2021 Bmw X5: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 96 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 12 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
96
Complaints
12
Recalls
9
Crash reports
3
Fire reports
7
Injuries
114.6
Severity index
Severity index 114.6 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 90 2021 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2021 Bmw X5 ranks 10 of 90 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 89% of its model-year peers. See the full 2021 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 30 | 31.2% |
| POWER TRAIN | 24 | 25.0% |
| ENGINE | 22 | 22.9% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 16 | 16.7% |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | 8 | 8.3% |
| AIR BAGS | 7 | 7.3% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 6 | 6.2% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 5 | 5.2% |
The single most-reported system is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, cited in 30 of 96 complaints (31.2%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 19 |
| 2022 | 11 |
| 2023 | 12 |
| 2024 | 10 |
| 2025 | 25 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 17 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.5x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V089000 | 18/02/2021 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:CRITICAL FASTENERS | 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. |
| 20V761000 | 09/12/2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 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 |
| 21V096000 | 19/02/2021 | BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA | 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 xDr |
| 21V156000 | 10/03/2021 | SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT | 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. |
| 20V528000 | 01/09/2020 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 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 co |
| 21V062000 | 10/02/2021 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 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 sDrive |
| 20V483000 | 14/08/2020 | TIRES | 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 ve |
| 21V031000 | 29/01/2021 | STEERING:COLUMN | 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 beco |
| 20V678000 | 04/11/2020 | SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM | 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 |
| 20V601000 | 30/09/2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY | 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 hy |
| 20V490000 | 18/08/2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 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. |
| 22V267000 | 20/04/2022 | VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | 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 xDri |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.