NHTSA Complaint #11703805 — 2019 BMW X5

I am reporting a recurring safety-related defect with the infotainment/iDrive head-unit in my 2019 BMW X5 xDrive40i. The central display repeatedly goes completely black or shows “No Signal” while the vehicle is otherwise drivable. When this happens, iDrive is unusable and I lose: 1. Rearview camera and visual parking aids 2. Parking sensor visuals 3. Navigation and key vehicle information 4. Access to settings that only exist in iDrive BMW service says this is due to the vehicle’s “age” and recommends a full head-unit (hardware) replacement at my expense, even though this is a software-driven system. A previous identical failure on this car resolved on its own with no hardware change, which strongly suggests a software/firmware defect, not a worn-out part. This problem is widespread, not just my car. Many BMW owners report the same black-screen/“No Signal” iDrive behavior on similar models and years, often after software updates and even after multiple head-unit replacements, with no lasting fix. One example thread: [XXX] As a long-time BMW owner, it is extremely frustrating that BMW has not given a convincing engineering explanation or solution and keeps falling back on expensive hardware swaps. 1. Driving risks when the display/iDrive fails include: 2. Reversing or parking without a rearview camera 3. Low-speed maneuvering without visual parking sensors 4. Driver distraction from a sudden blank screen 5. Loss of navigation and information needed for safe route choice and lane changes I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate whether there is a systemic defect in the infotainment/iDrive system and software on the 2019 BMW X5 xDrive40i (and related BMW models), and whether BMW’s remedies and owner guidance are adequate from a safety standpoint. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)