Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the exterior lighting › headlights. It has been recalled 2 times.
Filed Dec 4, 202525 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc
Defect. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2026 X6, X7, X5, and X5 Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The instrument panel may have been manufactured incorrectly and prevent the passenger-side air bag from deploying properly.
Risk. An air bag that does not deploy properly can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy. Dealers will replace the instrument panel trim, free of charge. The vehicles have not been sold from dealer inventory and therefore, no owner letters will be mailed. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 4, 2025.
Filed Aug 27, 20251,406 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc
Defect. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2026 X5 Plug-in Hybrid, X5, and X7 vehicles. The windshield may not be sealed properly, which can allow water to enter the power distribution box or electronic control unit.
Risk. Water inside electrical components can lead to electronic function failures, such as a loss of headlights, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an electrical short-circuit may occur, increasing the risk of a fire while parked or driving.
Remedy. Dealers will inspect the windshield seal. If any leaks are detected, the seal will be repaired and vehicle control units and wiring will be replaced as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 3, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Electrical System2 injured
Filed Sep 11, 202614,000 milesIL
The contact owns a 2026 BMX X7. The contact stated the charging tray for the phone was overheating. While driving approximately 70-80 MPH and charging the phone, the phone became extremely hot, and the contact threw the phone, striking the passenger on the head. The driver sustained injuries to the fingertips. The failure occurred while driving at various speeds with various external temperatures. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to assist. The dealer informed the contact that newer vehicles had a fan installed to mitigate the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
Seats
Filed Jul 29, 2026CT
Safety Concern: Following a recent Remote Software Update, our 2026 BMW X7 has experienced multiple instances of random uncommanded seat movements with occupants in the seats. 6/22/26– Remote Software Update performed. 6/23/26– Incident 1: Vehicle was driven and parked. The entire second row of seats lifted and tilted forward without warning while occupied by a child. The child quickly jumped into the arm rest area between the front seats to avoid being trapped or injured. 6/24/26– Vehicle taken to Authorized BMW Dealer. The dealership could not reproduce the issue, could not determine the cause of the issue, and returned the vehicle without a fix. Mileage in/out 17,616/17,626 7/6/26– Incident 2: Vehicle was driven and then parked. The second row right-most seatback folded downward without warning while occupied by a child. As the seat was moving the child quickly stepped out of the vehicle to avoid being injured. 7/7/26– Vehicle taken back to the same Authorized BMW Dealer. The dealership submitted a case to BMW of N. America Executive Customer Care. The dealership again could not reproduce the issue. The cause of the issue was again not determined and the vehicle was again returned without a fix. Mileage in/out 17,726/17,735 7/24/26– Incident 3: Vehicle was parked. Driver unlocked door and entered the vehicle. The driver’s seat then experienced three uncommanded movements without warning while occupied by the driver. The seat moved all the way forward, the thigh support ext
Traveling at highway speed of 65 mph. Not using the cruise control or self driving feature and had both hands on the wheel. Message appears on the screen “inability to drive detected” with a chime and red warning light. I am driving the car so not sure what this means. Moments later, a new warning message saying “Emergency stop initiated” and the car slams on the brakes and starts to steer toward the shoulder. There is traffic around me braking and trying to get out of my way. The car will not respond until I finally press the accelerator to the floor and the message goes away. Car goes back to normal. I spoke to BMW and they really did know why it would do this. I asked if the driver attention system was active even without an assist features on and they weren’t sure. The only thing they could suggest is that since it was sunset, maybe the car couldn’t see me with my sunglasses on. I am concerned because this could have caused an accident and that there is no clear guidance from BMW as to why it happened at all.
Visibility › Windshield
Filed Apr 21, 20262,400 milesVA
The contact owns a 2026 BMW X7. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal water shifting around inside the vehicle. The contact stated that the message “Service Immediately” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that the failure was an unknown failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact was informed that an inspector needed to inspect the vehicle. The contact was informed that the failure was a defect from manufacturing. Additionally, the contact received an unknown alert on the BMW App, which indicated that a recall was initiated for the improper installation of the front windshield. The contact stated that the alert indicated that the failure could cause mold and electrical failures. The contact stated that the dealer later informed the contact that the manufacturer denied the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 2,400.
Power Train › Driveline › Differential Unit
Filed Feb 26, 2026678 milesFL
The contact owns a 2026 BMW X7. The contact stated that there was fluid underneath the vehicle, and the dealer was contacted for assistance since the vehicle was brand new. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a failure with the front differential. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 678.
Exterior Lighting › Headlights
Filed Oct 3, 20252,914 milesAL
The contact owns a 2026 BMW X7. The contact stated that while driving at night, the front driver’s side headlight projected a dark shadow. The contact stated that the further the vehicle was away from an object, the greater the dark shadow was cast. The contact stated that the closer the headlight was to an object, the dark shadow was smaller. The contact stated that the failure obstructed the vision of the left side of the roadway while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the headlight failure was acknowledged. However, the dealer had not yet determined a cause or a repair for the defect. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle remained with the dealer. The failure mileage was 2,914
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: Dec 4, 2025. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.