Verified government source

NHTSA complaint #11649203

This page summarizes an official U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration owner complaint. Use the verification links below to confirm the record directly with NHTSA.

Vehicle

2019 BMW X5

Manufacturer

BMW of North America, LLC

Components

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Dates

Incident: 01/28/2025
Filed: 03/19/2025

Owner complaint summary

We experienced a serious malfunction in our vehicle’s emergency call system and Bluetooth connectivity, which began immediately after the shark fin cover fell off. This issue appears to be a known defect, as numerous reports suggest that water intrusion through the exposed area can cause damage to the emergency communication system and GPS functionality. This is a major safety concern, as it compromises critical emergency features and wireless connectivity, impacting the vehicle’s overall functionality. Despite this being a design flaw, the dealership is charging us over $5,000 for repairs, which is an unreasonable burden for a defect that should have been properly sealed and protected during manufacturing. For the safety of all drivers, this defective shark fin assembly must be recalled, redesigned, and properly sealed to prevent further failures. We urge the manufacturer to take immediate action to address this safety hazard.

This is an owner complaint filed with NHTSA (ODI #11649203). It is not automatically an official recall, investigation outcome, or manufacturer admission unless the complaint text itself describes one.

Official record ID (ODI): 11649203. This page is the human-readable source link used across afterwarranty. The raw JSON link proxies NHTSA's public API for machine verification; prefer this page when reading the complaint.