2010 BMW 5 Series
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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These records cover every 2010 BMW 5 Series. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
5 recalls name the 2010 BMW 5 Series. Newest first.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2010-2012 1 Series Coupe, 1 Series Convertible, 3 Series Sedan, 3 Series Convertible, 2010-2011 3 Series Sportswagon, 3 Series Coupe, 5 Series Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, X3 xDrive 30i, X5 xDrive30i, and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The aluminum bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing…
Risk and remedy
Risk
Loose or broken VANOS unit bolts can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the four VANOS bolts, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed December 18, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed June 19, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 1 Series Coupe (128i); 2007-2013 3 Series Coupe (328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive); 2007-2010 X3 SAV (X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i); 2008-2013 1 Series Convertible (128i); 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi); 2006-2012 3 Series Wagon (328i, 328i xDrive); 2007-2013 3…
Risk and remedy
Risk
An electrical short can cause the PCV valve heater to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire while driving or, soon after driving when parked.
Remedy
This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Dealers will install an electrical wiring harness with fuse protection for the PCV Valve heater in potentially affected vehicles, free of charge. This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Vehicles previously repaired under the prior recalls will need to come back for the new recall remedy. The remedy is currently being developed. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 1, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 22, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW IS recalling certain model year 2004-2010 5-series, model year 2004-2010 6-series, model year 2006-2010 M5, and model year 2007-2010 M6 vehicles. the insulated bulkhead connector for the positive battery cable may have been incorrectly attached to the trunk floor panel, which can lead to a loosening of the bolt connection. as it loosens, an increase…
Risk and remedy
Risk
Overheating could lead to a fire, even while the vehicle IS not in use. as a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the remedy has been made.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and secure the battery bolt cable connection as necessary, free of charge. the safety recall began on april 30, 2012. owners may contact BMW customer relations and services at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW IS recalling certain model year 2004-2010 5-series, 6-series, and model year 2002-2008 7-series vehicles. a check valve of the brake vacuum pump may leak a small amount of lubricating oil. over time this could result in contamination of the brake booster.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Power assist braking performance could be adversely affected. in extreme cases there could be a complete loss of power assist braking. an unexpected reduction or loss in power braking assist may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. the safety recall began on november 24, 2010. owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW IS recalling certain 2010 and 2011 5-series and 5-series gran turismo passenger vehicles manufactured from january 12 through july 1, 2010. the vehicle's fuel level sensor within the fuel tank can become wedged against the tank.
Risk and remedy
Risk
If this occurs, the fuel gauge in the instrument cluster would display a larger amount of fuel than was actually in the tank. as a result, if the tank became empty, the vehicle could stall increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. the safety recall began on october 18, 2010. owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417.
Owner complaints
6 complaints
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system
Car stalls at high speed, fuel pump warnings light comes on. Car will reset after 30 mins but will continue to shut off during driving. Both fuel pumps have been replaced
- Engine
On sunday 12/03 I suddenly heard a knocking noise while accelerating and immediately reached the dealership to have the car checked. The diagnosis I received IS that there has been a fatal failure of bearing that cause the engine to get damaged and in need to be replaced. I looked up on the web…
On sunday 12/03 I suddenly heard a knocking noise while accelerating and immediately reached the dealership to have the car checked. The diagnosis I received IS that there has been a fatal failure of bearing that cause the engine to get damaged and in need to be replaced. I looked up on the web and found out that in 2014 BMW had a worldwide recall of 2010 5 series models for a defect in the engine which would have generated the same failure I have experience, suddenly, on sunday. my car was never recalled, but the failure mode and the year of the model are strikingly similar. The recall I am referencing IS 14v-176 for the vanos. the affected 5 series models were produced between february 2010 ' august 2011. my 5 series was manufactured on october 2009, therefore not included in the recall. However the failure IS identical to the one described by the recall and I feel that the recall should have been more inclusive. My 535 had 130 k miles, which do not warrant such a drastic failure, especially since has been diligently serviced by the dealership service. Last oil change had still 9000 miles to spare and when they replaced the filter nothing was noticed. Such a drastic and rapid failure it IS not otherwise explainable.
- Structure › Body · Visibility › Sun/moon roof assembly
I was traveling on freeway to the airport when my wife and I heard a loud boom and suddenly heard loud airflow. I pulled off to side of road and inspected car. The sunroof had exploded and shattered. The car traveling behind me also stopped to inspect his vehicle because of flying glass. The cabin…
I was traveling on freeway to the airport when my wife and I heard a loud boom and suddenly heard loud airflow. I pulled off to side of road and inspected car. The sunroof had exploded and shattered. The car traveling behind me also stopped to inspect his vehicle because of flying glass. The cabin door to the sunroof had luckily had been closed so as my wife and I avoided the flying glass. When we returned from our trip I took vehicle to dealer, the vehicle was under warranty. The dealer said this part was not covered and would cost $3600 to repair. We goggled BMW5 series exploding sunroofs and discovered we were not the only ones to experience exploding sunroofs. Surely BMW knows about this potentially grievous problem. We called BMW north america and filed a complaint with the resolution department. The next day BMW to my chagrin was willing to pay 50 percent of the repair cost. I expected full coverage. I needed the car back and excepted offer vowing never to buy a BMW again. I expected to become whole and not expecting BMW ignoring the problem thus endangering their drivers for economic reasons. Once again goggle BMW 5 series exploding sunroofs. I took vehicle to lexus dealer and traded it. I wanted nothing to do with that car. Unfortunately I own another BMW5. What I want from nhtsa IS to inspect the problem and I still want to be compensated for the entire cost of the problem not just 50 percent. *tr
- Fuel system, gasoline · Unknown or other
When the temperature hits 100 degrees as it does in the desert 5 months or so per year, the interior cabin fills up with very harmful gas fumes. we owned a 2008 and the same situation. as a result of this and problems with the fuel pump on the 2008, the dealership bought the car back. my husband…
When the temperature hits 100 degrees as it does in the desert 5 months or so per year, the interior cabin fills up with very harmful gas fumes. we owned a 2008 and the same situation. as a result of this and problems with the fuel pump on the 2008, the dealership bought the car back. my husband really wanted another BMW and when he was looking at buying the 2010 he was told all the problems including the gas fumes had been resolved. not so. the car has been back to service twice for the gas fumes and no one can shed any light on the situation. when this happens you cannot drive the car as the fumes will knock you out. the car has to sit on the driveway and air out for a few days. you can't park in the garage as the gas fumes enter the house. for a car of this caliber it IS not acceptable. plus it IS very dangerous to your health.
- Engine and engine cooling
This IS the second time this particular problem happened. The first time the car lost power when revs went up above 3.5K rpm and recovered as soon as revs fell below this range. This almost resulted in an accident since the driver behind me was taken by surprise with the abrupt reduction in speed.…
This IS the second time this particular problem happened. The first time the car lost power when revs went up above 3.5K rpm and recovered as soon as revs fell below this range. This almost resulted in an accident since the driver behind me was taken by surprise with the abrupt reduction in speed. I took the car to BMW for service and they reported it had been fixed. The second incident occurred while driving at 60mph on the leftmost lane of a three lane highway. The car completely lost power and a warning was displayed indicating: "engine malfunction, you may be able to continue at reduced power". There was no power at all. The engine was completely off, car switched to neutral. I turned the hazard lights on since there was a lot of commuting traffic and the quick reduction in speed could have again resulted in a serious accident. I managed to coast to the shoulder on the right and called roadside assistance. Car was towed and IS being serviced by BMW. Searching the web I found numerous references to this exact problem reported as early as 2008. Some of the reports indicate that this issue happened a few times to the same car even after the issue was declared resolved. I am dumbfounded by the fact that a recall hasn't been issued. Does it take someone dying for anyone to pay attention and do the right thing? *Tr
- Air bags · Electrical system
Air bag warning light illuminates with adult passenger firmly belted into passenger seat. Light remains illuminated for periods which vary from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. There IS no way to tell if this IS a defective light only or if the air bag IS inoperative. An additional safety concern IS that BMW diagnostic techniques are not able to detect this failure. BMW refuses to correct the defect.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 11009577Plastic Fuel Tank Return
- 10249437The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
- 10249027The 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 discharged battery complaints.
- 10247567Engine will crank but not start. There is no communication with the integrated fuel module (TFE) whendiagnosing with ISTA. The following two fault codes will be stored in the DME: 032B43 - Low fuel pressure system, electric fuel pump: pressure value too low CDA594 - Message (- 0x33E) missing, receiver DME, transmitter TFE
- 10245422Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicles equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. Additionally, the red anti-theft alarm LED in the interior mirror does not briefly flash every 2 seconds, indicating the alarm is armed.
- 10244242Various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (ADCAM system) can lead to customer complaints.
- 10182619Discharged Battery Energy Diagnosis Must Be Performed: 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 "discharged battery" complaints. In order to properly repair the vehicle the first time in the workshop, it is very important that the diagnostic test plans are performed to completion, with all results taken into consideration. Without performing the energy diagnosis test plan, the root cause of the discharged battery cannot be identified. This increases the chances of a repeat repair.
- 10059089BMW - brake booster vacuum might reduce if temperature gets below 14 degrees
- 10058483BMW: procedural information on the installation of fuel system low pressure sensor and not correctly installed will lead to failure of low pressure sensor and metal supply line. Model 2008-14.
- 10057568BMW: on some vehicles, when starting, low beam, with 0552 option, would briefly flashes, due to a faulty led main light module that needs replacing. Model 2008-14 F01, F02, F06, F07, F10, F12, F13, F25.
- 10057532BMW: during process of starting engine, electric power assist (eps) will be reduced, intermittently, and yellow eps warning lamp briefly illuminates, due to a brief undervoltage.
- 10057527BMW: selective catalyst reduction module (scr) has a stored fault, pressure build up IS low, causing service engine soon light to illuminate. *
- 10057341BMW: malfunction warning light for engine IS illuminated due to purge air system micro leakage and ventilation of fuel tank from contamination.
- 10057335BMW: the camshaft (vanos) adjustment units, on certain vehicle, had the limited warranty extended, without the limitation of mileage, to 10 years.
- 10056099BMW: when using iphone, various connectivity failures occur, such as disconnection of call, list of contacts incomplete, due to the variants and software used. Model 2008-2014.
- 10053326BMW: different fault codes stored for the N51, N52K, N52T, and N55 engines in the dme related to vanos and camshaft position. Updated 11/1/13. Updated 05/05/2014
- 10052612BMW: engine, due to ambient temperatures and engine IS cold, fails to turn over on first attempt, but and will turn over at second or third attempts. Model 2010-2012 F10.
- 10052367BMW: software error causing the parking assistant system to malfunction. Models 2010-2013 F10, 10H, 12, 13.
- 10052365BMW: warning lamps are illuminated for the dsc, ABS and brake and a possible warning in control display for chassis control system failure. Models 2012 F25, 30, 01, 02, 07, 10, 12, 13, E70, 71, 84.
- 10052360BMW: some vehicle engines may experience a delay in response to acceleration, after slowing down, due to an unfavorable software calibration. Models F10, 25, 07, E70, 71. No model years listed.
- 10052359BMW: on some vehicles, the high pressure fuel injector, can lead to an internal failure due to incorrect operation and would need to be repaired and/or replaced. Models F01, 02, 04, 07, 10, 12, 13, E70, 71. No model years listed.
- 10052357BMW: on some vehicles, engine may go into failsafe program when vehicle accelerates due to unfavorable dme software. Models 2010-2013 F10, F13, F12.
- 10052012BMW: battery has an increased demand due to developemental process of the electrical system. This IS causing the batter to need to undergo an energy diagnosis.
- 10052011BMW: fuel tank pressure. Check engine light may illuminate with a fault code of 19401b. This light indicates that the pressure may be low as opposed to ambient.
- 10051912Airbag warning lamp illuminated; shorted wire in front seat harness. BMW models F07, and F10. Model years 2009-2013.
- 10051439BMW: intermittently goes into park during a msa engine start. The transmission can intermittently go into the park position (p) when msa engine start IS occurring. A drive gear can be selected in order to drive away, and no relevant faults are stored.
- 10045283BMW: experiencing loss of engine power, service engine soon lamp IS illuminated, a noise, like rattling, coming from engine compartment. Updated 10/31/12. Models 2010 E70, 71, 82, 88, 90, 92, 93, F07, 10, 12, 13, 25. Updated 1/18/13. Updated 4/18/2013. Updated 05/13/2013 updated 5/19/15.
- 10045282BMW: while driving vehicle, at times would be rough running; white or blue smoke seen exiting exhaust system and the engine oil IS consumed above specifications. Updated 1/11/13.
- 10045279BMW: a failure of the turbocharger wastegates, caused by a defect, has an emissions extended warranty, 8 years or 82,000 miles, whichever comes first, not otherwise falling within coverage exclusion.
- 10044288BMW: the engine malfunction due to excessive temperatures occurring because of vapors forming in fuel systems. Models 2010-2011 F07, 10, 12, 13. Updated 1/18/13. Updated on 4/18/2013. Updated 7/10/13.
- 10044281BMW: see document search button for owner letter. On certain model year 2008-2011 vehicles, a defect involving the electric auxiliary water pump can over heat or fail to cool engine and fire may occur in vehicle or engine compartment.
- 10043910BMW: delay in engine response. Updated 08/06/2014
- 10043862BMW: electronic malfunction and various check control messages are displayed in cid (central information display) and instrument cluster. Models 2009-2012 E70, E71, E72, E82, E88, E90, E91, E92, E93, F01, F02, F04, F07, F10, F12, F13, F25. Updated 11/2/12.
- 10043687BMW: the evaporative system leakage IS found, when using the nvld tank leakage test plan. Updated 1/18/13.
- 10042684BMW: on some vehicles, the high pressure fuel pump has an internal component that may fail and causing drivability symptoms such as erratic engine operation and longer starting times.
- 10042664BMW: information IS being provided regarding the off and on flashing light or service engine soon illumination while vehicle IS in transportation mode.
- 10042470BMW: when driving off or during a load reversal, a clicking noise IS heard from the rear axle.
- 10041990BMW: final report indicates instrument cluster has failed when vehicle IS programmed with ista/p. Vehicle programming IS completed once power cycle has been carried out.
- 10041407BMW: service engine soon light IS on and the engine has reduced power with trouble codes stored. Updated on 4/24/2013.
- 10041276BMW: service engine soon light IS on with a fault code stored. Internal dmtl pump failure.*rm
Every BMW 5 Series model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.