2003 BMW 5 Series Recalls

No recalls on record Updated July 2026

No NHTSA recalls on record for the 2003 BMW 5 Series. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS
4
1injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4
1fires
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
2
1crashes
STEERING
2
ENGINE
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM
1
POWER TRAIN
1
SERVICE BRAKES
1
SUSPENSION
1
Total complaints19

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“Takata recall. More than a year ago, I received information in the form of a warning that my car had airbags that should be replaced. I contacted the bmw center on s.dixie highway near 160 street in miami and was told that they will get back to me. After a long enough wait, I called again and was…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2016-10-27

“I'm getting the run around about replacing the driver's airbag in my car. I received the initial notice over 6 months ago and was told the air bags were released over a month ago but I still haven't gotten a second notice. The bmw dealership says there isn't an issue with the bmw it's just…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2016-08-25

“Takata recall - I recently found out that my vehicle, which has been mine since it was new in 2003, is part of the takata recall and has been since almost a year ago. I never received a single notification in the mail. I have lived at the same address since 2003, so there seems to be absolutely no…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2015-05-27

“I backed my 2003 bmw m5 out of the drive way and heard a terrible sound, I attempted to drive the car forward, and the noise got worse. I returned the car to the drive way and put it on jacks and stands to find the noise. I discovered that the rear subframe was broken (I have pictures and will be…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2013-05-11

“I backed my 2003 bmw m5 out of the drive way and heard a terrible sound, I attempted to drive the car forward, and the noise got worse. I returned the car to the drive way and put it on jacks and stands to find the noise. I discovered that the rear subframe was broken (I have pictures and will be…”

SUSPENSION · reported 2013-05-11

“I was driving appx 40mph while on a local road slightly uphill, engine shut off without warning, lost power steering and brake assist. Luckily no cars around me so I was able to barely roll over to the roadside. Car would not start again, was towed to dealership. Replaced ecu for a total cost of…”

ENGINE · reported 2012-12-18

“I was driving appx 40mph while on a local road slightly uphill, engine shut off without warning, lost power steering and brake assist. Luckily no cars around me so I was able to barely roll over to the roadside. Car would not start again, was towed to dealership. Replaced ecu for a total cost of…”

SERVICE BRAKES · reported 2012-12-18

“I was driving appx 40mph while on a local road slightly uphill, engine shut off without warning, lost power steering and brake assist. Luckily no cars around me so I was able to barely roll over to the roadside. Car would not start again, was towed to dealership. Replaced ecu for a total cost of…”

STEERING · reported 2012-12-18
Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2003 BMW 5 Series as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.