2020 Bmw X5 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (25) · Engine And Engine Cooling (15) · Electrical System (12)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Bmw X5 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
26 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (11)
Electrical System:starter Assembly 2025-09-25 · campaign 25V644000 · 145,102 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 340I, X6, 2020-2025 840I, 2020-2022 740LI, 2019-2020 X7, and X5 vehicles. After repeated attempts, the starter motor may overheat from an electrical overload.
Risk: An overheated starter motor can ignite nearby combustible material in the engine compartment, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. This recall includes vehicles repaired under recall 24V576 and those owners will need to have their vehicle repaired again. Owner notification letters were mailed February 9, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov November 17, 2025.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:engine Control Module (Ecu/Ecm):software 2024-08-01 · campaign 24V576000 · 105,588 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC is recalling certain 2019-2020 X5, X7, 2020 3 Series Sedan, X6, 2020-2021 7 Series Sedan, 2020 8 Series Convertible, 8 Series Coupe, and 2020 8 Series Gran Coupe vehicles. Please see the recall report for the complete list of models. In the event the starter motor fails, repeated attempts to start the vehicle can cause the starter motor to overheat from an electrical overload.
Risk: A starter motor that overheats can ignite nearby combustible material in the engine compartment, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 27, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Visibility:sun/Moon Roof Assembly 2022-04-20 · campaign 22V267000 · 61,221 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022 4 Series Gran Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive); 2019-2022 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M50i, X5M; 2021-2022 X5 xdrive45e; 2020-2022 X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6M and 2019-2023 X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, X7 xDrive60i, X7 M60i, X7M, Alpina XB7 vehicles. The roof function control unit may be programmed incorrectly, allowing the sunroof to close without the key fob present inside the vehicle.
Risk: A sunroof that closes without the key fob present inside the vehicle can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the roof function control unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Back Over Prevention:software 2021-02-19 · campaign 21V096000 · 13,858 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series Coupe, Convertible and Grand Coupe, 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le, 745Le xDrive, X5 xDrive45e, X3 xDrive30e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 x
Risk: If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:hydraulic 2021-02-10 · campaign 21V062000 · 893 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 8 Series Coupe, Grand Coupe and convertible 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8 and 740 Li, 740 Li xDrive, 750 Li xDrive, M760 Li xDrive, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xdrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, and 2019-2021 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M50i, X5M, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, and 2021 M3, M3 Competition, M4 Coupe, M4 Competition Coupe, X5 xDrive45e, 745 Le xDrive. The rotor and shaft within the integrated bra
Risk: A loss of ABS and a reduction in braking assistance can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the integrated brake system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 25, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Suspension:front:control Arm 2020-11-04 · campaign 20V678000 · 83 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X5 sDrive40i, xDrive40i, X5 M50i, X5M, X7 xDrive40i, X7 M50i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 M50i and X6M vehicles and 2021 X5 xDrive45e vehicles. The weld between the front axle support and the right front control arm bearing bracket may separate.
Risk: If the weld between the front axle support and the right front control arm bearing bracket separates, vehicle handling and control may be affected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front axle support, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Exterior Lighting:headlights 2020-09-01 · campaign 20V528000 · 307 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 X5 sDrive40i, xDrive40i, xDrive50i, X5 M50i, X5M, X6 sDrive40i, xDrive40i, X6 M50i, X6M, X7 M50i and 2021 X5 xDrive45e vehicles. The headlamps may allow a blue light to illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Oncoming drivers may be confused by the blue light of approaching vehicles, which could potentially increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlamps and, if necessary, replace them, free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Electrical System:starter Assembly 2020-08-07 · campaign 20V465000 · 21 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X5 sDrive 40i, X5 xDrive 40i and one X7 xDrive 40i vehicle. The starter motor may have an extra bolt that could potentially fall into the transmission housing and cause an engine stall.
Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the starter motor for the extra bolt, removing it if necessary. Dealers will also inspect the starter for damage, and check if the bolt has fallen into the transmission housing, replacing any damaged parts as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 2, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Steering:column 2020-07-28 · campaign 20V434000 · 7 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i and X5 xDrive50i vehicles and 2020 X6M vehicles. The steering column shaft bearing plate may not have been properly attached to the vehicle, allowing it to loosen.
Risk: A loose bearing plate can affect the vehicle's handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the steering column shaft bearing plate and properly attach or replace it, as necessary, free of charge. BMW telephoned owners and all of the vehicles have been remedied. No owner notification letter is necessary. Please contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera 2019-09-27 · campaign 19V684000 · 257,473 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
Steering:rack And Pinion:rack 2019-08-28 · campaign 19V631000 · 12 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i and X7 M50i vehicles. The steering rack pinion teeth may break under load, resulting in a loss of steering control.
Risk: A loss of steering control increases risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering rack, free of charge. The recall began August 21, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Service bulletins (373)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Structure:body 2026-08-28 · B010226DCS · Other
bmw notice of the court’s final approval for shark-fin antenna settlement (x3, x4, x5, x6, x7)
Structure:body 2026-08-25 · B010226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
rear roof antenna shark fin cover sealing issue
Engine 2026-07-28 · B011524 · Warranty Program/Extension
the nvld modules limited warranty for defects in materials and/or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the vehicles original in-service / first delivery date.
Engine 2026-07-17 · B110426 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the manual starting of electronic engine oil level measurement from inside the vehicle, usually afterperforming an engine oil service task, is inoperative or it may lock up at between a 15% to 30% completionrate.
Electrical System 2026-07-10 · B840226 · Service Campaign
once the telematics module (tcb2) enters sleep mode, a bmw data services trigger for remote services(remote engine start, lock/unlock/climate conditioning) will not be able to reactivate the tcb2. due to this issue, remote services will not function in the vehicle when parked and locked.
Structure:body 2026-07-10 · B510726 · Service Campaign
in the affected vehicles, an incorrect screwlocking device (circled) may have been usedfor the mounting bolts of the door latch locks.
Showing the 6 most recent of 373 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-01 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 99,000 mi“the contact owns a 2020 bmw x5. the contact stated that while driving, the ignition switch message was displayed. the contact stated that later in the day, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the brake malfunction message displayed. the contact forcefully depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. the vehic…”
2026-09-27 · Suspension“i am reporting a severe structural safety failure on my 2020 bmw x5. while driving, the front suspension assembly suffered an abrupt mechanical failure. a subsequent inspection by an independent service facility revealed that the front control arm brackets had "burst" / fractured. this exact mechanical failure perfectly mirrors nhtsa campaign num…”
2026-09-16 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 🔥 fire“see attached document for complaint. …”
2026-09-14 · Steering“my 2020 bmw x5 sdrive40i has experienced recurring and serious electrical, shutdown, and drivability problems that have not been resolved despite bmw service and a recall-related repair. the vehicle has unexpectedly restarted after being turned off and has also failed to shut down properly. on september 6, 2026, after being parked at costco for ap…”
2026-09-11 · Engine“i'm reporting a safety issue with bmw vehicles equipped with the b58tu engine, primarily 2019-2021 models. these vehicles have an oil pump with an internal plastic component that regulates oil pressure, and this part is fracturing in the field, causing sudden loss of oil pressure. the failure typically occurs during cold starts in low temperatures.…”
2026-09-10 · Engine“i am reporting a safety concern involving bmw vehicles equipped with the b58 technical update (b58tu) engine, commonly found in model years 2019–2021. these vehicles utilize a variable-displacement engine oil pump containing an internal thermoplastic adjusting component responsible for regulating engine oil pressure. failures have been reported in…”
2026-08-26 · Engine“i am reporting a safety concern involving bmw vehicles with the b58tu engine, model years 2019-2021. these engines use a variable-displacement oil pump with an internal thermoplastic adjusting ring that regulates oil pressure. field failures are being reported in which this component fractures, causing sudden loss or instability of oil pressure. o…”
2026-08-25 · Engine“the oil level reading is failing at 16% due to an oil pump malfunction. bmw has addressed this on all 2022+ b58 engine but all prior years have the plastic failing oil pump. the had to upgrade it because it cause catastrophic failure to the engine. it creates oil pressure with plastic parts and was upgraded to all metal in 2022. there should be…”
2026-08-24 · Power Train“i am on my third front differential in first in 2023, one in 2025 and now one in 2026. all m50i have this issue but the x5 m model does not.…”
2026-08-22 · Unknown Or Other“the a/c evaporator coil failed on my 2020 bmx x5 s40i prior to 27,564 miles. it was taken into the local dealer for evaluation at a cost of $811.33 and uv dye was added with refrigerant, which escaped over a 2 week period. the final diagnosis after a further two weeks and at a cost of $301.38, later confirmed that the evaporator coil needed to be r…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.