BMW M5 Complaints

106 consumer complaints on file.

#11771370October 15, 2026
ENGINE
BMW Federal Emissions Recall Campaign - Delivery Stop: Replace Coolant Expansion Tank [B170324] The manufacturer's recall remedy replaces a defective, heat-compromised plastic coolant reservoir with an identical plastic component that is subject to the exact same thermal fatigue and catastrophic failure. I had the dealer replace the tank in March 2024 under this recall. This week, however, I noted coolant residue from the horizontal seam of the expansion tank. Furthermore, the dealership's primary diagnostic criteria (a cold pressure test) FAILED to detect severe, ongoing coolant leakage that was actively drowning the fuel injectors, nearly resulting in catastrophic engine failure. I demanded the bulletin be followed by removing the expansion tank based on the visual evidence alone. I further demanded bore scope photos as stated in the recall bulletin. These support the above claims that ALL FOUR injectors are contaminated with gross amounts of coolant which could have led to a catastrophic engine failure. BMW replaced my expansion tank in 2024 when I first bought the car with 13k miles on it with a tank that suffers from exactly the same design flaw. It is therefore no fix at all and all of these cars are all ticking time bombs unless a permanent solution is mandated.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760549August 29, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
2020 BMW M5 a metal-shavings engine failure at highway speed is a safety event. I had total catastrophic engine failure at less than 50,000 miles. No warning lights, found metal shavings in the engine system and engine needs complete replacement. I discovered that the very first and most important service at 1200 miles was never performed by BMW of [XXX]. It has been detailed by managers in writing. They still sold me the car XXX without disclosing the risks to purchase the car without this service being done. The repair is estimated to exceed $97,000 in repairs. I believe there was neglect, wrongdoing, and fraud done by BMW of [XXX] and BMW of [XXX] since they admitted to this neglect of service and never warmed me of the know risks to purchasing a car like this. I have proof in writing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758025August 19, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2006 BMW M5. The contact stated that while opening the trunk of the vehicle, the positive terminal on the battery was fully melted and was very hot. The contact believed that the issue was a fire hazard and was lucky to have found the issue before any other damage could occur. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V126000 (Electrical System) as a possible cause for the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was inspected in 2012 under the recall but had passed the inspection, and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 97,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743092June 9, 2026
AIR BAGS, SEATS
The passenger seat occupancy sensor, an electrocapacitive mat (ecm), is defective on a large number of cars on the g30/fop platform including mine. This leads to intermittent sensor faults which cause an airbag warning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729136April 4, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY, SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE
I had gotten into a head on collision in January. My insurance had refused to cover me because I had only been insured for a month. Now I’m trying to get it fix out of pocket. I’m finding out about more repairs needed ASAP. My engine might be gone.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719067February 19, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2019 BMW M5. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired under Technical Service Bulletin Number: SIB 17 03 24. The dealer replaced the coolant expansion tank; however, the vehicle experienced a coolant leak two months later. The message "Drivetrain Malfunction" was displayed, and the coolant level was low. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the coolant expansion tank, 4 spark plugs, and ignition coils were replaced; however, upon driving away from the dealer, the message "Drivetrain Malfunction" was displayed, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and failed to exceed 40 MPH. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was repaired a third time; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was being repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was being repaired with the same parts because no updated part was available from the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was awaiting a call back. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11661431May 16, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The vehicles system saw a phantom pedestrian on the road and performed emergency braking. I double checked surroundings and there were no human present anywhere arround
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11625765November 17, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The front windshield cracked in the middle from the top without any impact. It made a butterfly shaped crack going both sides symmetrically from the middle. I took it to BMW Casey in Newport News, Virginia. They looked at it and agreed that there was no impact. They kept the car for 5 days and then reported that BMW North America is not aware of any defect and that they would not cover the replacement. However, this problem seems to exist in multiple BMW vehicles reading the online forum. This is a big safety issue since this problem could have happened while on a highway and impairing driving vision, and worse shattering of the glass.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11610646August 24, 2024
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Engine coil and fuel injectors are bad. Injector 8 went bad, followed by 6&7. The next just went bad. Was told only so many available at dealership because of on going problems.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11600471July 9, 2024
ENGINE
Despite following the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule and having the car serviced at authorized BMW dealerships, I am facing an engine failure that BMW has quoted $44,000 to repair. BMW is only offering $4,000 towards this repair, leaving us with an overwhelming out-of-pocket expense. My insurance provider has informed me that they will not cover the cost of these repairs, placing us in a difficult financial position. Given the extensive history of issues and consistent maintenance of the vehicle, this situation is both unexpected and unacceptable. The car was even under the factory warranty when many of these issues were first reported. The vehicle has a documented history of engine-related issues, which are as follows: 1. February 25, 2023: The car exhibited a drivetrain malfunction warning and check engine light. The diagnosis revealed an issue with cylinder 6 fuel injector, which had an internal electrical fault. The fuel injector was replaced, and the problem was temporarily resolved. 2. February 27, 2023: Another drivetrain malfunction warning occurred. The diagnosis showed a misfire in cylinder 6 due to a faulty ignition coil and spark plug. Both the ignition coil and spark plug were replaced. 3. May 12, 2023: The car experienced a drivetrain malfunction and reduced engine alert. The diagnosis indicated multiple issues, including the need to replace the fuel injector, and perform service on the spark plugs, brake pads, and other components. 4. June 7, 2024: The vehicle made an abnormal clicking noise when idle, and there were complaints about the wobble at highway speeds.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11598620July 3, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The leather on the dashboard is coming off the glue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11596199June 24, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Car catch on fire and explode it with 2 ocupantes inside
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11594879June 17, 2024
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
BMW issued a stop sale on 2017-2023 bmw F90 M5 chassis regarding the expansion tank failure. All vehicles should be affected by the recall. My current vehicle is experiencing the issues stated on the recall notice. Expansion tank is failing and causing coolant to seep into engine bay
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593406June 10, 2024
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2019 BMW M5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact researched the failure and related the failure to an unknown recall. The contact also stated that the vehicle had been repaired prior to owning the vehicle for coolant leaking into the engine. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the unknown recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 47,859.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11591756May 31, 2024
ENGINE
Coolant expansion tank is leaking on fuel injectors, coils and plugs on engine below causing ‘drivetrain malfunction’ which puts vehicle into Limp Mode. Car can begin to shudder, misfire and stall. BMW has an SIB on the expansion tank, but has done nothing to address the components underneath that get damaged. Feel free to Google BMW M5 coolant expansion tank issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11585423April 26, 2024
ENGINE
The coolant tank on my 2018 M5 failed causing a coolant leak. This is a highly documented problem on the forums and mine needed replacement at 22k miles. The bigger issue is the location of the tank because the coolant leaks on the ignition coils and fuel injectors causing failures later. My coils and spark plugs needed replacement along with the tank. This is unacceptable and BMW needs to address this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577017March 12, 2024
SEAT BELTS, AIR BAGS
This is for the front passenger seat only.The idrive system will give an error for the passenger restraint system and will mention there is a seat belt issue and turn off the airbag. This is intermittent and will happen with or without a passenger. I contacted BMW about it but because it is not presently acting out, they won't do anything about it unless I want to just start paying for new parts and do "exploratory" surgery on it trying to resolve this. Unacceptable as this has been happening for a couple of years and is a danger because of it happens during an accident it could prove fatal.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11574978March 1, 2024
ENGINE
The coolant reservoir tank leaks causing coolant to destroy the injectors on the engine below below which later causes engine failure. Nearly every BMW M5 owner I know has this issue. My coolant tank has been replaced twice in total 30,000 miles. BMW continues to provide faulty tanks. The last replacement was less than 1200 miles ago and the new tank is already leaking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11557521November 29, 2023
AIR BAGS
The original airbag in my vehicle was replaced with a Takata airbag at some point (prior to my ownership) that is subject to recall, but the dealer will not replace because my VIN was not part of the recall. I have removed the airbag to verify that the part number matches the recall. It is silly to recall a part 15+ years after production and use a VIN as a means to identify affected drivers. Perhaps as a starting point, but it will never encompass all affected drivers, as parts are frequently replaced as vehicles age. The parts were sold by the vehicle manufacturer and are installed in a working vehicle. Those should be the only requirements to get a replacement, especially as it relates to a potentially lethal defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11555126November 14, 2023
ENGINE
I actively participate in online F90 forums, and it seems like the coolant expansion tank seems to fail for almost all owners (both pre-LCI and LCI). In many cases, it also damages critical engine components underneath the tank and results in expensive repairs. Indeed, because BMW has failed to address this problem, the afternmarket already offers an aluminum billet coolant expansion tank, as well as a coolant expansion catch can that reroutes escaping coolant so as not to damage components located beneath the tank. While interacting with other owners, I learned that these failures continue to fail (including the recently revised part number) and there are several owners that needed the tank replaced multiple times (an owner I interacted with on bimmerpost today is on tank #8). Can you please advise as to BMW’s intent to properly and permanently fix this issue? It's a major design flaw impacting all F90 M5s (ticking time bomb), and I am very surprised to see no official recall and replacement part that properly fixes this critical issue. This issue is not about an individual vehicle, but a manufacturing defect that impacts all F90 M5s. Please share this message with the team responsible for supporting the M5 product and request that they respond on how they are planning to permanently fix this issue. Please understand that this is a serious concern shared by dozens of M5 owners I am in communication with. Waiting for the failure to happen on a given F90 M5 and going to a service center is NOT a viable option since it may already be too late and the damage already done. My car has documentation that proves the coolant expansion tank has failed previously at around 12K miles and affected other parts such as injectors. After less than two weeks of owning the car, the coolant tank has failed again as evidenced by coolant escaping at the tank seam. The car now has slightly over 14K miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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