15:30 16-11-2025

BMW loses New York lawsuit over soft-close door injury

In New York, the owner of a BMW X5 won a case against the carmaker after a soft-close door injured his finger. He lost the tip of his thumb when his hand rested on the door pillar and the mechanism pulled the door shut. Although the inspection found no defect, the court decided BMW had not adequately warned about the risks.

Soft-close first appeared on the Mercedes S-Class W140 and has long been a hallmark of premium cars. The system draws the door in without a slam, yet a misplaced hand can still end in injury. BMW maintained that people learn from childhood not to leave fingers in a door opening, but the jury regarded the situation as deception by omission. Convenience features tend to fade into the background—right up until they remind drivers that ergonomics and clear warnings matter.

The appeal did not change the outcome: the court cited a violation of consumer protection law and ordered BMW to pay $1.9 million in compensation for pain, suffering, and lost income. The verdict underlines a simple point: familiar luxury touches can carry legal weight when communication falls short.

This is not the first lawsuit of its kind; different brands have faced complaints about soft-close operation. Judges have often noted that people have always pinched their fingers in doors, but this case proved to be an exception. The feature remains a valued convenience in high-end models, yet it plainly demands careful messaging about pinch points.