2006 BMW M5 Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 13%of 39 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 32,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2006 BMW M5, 13% of the 39 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 32,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“With an smg transmission, when accelerating from a complete stop, there is a loud thump in the rear of the car as if somebody hit you from behind. It is very startling and I am sure something is wrong with the car. This is a common complaint among all Bmw M5 drivers. I am surprised nobody placed a complaint about this yet.”
NHTSA complaint #10565541, filed 2014-02, 50,000 miles“The early M5 with the smg (sequential manual gearbox) 7 speed have numerous TSB's and warranty campaigns. The shifting of the gearbox is up executed by pressure from the hydrualic pump that stores aaprx 80psi in the accumulater. This accumulator or pump has a hi chance of failing and when it does the car shuts down without warning. My car shut down in the middle of the intersection just recently. And I have had this pump replace twice out of warranty and once within warranty. A major flaw of the getrag smg 7spd. …”
NHTSA complaint #10955356, filed 2017-02, 95,000 miles“For about a 1.5 months, I have been having major issues with smg. In the morning on startup. I put the car in reverse, it shows (r). I step on the gas and it revs and doesn't do anything. You then hear a loud clunk and it pops back to neutral. Same thing with drive in which there is a huge delay even when it shows 1. Extremely scary when you have traffic coming up behind you and you can't get into gear. I have opened dialogues with bmwna, my local dealer, the GM of my local dealer donna tafoya and at this moment, the only error they got was a szl failure. …”
NHTSA complaint #10175151, filed 2006-12, 6,300 miles“On june 24, 2006, a-united leased the M5 through Bmw of monrovia, formerly assael Bmw. During the duration of the lease, a-united incurred less than 1800 miles on the M5 primarily because the M5's safety and reliability had caused serious concerns. From as early as november 2006, a-united began experiencing problems with the M5 when the unusual noise from the engine became louder and louder. Shortly, the M5 began hesitating to accelerate. On october 22, 2007, the M5 was taken to Bmw of monrovia for routine service as well as the cautioned service engine light soon alert on the M5. …”
NHTSA complaint #10302909, filed 2010-01, 2,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10175267Apr 1, 2020Power Reduction FC2A82 Intake VANOS and/or FC2 A87 Exhaust VANOS Camshaft Fault: The "Service Engine Soon" (MIL) lamp is illuminated and engine power reduction is perceived. This…
- 10148034Sep 1, 2014"Intelligent Battery Sensor Diagnosis Hints. The vehicle enters the workshop with one or more of the following complaints: * Check Control Message related to battery discharge *…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 2006 BMW M5
25 complaintsSeat belts
7 complaintsElectrical system
3 complaintsEngine
3 complaintsSeats
3 complaintsEngine cooling
2 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsFuel system
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaintsSteering
1 complaintsVehicle speed control
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2006 BMW M5
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology