2021 BMW X5 Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2021 BMW X5 has 12 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 82,726 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 147 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

VISIBILITY 22V267000 2022-04-20 61,221 affected
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…

Consequence

A sunroof that closes without the key fob present inside the vehicle can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy

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.

SEATS 21V156000 2021-03-10 258 affected
Defect

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M50i, X5 xDrive45e, 2021 X7 xDrive40i, X7 M50i, and XB7 vehicles. The head restraints on the second-row outer seats may be the incorrect type for the vehicle.

Consequence

In the event of a crash, the head restraints could detach, and increase the risk of injury.

Remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the head restraints, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 3, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BACK OVER PREVENTION 21V096000 2021-02-19 13,858 affected
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…

Consequence

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.

Remedy

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 21V089000 2021-02-18 9 affected
Defect

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 X5 sDrive40i and X5 xDrive40i vehicles. The right front brake disc may have been assembled with incorrect fasteners, which over time, could result in the front brake disc becoming loose.

Consequence

A loose brake disc could affect vehicle handling and control, and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the right front brake disc and replace it if necessary, along with the unaffected left side brake disc, free of charge. There are no owner vehicles affected; therefore, owner notification is not necessary and, as such, a planned owner notification date is not entered…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 21V062000 2021-02-10 893 affected
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…

Consequence

A loss of ABS and a reduction in braking assistance can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.

STEERING 21V031000 2021-01-29 21 affected
Defect

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5M, X5 xDrive45e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 M50i vehicles. The steering column shaft's universal joint connection may not have been tightened to specifications, and can become loose.

Consequence

A loose steering column shaft universal joint connection can affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, depending upon the inspection, either the bolt will be replaced and tightened to specifications, or the steering column shaft, universal joint, and bolt will be replaced and tightened to specifications, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2021. Owners may…

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 20V761000 2020-12-09 812 affected
Defect

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 M340i xDrive, M440i xDrive Coupe, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 840i Gran Coupe, 840i xDrive Gran Coupe, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, and X7 xDrive40i vehicles. The connection between the 48-Volt battery…

Consequence

Increased electrical resistance can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the connection between the 48-Volt battery and the starter-generator assembly, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 12, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

SUSPENSION 20V678000 2020-11-04 83 affected
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.

Consequence

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.

Remedy

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.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 20V601000 2020-09-30 4,509 affected
Defect

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 530e iPerformance and X3 xDrive30e and MINI Cooper Countryman All4 SE, 2020 BMW i8, and 2021 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le xDrive and X5 xDrive45e vehicles. Debris may have entered one or more of the hybrid battery cells during their…

Consequence

The debris could result in a short-circuit, increasing the risk of fire or injury.

Remedy

BMW will inspect and, if necessary, replace the battery module free of charge. The remedy is currently being developed. Until the remedy is completed, drivers are instructed to not charge their vehicles. Drivers are instructed to not drive in manual mode, sport mode, and to not use the shift paddles. Owners were…

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 20V528000 2020-09-01 307 affected
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…

Consequence

Oncoming drivers may be confused by the blue light of approaching vehicles, which could potentially increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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 20V490000 2020-08-18 713 affected
Defect

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 330e and X5 xDrive45e, 2020-2021 X3 xDrive30e, and 2020 MINI Countryman SE ALL4 vehicles. Loose welding beads may form a conductive path between the hybrid battery cells which could lead to a short-circuit.

Consequence

A short-circuited hybrid battery may increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the battery modules, free of charge. BMW issued owners an interim notification on October 16, 2020. Although potentially affected BMW owners received interim owner notification letters, all potentially affected BMW owner vehicles have been…

TIRES 20V483000 2020-08-14 42 affected
Defect

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 X6 (sDrive40i, xDrive40i and M50i) and X5 (sDrive40i, xDrive40i and M50i) vehicles equipped with certain Pirelli tires. The tires may have a damaged inner layer, possibly resulting in a rapid loss of pressure while the vehicle is moving.

Consequence

A rapid loss of tire pressure while the vehicle is moving can affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

BMW has notified all of the affected owners, and dealers will replace the defective tires, free of charge. BMW has contacted owners by telephone and those owners have had their cars remedied. Owner notification letters will not be sent. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
28
1crashes3fires1injuries
ENGINE
22
2crashes2fires1injuries
POWER TRAIN
22
3crashes4injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
16
1crashes1injuries
AIR BAGS
7
3crashes1injuries
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
6
BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
5
SERVICE BRAKES
4
1crashes
STRUCTURE:BODY
4
2crashes1fires
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
3
2crashes1injuries
Total complaints147

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“I am having issues with the starter motor / battery. I have read extensively about issues with bmw x5 models having recalls during the production period of my vehicle. Bmw is trying to charge $3,000 for a new starter and battery. I feel that this is a known and significant issue with bmw x5…”

ENGINE · reported 2026-06-25

“The vehicle's hvac system failed due to a leaking air conditioning evaporator core. This single component handles both cabin cooling and the windshield defrost/defog function, so its failure compromises a safety-critical visibility system in addition to climate control. The failed component is…”

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:CONDENSOR/EVAPORATOR · reported 2026-05-20

“After the car was.parked in sun for aome time during shopping at costco, it did not start. We had to use remote starter which worked. However, upon doing some research I found that overheated starter is a known and recalled problem with 2021 x5 and remote start could have caused fire. Dealership…”

ENGINE · reported 2026-05-06

“The contact owns a 2021 bmw x5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light unexpectedly illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bag had failed and that the air bag and/or the sensor needed to be replaced.…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2026-05-05

“2021 bmw x5 xdrive45e phev, built october 2020 by bmw ag (germany). In-service oct 28, 2021. Vehicle intermittently shows "drivetrain malfunction — you can continue driving" warning. Dme scan reveals 5 fault codes, all for the conventional 12v pinion starter: 21a50a — pinion starter: timeout…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2026-05-01

“2021 bmw x5 xdrive45e phev, built october 2020 by bmw ag (germany). In-service oct 28, 2021. Vehicle intermittently shows "drivetrain malfunction — you can continue driving" warning. Dme scan reveals 5 fault codes, all for the conventional 12v pinion starter: 21a50a — pinion starter: timeout…”

ENGINE · reported 2026-05-01

“2021 bmw x5 xdrive45e phev, built october 2020 by bmw ag (germany). In-service oct 28, 2021. Vehicle intermittently shows "drivetrain malfunction — you can continue driving" warning. Dme scan reveals 5 fault codes, all for the conventional 12v pinion starter: 21a50a — pinion starter: timeout…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2026-05-01

“The vehicle’s rear differential has developed significant internal "play" (excessive clearance between gears). This defect manifests as abnormal vibration and inconsistent power delivery to the wheels. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized bmw technician at passport bmw . Although I…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2026-04-26

Defect investigations

Investigation DP22005 Opened 2023-01-27 · closed 2023-08-07

Pedestrian alert sounds

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2021 BMW X5 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.