BMW X5 (2011) Air Bag Recall: Risk of Serious Injury from Inflator Explosion
BMW is recalling certain 2011 X5 models due to passenger air bag inflators that may explode in crashes, causing serious injury or death. Owners must stop driving until fixed.
Stop using this now
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
What happened, in plain English
BMW is recalling specific 2011 X5 models because their passenger air bag inflators can explode during crashes, potentially causing serious injury or death. Owners should stop driving until the air bag module is replaced. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/1252290-bmw-x5-2011-air-bag-recall-risk-of-serious-injury.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/1252290-bmw-x5-2011-air-bag-recall-risk-of-serious-injury · Updated October 5, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #19V017000
Cite this page
“BMW X5 (2011) Air Bag Recall: Risk of Serious Injury from Inflator Explosion.” GovInfoNow, updated October 5, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/1252290-bmw-x5-2011-air-bag-recall-risk-of-serious-injury. Based on NHTSA recall #19V017000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=19V017000).
Why it’s dangerous
The air bag inflators can explode during a crash due to propellant degradation from long-term exposure to humidity and temperature changes. This explosion may send sharp metal fragments toward the driver or passengers, causing serious injury or death.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2011 BMW X5 vehicles with passenger air bag modules using the affected inflators are most at risk. This includes vehicles with specific model years and trim levels listed in the recall.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your 2011 BMW X5 has a passenger air bag module with the affected inflators. The recall covers specific model years and trim levels listed in the official notice.
- Brand
BMW- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Stop Using Vehicle Now
Do not drive your vehicle until the air bag module is replaced by BMW.
Contact BMW Customer Service
Reach out to BMW at 1-800-525-7417 to schedule the free air bag module replacement.
What NHTSA says to do
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began March 14, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
2 dated steps over 59 days.
- NHTSA received the defect report
- Recall began
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
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Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #19V017000 (January 14, 2019)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 5, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.