The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·25V748000·Announced 2025-10-31

BMW Recalls 2000-2001 X5 Vehicles Due to Air Bag Inflator Defect

BMW is recalling 2000-2001 X5 vehicles because the driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, posing a risk of serious injury or death.

NHTSA safety advisory

Do not drive this vehicle

NHTSA advises owners to stop driving this vehicle until the recall repair has been completed.

This is the agency’s own advisory, not our assessment. Contact the manufacturer or a dealer, and see the official NHTSA notice for the current guidance.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that the defect may result in 'serious injury or death,' which aligns with the rubric criterion for a score of 4 (Severe) involving significant injury or death reports/risks.

Plain-English summary

BMW of North America, LLC is recalling certain 2000-2001 BMW X5 vehicles that may be equipped with a sport steering wheel containing a Takata PSDI-4 air bag inflator. The defect involves the inflator potentially exploding during deployment due to propellant degradation caused by long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature, and temperature cycling.

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, which could result in serious injury or death. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 19V015.

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 on December 29, 2025, and 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.

The recalled product

Product
BMW X5
Brand
BMW
Manufacturer
BMW of North America, LLC
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag
Hazard
Affected units
5,361

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (1)

  • X5

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same brand · BMW

Same manufacturer · BMW of North America, LLC

See all →

Same hazard · air bag explosion

See all →