 2023-2024 X1, 2024-2025 X5, 2025 X6, 2023-2025 X7, 740i, 760i, 2024 XM, 530i, 540i, i7, 750e, X2, 2024-2025 i5, 2024 Rolls Royce Spectre, 2025 MINI Countryman S ALL4, JCW Countryman ALL4, and 2025 MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper, Cooper S) vehicles. Please refer to the recall report for the complete list of models. The welds in the servomotor of the integrated brake control module may break, causing a loss of power brake assist and rear brake function. In addition, the Antilock Brake System (ABS) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system may not function.
The risk: A loss of brake power assist or rear brake function can result in extended stopping distance. A loss of ABS or DSC can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the integrated brake system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 13, 2024. Owners can contact BMW Customer Service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 309 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS:FRONT

24V345000 · May 15, 2024

The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2024 XM, 2025 BMW X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 M60i, X5 M, X5 xDrive50e, X6 xDrive40i, X6 M60i, X6 M, X7 xDrive40i, X7 M60i, and Alpina XB7 vehicles. The seat belt system may inaccurately detect that passengers are belted, preventing the seat belt warning light from illuminating and possibly causing the supplemental restraint system to not deploy as intended during a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
The risk: A seat belt warning light that does not alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt or an SRS system that deploys improperly can both increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the front seat lower seat belts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 12, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 3,256 vehicles across all model years covered

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

24V327000 · May 10, 2024

The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2024-2025 X5 xDrive40i vehicles. The tire information placard may indicate an incorrect tire size and tire pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
The risk: Incorrect tire information can allow an incorrectly sized tire to be installed or result in improperly inflated tires, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the tire information placard, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 9, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 703 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

24V104000 · February 12, 2024

The defect: BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2023-2025 BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models and model years. The integrated brake (IB) system may malfunction and result in a loss of power brake assist or cause the Antilock Brake (ABS) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) systems to not function properly.
The risk: A loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle. Additionally, malfunctioning ABS and/or DSC systems can cause a loss of vehicle control. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the integrated brake system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed between June and December 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls Royce customer service at 1-877-877-3735.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 266,716 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.

AIR BAGS Filed November 23, 2025

1 injured · crash · towed

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

NHTSA complaint 11701093, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL Filed February 5, 2026

1 injured · crash · towed

We are reporting a safety issue with the BMW X5 xDrive50e model year 2025. I purchased this car on December 9, 2024, from BMW of Pembroke Pines, 14800 Sheridan Street Pembroke Pines FL 33331. Within two months of purchase, we found that car has unintended acceleration while it is about to be parked at very slow speed. I reported this safety issue to BMW dealer in Pembroke Pines FL where I purchased the Car. The dealership kept this car of investigation. After about five weeks they returned the car with a comment on my invoice that car is working normally. On October 24, 2025, while on vacation to St. Augustine FL and parking at the visitor center SUV accelerated and hit the wall of the

NHTSA complaint 11715819, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) Filed November 6, 2024

1 injured · crash

The contact owns a 2025 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V104000(Electronic Stability Control(ESC), Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH and approaching a motorcycle, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond and crashed into the motorcycle. The motorcycle driver sustained injury and was transported by ambulance. The contact did not sustain any injury and drove from the scene. A police report was filed, but the contact did not have the police report information available. The local dealer was contacted and offered a

NHTSA complaint 11623761, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER Filed January 9, 2026

fire

Incident Date: [XXX] Vehicle: 2025 BMW X5 xDrive50e Issue: car fire On [XXX], while operating my 2025 BMW X5 xDrive50e (purchased new on [XXX]), a malfunction warning appeared on the infotainment screen. Immediately following this alert, the vehicle cabin filled rapidly with smoke. Upon stopping and exiting the vehicle, I observed flames coming from underneath the car. The fire quickly spread to the rear and trunk area of the vehicle. The car is likely a total loss. This fire created a life-threatening situation, as the cabin filled with smoke while the vehicle was in motion, requiring an emergency exit before the flames spread. A police report was filed on the date of the incident

NHTSA complaint 11710035, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES Filed September 29, 2026

VEHICLE: 2025 BMW X5 MILEAGE AT TIME OF INCIDENT(S): 15,512 COMPONENT: Forward Collision Warning / Pedestrian Warning / Automatic Emergency Braking (City Collision Mitigation) DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM: On multiple occasions, the Pedestrian Warning and/or automatic emergency braking system on my 2025 BMW X5 has activated with no pedestrian, vehicle, or obstacle posing any actual risk to the vehicle. These false activations have occurred both at low speed (parking lots/driveways) and at normal driving speed on public roads. In at least two instances, the sudden, hard braking created a real risk of being rear-ended by the vehicle behind me, endangering occupants of both vehicles. SPECIFIC

NHTSA complaint 11767810, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES Filed August 28, 2026

crash

I was driving my 2025 BMW X5 sDrive40i at approximately 60 mph when the vehicle in front of me stopped abruptly. I immediately applied the brake pedal firmly in an attempt to make an emergency stop. Despite applying heavy and continuous pressure to the brake pedal, the braking force felt unusually weak. The vehicle slowed gradually but continued rolling forward much farther than I expected and did not stop before I made low-speed contact with the rear of the vehicle in front of me. The vehicle did not skid, I did not feel the tires sliding, and I did not observe skid marks. My concern is that the vehicle did not provide the amount of braking force I expected despite firm emergency braking.

NHTSA complaint 11760195, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING Filed August 26, 2026

While the daytime running lights are on (this vehicle has front and rear daytime running lights, so when the DRL’s are on, the taillights are illuminated as well as the front daytime running lights). When the DRL’s are on, and you use a turn signal, the rear turn signals are almost invisible to the naked eye during the day time. Reason being, the DRL’s are on, so the rear tail lights are slightly illuminated. This vehicle also has a pulsating (fade on/off) turn signals in the front and rear. It’s not a sharp on/off like a typical LED. So when using the turn signal, the rear turn signals (which also act as the taillight and brake light) are very very dim and hard to see as compared to when

NHTSA complaint 11759784, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES Filed August 20, 2026

2025 BMW X5...warning lights appeared and voice said emergency stop... emergency stop and tried to pull me off the road. shut down the vehicle for a while... and started up. finished errands. got home. vehicle would not start in the morning. dealership said it was an issue with the braking system... electronics and dead battery . said repaired. got it back. happened again...but got it going. dealership said if it happened again... press the gas pedal and it would clear up the problem. recent issue August 18, 2026. vehicle would not start. got a jump and emergency lights again.. emergency stop. vehicle towed to dealership. was told it had faults with the brake control unit. believed to be

NHTSA complaint 11758309, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL Filed August 15, 2026

While driving eastbound on [XXX] on XXX between approximately 9:29 and 10:21 AM, the vehicle suddenly displayed a red warning instructing the driver to “Take over braking function immediately.” At that moment, adaptive cruise control braking and automated braking assistance disengaged without warning, requiring the driver to manually brake while in traffic. This created an unexpected safety hazard for the driver, passengers, and surrounding motorists. Prior to this event, the vehicle had exhibited repeated Driver Assistance instability across multiple service visits, including inconsistent adaptive cruise control behavior, braking‑related restrictions, and GPS mislocation affecting ADAS

NHTSA complaint 11757153, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING Filed July 29, 2026

crash · towed

Our 2025 BMW X5 50e was involved in an accident while slowly pulling into a parking spot at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. While turning right into the striped parking spot, the car suddenly accelerated, swiping the car parked to the right and continued on to break through a rung of the log fence barrier before manual hard braking stopped it from plunging into the canyon below. There was no audible alarm heard and apparently no emergency braking engaged to prevent impact with the other car or log fence. No airbags deployed. Emergency braking was enabled. Drive mode was Hybrid. With the grill damaged and a front sensor hanging below the damaged bumper. We are still awaiting the Park

NHTSA complaint 11753465, quoted in part. 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	—
2024	145	8	—
2023	33	4	—
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 2025 BMW models

X3 38 X7 29 X1 17 IX 13 I5 8 430I 6 I4 EDRIVE40 6

Complaints on file, same model year.

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

Complaints: NHTSA's ODI complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed July 1, 2026.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI investigation file, published October 2, 2026.

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 guarledes
Independent developer and analyst