BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2001 X5 vehicles that may be equipped with a sport steering wheel containing a Takata PSDI-4 air bag inflator. The inflator may explode during deployment due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature, and temperature cycling.
Safety risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Manufacturer remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's front air bag, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 23, 2025. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 19V015.
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Manufacturer
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
Vehicles affected
84,000
Reported to NHTSA
2003-01-09
Owners notified
2003-02-14
Defect description
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE FOR THE FRONT BRAKE LINE TO SLIP OUT OF THE RETAINING BRACKET LOCATED AT THE FRONT STRUT. THE BRAKE HOSE THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE BRAKE LINE COULD COME IN CONTACT WITH THE TIRE AND BE SUBJECTED TO WEAR AND ABRASION.
Safety risk
THIS COULD INITIALLY CAUSE SOME BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE, AND EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A SUBSTANTIAL LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID. THERE COULD BE A NOTICEABLE REDUCTION IN BRAKE PERFORMANCE IF A LOSS OF FRONT BRAKE PERFORMANCE OCCURS.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL RETAINING CLIP TO FURTHER SECURE THE BRAKE LINE TO THE FRONT STRUT. ADDITIONALLY, IF INSPECTION OF ANY BRAKE HOSE INDICATES THAT IT HAS EXPERIENCED DAMAGE, THE HOSE WILL BE REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 14, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, DUE TO A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, THE BRAKE PEDAL ARM PIVOT SHAFT COULD LOOSEN FROM ITS SUPPORT BRACKET.
Safety risk
EVENTUALLY, THE BRAKE PEDAL ARM COULD DETACH FROM THE BRACKET, RENDERING THE SERVICE BRAKING SYSTEM INEFFECTIVE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL CHECK THE BRAKE PEDAL ARM PIVOT SHAFT FOR PROPER SEATING IN ITS SUPPORT BRACKET. IN ADDITION, A PIN WILL BE INSTALLED TO SECURE THE SHAFT TO THE BRACKET. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 14, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-332-4269.
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Manufacturer
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
Vehicles affected
13,721
Reported to NHTSA
2001-06-14
Owners notified
2001-08-14
Defect description
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 4.4I SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THERE IS A PLASTIC CARRIER TO WHICH THE OIL FILTER HOUSING IS ATTACHED. OIL SUPPLY AND RETURN LINES ARE ATTACHED TO THE FILTER HOUSING. OVER TIME, THIS CARRIER COULD SAG SLIGHTLY. IF THIS HAPPENS, ONE OF THE OIL LINES, WHICH ARE ARMORED WITH STEEL MESH, COULD COME INTO CONTACT AND CHAFE A STEEL BRAKE LINE LOCATED IMMEDIATELY UNDERNEATH.
Safety risk
CONTINUED CHAFFING CAN CAUSE THE ANTICORROSION COATING OF THIS BRAKE LINE TO FAIL, ALLOWING THE BRAKE LINE TO RUST THROUGH AND LEADING TO LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID, FAILURE OF THE REAR BRAKE CIRCUIT, AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES, AND A POSSIBLE CRASH.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RUBBER SPACER BELOW THE PLASTIC CARRIER TO PREVENT SAGGING AND SUBSEQUENT CONTACT BETWEEN THE OIL AND BRAKE LINES. BRAKE LINES WHOSE ANTICORROSION LAYER IS FOUND TO BE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF CONTACT WITH THE OIL LINE WILL BE REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 14, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
Power train: automatic transmission: park/neutral start interlock switch
Manufacturer
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
Vehicles affected
14,300
Reported to NHTSA
2001-06-14
Owners notified
2001-08-14
Defect description
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 4.4I SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, ABRASION PARTICLES COULD DEPOSIT ON THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WITHIN THE SWITCH, CAUSING A DISRUPTION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT THROUGH THE CONTACTS. IF THE DISRUPTION OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THE NEUTRAL OR PARK POSITIONS, THE TRANSMISSION WILL SWITCH AUTOMATICALLY INTO THE EMERGENCY PROGRAM, WHICH IS DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER VIA A WARNING LAMP AND A MESSAGE, "TRANS. FAIL-SAFE PROG." IN THIS CASE, THE VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN IN LOWER GEARS ONLY WITH LIMITED ENGINE OUTPUT.
Safety risk
IF THIS PROBLEM OCCURS, THE ABILITY TO MAINTAIN SPEED IN TRAFFIC AND/OR ACCELERATE COULD BE GREATLY DIMINISHED, POSSIBLY LEADING TO A CRASH.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION GEAR POSITION INDICATOR SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 14, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT COUPLING INCLUDES A PLASTIC COLLAR WHICH FITS OVER THE LOWER STEERING RACK INPUT SHAFT. THIS COLLAR IS PUSHED DOWN ONTO THE STEERING RACK AND TIGHTENED DURING ASSEMBLY. ON SOME OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, THE COLLAR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PUSHED DOWN FULLY ONTO THE RACK AT THE ASSEMBLY PLANT.
Safety risk
OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY IN ROUGH ROAD CONDITIONS, CAN CAUSE THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE COLLAR AND THE STEERING RACK TO INCREASE TO THE POINT WHERE THE INPUT SHAFT CAN SEPARATE FROM THE RACK, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF STEERING CAPABILITY.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE STEERING RACK INPUT SHAFT COLLAR FOR PROPER POSITIONING, AND REPOSITION IS NECESSARY.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Power train: automatic transmission
5
75,000 mi
Visibility: glass, side/rear
3
60,000 mi
Visibility: power window devices and controls
3
60,000 mi
Electrical system
2
122,000 mi
Exterior lighting: headlights
2
—
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
2
—
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer
2
50,000 mi
Air bags: frontal
1
—
Engine
1
122,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages
1
76,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission: torque converter
1
—
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
1
59,000 mi
Seat belts
1
50,000 mi
Seat belts: front: retractor
1
—
Service brakes
1
150,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
1
—
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: ABS warning light
1
61,758 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
1
—
Steering
1
95,364 mi
Structure: body
1
122,000 mi
Suspension
1
150,000 mi
Tires: tread/belt
1
—
Traction control system
1
75,000 mi
Unknown or other
1
—
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
1
—
The 2001 model has about a fifth as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.
Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.