BMW 5 Series Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 415 consumer complaints across the 11 model years of the BMW 5 Series (2002–2012) that have at least 5 complaints. 2008 has the most, with 105. Across all years, the part named most often is air bags (91 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst 5 Series years →
All 5 Series model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 10 | 40,000 | 0 | 47 | — | Not enough data |
| 2011 | 81 | 2,000 | 4 | 68 | Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years) | Rising |
| 2010 | 6 | 53,000 | 5 | 59 | — | Not enough data |
| 2009 | 8 | 59,500 | 3 | 76 | — | Not enough data |
| 2008 | 105 | 26,750 | 3 | 77 | Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years) | Rising |
| 2007 | 13 | 84,089 | 3 | 66 | — | Not enough data |
| 2006 | 85 | 65,000 | 7 | 57 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2005 | 21 | 70,500 | 4 | 55 | — | Stable |
| 2004 | 64 | 78,625 | 6 | 48 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2003 | 15 | 90,000 | 0 | 42 | — | Stable |
| 2002 | 7 | 85,000 | 0 | 38 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Air bags91 23%
- Electrical system64 16%
- Fuel system60 15%
- Engine cooling47 12%
- Tires43 11%
- Transmission and drivetrain40 10.0%
- Steering33 8.2%
- Exterior lighting23 5.7%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2004: “Passenger seat/airbag warning malfunction. This warning has been on since I purchased vehicle. It is obviously the common seat mat sensor failure. And it would appear that either my VIN isn't on the previous recall or it has expired for my year and model. But my wife sits in that seat and if we have an accident and her airbags do not deploy whose fault will that be?”
NHTSA complaint #11130543, filed 2018-09, 175,000 miles2005: “There are 3 recalls reported for my year make and model of a car I just purchased that at giving me problems and I'm receiving warning messages on my navigation but my VIN is not registering with dealership for being eligible for resolution please reply back with steps to repair”
NHTSA complaint #10981311, filed 2017-04, 80,000 miles2011: “While driving with AC on smoke started coming heavily for the interior AC vents. A very toxic smoke, with electrical smell. I noticed the Bmw 3 series has a recall on electrical blower problem. I think my car has the same issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11191722, filed 2019-03, 37,846 milesOther BMW models
3,165 complaintsBMW 328I
2,576 complaintsBMW X3
2,016 complaintsBMW 325I
1,377 complaintsBMW Z4
1,271 complaintsBMW 3 Series
832 complaintsBMW 528I
830 complaintsBMW 330I
813 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology