G05
BMW X5
55.5KVIEWS
152REPLIES
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48ACTIVE PEOPLE
04-12-2026LAST POST
04-10-2019
I have noticed mine makes a very quiet high frequency sound - its the iDrive display. Only noticeable when the engine is off. Build Date 25-Feb-19
04-10-2019
There's another thread somewhere about this. Turns out lots of people have this noise.
04-11-2019
I hear a lot of ticking and buzzing noises from it and the gauge cluster when the engine is off. Sounds kind of scary.
04-19-2019
Hi everyone, I have just been driving a loaner for the last 24hrs ahead of making the decision to purchase and I too can can hear that "electrical" high pitch sound coming from the dash. Have those of you with that problem had any luck finding a fix for it? Best wishes to you all.
05-18-2019
Went to dealer and they said most X5’s make this noise. Regardless, it seems they need some
TSB to even do some work. But the sound is logged in the car records, so if BMW USA comes out with a TSB I’ll get it fixed.
05-19-2019
bioman wrote
Went to dealer and they said most X5’s make this noise. Regardless, it seems they need some
TSB to even do some work. But the sound is logged in the car records, so if BMW USA comes out with a TSB I’ll get it fixed.
I have the exact same problem here, really annoying.

The noise is there all the time as long as I am seating inside, even when there is nothing running, no AC, no audio, no engine. The noise frequency sometime even changes to a much higher pitch and then come down a bit.

I tried to find the source of the noise, and it can be found from the central AC panel, front overhead reading light panel, and speakers on each door .....

I will go to dealer to check on this as well. But I doubt they can fix it at this time...

To all the owners have the same issue, please check with the dealer if this bothers you too. The more complaints they receive, I hope the sooner they can provide a fix.
05-23-2019
The used car I am looking at buying has that sound and it is a condition of the sale that they rectify it. It is currently being worked on and I believe they are replacing the a/c screen. I will report back when it is fixed with more details. Fingers crossed. On the plus side the dealer have acknowledged that it is a known problem that can be corrected.
06-18-2019
Twickers wrote
The used car I am looking at buying has that sound and it is a condition of the sale that they rectify it. It is currently being worked on and I believe they are replacing the a/c screen. I will report back when it is fixed with more details. Fingers crossed. On the plus side the dealer have acknowledged that it is a known problem that can be corrected.
Hi, just wondering if you have got the noise fixed yet ?

Thanks
07-01-2019
Any updates on this topic? I was noticing this a lot over the weekend. It seems to be intermittent, at least in amplitude (it seemed to come and go). I really want this fixed, it's highly annoying but I'm holding out because it's my wife's car and I can't be the trailblazer who gives the car away for a week+ for them to figure it out.
07-02-2019
I have the same issue in my 2019 x3 20d M Sports.

I sent it back to Sytner and told them i would refuse to accept the car and get a refund if the fault wasn't fixed.

They have checked 4 BMW x3 20d's and all 4 made the noise, the Master Technician then made the statement of all the cars make this noise and its a characteristic of the newer models.

Its so annoying as its a brand new car and the noise is really high pitched, it only happens when the digital cockpit and Idrive screen are active (which is almost all the time)

I guess i have to just deal with it until enough people complain and BMW roll out a fix to make it quieter.
07-07-2019
Dhami1199 wrote
I have the same issue in my 2019 x3 20d M Sports.

I sent it back to Sytner and told them i would refuse to accept the car and get a refund if the fault wasn't fixed.

They have checked 4 BMW x3 20d's and all 4 made the noise, the Master Technician then made the statement of all the cars make this noise and its a characteristic of the newer models.

Its so annoying as its a brand new car and the noise is really high pitched, it only happens when the digital cockpit and Idrive screen are active (which is almost all the time)

I guess i have to just deal with it until enough people complain and BMW roll out a fix to make it quieter.
This is not a quick software fix and highly unlikely to be addressed retrospectively. It's a combination of poor EMC/EMI design and ultimately trade offs when selecting hardware and components in terms of performance vs. price.

The simple solution is to crank up the music!
07-08-2019
I just picked up my G05 X5 and I noticed the same noise. I can clearly hear it when the car is parked and not playing music. It is a high frequency electronic humming noise coming out of the central control area (probably HVAC control panel). It is NOT a mechanical noise/wind noise/fan noise.

I can also hear it when driving on a quieter road with music off.

The only way to eliminate the noise is to shut off the engine and lock up the car. As soon as all electronic systems are powered off, the noise is gone.

I am really upset since I have sensitive hearing and I'm trying really hard to ignore the noise. It's a shame to have this problem in an otherwise perfect car for me.

Really hope BMW can address this issue.
07-08-2019
Important update: I thought I heard the noise from my left ear as well which doesn't make sense if it was only the center stack (high frequencies are very directional). When I was cleaning the car this weekend I noticed the same noise coming from the tweeters, both front and rear doors! Whatever it is is bleeding onto the audio system. Does anyone else hear it there, too?
07-11-2019
gofast182 wrote
Important update: I thought I heard the noise from my left ear as well which doesn't make sense if it was only the center stack (high frequencies are very directional). When I was cleaning the car this weekend I noticed the same noise coming from the tweeters, both front and rear doors! Whatever it is is bleeding onto the audio system. Does anyone else hear it there, too?
Just checked my car after seeing your post. I can confirm that the noise is coming out of the tweeters. I scheduled a service appointment with my dealer and will update this post if they find anything out.
07-16-2019
Some updates -

I went to a dealership to check out the problem. My service advisor was able to hear the noise but the mechanic came back saying he could not hear it. Turns out that there are two recalls for the vehicle so I had those fixed during the visit.

Scheduled another appointment so that I can speak to the mechanic and also test in another new x05.

I uploaded a video on YouTube for those who are interested in hearing the noise.
07-19-2019
hullyoung wrote
Some updates -

I went to a dealership to check out the problem. My service advisor was able to hear the noise but the mechanic came back saying he could not hear it. Turns out that there are two recalls for the vehicle so I had those fixed during the visit.

Scheduled another appointment so that I can speak to the mechanic and also test in another new x05.

I uploaded a video on YouTube for those who are interested in hearing the noise.
Some updates -

I shared the video with my service advisor and he agrees that the noise exists. We checked out another brand new 2019 x5. I can hear the same noise but it seems fainter. The service team kept the vehicle and said they are going to reach out to bmw if they can’t figure out the cause.
07-24-2019
Thank you so much for the updates! This seems like a problem that needs BMW engineering involved which sounds like what is happening. I hope it's figured out quickly!
07-28-2019
I experienced the "wind whistle" yesterday. The noise just appeared when i ran it at 120. Dropping the speed made the noise go away. Tried revving it again and the noise came back as the speed approached 120.
07-29-2019
msunny wrote
I experienced the "wind whistle" yesterday. The noise just appeared when i ran it at 120. Dropping the speed made the noise go away. Tried revving it again and the noise came back as the speed approached 120.
Look on this

😉
07-29-2019
mirex wrote
Look on this

😉
Now, I'm on the iDrive 7.2019.39, it looks much better. New design of icons.

New function of parking brake, but I cannot confirm this item, probably get some problem in this SW version. Previously, this item was not.
07-29-2019
hullyoung wrote
Some updates -

I shared the video with my service advisor and he agrees that the noise exists. We checked out another brand new 2019 x5. I can hear the same noise but it seems fainter. The service team kept the vehicle and said they are going to reach out to bmw if they can’t figure out the cause.
I honestly didn't hear anything, but I've lost a lot of my hearing above 6,000 cps.
07-31-2019
gofast182 wrote
Thank you so much for the updates! This seems like a problem that needs BMW engineering involved which sounds like what is happening. I hope it's figured out quickly!
Well, in the end they said they can not hear it. They can do anything with my car because they weren't able to confirm the problem.