BMW M5
Owners filed 106 complaints across 26 model years of the BMW M5. The 2006 drew the most (39).
Which BMW M5 years should you avoid?
Not enough of the record to single a year out. Fewer than 4 BMW M5 model years have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to judge, so any ranking would be noise. The table below has every year as filed.
Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026. Complaints take a few years to arrive, so a new model year looks better than it is.
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
Every BMW M5 model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026Too new | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2025Too new | 1 | 2 | — | — | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2021 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | Exterior Lighting | Routine | |
| 2020 | 2 | 3 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2019 | 8 | 3 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2018 | 6 | 3 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2016 | 1 | 2 | — | — | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2015 | 3 | 1 | — | — | Service Brakes | Routine | |
| 2014 | 2 | 1 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2013 | 10 | 2 | 1 | — | Engine | Do not drive | |
| 2010 | 1 | 2 | — | — | Air Bags › Sensor › Occupant Classification › Front Passenger | Routine | |
| 2009 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2008 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2007 | 6 | 1 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2006 | 39 | 1 | — | 1 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2003 | 3 | 1 | — | — | Air Bags | Do not drive | |
| 2002 | 6 | 2 | — | — | Visibility | Do not drive | |
| 2001 | 4 | 3 | — | — | Air Bags | Do not drive | |
| 2000 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Air Bags | Fatalities reported | |
| 1995 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 1994 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 1993 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 1992 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 1991 | 0 | 3 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 1990 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.