2023 BMW X5 recalls & complaints
Source: NHTSA, updated daily. Last checked 2026-10-18. Recalls apply to specific VINs — run your VIN to confirm.
4 safety recalls, most serious first
1. Visibility (wipers / glass)
What's wrong, in plain English: You may not be able to see the road clearly. 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.
What could happen: An electrical short-circuit increases the risk of a fire.
The fix: 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.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2023 X5.
- Book a repair at any authorized BMW dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 22V820000.
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-525-7417.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
Summary: 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.
Consequence: An electrical short-circuit increases the risk of a fire.
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.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
2. Seats
What's wrong, in plain English: Seat frames, adjusters or child-seat anchors. One of the four bolts that connects the backrest to the driver's seat frame may not have been correctly installed.
What could happen: A loose driver's seat backrest may not properly restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: 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.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2023 X5.
- Book a repair at any authorized BMW dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 22V942000.
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-525-7417.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: SEATS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
Summary: 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.
Consequence: A loose driver's seat backrest may not properly restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
3. Seats
What's wrong, in plain English: Seat frames, adjusters or child-seat anchors. 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."
What could happen: A head restraint without a locking tab may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: 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.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2023 X5.
- Book a repair at any authorized BMW dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 23V253000.
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-525-7417.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT
Summary: 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."
Consequence: A head restraint without a locking tab may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
4. Transmission / drivetrain
What's wrong, in plain English: The parts that send engine power to the wheels. Failure can mean a sudden loss of power or the car rolling away. 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.
What could happen: 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 fix: 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.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2023 X5.
- Book a repair at any authorized BMW dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 23V821000.
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-525-7417.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
Summary: 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.
Consequence: 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.
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.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Useful for owners
- OBD2 code reader — see what the car's computer is reporting
- Compact car fire extinguisher
- 2023 BMW X5 owner's manual
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Most complained-about parts: Transmission / drivetrain (8), Electrical system (8), Unknown Or Other (8), Engine (5), Body / structure (4).
Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.
Read recent complaints (8)
09/28/2026 · Transmission / drivetrain
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.
09/18/2026 · 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-…
08/10/2026 · 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…
07/29/2026 · 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…
06/23/2026 · Body / structure
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…
05/07/2026 · Transmission / drivetrain
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
03/17/2026 · Transmission / drivetrain
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.
03/17/2026 · Transmission / drivetrain
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