2024 BMW X5: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2024 BMW X5
On the 2024 BMW X5, the failure owners report most often is other brake problem, with 76 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 5,000 miles. Overall it scores 87 out of 100, severe risk for a 2024.
Severe risk for a 2024 — 2nd riskiest of the 220 2024 vehicles we can rate. 249 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 27 named failure modes on the 2024 BMW X5, and the three most-reported carry 63% of everything filed, so the trouble here is concentrated rather than scattered.
Other brake problem leads with 76 reports and about 11 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other driver assistance problem follows with 67 reports, median 5,000 miles.
Other electrical problem follows with 14 reports.
By system, the reports fall mostly into brakes (85), adas (76) and electrical (21).
The mileage the reports cluster at
25 of the reports on the 2024 BMW X5 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 5,000 miles.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 76% of the dated reports.
100% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 27. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 12 mention a crash and 4 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.30, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other brake problem at $300–$1,800, other driver assistance problem at $250–$1,800, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000 and other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
11% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other brake problem | brakes | 76 | 6 | — | 5k | — | 11.1 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 67 | 7 | — | 6k | — | 9.8 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 2.0 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | 1.9 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other engine problem | engine | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | 1.5 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 7 | 2 | — | 11k | — | 1.0 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 5 | 2 | — | 9k | — | 0.7 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Software fault or failed update | software | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $0–$600 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 3 | 3 | — | 4k | — | 0.4 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 3 | 2 | — | 5k | — | 0.4 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Automatic braking for no reason | adas | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $0–$1,500 | Critical |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 3 | 1 | — | 13k | — | 0.4 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Overheating | cooling | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 1k | — | 0.1 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Parking sensor failure | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $180–$900 | Low |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 10 | 1 | — | 21k | — | 1.5 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2024 BMW X5 draws about 36 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 97th percentile of complaint rates among 2024 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 6,838 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2024 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other brake problem
The contact owns a 2024 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 24V104000 (Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Service Brakes) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power brake assist failed to operate as needed, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 9,480. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2024 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, attempting to depress the brake pedal however there was a reduction in the power assist braking leading to the vehicle crashing into another vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The front passenger side of the vehicle crashed into the rear end of the other. The crash occurred on an unstated off-ramp from a highway to a main street. The air bags were not deployed. The vehicle was drivable. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not destroyed. The vehicle was driven to a certified collision repair center and the contact received a diagnosis stating that the front bumper along with several other things needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was notified that the VIN was included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V104000 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), SERVICE BRAKES) however, the parts was not available; the VIN was not included before the crash. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the remedy was not available. The failure mileage was 3,909.
Other driver assistance problem
The contact owns a 2024 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 24V104000 (Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Service Brakes) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power brake assist failed to operate as needed, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 9,480. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2024 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, attempting to depress the brake pedal however there was a reduction in the power assist braking leading to the vehicle crashing into another vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The front passenger side of the vehicle crashed into the rear end of the other. The crash occurred on an unstated off-ramp from a highway to a main street. The air bags were not deployed. The vehicle was drivable. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not destroyed. The vehicle was driven to a certified collision repair center and the contact received a diagnosis stating that the front bumper along with several other things needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was notified that the VIN was included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V104000 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), SERVICE BRAKES) however, the parts was not available; the VIN was not included before the crash. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the remedy was not available. The failure mileage was 3,909.
Recalls on the 2024 model year
NHTSA has issued 8 recall campaigns covering the 2024 BMW X5, affecting an estimated 8,850 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover electronic stability control (esc), service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electron and equipment:other:labels. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
428 vehicles 2026-07-01- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2025 Mini Cooper S, Mini Countryman S All4, X2, 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre, 2023-2025 i7, 7 Series, X7, 2024-2025 i5, 5 Series, 2023-2024 XM, X1, 2024-2025 X6, and X5 vehicles. The integrated brake (IB) system may malfunction and result in a loss of power brake assist or cause the Antilock Brake (ABS) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) systems to not function properly.
- Consequence
- A loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle. Additionally, malfunctioning ABS and/or DSC systems can cause a loss of vehicle control. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The Integrated brake system will be inspected and, if necessary, replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 21, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce customer service at 1-877-877-3735. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning August 21, 2026. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 24V739 or 24V104 will need to have the new remedy completed.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
11,579 vehicles 2024-10-02- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2023-2024 X1, X5, X6, X7, XM, 530i, i5, 740i, 760i, i7, and 750e vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models and model years. The integrated brake (IB) system may malfunction and result in a loss of power brake assist or cause the Antilock Brake (ABS) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) systems to not function properly.
- Consequence
- A loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle. Additionally, malfunctioning ABS and/or DSC systems can cause a loss of vehicle control. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the integrated brake module, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed November 22, 2024. Second letters will be mailed once the parts are available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicles in this recall were previously repaired under recall number 24V-104 and will need to have the new remedy completed.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
309 vehicles 2024-09-18- Defect
- BMW of North America (BMW) is recalling certain 2023-2024 X1, 2024-2025 X5, 2025 X6, 2023-2025 X7, 740i, 760i, 2024 XM, 530i, 540i, i7, 750e, X2, 2024-2025 i5, 2024 Rolls Royce Spectre, 2025 MINI Countryman S ALL4, JCW Countryman ALL4, and 2025 MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper, Cooper S) vehicles. Please refer to the recall report for the complete list of models. The welds in the servomotor of the integrated brake control module may break, causing a loss of power brake assist and rear brake function. In addition, the Antilock Brake System (ABS) and Dynamic Stability Control…
- Consequence
- A loss of brake power assist or rear brake function can result in extended stopping distance. A loss of ABS or DSC can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the integrated brake system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 13, 2024. Owners can contact BMW Customer Service at 1-800-525-7417.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
703 vehicles 2024-05-10- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2024-2025 X5 xDrive40i vehicles. The tire information placard may indicate an incorrect tire size and tire pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
- Consequence
- Incorrect tire information can allow an incorrectly sized tire to be installed or result in improperly inflated tires, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the tire information placard, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 9, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
AIR BAGS
8 vehicles 2024-02-23- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2024 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i and X7 xDrive40i vehicles. The instrument panel may not have been manufactured properly, which can result in improper air bag deployment or the panel separating during air bag deployment.
- Consequence
- Instrument panel separation during air bag deployment can result in pieces of the panel striking occupants. Improper air bag deployment may not restrain an occupant as intended during a crash. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the instrument panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
266,716 vehicles 2024-02-12- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2023-2025 BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models and model years. The integrated brake (IB) system may malfunction and result in a loss of power brake assist or cause the Antilock Brake (ABS) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) systems to not function properly.
- Consequence
- A loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle. Additionally, malfunctioning ABS and/or DSC systems can cause a loss of vehicle control. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the integrated brake system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed between June and December 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls Royce customer service at 1-877-877-3735.
AIR BAGS
2,352 vehicles 2023-09-07- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023 BMW XM, 2024 BMW X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 M60i, X5 M, X5 xDrive50e, X6 xDrive40i, X6 M60i, X6 M, X7 xDrive40i, X7 M60i, and Alpina XB7 vehicles. The front passenger knee air bag may not deploy as intended.
- Consequence
- An air bag that does not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front passenger knee air bag, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 3, 2023. Owners may contact BMW's customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
AIR BAGS:KNEE BOLSTER
1,981 vehicles 2023-07-10- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2024 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 M60i, X5 M, xDrive 50e, 2024 X6 xDrive40i, X6 M60i, X6 M, 2024 X7 xDrive40i, X7 M60i, Alpina XB7, and 2023 XM vehicles. The knee air bag (driver and/or passenger) may not have been manufactured correctly, which can result in the knee air bag not deploying as intended.
- Consequence
- A knee air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the knee air bag (driver and/or passenger), free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 6, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2024 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2024 compares with the other years
Severe risk for a 2024 — 2nd riskiest of the 220 2024 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
Across the 27 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2000 comes out best at 62 and 2024 worst at 87, with 2024 itself at 87.
If the model year is negotiable, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2006, 2001, 2016, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2005, 2008, 2004, 2018, 2013, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2011, 2020, 2019, 2014, 2022 and 2023 score lower than 2024 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2024–2026 generation specifically, 2026 is the strongest year at 85 and 2024 the weakest at 87.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2024-2026 generation, 2026 BMW X5 scores best at 85 and 2024 BMW X5 worst at 87.
Where these figures stop being useful
249 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 249 reports, 25 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 10% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2024 BMW X5?
The most-reported failures are other brake problem (76 reports, median 5,000 miles), other driver assistance problem (67 reports, median 5,000 miles) and other electrical problem (14 reports). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2024 BMW X5 reliable?
It scores 87 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 2nd riskiest of the 220 2024 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2024 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the BMW X5 is best?
Within the 2024–2026 generation, 2026 scores best at 85 out of 100 and 2024 worst at 87. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed