RoadVitals

2019 BMW M5

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Feb 19, 2026
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
3
Latest Dec 11, 2019
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2019 BMW M5, most frequently naming the engine, fuel system and powertrain (other) categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 156 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine666.7%
  • Fuel system111.1%
  • Powertrain (other)111.1%
  • Transmission111.1%

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

3 campaigns 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.gov

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING; POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Dec 11, 2019
3,012 units potentially affected
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 M5 and 2020 M8 Gran Coupe, M8 Coupe, and M8 Convertible vehicles. The transmission wiring harness can become damaged, resulting in an electrical short circuit.
The risk: An electrical short circuit can cause the transmission to shift to neutral resulting in a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace any damaged transmission harnesses. All harnesses will be rerouted and secured. These repairs will be performed, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 3, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLCView on NHTSA.gov

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Sep 27, 2019
257,473 units potentially affected
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
The risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
BMW of North America, LLCView on NHTSA.gov

ENGINE; FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

Jul 3, 2019
115 units potentially affected
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 750i xDrive, 2019 M850i xDrive Coupe, M850i xDrive Convertible, X5 xDrive50i, X7 xDrive50i, and M5 vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may not have been properly attached to the engine, which may cause the fuel pump flange to crack, resulting in a fuel leak.
The risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pumps, free of charge. The recall began August 27, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLCView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Engine
Filed Feb 19, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID
11719067
Incident
Feb 19, 2025
Mileage
41,000 mi
EngineFuel systemPowertrain (other)
Filed Aug 24, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID
11610646
Incident
Jun 3, 2024
Engine
Filed Jul 9, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID
11600471
Incident
Jun 3, 2024
Engine
Filed Jun 10, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID
11593406
Incident
Jun 9, 2024
Mileage
47,859 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 1, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID
11574978
Incident
Mar 1, 2024
Engine
Filed Nov 14, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID
11555126
Incident
Nov 14, 2023
Filed Sep 9, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID
11543578
Incident
Feb 18, 2022
Transmission
Filed Sep 4, 2022

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.

NHTSA ID
11482858
Incident
Aug 29, 2022

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

B720417

AIR BAGS

The Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Front Passenger’s Seat Occupancy Capacitive Interior Sensor (CIS) Mat for defects in materials and/or workmanship that causes a false seat occupancy alert to occur has been extended to 10 years / 120,000 miles as determined from the vehicle's original inservice / first delivery date.

B720417

AIR BAGS; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Front Passenger’s Seat Occupancy Capacitive Interior Sensor (CIS) Mat for defects in materials and/or workmanship that causes a false seat occupancy alert to occur has been extended to 10 years / 120,000 miles as determined from the vehicle's original inservice / first delivery date.

B340921

SERVICE BRAKES

A turbine-like noise can be heard from the rear axle while deceleration during the first 300 miles of operation when braking from low speed.

B170324

ENGINE

Under certain driving situations, coolant leaks onto the fuel injectors on cylinder bank (5-8).

B170324

ENGINE

Under certain driving situations, coolant leaks onto the fuel injectors on cylinder bank (5-8).

B170324

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective April 15, 2024) on certain Model Year 2018 - 2023 BMW vehicles that were produced between November 7, 2017, and September 9, 2022.

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

BMW M5 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026010
2025120
2023000
2022100
2021210
2020130
2019Viewing830
2018630
2016120
2015310
2014210
2013102046.2
2012000
2010120
2009020
2008620
2007610
2006381035.1
2005000
2004000
2003310
2002620
2001430
2000420
1999000
1998000
1997000
1996000
1995010
1994010
1993011
1992021
1991031
1990010
1989010

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.