BMW Lawsuit Investigation: Sunroof Water Leaks in X3, X5 Vehicles?

If you own or lease a 2020-2023 BMW X3 or X5 vehicle and had water leak from your sunroof, attorneys working with ClassAction.org would like to hear from you.

They’re looking into reports that the sunroof drain tubes in the cars are leaking water into the passenger cabin, potentially causing damage to the interior. If a defect is to blame for the problem, it’s possible that a class action lawsuit could be filed to help find a fix for the issue and provide compensation for past repairs.

Consumer Complaints: BMW Sunroof Leaks

A handful of complaints have been posted online regarding leaking sunroofs in certain BMW vehicles, spanning several model years. Consumers have raised concerns about mold and mildew growth; damage to interior lights, electrical systems and carpeting; and costly repairs. While the complaints seem to particularly involve the 2018 and 2019 vehicles, attorneys suspect the problem may not be limited to these model years. A handful of complaints about the leaking sunroofs can be seen below [sic throughout]:

[T]he other day I got into my car and see water dripping out of the ceiling from the console above the rearview mirror where the lights are. I never had any issues with water leaking into the cabin prior to this. The issue just appeared out of nowhere, my car is mainly kept in a garage also so I don't see how any debris from outside could clog the sunroof drains.”
— RemixSkillz, 2019 X3 driver, XBimmers.com

BMW X5 with Sunroof starts leaking water inside. BMW does not cover and when I called them the response was it is an outside factor that clogs the drainage pipe and it happens on all type of cars, so no action needed…I feel it is hazardous for 2 reasons: 1. While driving in rain it suddenly starts leaking which deters an immediate attention from the road. It was by the grace of god, no one was next to me on the road, otherwise an impulse movement would have resulted in the accident. 2. Now, since the carpet soaked the water, although after drying with vacuum, it has started smelling. May be mold is forming which can be hazardous too. BMW knows the issue but does nothing to prevent it from happening and then they gave me an estimate of about $1000 to fix the drainage issue and dry the carpet out…”
— NHTSA ID Number 11438052, 2018 BMW X5 driver

I have a '19 X3 and when driving recently I noticed that there was water dripping from the top dome light button - yikes!. The car has just come off warranty so when I called the dealer they said it would be 495 minimum for labour to look into leaks. I have since looked on here and I also hear a bit of noise (air) above my head when driving. It appears the sun roof molding has gapped a bit on the drivers side where the sunroof meets the moonroof part if that makes sense. This looks like more of a defect and I'm just wondering if there's been a recall for this issue? Or if I'll now have to pay likely over $1,000 to get it fixed…”
— u/mattdgp999, 2019 BMW X3 driver, Reddit.com

My '19 X3 recently had a leak from the driver's side A pillar and microphone in the ceiling. It's never done this before and sits outside at work in rainstorms all the time. I was shocked and very upset…My X3 has 8,300 miles and is garage kept and never sits under trees. The sunroof drains are fine, front and rear. I've poured copious amounts of water into the rain gutters with the sunroof open and all four drains evacuate the water immediately. I can't seem to replicate the leak!”
— Khelms04, 2019 X3 BMW driver, XBimmers.com

My new X3 is leaking water from the front passenger pillar. It is coming out of the horizontal seam about an inch below the top of the dash and causing the carpet to get wet. The seam is hidden if the door is closed. The leak seems to occur when water is sprayed on the outer side front portion of the roof rail. I have an appointment scheduled for Monday and would like to know if anyone has anything information that would help in diagnosing and solving the problem.”
— TheBMWBuster, 2018 BMW X3 driver, XBimmers.com

[J]ust picked up my 22 x3m40i friday and this morning noticed water dripping from mic port above passenger seat. it dripped out a lot at first then it stopped even after driving through much rain. was this stuck under moonroof somehow? what do i do. my dealer said to bring in but i dont want to drive that far and have them tear my whole car apart. wtf. this is so maddening!! update: dealer thinks its a kinked drain port or something with a seal. Scheduled to drop off Saturday morning for a fix and a loaner. so frustrated at this point with a brand new car having sunroof issues. lets hope its an easy fix”
— X3Bimmer22, 2022 X3 driver,  XBimmers.com

How Could a Class Action Lawsuit Help?

If filed and successful, a class action lawsuit could give consumers a chance to recover compensation for past repairs. It could even force the automaker to recall the vehicles and provide a free fix.

In 2017, BMW agreed to a $478 million settlement covering 2004-2010 BMW 5 series vehicles over allegations that clogged sunroof drainage tubes could cause damage to electrical components in the spare tire well of the trunk. Though every case is different, the deal allowed drivers to recover up to $1,500 for out-of-pocket expenses and receive free inspections and repairs.

Before commenting, please review our comment policy.