2011 BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2011 BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine228.6%
- Driver assistance114.3%
- Other / unspecified114.3%
- Powertrain (other)114.3%
- Steering114.3%
- Tires & wheels114.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
IN JUNE 2018, I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL, TO WIT, BMW AG HAS DECIDED THAT A DEFECT, WHICH RELATES TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY...FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED MY BMW VIN # [XXX] IS AMONG THE RECALLED CARS. DUE TO HEALTH REASONS AND THE PROJECTED SERIOUSNESS, I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER AND REQUESTED ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION, AS ADVISED TO DO IN THE RECALL LETTER. INASMUCH AS THE RECALL NOTICE RECOMMENDED PARKING SAID VEHICLE UNTIL THE REPAIRS WAS PERFORMED. I HAVE NUMEROUS MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS, AS SUCH, TRANSPORTATION IS A MUST. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP FOR A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE, I WAS TOLD THAT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE, SOMETHING MUST BE PRESENTLY ACTIVELY WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE WHICH RENDERS IT BEING UNABLE TO DRIVE. I FAILED TO COMPREHEND WHAT HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXPRESS. SIMPLY PUT, IF THE CAR IS ACTIVELY FUNCTIONING, NO REPLACEMENT VEHICLE COULD BE OBTAINED. THIS SITUATION HAS CAUSED ME ADDITIONAL UNDUE STRESS. IN OTHER WORDS, I HEAR; CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL IF AND WHEN IT BLOWS UP. FACT OF THE MATTER, I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I DEMAND AN IMMEDIATE COMPARABLE VEHICLE UNTIL MINE IS FIXED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
VEHICLE RUNS ROUGH. MURRAY BMW DENVER, COLO AGREED THAT THERE IS A RECALL ISSUED BY BMW FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT AS OF YET THEY ARE UNABLE TO REPAIR IT AS BMW OF NORTH AMERICA HAS NOT PROVIDED THE NECESSARY PARTS TO MAKE THE REPAIR.(SEE RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. 14V-176: VANOS ASSEMBLY BOLTS). *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND SHAKE FORCEFULLY. DUE TO THE SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED OCCURRENCE, I NEARLY LOST CONTROL AND NEARLY CRASHED INTO VEHICLES IN MY GENERAL AREA. I WAS SOMEHOW ABLE TO AVOID A CRASH AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT WHICH TIME I OBSERVED A WARNING NOTICE ON MY DASH WHICH STATED; "...MAXIMUM DRIVETRAIN OUT PUT NOT AVAILABLE..." AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND REGAINING MY COMPOSURE. I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE WARNING ON THE DASH HAD DISAPPEARED. AFTER BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF, I RE-ENTERED THE TRAFFIC. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MILE, THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED BY BMW AT NO COST TO THE BUYER. I SAY THIS BECAUSE, I PERUSED THE INTERNET AND FOUND MANY BMW OWNERS WHO HAD EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. AGAIN, THIS IS DANGEROUS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE INSIDE CORDS OF THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE EXPLODED WHILE I WAS HEADED SOUTH BOUND ON I75 FROM MIRAMAR TO MIAMI FLORIDA. WHEN I GOT HOME I CHECKED ON LINE TO SEE IF ANYBODY HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND I FOUND THIS WEB SIGHT THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL OF CAR. LINK HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=525812. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND SHAKE FORCEFULLY. DUE TO THE SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED OCCURRENCE, I NEARLY LOST CONTROL AND NEARLY CRASHED INTO VEHICLES IN MY GENERAL AREA. I WAS SOMEHOW ABLE TO AVOID A CRASH AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT WHICH TIME I OBSERVED A WARNING NOTICE ON MY DASH WHICH STATED; "...MAXIMUM DRIVETRAIN OUT PUT NOT AVAILABLE..." AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND REGAINING MY COMPOSURE. I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE WARNING ON THE DASH HAD DISAPPEARED. AFTER BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF, I RE-ENTERED THE TRAFFIC. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MILE, THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED BY BMW AT NO COST TO THE BUYER. I SAY THIS BECAUSE, I PERUSED THE INTERNET AND FOUND MANY BMW OWNERS WHO HAD EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. AGAIN, THIS IS DANGEROUS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND SHAKE FORCEFULLY. DUE TO THE SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED OCCURRENCE, I NEARLY LOST CONTROL AND NEARLY CRASHED INTO VEHICLES IN MY GENERAL AREA. I WAS SOMEHOW ABLE TO AVOID A CRASH AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT WHICH TIME I OBSERVED A WARNING NOTICE ON MY DASH WHICH STATED; "...MAXIMUM DRIVETRAIN OUT PUT NOT AVAILABLE..." AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND REGAINING MY COMPOSURE. I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE WARNING ON THE DASH HAD DISAPPEARED. AFTER BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF, I RE-ENTERED THE TRAFFIC. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MILE, THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED BY BMW AT NO COST TO THE BUYER. I SAY THIS BECAUSE, I PERUSED THE INTERNET AND FOUND MANY BMW OWNERS WHO HAD EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. AGAIN, THIS IS DANGEROUS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE INSIDE CORDS OF THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE EXPLODED WHILE I WAS HEADED SOUTH BOUND ON I75 FROM MIRAMAR TO MIAMI FLORIDA. WHEN I GOT HOME I CHECKED ON LINE TO SEE IF ANYBODY HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND I FOUND THIS WEB SIGHT THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL OF CAR. LINK HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=525812. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .