2005 BMW 5 Series Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 5 Series years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 19 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 21 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 BMW 5 Series. That ranks 5th out of 19 5 Series model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (10 complaints, 48%), typically at around 71,513 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 1 fire. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 21owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 BMW 5 Series problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 10 | 48% | 71,513 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 19% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 10% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 10% | 80,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 5% | 29,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 5% | 72,025 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 5% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 5% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 5% | 29,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 5% | 5,098 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 BMW 5 Series recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery:cables
Problem: 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 in electrical resistance at this cable connection is possible and could cause the cable connection to overheat.
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.
Fix: 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.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum
Problem: 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: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Bmw is recalling 200,000 my 2006 3 series sport seat, my 2004-2006 5 series standard and sport seat, and my 2004-2006 x3 passenger vehicles. Depending on the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit, small cracks have developed in the mat. If this occurs, the front passenger air bags, with the exception of the head protection system, will be deactivated and the air bag warning lamp as well as the passenger air bag "on-off" lamp will be illuminated.
Risk: In this situation the front passenger air bags will not deploy even if a sufficiently severe accident would occur and occupant protection provided by the system would not be possible.
Fix: Dealers will rework the front passenger seat sensor mat so that external force application to the seat does not cause a crack to the mat. The recall began on november 6, 2008. Bmw will also extend the warranty on these vehicles to 10 years from first registration without any mileage limit. Owners may contact bmw at 1-800-525-7417.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles may have been built with an incorrectly manufactured automatic transmission parking pawl guide plate.
Risk: This could cause the parking lock system not to engage, after the transmission is placed in the park ("p") position. If the vehicle was parked on an incline, and the parking brake was not engaged, this could result in a vehicle rollaway condition.
Fix: Dealers will repair and replace the automatic transmission guide plate free of charge. The recall began on november 30, 2005. Owners may contact bmw at 1-800-332-4269.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Bmw airbag light illumination (EA08001) — opened Jan 4, 2008, closed Dec 31, 2008, led to recall 08V384000.
- Bmw airbag light illumination (PE07045) — opened Sep 4, 2007, closed Jan 4, 2008.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
There are 3 recalls reported for my year make and model of a car i just purchased that at giving me problems and i'm receiving warning messages on my navigation but my vin is not registering with dealership for being eligible for resolution please reply back with steps to repair
Bmw i-drive cuts out while driving, and blinks or reboots. While driving home it cut out, and would not stop blinking. This distraction and malfunction is dangerous.
On the morning of 3/18/2015 at 8 am. I started the car and received a passenger restraint system warning on the display. The car was parked in the garage. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 bmw 5-series. The contact stated that the air bag and seat belt warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the front passenger seat sensor mat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number…
Transmission jerks as if you are missing a spark or it is trying to find a higher or lower gear while cruising in traffic between 32-40 mph. *tr
Other BMW 5 Series years
← 2004 5 Series · 2006 5 Series →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 5 Series | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 5 Series | 10 | 0 |
| 2011 5 Series | 81 | 4 |
| 2010 5 Series | 6 | 5 |
| 2009 5 Series | 8 | 3 |
| 2008 5 Series | 105 | 3 |
| 2007 5 Series | 13 | 3 |
| 2006 5 Series | 85 | 7 |
| 2005 | 21 | 4 |
| 2004 5 Series | 64 | 6 |
| 2003 5 Series | 15 | 0 |
| 2002 5 Series | 7 | 0 |
| 2001 5 Series | 3 | 0 |
| 2000 5 Series | 2 | 0 |
| 1999 5 Series | 2 | 0 |
| 1998 5 Series | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 5 Series | 1 | 1 |
| 1996 5 Series | 0 | 1 |
| 1995 5 Series | 3 | 0 |
See all BMW 5 Series problems by year, every BMW model, or the BMW VIN decoder.
Similar BMW models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 BMW 5 Series?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, power train problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 10 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 BMW 5 Series?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 BMW 5 Series a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 5 Series model years, the 2005 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.