BMW M5 Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data

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.

THE REVERSE BACKUP LIGHTS AND CAMERA IMAGE IS SO DIM AND LIMITED AS BE UNUSABLE AND VERY UNSAFE WHEN BACKING UP AT NIGHT IN DARKNESS. DEALER SERVICE COULD NOT FIX AS DESIGNED IN! I BELIEVE SAME SYSTEM USED ON ALL 2021 SERIES 5 CARS. LEFT CAR AT DEALER WITH FOBS AS I AM REFUSING THE CAR CANCELLING SALE AS HIDDEN DEFECT UNSAFE AND NOT FIXABLE PER DEALER SERVICE MGR. ATTACHED PHOTOS ARE ACTUALLY BRIGHTER THAN WHAT DRIVER SEES. VIEW IS FROM MY GARAGE AND DRIVEWAY TO BACKUP. RED TINT IS BREAK LIGHTS STRONGER THAN WEAK BACKUP LIGHTS ALL VERY ABNORMALLY DIM WITH VERY RESTRICTED ILLUMINATED VIEW.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Coolant bottles on all F90 BMW M5's have a faulty coolant bottle that BMW refuses to acknowledge. The coolant bottle cracks no matter how many times it's replaced and it leaks coolant down into the injectors causing injector and engine failure.

car went into transmission malfunction and speed was reduced when I was going at high speed. could have caused an accident but luckily I am a good driver so accident was avoided.

The car was purchased new in July 2023. On or about [XXX], while the car was parked the front license plate holder separated suddenly and unexpectedly from the front bumper of the car and fell to the ground. Incidental to the failure of the front license plate holder, the separation of the holder caused damage to the front bumper. There was no external force applied to the front license plate holder, and the vehicle was not involved in a collision. Because the car was stationary at the time of the incident, there was no additional damage; the safety of the passengers, other drivers, or pedestrians was not compromised. However, had the car been moving, a sudden and unexpected event of the separation of the front license plate holder would have posed serious safety risks. I contacted the selling dealer, BMW of Sudbury, located in Sudbury, MA to discuss the issue related to the damages resulting from the failure of the front license plate holder. I spoke with Michael K. Walsh, General Sales Manager at BMW of Sudbury, 508-903-5300, mkwalsh@herbchambers.com, about the issue of sudden and unexpected failure of the front license plate holder. According to Mr. Walsh, the front license plate holders have been failing on a regular basis, with several instances of failure occurring every year at the BMW of Sudbury dealership. Mr. Walsh mentioned that the failures typically occur within several days to several weeks after the installation of the front license plate holder. In addition, Mr. Walsh indicated that license plate holders and the hardware for their installation are manufactured by BMW. The dealer has never notified the manufacturer about the potential safety risks associated with the sudden and unexpected separation of the front license plate holder from the car. This inaction on the dealer part has persisted even though it has been fully aware of the recurrent failures of the front license plate holders. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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

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