2003 BMW M5

Do not drive

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags3
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module15V318000Do not drive
Filed May 28, 2015419,235 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi Sedans, and 325xi and 325i Sportswagons, 2002-2006 330Ci, 325Ci, and M3 Convertibles and 325i, 330i, and M3 Coupes, 2002-2003 M5, 540i, 525i Sedan, and 530i Sedans, and 540i and 525i Sportswagons, and 2003 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity Vehicles. Please note that the 5-series and X5 vehicles are only included if they are equipped with the optional sports steering wheel. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-348 in its entirety. Additionally, vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Note: On December 17, 2015 BMW removed the model year 2004 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity vehicle from this recall. Those vehicles were mistakenly identified as including the air bags that are subject to this recall.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags
Filed Sep 22, 2016CA

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW M5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V318000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

Air Bags
Filed Mar 24, 2016KS

TAKATA RECALL. BMW HAS YET TO ISSUE A FIX FOR THIS RECALL. IT HAS BEEN ALMOST A YEAR SINCE THE INITIAL NOTICE WENT OUT. MY LOCAL DEALER AND BMW USA HAS NO INFORMATION AS TO WHEN A FIX WILL BE AVAILABLE. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE UNACCEPTABLE.

Air Bags
Filed Mar 10, 2016CA

I HAVE BEEN WAITING SINCE JULY 2015 FOR BMW TO HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX THE POTENTIALLY FATAL AIR BAG FLAW IN MY CAR. I AM STILL WAITING. THIS IS RECALL CAMPAIGN 15V-318: DRIVER SIDE FRONT AIR BAG MODULE

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2006
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20260100Routine
20251200Routine
20221000Routine
20212110Routine
20202300Routine
20198300Routine
20186300Routine
20161200Routine
20153100Routine
20142100Routine
201310210Do not drive
20101200Routine
20090200Routine
20086220Routine
20076100Routine
200639100Routine
2003 — this page3100Do not drive
20026200Do not drive
20014300Do not drive
20004211Fatalities reported
19950100Routine
19940100Routine
19930100Routine
19920200Routine
19910300Routine
19900100Routine

Compare every M5 year →

Reading this record

NHTSA has issued a do-not-drive warning for a recall on this vehicle.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: May 28, 2015. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.