Which BMW vehicles are covered by the shark-fin antenna settlement?

The settlement covers current and former owners and lessees of certain 2019–2020 BMW X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 vehicles built between November 1, 2018 and March 31, 2020. Check the official settlement website to confirm your vehicle by VIN.

How much can I get from the BMW shark-fin antenna settlement?

For past sealing-defect repairs you already paid for, class members can receive 100% reimbursement with no cap if the work was done at a BMW Center, or 100% up to a $2,000 cap if done at an independent repair shop — limited to vehicles under 10 years old or 120,000 miles (whichever came first) at the time of repair. Separately, BMW NA has extended its New Vehicle Limited Warranty for the sealing defect to 10 years or 120,000 miles, so future qualifying repairs are handled free at a BMW Center.

Do I need proof to file a claim?

Yes. To file online you log in with the Class Member ID from your mailed notice, and you must submit documentation of the qualifying repair — the repair facility, your VIN and vehicle details, proof the vehicle was under 10 years/120,000 miles at the time of repair, the itemized cost with parts and labor, the parts used, the repair date, and proof of payment such as a receipt, statement, or cancelled check.

What is the deadline to file a BMW shark-fin antenna claim?

The deadline to submit a claim is August 27, 2026. The deadline to exclude yourself from or object to the settlement is June 30, 2026, and the final approval hearing is scheduled for July 28, 2026.

BMW Shark-Fin Antenna Class Action Settlement (2026)

By Steve Levine

BMW SUV with a roof-mounted shark-fin antenna

Published: June 17, 2026

Status Claims Open

Claim Deadline August 27, 2026 Exclude/object by June 30, 2026 · final approval hearing July 28, 2026

Estimated Payout Reimbursement + Warranty 100% of BMW-dealer repair costs (no cap) · up to $2,000 for independent-shop repairs · plus a warranty extension to 10 yrs/120,000 mi

Proof Required Yes Class Member ID from your notice to file online, plus repair records, VIN, and proof of payment

What Is This Settlement About?

A proposed class action settlement has been reached in Craft v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al., a lawsuit alleging that certain 2019–2020 BMW X-series SUVs were sold with a defective roof-mounted "shark-fin" antenna. According to the lawsuit, a sealing defect in the antenna assembly allowed water to leak into the vehicle, where it could damage the telematics control unit and other electronic components. BMW denies any wrongdoing and maintains that the vehicles are not defective; the company agreed to settle to avoid the cost and risk of continued litigation.

The settlement gives eligible owners and lessees a way to recover what they paid out of pocket to fix sealing-defect-related damage. It is currently pending before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in the District of New Jersey, who granted preliminary approval and scheduled a final approval hearing for July 28, 2026.

Who Qualifies?

The Class includes all persons or entities in the United States — including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico — who currently own or lease, or previously owned or leased, certain U.S.-specification model-year 2019–2020 BMW X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 vehicles that were purchased or leased and registered and operated in the United States. The covered vehicles are those built within a specific production window — November 1, 2018 to March 31, 2020 — and equipped with the Shark-Fin Antenna.

BMW NA mailed notice to people its records identify as potential class members. If you no longer own the vehicle, you may still qualify based on a qualifying repair you paid for while you owned or leased it. The online claim portal asks you to log in with the Class Member ID printed on your notice; if you cannot locate it, use the contact form on the official settlement website to ask the administrator before the deadline.

How Much Can You Get?

The settlement provides two kinds of benefits — reimbursement for past repairs you already paid for, and a warranty extension that covers future repairs at no cost.

A "Sealing-Defect Repair" means a repair of the Shark-Fin Antenna, the telematics unit, and the battery for the telematics unit. If you paid out of pocket for such a repair before the settlement's effective date, you can claim reimbursement:

Repairs at a BMW Center: 100% of the repair costs you incurred, with no payment cap.
Repairs at an independent repair shop: 100% of the repair costs you incurred, up to a $2,000 cap.

Either way, reimbursement is limited to vehicles that were under 10 years old or 120,000 miles (whichever came first) at the time of the repair, measured from the vehicle's in-service date. Reimbursement amounts are reduced by any goodwill adjustment, coupon, refund, or payment already made by a BMW Center, BMW NA, an insurer, or an extended-service-contract provider. There is no flat cash payment for class members who never had a qualifying repair.

Separately, and regardless of whether the court grants final approval, BMW NA has extended its New Vehicle Limited Warranty as it relates to the Sealing Defect to 10 years or 120,000 miles (whichever comes first) from the in-service date, covering diagnostics and Sealing-Defect Repairs. Because of this, repairs performed after the notice mailing date are not reimbursable — a BMW Center will handle them free of charge under the extended warranty instead. If final approval is granted, BMW Centers will also provide no-cost Sealing-Defect Repairs for any class vehicle, regardless of age or mileage, for 60 days after the final approval order.

Important: the warranty extension does not apply to vehicles declared a total loss, sold for salvage, or branded with a "salvage" or "flood" title, and BMW NA does not warrant do-it-yourself repairs, independent-shop repairs, or non-OEM parts. Other limitations are set out in the Settlement Agreement.

Proof Required: How to File a Claim

This is a documentation-based reimbursement settlement, so proof is required. To file online you first log in with the Class Member ID from your mailed notice, then submit a claim with records of the qualifying repair. The notice asks claimants to provide:

Whether the repair was made at a BMW Center or an independent repair shop;
The vehicle's Model, Model Year, and VIN, and the owner/lessee's identity;
Proof the vehicle was under 10 years and 120,000 miles at the time of repair (e.g., a repair order showing mileage, or before-and-after service records);
The cost of repair with parts and labor separated, plus the part descriptions and part numbers used;
Proof of payment (credit card receipt, credit card statement, or cancelled check); and
The nature and date of the repair.

Claims can be filed online through the official settlement website, SharkFinSettlement.com, or by mailing a completed paper Claim Form with the required documentation so it is postmarked by the deadline. If a claim is missing documentation, the administrator will notify you and give you 30 days to cure it before any final decision. If you are unsure of your vehicle's in-service date, a local BMW Center can look it up from your VIN.

Key Deadlines

Claim deadline: August 27, 2026
Exclusion (opt-out) and objection deadline: June 30, 2026
Final approval hearing: July 28, 2026

If you do nothing, you remain in the class but give up the chance to be reimbursed and release your related claims against BMW. If you want to keep the right to sue BMW separately over this issue, you must exclude yourself by the opt-out deadline. Payments are not issued until after the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved.

Avoiding Scams

File only through the official settlement website. Legitimate settlement administrators do not charge a fee to submit a claim and will not ask you to pay money or share unrelated financial account details to "release" a payment. If you are contacted about this settlement, verify any link against the official website address before entering personal information. For questions about a lost notice or how to file, use the contact form on the official settlement website rather than responding to unsolicited messages.

For more class actions keep scrolling below.

Official Settlement Notice

Sources

Craft v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al., No. 2:24-cv-06826-WJM-CF, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
Official Settlement Notice (Court-approved long-form notice) — PDF
Official Settlement Website — SharkFinSettlement.com

Settlement Benefit Repair reimbursement + warranty extension

Case Title Craft v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al.

Case Number 2:24-cv-06826-WJM-CF

Court U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey

Final Approval Hearing July 28, 2026 at 10:00 AM Newark, New Jersey

Administrator Kroll Settlement Administration LLC

Official Website Shark Fin Settlement.com