2021 BMW X5 Electrical Problems

My 2021 BMW X5 xDrive40i intermittently fails to start, occurring on approximately 80% of start attempts, and displays the message "Repeat Start Attempt." This has been confirmed by code reading to be a starter-related malfunction. This defect significantly affects vehicle reliability and raises a potential safety concern. BMW previously recalled vehicles equipped with similar starter motors due to starter solenoid defects that could cause overheating, electrical short circuits, and an increased risk of vehicle fire. The symptoms on my vehicle appear consistent with those associated with the previously identified defect. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate whether the starter motor defect previously addressed through BMW recalls extends beyond the identified production range, including 2021 model year vehicles. The recurring failure, similarity to previously recalled defects, and potential fire hazard warrants further review.

NHTSA ID

11766408

Incident

Jul 1, 2026

My 2021 BMW X5 xDrive40i Sport (112,000 miles) intermittently fails to start, occurring on approximately 80% of start attempts, and displays the message "Repeat Start Attempt." The issue first occurred on September 8, 2026, while the vehicle was parked at my residence and was confirmed by BMW Roadshow Memphis on September 11, 2026, as a starter-related malfunction. The dealer quoted more than $1,600 to replace the starter motor because the vehicle is outside the warranty period. This defect significantly affects vehicle reliability and raises a potential safety concern. BMW previously recalled vehicles equipped with similar starter motors due to starter solenoid defects that could cause overheating, electrical short circuits, and an increased risk of vehicle fire. The symptoms on my vehicle appear consistent with those associated with the previously identified defect. Publicly available recall information indicates BMW's corrective action included software modifications intended to reduce current flow through the starter system. However, this appears to be a mitigation measure rather than a correction of the underlying hardware defect. I contacted BMW North America seeking assistance and clarification regarding the similarity between my vehicle's failure and the previously recalled condition. I was informed that my vehicle is not included in the recall population, and no resolution was offered despite my attempts to escalate the issue. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate whether the starter motor defect previously addressed through BMW recalls extends beyond the identified production range, including 2021 model year vehicles. Specifically, whether these vehicles may contain the same defective components, whether the software remedy addresses the root cause, and whether additional vehicles should be included in an expanded recall. The recurring failure, similarity to previously recalled defects, and potential fire hazard warrant further review to protect ve

NHTSA ID

11765823

Incident

Sep 8, 2026

The starter motor malfunctioned, which then prevented the car from starting when it was hot. It could only be started after it had completely cooled down. Additionally, the fault code indicated that there was a problem with the starter motor. I also noticed that there was a similar recall before, so I'm wondering if this one might also pose a risk of fire.

NHTSA ID

11763905

Incident

May 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that the AC was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and an independent mechanic on several occasions to repair the AC; however, the failure reoccurred after each repair. The AC was not replaced. The contact believed that the issue was caused by Hybrid system.

NHTSA ID

11762762

Incident

Sep 8, 2026

Vehicle: 2021 BMW X5 xDrive40i (G05) Mileage: 54,423 miles Component: Central Information Display (CID)/ MGU (Media Graphics Unit) Head Unit Safety Defect: The CID intermittently goes completely blank without warning. When this occurs, the backup camera is unavailable, creating a safety hazard when reversing. Navigation, radio, Apple CarPlay, and vehicle settings are also unavailable. Failure History/Diagnosis: The first failure occurred about one month ago while I was reversing. After several hard resets and leaving the vehicle unused for two days, the display began working again. The failure occurred again yesterday when my spouse started the vehicle. I took it to Bobby Rahal BMW of South Hills, PA. The BMW technician confirmed that the head unit (MGU) and RAM (Receiver Audio Module) are not communicating. The technician also found corrosion on the head-unit power connector and inside the head unit, suggesting moisture intrusion and/or an internal electrical short. The dealer recommended replacing the head unit, with the part costing over $4,000, plus labor and additional diagnosis to identify the source of the leak/moisture causing the corrosion. Inspection: The defect was inspected and confirmed by the BMW dealer. The failed component is available for inspection upon request. There were no police or insurance inspections. Warning Signs: There were no warning lights or messages before either failure. The display simply went blank. The failure is intermittent and unpredictable. Safety Concern: The CID can suddenly fail during operation, including while reversing, causing loss of the backup camera and other critical functions. Corrosion inside the head unit and on its power connector raises concern about a recurring moisture-intrusion or electrical/design defect. I request that NHTSA investigate whether this is a recurring safety defect affecting BMW X5 G05 vehicles and determine whether a recall or corrective action is warranted.

NHTSA ID

11762076

Incident

Sep 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to immediately start. The vehicle started later. The engine and a yellow warning light flashed on the instrument panel. Upon research, the contact located the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt), for KBA Reference Number: 16131R, which was associated with the starter motor. The contact stated that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V576000 (Electrical System, Engine and Engine Cooling) and 25V644000 (Electrical System). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was associated with the starter motor, which was replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that there was no recall on the VIN associated with the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.

NHTSA ID

11759048

Incident

Aug 9, 2026

Mileage

49,000 mi

The drivetrain warning light came on shortly after I started the vehicle. I noticed acceleration issues both while driving on side streets and on the freeway. I took the X5 45e into the repair center the day after the notice came on especially given the experience on the freeway, which happened during rush hour traffic. Upon inspection, I was told the starter was beginning to fail and that while there had been a recall on starters on many other BMW models, it did not include the X5 45e. BMW advised I replace the starter immediately due to safety, which cost $2,600. Two weeks later, the same drivetrain light has come on and the X5 is back at the service center for diagnosis.

NHTSA ID

11755801

Incident

Jul 23, 2026

Auto Start/Stop button needs to be pressed three times to start the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11754934

Incident

Jun 15, 2026

2021 BMW X5 xDrive45e PHEV, built October 2020 by BMW AG (Germany). In-service Oct 28, 2021. Vehicle intermittently shows "Drivetrain Malfunction — you can continue driving" warning. DME scan reveals 5 fault codes, all for the conventional 12V pinion starter: 21A50A — Pinion starter: timeout occurred several times in succession 21A511 — Pinion starter: timeout 21611A — Pinion starter: starting torque could not be built up; high counter torque and/or undervoltage 216119 — Pinion starter: line break in starter control (KL50/KL30) 216115 — Pinion starter: attempt to start with blocked starter detected 21A50A and 216115 are protected memory codes that cannot be cleared by standard OBD-II tools. The main 12V AGM battery was replaced and registered; codes continue to recur. This signature matches the B58 pinion starter defect addressed in NHTSA Recall 24V-576 (Aug 2024) and 25V644 (Nov 2025, physical starter replacement). The vehicle's German manufacture date falls inside the production windows of KBA recalls 15630R, 15632R, and 15633R — all covering X5 G05 for short-circuit and fire risk from starter relay corrosion or inadequate mounting. BMW AG has issued an ADAC advisory not to leave affected vehicles running unattended after starting. BMW NA Customer Relations was contacted. Initial verbal response: U.S. recalls don't apply because the xDrive45e PHEV uses a different starter than non-hybrid B58 vehicles. However, codes 216115 and 216119 only exist on vehicles equipped with a conventional pinion starter — confirming this vehicle has the same component. The subsequent written denial pivoted to warranty expiration without addressing the technical or recall-scope questions. Filing so the field record reflects this defect signature for future U.S. recall scope expansion analysis.

NHTSA ID

11738107

Incident

May 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the Push to Start button failed to function as intended. After several attempts, the vehicle started. The drivetrain warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the starter had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact to cease driving the vehicle due to safety concerns. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 47,600.

NHTSA ID

11722339

Incident

Feb 19, 2026

Mileage

47,600 mi

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on the highway, the vehicle shut off. The vehicle was pulled off to the side of the road, but failed to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with starter failure. The dealer referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V761000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,000.

NHTSA ID

11719875

Incident

Feb 22, 2026

Mileage

30,000 mi

the vehicle delays to start and will not recognize that key is in the vehicle. the starter button has to be pushed three times until the vehicle recognizes the key is in the vehicle. the vehicle was inspected at a BMW dealership and no codes or errors were found. battery is still good but possible issues with the starter.

NHTSA ID

11717419

Incident

Nov 24, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the VIN no longer showed the recall as being open. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11714543

Incident

Aug 13, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle with the Push to START button, the vehicle failed to start. There was a clicking sound coming from under the hood. The failure was intermittent. The contact replaced the hybrid battery; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle started. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a pinned-out emission circuit and starter failure. The contact was informed that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The vehicle was manufactured a month outside the date for the vehicles included in the recall. The contact was advised to contact the manufacturer and make the manufacturer aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ID

11712989

Incident

Jul 23, 2025

Mileage

60,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sputtering sound coming from the vehicle. After several attempts, the vehicle was able to start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with starter failure. The contact was provided with the following DTC: 0012240600. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that the failure persisted. Upon further investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V576000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). However, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

NHTSA ID

11695040

Incident

Jul 22, 2025

Mileage

55,000 mi

A drivetrain malfunction warning, chassis warning, auto level suspension was locked, and check engine light was on while driving on the freeway. We made it home safely and parked the BMW X5 45e inside the garage. I plugged in my charger and was not able to charge. Went to start on electric mode/hybrid mode but was not able to turn on. Then I switched to sport mode via gas and engine started but stuttered, and was unable to switch gears from parking to reverse or to forward. Engine continued to shut studded and then engine and electrical completely shut down. I will contact BMW Riverside on Monday.

NHTSA ID

11681132

Incident

Aug 16, 2025

Similar to the incident described in [XXX] , BMW has refused to assist with repairs related to defective vehicle cupholders, causing the headunit wiring to short out and fail. This also causes any number of safety items to become unavailable as well. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11678308

Incident

Jul 17, 2025

In the middle of a busy intersection, the car just completely shut down. The car only had ~35,000 miles on the odometer and has been serviced only by BMW. It turned out that the water pump broke, which led to downstream impact on additional surrounding systems. BMW X5’s up to model year 2019 had recalls due to faulty water pumps. From an independent search online, it appears there are many owners of 2021 BMWs who have experienced water pump failures like I did. This could have led to a major safety incident as my husband nearly avoided an accident. If this had occurred suddenly on a highway, for example, that could have resulted in a multi-car accident as the car very suddenly died and came to a stop.

NHTSA ID

11667027

Incident

May 16, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the starter failed to respond. The vehicle displayed three different messages repeated start attempt, Auto Start/Stop flash stop deactivated, and the drive train service technician required. The vehicle intermittently displayed various messages, and the vehicle struggled to start or there was a delay while starting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the starter was cleaned, and the contacts were cleaned. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. On another occasion, the vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine starter failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because it was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired for the most recent failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 62,300.

NHTSA ID

11652031

Incident

Mar 18, 2025

Mileage

62,300 mi

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the Auto START/STOP feature activated and the engine was turned off; however, when the light turned green, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to restart as designed. The contact stated that an unknown warning light illuminated but then went off. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to start the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure and the contact was provided a fee for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,200.

NHTSA ID

11641978

Incident

Jan 28, 2025

Mileage

80,200 mi

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic; however, the contact used an OBD scanner, which diagnosed a failure with the water pump. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System), but the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 72,500.

NHTSA ID

11641690

Incident

Jan 28, 2025

Mileage

72,500 mi

The vehicle starter fails intermittently. I have to also keep it out of start/stop mode for efficiency due to this starter issue.

NHTSA ID

11633410

Incident

Dec 31, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start immediately and required several attempts before starting. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the starter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V761000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

NHTSA ID

11624148

Incident

Oct 11, 2024

Mileage

56,000 mi

The starter for my 2021 bmw x5 recently went bad and had to be replaced. The defect with the starter ruined my battery as well. Leading up to the starter not working, I received warning messages that the car could not be driven. The BMW representative at United BMW (Alpharetta, GA) stated the starter issue seemed to be a problem as many were needing to be replaced. I am submitting this information because of the recent recall related to the 2020 model staters. It seems it should be investigated whether the 2021s also have problems.

NHTSA ID

11608194

Incident

Jul 1, 2024

Started car and 2 error messages popped up, one for powertrain warning and one for battery charging system. contacted dealer and was informed as long as vehicle drives it is ok to bring it in however on the way to the dealer car died and would not start. Dealer mentioned they charged the battery and reset system however could not find any other faults with the car. approximately 1 month has gone by and the exact same warning appeared. Had vehicle towed to a different dealer and they said they will once again be resetting the system to see if that fixes the issue. Car is still under warranty but near expiration

NHTSA ID

11607331

Incident

Aug 7, 2024