2025-2026 BMW M5 Wiring Recall (26V096)

Recall 26V096 at a glance

What is wrong with the 2025-2026 BMW M5 in recall 26V096?

The electrical wiring harness for the air conditioning system may become damaged during replacement of the cabin air filter.

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2025 M5 Sportswagon, 2025-2026 M5, 2024-2025 750e xDrive, 2025-2026 550e xDrive, 2023-2025 I7, 2023-2025 7 Series, 2024-2026 i5, and 5 Series vehicles. The electrical wiring harness for the air conditioning system may become damaged during replacement of the cabin air filter.

Is it safe to drive a 2025-2026 M5 with recall 26V096?

NHTSA has not told owners to stop driving, but the risk is real: A damaged wiring harness can short-circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

NHTSA describes the risk this way: A damaged wiring harness can short-circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

There is no do-not-drive order on this campaign. If your M5 shows warning lights or behaves differently in a way that involves the wiring, have it checked before driving further.

Which vehicles are included in recall 26V096?

Recall 26V096 covers 58,713 vehicles: 2025-2026 BMW 550E Xdrive; 2024-2025 BMW 750E Xdrive; 2024-2026 BMW I5 EDRIVE40; 2024-2025 BMW I5 M60 Xdrive; 2025-2026 BMW I5 XDRIVE40; 2024-2025 BMW I7 EDRIVE50; 2023-2025 BMW I7 XDRIVE60; 2025-2026 BMW M5; 2025 BMW M5 Sportswagon.

NHTSA lists 58,713 vehicles in this campaign. Not every vehicle of these models and years is included, so check your VIN.

What is the fix for the M5 wiring recall?

Yes. Dealers will inspect and replace the air conditioning system’s electrical wiring harness and add a retaining strap/bracket to the harness, as necessary, free of charge.

Dealers will inspect and replace the air conditioning system’s electrical wiring harness and add a retaining strap/bracket to the harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 13, 2026.

When was recall 26V096 announced?

BMW of North America, LLC reported recall 26V096 to NHTSA on February 19, 2026. NHTSA lists the owner letter date as April 16, 2026.

This recall was filed 7 months ago. If your M5 was built in that window, the VIN check below is the way to confirm it is included.

How do I check if my M5 is part of recall 26V096?

Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If recall 26V096 is open on your M5, it will be listed there.

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup. It shows any open safety recall on your vehicle, including 26V096000. Your VIN is on the registration card, the insurance card, and the driver side of the dashboard where it meets the windshield. Recent recalls can take a few days to appear in the lookup.

What should M5 owners do about recall 26V096?

Check your VIN, schedule the free recall repair, and keep a repair order for every dealer visit.

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm recall 26V096000 applies to your M5.
2. Call a BMW dealer and schedule the recall repair. Ask how long the repair takes and whether parts are in stock.
3. Keep a copy of every repair order. Check that each one lists your complaint, the mileage, and the dates in and out.
4. Write down when symptoms involving the wiring happen: date, mileage, speed, weather and what you felt or heard. Photos and short videos help.
5. Count the days the vehicle is at the dealer. Days out of service add up toward California's 30-day presumption.
6. If the recall repair does not fix it, or the vehicle keeps going back for the same issue, talk to a lemon law attorney.

What are M5 owners reporting to NHTSA?

Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA about these vehicles since 2020, 1 of them about the electrical system.

Too few NHTSA complaints about the electrical system have been filed since recall 26V096 was reported (1) to say whether the fix is holding.

NHTSA’s public complaint database lists 2 owner complaints filed since 2020 for the vehicles in this recall, and 1 of them involve the electrical system. Complaints are reports from owners and have not been verified by NHTSA, but a high count for the same component is a sign the problem is widespread.

• 2026 BMW 550E Xdrive: 1 complaints in total, 1 about the electrical system
• 2025 BMW M5: 1 complaints in total, 0 about the electrical system
• 2024 BMW I7 EDRIVE50: 0 complaints in total, 0 about the electrical system
• 2024 BMW I5 EDRIVE40: 0 complaints in total, 0 about the electrical system
• 2025 BMW I7 XDRIVE60: 0 complaints in total, 0 about the electrical system
• 2024 BMW I7 XDRIVE60: 0 complaints in total, 0 about the electrical system
• 2023 BMW I7 XDRIVE60: 0 complaints in total, 0 about the electrical system
• 2025 BMW I5 EDRIVE40: 0 complaints in total, 0 about the electrical system

Examples of what owners have reported to NHTSA (unverified excerpts):

I was going down the highway at about 75 mph in middle lane in Naples, Florida on June 26, 2026. It was about 85-90 degrees. Air Conditioning was on, I was not using cruise control.

2026 BMW 550E Xdrive owner, FL, NHTSA complaint 11746960, filed June 27, 2026

Can recall 26V096 make my M5 a lemon in California?

Not by itself. A recall repair that fails, or repeat dealer visits for the same defect, can support a California lemon law claim.

A recall by itself does not make a car a lemon. Under California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, what matters is whether a defect covered by the warranty substantially impairs the vehicle's use, value or safety, and whether the manufacturer or its dealers fixed it within a reasonable number of attempts (Civ. Code 1793.2(d)).

Electrical faults are hard to diagnose, so dealers often try several fixes before one works, if one works at all. That pattern of repeat visits for the same wiring problem is common in lemon law claims.

The recall repair is available at dealers. If it works, great. If the same symptom comes back, the recall visit is one repair attempt and the next visit is another.

California law presumes a reasonable number of attempts has been made if, within 18 months or 18,000 miles of delivery, the same problem was repaired two or more times for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, four or more times for any covered defect, or the vehicle was out of service for repairs more than 30 days in total (Civ. Code 1793.22(b)). Some of these require written notice to the manufacturer. A claim can still succeed outside that window.

An owner who prevails in a lemon law case can recover reasonable attorney fees and costs from the manufacturer (Civ. Code 1794(d)). You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.

Frequently asked questions about recall 26V096