NHTSA has received 70 owner complaints about the 2018 BMW X5, or 8.1 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.19, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #11 for fewest complaints per year. Against other BMW models its rate is 30% lower; against other Luxury SUVs it is 46% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2018-09-07 and 2026-08-21. Median delay from incident to filing: 10 days.
70Complaints
8.1Complaints per year on the road
0.19Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
5Recalls
4.3%Share involving a crash or fire
11Last 12 months
Analysis
The following model year (2019) drew 23.8 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2018 model collected 9 complaints, 90% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (28.6% of complaints), followed by Fuel system (17.1%) and Electrical (10.0%). Within Engine reports, owners most often mention “cooling electrical”, “egr”, “engine cooling”, “intake manifold” and “experienced”. 3 reports (4.3%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 3 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 71 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (61% of incidents). In the last 12 months 11 new complaints were filed, versus 15 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.
NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls for this model year. 66% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses. 3 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “High pressure fuel pump failure” (opened 2023-03-17, still open).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.19
vs. other BMW models0.7
vs. other 2018 models0.16
vs. other Luxury SUVs0.54
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (9)0.1
On August 4, 2026, my vehicle was involved in a direct frontal collision with a brick wall. I was driving with two minor passengers, one seated in the front passenger seat and one seated in the rear passenger seat.
Battery charger trigger a fire. It's BMW genuine DELPHI which comes with car. after charging my car, I unplug it from my car and put on top of plastic ice box before left my garage. Once i'm back to home there was a fire inside of garage.
Fuel system · 2021-11-18 · ODI 11440885 · Fire
The driveshaft malfunctioned which caused the vehicle to lose control. Yes, it is available at the repair shop. Wife was driving with mother-in-law and [XXX] child at highway speeds (55) requiring her to maintain control and pull over without getting hit by…
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-08-21 · ODI 11758546
I am reporting a recurring catastrophic high-pressure fuel-pump/fuel-system failure in my 2018 BMW X5 after BMW previously repaired the same type of failure, and subsequently performed the NHTSA HPFP recall on my vehicle. I am a 71 year old driver.
Engine · 2026-08-11 · ODI 11756344
The attaching nut and bolt holding the left suspension to the rear subframe worked itself lose. The nut had completely fallen off. The corresponding bolt was merely hanging on but was about to fall off too.
Body & structure · 2026-05-22 · ODI 11739474
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:PUMP Campaign 24V608000 · 2024-08-13
Summary: BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, 2015-2016 428xi vehicles. An improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit.
Risk: An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the water pump and plug connector as necessary, and install a protective shield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2018 328d, 328d xDrive, X5 xDrive35d, 2014-2016 535d, 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, and 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d vehicles. The high-pressure fuel pump may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the high-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 14, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW 330e iPerformance, i3 Rex, i3 Sport Rex, X5 xDrive40e, i3 BEV, i3 Sport BEV and 2019 i8 and i8 Roadster vehicles and 2018-2019 530e iPerformance, 530e xDrive iPerformance and 740Le xDrive iPerformance vehicles. Capacitors within the TurboCord Portable Chargers may fail, possibly resulting in a shock hazard or a fire.
Risk: An electrical shock or a fire can increase the risk of injury or death.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the charging cable, and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM Campaign 18V439000 · 2018-06-28
Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 xDrive35d, and X6 sDrive35i vehicles. The pivot bolt on the front lower-left control arm may not have been properly hardened, which may cause the control arm to break.
Risk: If the lower control arm breaks, vehicle handling and control can be affected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lower-left control arms and replace if necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 11, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW X5 SAV, X5 M SAV, X6 SAV, and X6 M SAV vehicles. Bolts that secure the front suspension may not have been properly tightened.
Risk: Loose bolts can affect the performance of the suspension, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the wishbone suspension bolts, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 8, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
EA23001 · FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP · Opened 2023-03-17 · Campaign 24V957 · Model years: 2018
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE21-021 on October 14, 2021, to investigate incidents alleging a stall/loss of motive power as a result of high-pressure fuel pump failures in certain model year (MY) 2019-2020 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 heavy duty trucks equipped with 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel engines. During the investigation, ODI sought to determine if the related defect alle…
Pedestrian alert soundsClosed
DP22005 · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM · Opened 2023-01-27 · Closed 2023-08-07 · Campaign 22V063000 · Model years: 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022
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 pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
EA21002 · AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · Opened 2021-09-17 · Model years: 2018
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupt…
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2018 BMW X5?
70 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2018 BMW X5, or about 8.1 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2018 BMW X5?
The most common category is Engine, accounting for 28.6% of complaints.
Does the 2018 BMW X5 have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 5 safety recall(s) for this model year. 3 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “High pressure fuel pump failure” (opened 2023-03-17, still open).
Is the 2018 BMW X5 still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 11 new complaints were filed, versus 15 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.
How does the 2018 BMW X5 compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 70 owner complaints about the 2018 BMW X5, or 8.1 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.19, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #11 for fewest complaints per year. Against other BMW models its rate is 30% lower; against other Luxury SUVs it is 46% lower.