Reported: 2021-03-10 (March 10, 2021) · Model years: 2021
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M50i, X5 xDrive45e, 2021 X7 xDrive40i, X7 M50i, and XB7 vehicles. The head restraints on the second-row outer seats may be the incorrect type for the vehicle.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, the head restraints could detach, and increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the head restraints, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 3, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
4 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
0.0%Usable mileage0 / 4 records
100.0%Valid incident date4 / 4 records
100.0%Valid filing date4 / 4 records
100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates4 / 4 records
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
Component complaint heatmap
Component
2021
2022
Power Train
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
266.7%ODI 11436173
The car was driving in HYBRID mode and when I slowed down and then as I was about to accelerate, the car pulled forward in a jolt and even braking the car did not help. Not sure if the car was switching from hybrid to electric mode? It was scary and I finally switched to SPORT mode to avoid the electric / hybrid model altogether. This is the second time it has happened to me in the past one month since I owned the vehicle. I found that I am not the only one as there are several other owners on the BMW blog forum describing a similar issue.
New vehicle purchased this past Saturday. Found out that BMW no longer ships the lug adapter in the vehicle. Sales person and BMW telephone call center rep. confirmed this. They said to order one thru the parts department at the dealer. Parts department said it might take a month and a half to get... What do I do in the meantime if the tire needs to be changed due to damage. My wife and I were going cross country on a family visit. Not now. We both don't feel safe not being able to change a tire if something happens. THIS IS NOT SAFE NOR IS IT…
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
Component failure mileage distribution
Component
Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)
Median
Usable records
Examples
No usable records for this analysis.
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month
Complaints
Campaigns announced
Examples
2024-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2024-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-03
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-04
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-05
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-06
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-07
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-08
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-09
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-10
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-03
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-04
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-05
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-06
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-07
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-08
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-09
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2021: 1 complaints · 2022: 0 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
2021
1
1
1
2022
0
0
0
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year
Incident dates used
Filing date fallbacks
Excluded dates
2021
1
0
0
2022
0
0
3
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
Component co-occurrence matrix
Component
Power Train
Electrical System
Equipment:Mechanical
Power Train
—
0
0
Electrical System
0
—
0
Equipment:Mechanical
0
0
—
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
1 patterns with matching reports.
Warning lights and dashboard alerts
1 mentions · 25.0% of complaints
Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).
ODI 11441678
While driving regularly the engine started sputtering and the throttle became non responsive. It seems to have been a transmission problem. A warning light came on noting Drivetrain Malfunction but that continuous driving was possible. Driving was not possible since there was no power. This was an unsafe condition for everyone in the vehicle (and other drivers) since the car stopped in the middle of a busy thruway. The vehicle was rolled to the side of the road, picked up by a tow truck and taken to the manufactures service center.