AI Damage2025 BMW IX: common problems
Owners of the 2025 BMW IX filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about forward collision avoidance and vehicle speed control. The maker issued 34 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 13
- involving a crash
- 5
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 34
What fails most often
- 1 Forward collision avoidance 31% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 31% of all complaints
- 3 Backover prevention 23% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 15% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 8% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 8% of all complaints
- Forward collision avoidance: 4 complaints (31% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 4 complaints (31% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Backover prevention: 3 complaints (23% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (15% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (15% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- electric
- automatic, 1-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 13 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Backover prevention | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 16 |
| Steering | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Engine | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Lane departure | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Wheels | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 2 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The contact stated that while stopped in a parking lot, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated and struck an unoccupied vehicle, then hit a storefront window and entered the closed business. The contact was shocked but sustained no injuries and did not require medical attention. A police report was filed.
After return, ACC/lane keep/forward collision behavior became unreliable without dashboard error: lane centering intermittently fails; lane visualization inaccurate; following distance control intermittently fails; FCW/AEB/“too close” alerts/intervention do not occur even when enabled and set to early/far.
There was a post collision warning light (note, the airbags did not deploy), but we have asked the certified collision center to review the alerts to confirm what may have triggered. The BMW app never showed that the car was in a collision, and to-date still does not.
A vehicle that can randomly shut down while driving constitutes a serious safety defect.
The vehicle made a loud “whirring” sound as if the motor engaged on its own, and it lurched forward rapidly without any acceleration input from the driver. The car traveled only about 2 feet before crashing into a wall in front of the parking space. All front and side airbags deployed.
The contact depressed the brake pedal to avoid a crash and the vehicle eventually returned to normal operation. The failure had occurred on several occasions. A dealer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 16,000.
There is a defect in the charging system of the BMW, where upon charging the cable fried BMW refuses to replace the charging cable
After numerous attempts the car powered up and alerted me Drive Carefully Fault. I began to drive slowly through a parking lot and it took over 200 lbs of pressure to bring the car to a complete slow stop. I pulled over and turned off the car. I tried rebooting the car and did so assuming it was a bug in the system.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,401 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 33% least complained about).
On average one model year of the IX has 23 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 13, below average.
What to check before buying
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Backover prevention. Rear camera and parking sensors after a rear impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Fastening Elements Return
- A faulty electric auxiliary heater may have been installed in the certain vehicles
This could result in thefailure of the electric auxiliary heater, utlized for the vehicle interior.
- “Cracking” noise might be heard when turning the steering wheel from lock to lock
See attached video V3202 26 EPS noise.
- The vehicle may experience various operational issues with Apple CarPlay Projected Modes such as
Dropped connections No automatic reconnection Display errors
- Charging sessions cannot be started or they are interrupted while using a Level 2 AC high-power…
Charging sessions cannot be started or they are interrupted while using a Level 2 AC high-power chargingstation, or with a Level 3 DC charging station. Charging may start normally but can interrupt after some time…
- During vehicle start-up the Secure Element (SE) of the BCP may fail causing communication errors
TheCheck Control message “Drive carefully. Driving stabilisation.” will appear. In addition, the fault memoryentries below will be stored within 40 seconds of each other. ACSM: 02010A - Coding: Coding data not…
- The vehicle will no longer move when put into gear
There may also be loud noise coming from the HEAT*(electric drivetrain)/Rear axles.
- After starting up the vehicle, a distinct, constant, “humming” noise can be heard from the right area of…
After starting up the vehicle, a distinct, constant, “humming” noise can be heard from the right area of the instrument panel.
- “Groaning” noise from the EPS when the steering wheel is at the end stops
- After the software update to version …25-07-5XX, existing activation points for the “Automate My…
After the software update to version …25-07-5XX, existing activation points for the “Automate My Habits”function no longer work.
- A “groaning” noise may be heard when closing the tailgate
- There is coolant leaking from under the car Low heater output Possible Check Control message “Drive, you…
There is coolant leaking from under the car Low heater output Possible Check Control message “Drive, you can continue driving” (ID49) Possible fault codes stored in these BEV vehicles: 224163 – Electric auxiliary…
NHTSA lists 34 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2025 BMW IX?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: forward collision avoidance, vehicle speed control, backover prevention. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (15%), jerking, harsh shifts (15%), unintended acceleration (15%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2025 BMW IX?
NHTSA lists 34 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2025 BMW IX from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2025 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.