6 recalls covering model years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021. To check whether your vehicle is affected, look up your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — a recall may apply only to some vehicles of a given year.
BMW is recalling certain X3, X4, 5 Series and M5 vehicles, including the X3 sDrive 30i and xDrive 30i, X3M 40i, X3 xDrive 30e, X4 xDrive 30i, X4M 40i, 530i, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5 and 550e models. A small part of the picture shown by the rearview camera may be slightly blocked. Because of this, these vehicles do not meet the federal safety standard covering rear visibility.
On these BMW M5 and M8 models, the wiring harness that connects to the transmission can become damaged over time. When the wiring is damaged, it can cause an electrical short circuit inside the system. That short circuit can make the transmission shift into neutral by itself, without the driver doing anything, which means the vehicle suddenly loses the power it needs to keep moving forward.
On certain BMW, Rolls-Royce and Toyota Supra models, the backup camera and display settings can be adjusted so the rear-view image no longer shows on the screen. Once set this way, the system keeps that setting the next time the vehicle is put in reverse, so no camera image appears.
On these BMW vehicles, the high-pressure fuel pump may not have been properly attached to the engine. Over time, this can cause the fuel pump flange to crack. A cracked flange can allow fuel to leak from the fuel system.
The fuel level sensor inside the fuel tank may get stuck against a fuel line. When this happens, the fuel gauge can show an inaccurate reading, possibly showing more fuel than is actually in the tank.
In certain driving conditions, a problem with the engine control unit's software may cause the fuel pump to stop working.
Recalls and NHTSA owner complaints for each model year, side by side. Complaints are unverified owner reports, and better-selling or older years naturally collect more — read this as a record, not a ranking.
| Model year | Recalls | High / critical | Do-not-drive / park-outside | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls covering the 2018–2021 BMW M5. 5 of them are rated high or critical on this site. The most recent is "BMW X3, X4 and M5 rearview camera image partly blocked" (NHTSA campaign 20V598000), reported Sep 30, 2020.
The 2018 BMW M5 has the most, with 3 recalls. The 2021 model year has the fewest of the years we cover, with 1. Newer model years have had less time to collect recalls, so a low count on a recent year is not a guarantee.
No. None of the 6 BMW M5 recalls on file carries a do-not-drive or park-outside advisory from NHTSA.
Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall often applies to only some vehicles of a model year, and the VIN lookup shows the ones still unrepaired on your car. Recall repairs are free at any franchised BMW dealer, including for second owners.
Recalls and complaint record for one model year at a time: