ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
2007 BMW M5
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2007 BMW M5, most frequently naming the airbags, driver assistance and electrical categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 61 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2007 | 1 | 1 |
| Jun 2012 | 1 | 2 |
| Aug 2012 | 1 | 3 |
| Feb 2014 | 1 | 4 |
| Mar 2014 | 1 | 5 |
| Sep 2014 | 1 | 6 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Airbags450.0%
- Driver assistance112.5%
- Electrical112.5%
- Interior & seats112.5%
- Seat belts112.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govRecent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
A MESSAGE FLASHED ON THE SCREEN STATING THAT THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TEST RESULTS SHOWED THAT A SEAT MAT SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER'S SEAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST OVER 3000 DOLLARS ASKING BMW TO AUTHORIZE UNDER SIMILAR RECALL REPAIR. BMW ISSUED 10 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY ON SIMILAR 5 SERIES. BMW PLEASE CONTACT ME CURRENTLY TRAVELING IN EUROPE WITH MY CAR. NEED REPLACEMENT IN UKRAINE OFFICIAL DEALERSHIP MY DIRECT LINE +[XXX] THANK YOU. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10638247
- Incident
- Sep 1, 2014
- Mileage
- 45,100 mi
THE PASSENGER OCCUPANCY SEAT MAT IS FAULTY. ITS AN KNOWN ONGOING ISSUE WITH MANY MANY BMW M5 OWNERS, AND A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE! NOW THE AIRBAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY PROPERLY. BMW REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND IS OVER $2000 TO FIX. THEY HAD A RECALL FOR THE SAME EXACT ISSUE BUT ONLY UNTIL MID-2005 MODELS. THIS ISSUE IS GOING ON WELL PAST VEHICLES BUILT IN 2005. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10568642
- Incident
- Mar 11, 2014
- Mileage
- 50,000 mi
I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THE CAR HAD NUMEROUS SAFETY MALFUNCTIONS ON AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE I-DRIVE SCREEN PROMPT ADVISED TO DRIVE IN A CAUTIOUS MANNER. WHILE STATIONARY AT THE RED LIGHT THE CARS REV COUNTER WAS BOUNCING UP AND DOWN FROM 500RPM-1500RPM. MY DESTINATION WAS ROUGHLY ONE MILE AWAY. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I GAVE THE CAR THROTTLE, BUT THERE WAS NO FORWARD MOVEMENT, THE CAR REMAINED STATIONARY (THE REVS ALSO REMAINED BELOW 900RPM). I GAVE THE CAR A BIT MORE THROTTLE ROUGHLY 30% (THE REVS REMAINED BELOW 900RPM AND THEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE THROTTLE), AS I DID THIS THE CAR JUMPED FORWARD AND BUCKED VIOLENTLY WITH THE THROTTLE BEING ULTRA SENSITIVE. I PROCEEDED TO MANUALLY ENGAGE SECOND GEAR AND LUCKILY THE BUCKING MOTION STOPPED. I AM UNSURE IF THE ISSUE IS A SOFTWARE OR MECHANICAL ISSUE. THIS HAS ALSO OCCURRED A FEW TIMES AFTER THIS FIRST INCIDENT. THE DEALER FOUND SEVERAL SPORADIC DSC FAULTS IN THE CAR, BUT COULDN'T TRACE IT TO A MECHANICAL CAUSE. I RESET THE SMG ADAPTATION, BUT THIS HAS DONE NOTHING TO CURE THE ISSUE. IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS SUCH AS HEAVY TRAFFIC THIS COULD CAUSE THE CAR TO REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CAR BECAME UNPREDICTABLE TO DRIVE AND THE FAULTS COME AND GO RANDOMLY. THE CAR CAN BE PERFECT TO DRIVE ONE MINUTE, AND THE NEXT MINUTE ITS LIKE A WILD BUCKING BRONCO. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10566214
- Incident
- Dec 28, 2013
- Mileage
- 91,000 mi
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW M5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A MESSAGE FLASHED ON THE SCREEN STATING THAT THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TEST RESULTS SHOWED THAT A SEAT MAT SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER'S SEAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE THE SENSOR REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 10471273
- Incident
- May 23, 2012
- Mileage
- 51,000 mi
BMW CONTINUES TO DENY THAT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO DISABLE THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WHEN OCCUPIED BY AN ADULT. THE FOLLOWING RECALL WAS ISSUED IN 2008 FOR 2004-2006 MODEL 5-SERIES VEHICLES WITH THE SAME EXACT PASSENGER SEAT MAT. HTTP://WWW.BMWUSA.COM/STANDARD/CONTENT/CONTACTUS/VOLUNTARYRECALL.ASPX THERE ARE COUNTLESS CLAIMS AND VIDEOS OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO THE 2007 MODELS AND LATER. IF A SEAT MAT SENSOR SHOULD EVER GO OUT, THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME IT WOULD BE ON THE DRIVER SIDE SINCE IT'S THE MOST USED. IN EVERY CASE IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE PASSENGER SEAT SIDE. THIS FLAW IN THE SEAT MAT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS OWNERS ARE NOT WILLING TO PAY $1,700 FOR A NEW SEAT MAT (WHICH IS A NEW DESIGN). THEY'RE INSTEAD PURCHASING AN OVERRIDE SWITCH SOLD ONLINE (HTTP://WWW.XENONPLANET.COM/BMW-AIRBAG-SEAT-OCCUPANCY-SENSOR-E36-E46-E38-E39-E53-X5-Z3) TO RE-ENABLE THE AIRBAG, SO THEY CAN SAFELY DRIVE WITH A PASSENGER. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS SOLUTION IS THE CAR CAN NO LONGER DETERMINE THE PASSENGERS WEIGHT (IE. CHILDREN) WHICH COULD BECOME DEADLY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. EVEN BMW SERVICE MECHANICS KNOW ITS A POOR DESIGN IN THE MAT BUT CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THIS NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10463430
- Incident
- Jan 5, 2012
- Mileage
- 62,000 mi
SPEEDOMETER ON MY NEW CAR IS NOT CALIBRATED CORRECTLY. IT CONSTANTLY REGISTERS ABOUT 8% TOO HIGH. DOES DOT REGULATE THIS CALIBRATION? IT SEEMS POSSIBLE THAT ODOMETER COULD ALSO BE INCORRECT. BMW SAYS THAT THEIR ALLOWABLE TOLERANCE IS 10%. CAN THIS POSSIBLY BE ALLOWABLE IN THE US? THERE DOES SEEM TO BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10200905
- Incident
- Aug 1, 2007
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle âÂÂdischarged batteryâ complaints.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Functional noises (squealing/honking) when braking shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop. CAUSE Material-
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Coolant is leaking from under the car which is equipped with the S63 engine. A low coolant warning might also be displayed (CC Message ID166).
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
Vehicle cannot be opened or closed using comfort access, engine start is not possible, and the vehicle may not start when placing the key against the steering column.
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC; STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
Diagnosis of Compound Brake System Complaints in M Vehicles: 1. Visible cracks are caused by high thermal stresses during rapid heating and cooling of the brake discs. Braking from high speed with cold brake components (less than 212 degrees F) increases the likelihood of cracks to form.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 8 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 46.2 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2007Viewing | 6 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 38 | 1 | 0 | 35.1 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1993 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1992 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1991 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 1990 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.