2004 BMW X5 Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 6about this part
- Share
- 9%of 64 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 73,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the air bags of the 2004 BMW X5, 9% of the 64 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 73,000 miles. 3 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“While driving our 2004 Bmw X5 a person ran a stop sign and hit me in the driver's side door, the impact was so hard my SUV was pushed into another lane and the front left tire was blown out . The driver's side door had to be replaced due to structural damage but airbag never deployed. I have sustained a cervical and a thoracic spine injury (herniated discs) and continue to be under medical treatment for the past 10 months. In december I had to stop working as a result of the accident. Maybe if the airbag worked properly I would not have been so severly injured.”
NHTSA complaint #10231029, filed 2008-06, 38,000 miles“The airbag indicator light has been on since we purchased this vehicle from a private party two years ago. The local dealer and another service shop have told us the airbag sensor mat in the passenger side seat is not operating properly. The result being that the airbags will not deploy in an accident. There has been a recall for this repair for our same year, make and model. However, when we contacted Bmw they said that the recall is VIN # specific and our VIN was not part of the recall. …”
NHTSA complaint #10319863, filed 2010-03“The contact owned a 2004 Bmw X5. While driving 15 MPH, the contact's vehicle was struck by another vehicle on the driver's side. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the right shoulder, back, and neck, which required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the crash. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000. The VIN was not available.”
NHTSA complaint #11072329, filed 2018-02, 180,000 miles“The contact owned a 2004 Bmw X5. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, another vehicle failed to stop for a red light and the contact crashed into the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries in the neck and back which required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10970464, filed 2017-04, 180,000 miles“The contact owns a 2004 Bmw X5. The contact stated the sensor module on the passenger seat that controlled the air bags became inoperable and caused the air bag light to remain illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and stated they had to replace the air bag sensor at the owners expense. The manufacturer stated there were no recalls and offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 73,000. Updated 05/10/2013”
NHTSA complaint #10500594, filed 2013-02, 73,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10218382Jun 1, 2022A check control message for the restraint system appears. In the Instrument cluster, the red air bag warning light lights up permanently. One of the following fault codes stored…
- 10160287Apr 1, 2019TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL-RELATED SHORT-TERM ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AND CONSEQUENTIAL REPAIRS This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B01 31 18 dated October 2018.
- 10160244Apr 1, 2019TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL-RELATED SHORT-TERM ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AND CONSEQUENTIAL REPAIRS This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B01 31 18 dated October 2018.
- 10153726Jan 1, 2019Takata class action settlement. Customer support program. Front driver side airbag modules.
- 10149557Oct 1, 2018For the above-referenced vehicles with driver?s side airbag modules, BMW of North America, LLC (?BMW NA?) will provide a Customer Support Program as outlined in the Takata…
- 10154816Feb 1, 2018In an effort to improve the completion rate on Takata air bag recall affected vehicles; BMW NA has expanded the BMW Ultimate Rewards platform to include a new Recall Support…
- 10057707Feb 1, 2015Bmw:some bmw models may or may not display airbag warning light.
- 10029605Aug 1, 2011Bmw service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. The airbag warning lamp (awl) is illuminated, together with the passenger airbag status lamp (pol). The problem…
- 10037078Sep 1, 2010Bmw: the airbag warning lamp is illuminated due to a software error.
Air bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 3% |
| 2024 | 3 | 2% |
| 2023 | 1 | 3% |
| 2022 | 1 | 1% |
| 2021 | 7 | 6% |
| 2020 | 6 | 5% |
| 2019 | 12 | 6% |
| 2018 | 4 | 5% |
| 2017 | 5 | 7% |
| 2016 | 5 | 7% |
| 2015 | 14 | 9% |
| 2014 | 6 | 6% |
| 2013 | 47 | 32% |
| 2012 | 83 | 31% |
| 2011 | 67 | 25% |
| 2010 | 35 | 28% |
| 2009 | 41 | 30% |
| 2008 | 65 | 30% |
| 2007 | 39 | 55% |
| 2006 | 83 | 49% |
| 2005 | 16 | 20% |
| 2004 | 6 | 9% |
| 2003 | 15 | 15% |
| 2002 | 19 | 19% |
| 2001 | 16 | 10% |
| 2000 | 1 | 3% |
Other parts of the 2004 BMW X5
11 complaintsElectrical system
10 complaintsEngine
9 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
7 complaintsSeats
7 complaintsBody and structure
7 complaintsExterior lighting
5 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
5 complaintsSteering
4 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsSuspension
3 complaintsBrakes
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2004 BMW X5
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology