Verified government source

NHTSA complaint #11753036

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

2021 BMW X5

Manufacturer

BMW of North America, LLC

Components

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Dates

Incident: 07/01/2026
Filed: 07/27/2026

Owner complaint summary

Water is leaking from the microphone housing directly above the driver’s seat during normal operation. The water drips onto the driver’s head and into the roof‑mounted electronic components. This creates a safety hazard due to potential electrical shorting, distraction while driving, and possible malfunction of overhead electronics. The vehicle has only 63,000 miles, and I purchased the extended warranty. BMW denied warranty coverage and classified the issue as “wear and tear,” despite the fact that water intrusion into interior electronics is a potential design or assembly defect involving the panoramic roof drainage or sealing system. BMW North America told me the dealership would have a 50% goodwill authorization documented for the repair, but the dealership had **no record** of any goodwill coverage when I picked up my vehicle. Additionally, I was charged **$308 for one hour of diagnostic time**, of this issue and this diagnostic fee does **not** apply toward the repair cost. This is concerning and unfair business practice. I have owned multiple vehicles with sunroofs exceeding 150,000 miles and have never experienced water intrusion of any kind. This appears to be a defect that poses a safety risk and may affect other BMW X5 vehicles.

This is an owner complaint filed with NHTSA (ODI #11753036). It is not automatically an official recall, investigation outcome, or manufacturer admission unless the complaint text itself describes one.

Official record ID (ODI): 11753036. 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.