5 complaints reported

2020 BMW X5 Exterior Lighting

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
5
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Nov 2026

Vehicle has excessive condensation in driver headlight. Garage kept only. Problem discovered because of parking vehicle outside on driveway while the garage hosted moving boxes. This was the only time this vehicle has spent the night outside.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jan 2026
May 2025

Headlights continually fog up and puddle water in them. It takes a major effort to dry them out. Dealer says they are vented and that they will clear themselves but don't. This is a continual problem and poses a safety issue because of headlight failure.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 9999 TBD_TEST TBD_Test, Manufacturer: ODI Demo Co
Incident: Apr 2025
Jan 2024

The front headlight enclosure repeatedly fogs because moisture gets inside. It has just happened again to us. This has been widely reported by BMW owners and is a significant safety issue that BMW has not addressed. In the interest of public safety BMW should recall and replace whatever defective parts cause the problem.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jan 2024
Oct 2020

THE AUTO-DIMMING FEATURE OF THE DIGITAL INSTRUMENT PANEL ON 2020 BMW X5 MODELS IS POORLY IMPLEMENTED, AND UNDER VARIABLE LIGHTING CONDITIONS (CLOUDY, SNOWY, SUNRISE, SUNSET), IT DIMS AT INAPPROPRIATE TIMES, SUCH AS WHEN DRIVING TOWARD THE SUN AT SUNRISE OR SUNSET. THIS MAKES THE DISPLAY EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO READ AND UNSAFE. THE AUTO-DIMMING FEATURE FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS ONLY APPROPRIATE UNDER NIGHT-DRIVING CONDITIONS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Oct 2020
Apr 2020

MY VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENTS AS A FUNCTION OF THIS DESIGN FLAW. THE FOLLOWING OCCURS WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION OR STATIONARY: DURING DAYTIME DRIVING, WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT TURNED ON, THE DIGITAL INSTRUMENT PANEL AND DIGITAL CONTROL PANEL DIM UNDESIRABLY, MAKING THEM DIFFICULT TO READ AND CREATING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS IS UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIOR IS MOST PREVALENT ON CLOUDY DAYS AND AT SUNRISE AND SUNSET. THE DIMMING NEEDS TO BE INACTIVE IF HEADLIGHTS ARE OFF. IF HEADLIGHTS ARE ON, IT NEEDS TO BE INACTIVE IF BRIGHT LIGHT IS DETECTED THROUGH WINDSHIELD (SUNRISE, SUNSET) -OR- IF BRIGHT LIGHT IS DETECTED INSIDE THE CABIN.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 BMW X5, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Apr 2020

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2020 BMW X5 has 5 Exterior Lighting complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.