26 complaints reported

2019 BMW X5 Electrical System

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
26
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

May 2026

Car randomly wouldn’t start and was getting error starter message on message center

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Aug 2025
Feb 2026

I bought the car from the dealership, and they said there were no problems with it, but they cheated me. The car broke down twice. The first time, it was parked in a private lot for several hours, and I paid a large sum for parking. The second time, it broke down on the street, and I waited eight hours for help to tow it back to the dealership. 1-recall message 2- emergency call system

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Oct 2026
Dec 2025

The emergency call system and hands free microphone does not work due to the telematic control unit getting wet as a result of the shark fin antenna leaking. As a result I cannot rely on communication through this system in the event of an emergency which was one of the features that lead me to the decision to buy this car. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer. The first warning lamp brought to the attention of the dealer in February.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Feb 2025
Nov 2025

The shark fin is leaking and can’t be in rain or drive in rain bc it can cause wires to catch fire or shorten out. I have two babies that are at risk every time I drive this car. It’s my only way to go and BMW won’t fix it and I can’t afford to fix it bc it’s over 3 thousand dollars.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Oct 2025
Oct 2025

The contact owns a 2019 BMW X5. The contact stated that while attempting to cold-start the vehicle, the contact needed several attempts to start the vehicle. The contact stated that several times, the contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that while making several attempts to start the vehicle, the message "System Overheated - Restarting Engine Possible After Cooling" was displayed on the instrument cluster, and the contact had to wait 120 seconds before further attempts to restart the vehicle were possible. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed by the dealer that there was a recall for the failure, NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V644000 (Electrical System), and the VIN was covered under the recall. However, the VIN tool showed no recall related to the VIN. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Aug 2025
Oct 2025

Recently purchased a 2019 BMW X5 xdrive40i with 77k miles, after only owning for 3 weeks after a heavy rain storm. My dash lit up with “Emergency call system malfunction”, upon review online it seems to be a common issue with these BMW models and no recall has been issued. The sos malfunction causes the vehicle not to function properly and unable to use the integrated idrive head unit system. It also dials emergency services on its own and won’t let me end call. After taking it to bmw dealership they found the telematics module battery to be low and suggested replacing. Previous owner had similar issue back in January of 2023 and the shark fin antenna by the roof was replaced , resealed and TCB telematics unit replaced. So only after 2 weeks of replacing the TCB battery, same issue appeared again after a heavy rain storm. I took it back to bmw for diagnose and they had to have one of there engineers test it and found out the actual sos button ecu system unit to have a short causing the sos malfunction and it dialing emergency services on its own. Vehicle is not driveable and has been at bmw they are trying to charge me additional $1,547.58 plus taxes and fees for the repair. I feel as if this is a defect on bmw and should be addressed and issued as an recall for there customers.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Aug 2025
Sep 2025

My shark fin has water damage and can’t drive or be in rain and this is the only car I have to take my young kids back and forth to school and do my grocery shopping or whatever I need

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Oct 2025
Sep 2025

starter failed at 48k miles. This is a known issue of starters failing early and a recall should be done for all impacted cars. Currently there is only a subset that are recalled for software program update to prevent burning out the starter, but the starter itself is failing, and recall should be issued for replacing the starter [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jul 2025
Sep 2025

The vehicle's electrical system experienced a starter malfunction, which led to a complete failure of the starter. As a result, the car would not start, ultimately causing the battery to fail as well. This failure posed a serious safety risk. I could have been left stranded in the middle of traffic, increasing the risk of a collision that could have caused injury to myself and others. If the malfunction had occurred in a remote location, I could have been left stranded, placing me in a potentially dangerous situation. The issue was confirmed by the dealership. Although there is an active NHTSA recall related to this exact problem, my vehicle’s VIN was not included. However, it should have been—my vehicle was manufactured during the affected production period and experienced the same failure described in the recall. As a result, I had to pay out of pocket for these substantial repairs. The manufacturer failed to include my VIN in the recall, despite clear evidence that my vehicle was subject to the same defect. The manufacturer inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the failure involved both the starter and the battery; however, I was required to pay out of pocket for the replacement of both components. There were no warning lights, error messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure—the vehicle simply stopped functioning without notice. Further research revealed that many other owners have reported the same starter malfunction, frequently resulting in battery failure and the need to replace both components. Although the manufacturer is aware of this widespread issue, they have not issued a comprehensive recall for all affected vehicles. Had they done so, this failure—and the associated safety risks, inconvenience, and significant repair costs—could have been avoided.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jul 2025
Jul 2025

I am writing to file a complaint against BMW for the replacement of the starter in my 2019 BMW X5 (VIN # [XXX] ) which I had to pay for out of pocket in March 2024. My vehicle failed to start after repeated attempts. After a call to the dealership they told me I would have to have it towed to the dealership at my own expense at a total of $266 for them to assess. The dealership confirmed that the starter needed replacement which cost me an additional $1736.78 out of pocket. After receiving a recall notice from BMW, I learned that this issue is related to a known safety defect with the starter which can lead to electrical overload, overheating, and in rare cases a fire risk. Given that I had to replace the faulty starter before the recall was issued, I am requesting reimbursement for the costs I incurred -$2002.78 which includes the towing charges and starter replacement. I reached out to Joseph Battle (Service Advisor) at BMW of Nashville, and he informed me that reimbursement is not possible only a software upgrade. This response is unacceptable, as I should not have to bear the cost for a safety issue BMW has since acknowledged. I kindly request reimbursement for the full amount of $2002.78. Please review the attached invoices and recall notice. I look forward to your prompt response and resolution of this matter. [XXX] and [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Mar 2024
May 2025

The contact owns a 2019 BMW X5. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle failed to start as intended. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed alternator. The contact was informed that the alternator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall repair; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,302.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: May 2025
May 2025

Emergency Call System Failure!! My 2019 BMW x5 xdrive M50 has the failure from the Telematic Control Module like thousands of other people. This needs to be a recall and shouldn’t have to pay $1500-3000 out of pocket for something that is a manufacture problem. Apparently water gets in the shark fin area and causing the module to fail!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jan 2025
Apr 2025

Water leaked into the Electric panel that controls the emergency call system & creates a malfunction.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Feb 2024
Mar 2025

Starter stopped working. VEHICLES Body Style : 2019-2020 BMW X5 (X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i) SUV Descriptive Information : Power Train : GAS Production Dates : Approximately 68,105 vehicles have been manufactured with an engine starter of a certain production configuration. Basis for recall population determination: Vehicle assembly information and supplier production records were used to determine the specific dates of potentially affected vehicles. Recall component difference to non-recall component: Potentially affected vehicles have an engine starter with a certain production configuration. AUG 01, 2018 - MAY 31, 2020 VIN Range 1 : Begin : NR End : NR Not sequential

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Mar 2025
Dec 2024

The emergency call system malfunction displayed. Upon taking vehicle to a BMW dealer for inspection, I was informed that the antenna needed to be replaced for $2000.00 to fix the problem. I did research and found that other owners of the same make and model as well as prior and later models have had the same issue. The shark fin antenna allows water ingress into the components which causes internal damage, this could possibly lead to other electrical problems that could present while the vehicle is in motion. What if an owner gets into an accident and the SOS/emergency call is unable to deploy due to this faulty antenna leakage.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Dec 2024
Aug 2024 Fire

The contact owns a 2019 BMW X5. The contact stated that when attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to start and a burning odor was present. The starter had begun smoking. The smoke had settled itself. The fire department was not at the scene. No police report was filed. There were no injuries reported. The vehicle had been towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the starter failed causing the starter to catch fire internally and needed to be replaced. The starter was replaced. After having the vehicle repaired the contact did some research and discovered that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V576000 (Electrical System, Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was then contacted a second time and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jan 2024
Apr 2024

The contact's husband owns a 2019 BMW X5. The contact stated while her husband was at a complete stop at the red traffic light, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the starter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired at the contact's expense. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V576000 (Electrical System, Engine and Engine Cooling), which the contact related to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the recall repair was completed. Additionally, the dealer was contacted for reimbursement regarding the expenses sustained due to a failure related to the safety recall, but did not provide assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,433.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Feb 2024
Mar 2024

After receiving a very expensive repair quote, I looked on here and read multiple complaints of emergency call system malfunction causing gps not to work/ malfunction due to leaking in the shark fin. This is a major safety concern due to poor design and build quality of the vehicle.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Mar 2024
Jan 2024

The contact owns a 2019 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and a diagnostic test was performed. The dealer stated that a software in the key fob and the vehicle needed to be updated. The contacted had not been notified of the update. The dealer informed the contact that had the vehicle had been brought to the dealer for the last oil change, the contact would have been informed of the necessary software update. The manufacture was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jan 2024
Dec 2023

Seems I have read multiple complaints of emergency call system malfunction causing gps not to work/ malfunction due to leaking in the shark fin. This is a major safety concern due to poor design and build quality of the vehicle. This concern should be up most important that this area is recalled, replaced, and sealed to ensure safety for all.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Aug 2023
Nov 2023

Car will not start until many attempts are made. Walking up to the car with key in hand causes alarm to go off. Car remote fails to unlock the door and must be unlocked manually but alarm still does not turn off. Time and date reset to the wrong time and date after turning off car and turning it back on.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jun 2023
Oct 2023

The contact owns a 2019 BMW X5. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the automatic engine shut off was activated but after releasing the brake pedal, the transmission erroneously shifted to neutral, and the engine did not restart. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on multiple occasions while in traffic. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 55,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Oct 2022
Jul 2023

BMW "did not" issue a recall notice for this known issue for my VIN. They were aware of this issue and corrected it based on the latest software update 11/2022.56. The problem is older software versions can cause the battery to completely drain even when the engine is not running and make you deserted anywhere, which is a safety issue. Also, since the battery can be fully drained, your booster brakes also will not work during the start of the engine, which can again cause risk when starting. BMW did not advise customers regarding this safety issue. In my case, My battery was completely drained, and I had to replace my battery. Details of the defect from the latest software update release notes are mentioned below. The concern is why BMW did not issue a recall notice to customers like me. I hope NHTSA can take the necessary action on this and issue a proper recall notice. "Recall of automatic transmission/ EGSsoftware:(USA/CANADA) The current software version of your vehicle may mean that the electronic transmission control continues to consume energy after parking the vehicle and may result in the total discharge of the 12 V vehicle battery. A Vehicle start can no longer be ensured in this case. This malfunction is rectified by the upgrade 11/2022.56. The corresponding special defect code is 0024720100" (Photo attached)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jul 2023
Jul 2023

TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT HAS FAILED AND HAS WATER INGRESS. THIS CAUSES THE ONBOARD EMERGENCY SOS SYSTEM TO FAIL AND NOT WORK, MAKE FALSE CALLS AND RISK A DRIVER ABILITY TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY CALL OR FOR THE VEHICLE TO CALL FOR HELP. THIS ALSO POSES A RISK IN THAT WATER SEEPS INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE CARS SHELL THROUGH THE ANTENNA. CREATING RUST, MOLD AND DECAY. WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY AFFECT THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE, HEAD LINER AND EVENTUALLY PASSENGERS THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. THE CAR EVENTUALLY HAS TO BE GARAGED OR COVERED AT ALL TIMES IN EVENT OF RAIN OR SNOW. THIS HAS BEEN SEEN WIRH OWNERS OF THIS PARTICULAR MAKE, MODEL, YEAR SERIES. UNFORTUNATELY, MORE PEOPLE HAS YET TO EXPERIENCE THIS ISSUE IF THEOR VEHICLE IS ALWAYS GARAGED OR COVERED

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Aug 2023
Jan 2023

Recently, the display behind the steering wheel has turned off twice while driving on the highway. This display contains the speedometer, meaning there was no way to gauge vehicle speed while driving. The problem is random; no warnings were shown, but keeping the car off for a couple of hours before turning it back on has brought the display back temporarily.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2019 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Aug 2023

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Quick Summary

The 2019 BMW X5 has 26 Electrical System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.