BMW · X5 · 2023
4
Recalls
27
Complaints
4/5
Safety Rating
The 2023 BMW X5 has 4 recalls and 27 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: unknown or other (4 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Frontal Crash Test
Side Crash Test
Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
15.9% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
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.
Remedy Status
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 (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."
Remedy Status
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 (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.
Remedy Status
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 (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.
Remedy Status
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.
Drivetrain malfunction reoccurring 2x in 45 days. First error message the dealer charged me 600 to fix. Bringing car in second time now. Unsafe to drive due to power cutoff. This is a PHEV. Car is under the original mfr warranty and less than 3 years old.
While driving under normal conditions with no external impact, debris, rock strike, or other identifiable cause, the panoramic moonroof shattered explosively (with a loud report resembling a gunshot). Glass fragments dispersed across the roof area, and portions of the panel collapsed inward into the interior mesh roof cover. This occurred without warning and posed a serious safety risk. Th problem has not been reproduced by the dealer and only been inspected by the dealer and denied as a warranty claim. Nothing in the vehicle warning system went off prior to the failure.
The seal on the sunroof of the car allows water into the car. My car will be available for inspection upon request. This issue allows water into the car around the b pillar airbag and the side window airbag which can damage the airbag and make it deploy without any accidents or make them not deploy in the case of a accident. BMW has an internal document in which acknowledging the issue with the seal but even though they recognize placing a defective part on the vehicle. They will not assume the cost of the repair if outside de 50k miles warranty. In order for the dealership to take a look at the issue an 200 dollar diagnostic is required but I was informed that if they determined that the issue on hand is due to the defective part. I will still have to pay for the repairs. There weren’t any other signs before the incident.
Drivetrain malfunction creating error message of critical failure on brake system and chassis. The first of 2 such issues so far in 4 months of ownership. Car is under original mfr warranty. Dealer charged $600 to fix. This is a PHEV and with the electrical system issues it prevents the car from functioning safely
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 center. The vehicle remains available for inspection following the crash and has been retained post-incident pending salvage processing.
My sunroof spontaneously exploded yesterday, which sounded like a loud shotgun blast going off. Fortunately my vehicle was stopped at the time, but no rocks or debris had hit it to cause this then or previously, and nothing had fallen on it. No warning or other symptoms prior to this happening, the car was in mint condition and always garaged, 34,750 miles. Could have been much worse had I been driving at highway speeds and not stopped at a traffic light.
While on a stretch of two lane highway with no shoulders I got some flashing error messages that were too quick to read, then the car made the shutdown sound like when you turn the car off, and said “Goodbye” on the screen. The gas pedal was unresponsive, pulled itself away from my foot. The screen showed what it normally shows when you turn the car off - option to charge immediately or precondition now. Car was just coasting. Eventually I hit the start button and the car turned back on. I think one of the error messages that flashed said Driver Assistance Disabled… the car doesn’t have any advanced drivers assistance packages so not sure what that could mean. I have a vague memory of this happening to me once over a year ago, pulling out of the driveway, and having to hit start to turn it back on.
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.
The contact owns a 2023 BMW X5. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the contact noticed a fluid leak underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that upon driving from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to exceed 5 MPH. The check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The messages " Drivetrain Malfunction" and "4-WD Component" and other unknown messages were displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that while driving 40-50 MPH, with her one-year-old daughter in a car seat in the rear of the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving, causing the contact to pull over to the side of the road several times. The contact stated that there were significant safety concerns and did not feel safe driving the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V821000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,900.
On the driver's side the headlight's smaller light stopped working. I brought the car to BMW and they said the LED burned out, which also caused burn marks on the headlight assembly, so the entire headlight assembly needs to be replaced.
Two incidents I was driving the vehicle and the notification popped up saying drivetrain error at that moment the Car Detail and I was unable to go over 30 mph while driving in the fast lane on California highways 2/13/2025 3/30/2025
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.
When driving down the highway at 65 mph there was a loud bang and wind started blowing through the roof. Small shards of glass came through the moon roof. I pulled over at the next exit and stopped. I looked at the moon roof and it had exploded. At the time of the incident the moon roof was closed. It was daylight and I was not near an overpass, so no one could have thrown a rock to cause the damage. The moon roof clearly failed for no apparent reason. I was fortunate that the moon roof was closed because the vinyl part of the moon roof prevented all of the glass from falling into the car while I was driving. I have looked on line and there are several, perhaps many, such instances reported. BMW seems to be unaware of this issue.
On June 1, 2024, I was driving on the highway at about 70 MPH, when all of a sudden there was a loud boom and the glass on the panoramic sunroof blew out. Was not close to other vehicles, nor did I hear any impact from any object. Immediately drove my car to the local dealership. Dealership indicated it was not a known issue that they have seen and said it was outside influence that caused the issue. However, the glass was pointed upward and the glass exploded outward. Fortunately, I had my sunroof cover in the closed position so none of the glass dropped on me, but it could have been harmful to me, causing me to get into an accident. No vehicle warnings appeared just before the explosion.
The car model I have includes an additional fee for a "drivers" assistance package; this feature doesn't work as designed. BMW likes to call it 'limitations of the system', but will not offer any repair, correction or refund for this "issue". Unfortunately, this issue is such a hazard and pops up so spontaneously, if there were any cars around I would have collided with them. BMW says this is called "greying". The systems doesn't recognize or sense the terrain and attempts to warn the driver, BUT the car will veer on it's own into the second lane or try to cruise into the median. I have this incident on video. It will also not slow to stop when exciting the highway offramp; there have been many times where it has actually dangerously accelerated. I will attach the slip from the dealership, which I have been to 3 times, with no solution. I have communication with the dealership stating that they agree it's a hazard, but don't know how to fix it due to the "limitations of the actual system". Asking for the feature to be removed and get my money back is apparently not something BMW is interested in doing. They would rather keep unsafe and unpredictable vehicles on the road in the name of profit. I am deeply concerned that there are other models like mine on the road that will cause a fatal accident.
Drivetrain failure reported on dash. Car stutter during drive but continued without any breakdown.
On Nov 1, 2023 while accelerating on a freeway entrance ramp so as to merge into traffic on the interstate, vehicle suddenly lost all engine acceleration power and was steered to the side of the ramp so traffic behind could proceed. Vehicle stayed "on" but no engine response from the accelerator pedal being depressed, just idling of the motor. There were no messages or warning lights illuminated prior to, during or after the event. Vehicle was switched off and restarted, function resumed as normal. Dealer has not been able to reproduce the issue and no electronic trace of the incident was recorded by the vehicle on subsequent dealer inspection.
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 was original equipment. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle on another occasion a message indicating that the tire pressure was low, was displayed. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that there was a bulge on the tread of the rear passengers' side tire. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, BMW of Sarasota (5151 Clark Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233), where the tire was replaced. The tire was original equipment. The vehicle manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the tire manufacturer. The tire manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The front passenger's side tire failure mileage was approximately 5,700. The rear passenger's side tire failure mileage was approximately 7,400.
The car had been preconditioned and driven within 45 minutes of my starting a route to the gym, all surface streets/neighborhood. I was in electric mode. I came to a stop at an intersection and when the light turned green, I pulled into the intersection to turn left and the car stalled. No power, no power steering. I put it in park and tried to restart in sport (ICE) mode and nothing happenned. After a few tries it did start to limp and I cleared the intersection and pulled over. I was still unable to restart in sport mode, and kept getting red screens, or blank screens. After a few minutes, the car was able to start as if everything was normal, and I continued to drive. It was a very dangerous situation, and there were no further warnings or alerts. I was able to drive it home and to the dealership where it is now.
The contact owns a 2023 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the sunroof inadvertently exploded. No warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2023 BMW X5 has 4 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 27 owner-reported complaints for the 2023 BMW X5.
The 2023 BMW X5 received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2023 BMW X5 are unknown or other (4 reports), power train (4 reports), electrical system (2 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 4 recalls on record for the 2023 BMW X5. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.