— A BMW shark fin antenna lawsuit settlement has been granted preliminary approval to provide customers with reimbursements for shark fin antenna repairs.
The BMW shark fin class action lawsuit alleges the antennas may not be fully sealed to the roofs which can allow water to enter and possibly damage components below the antennas.
The owner who sued owns a 2019 X5 xDrive 40i which had problems with the sealant on the shark fin antenna. He complains several vehicle features failed to work properly and a dealership found water had entered the telematics control module.
He was quoted a price of $2,500 to replace the shark fin antenna and the telematics unit. Instead, the plaintiff says he paid $92 for only necessary repairs, then paid $405 to file the BMW class action lawsuit for more than $5 million.
The nationwide shark fin antenna settlement provides current or former owners or lessees with reimbursements if they paid their own money for unreimbursed repairs.
BMW says it decided to settle to end the expensive litigation, but the automaker denies all the allegations and insists there is nothing defective about the vehicles or shark fin antennas.
BMW Shark Fin Class Action Settlement Agreement
The original lawsuit included numerous different models from 2017 to 2023 model years. However, the settlement covers only these 2019-2020 BMW models built between November 1, 2018, and March 31, 2020.
- 2019-2020 BMW X3
- 2019-2020 BMW X4
- 2019-2020 BMW X5
- 2019-2020 BMW X6
- 2019-2020 BMW X7
BMW has already extended its shark fin antenna warranty to 10 years or 120,000 miles which applies even if the settlement is denied approval.
BMW Shark Fin Lawsuit Settlement — Reimbursement
The settlement provides reimbursement for expenses paid out-of-pocket for shark fin problems related to the antennas and telematic units if BMW has not already provided reimbursements. This includes previous reimbursements from BMW, a dealer, insurer, or a provider of an extended service contract.
A customer will need to file a claim if the shark fin antenna settlement is approved, and reimbursement is limited to vehicles under 10 years old or 120,000 miles.
According to the shark fin settlement, a customer is eligible for reimbursement expenses by providing these required documents, as taken verbatim from the settlement:
- That the replacement was made at an authorized BMW dealer (e.g., a BMW Center), or at an independent repair shop; and
- Your Class Vehicle’s Model, Model Year, and VIN; and
- The identity of the owner/lessee of the Class Vehicle; and
- That your Class Vehicle had fewer than 10 years and 120,000 miles at the time of the repair, as evidenced by proof such as a repair order with vehicle mileage at the time of replacement or service records from before and after the replacement; and
- The cost of repair, with parts and labor separated; and
- Proof of payment for the amount(s) sought for reimbursement (credit card receipt, credit card statement, or cancelled check); and
- The nature of the repair; and
- The part(s) description and part number(s) used in the repair; and
- The date of repair.
BMW will reimburse a customer 100% of the repair costs without any cap on the amount if repairs were performed by a BMW dealer. There is a $2,000 payment cap if repairs were at a non-BMW repair provider.
Additionally, BMW dealers will provide free shark fin sealing repairs for 60 days if the settlement is granted final approval.
According to the BMW shark fin antenna lawsuit settlement, the customer who filed the class action will receive $5,000, and the lawyers representing the plaintiff will receive $800,000.
Nothing is officially settled until after Judge William J. Martini holds a final approval hearing July 28, 2026.
BMW customers with questions about the shark fin settlement may call 833-447-8559.
The BMW shark fin class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey: Tim Craft v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al.
The plaintiff is represented by Sauder Schelkopf LLC.