2019 BMW 5 Series Problems & Owner Complaints

Electrical System 11 3 crash 6 injury

“Dear NTSB Team, I am writing to formally report a serious safety incident involving my 2019 BMW 530E, which occurred last night on [XXX] in Danville, CA. My vehicle was parked in my friend’s private driveway, with the parking brake engaged and the gear selector set to Park. I was chatting with my friend who was in the passenger seat . My feet were on the floorboard, my seat belt was on and the engine was idling to provide heat as it was a cold night. Suddenly, about 10 minutes into our conversation, my car accelerated forward with speed, hit my friend’s garage door and then reversed with th…”
NHTSA complaint #11642943, 2025 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“I purchased a used BMW from Apolo Auto in New Jersey around July 2021 the car was in perfect condition and it did not appear to have any mechanical or electrical defects. However, the prior owner had many aftermarket things done to the car and that was a big selling point as it was upgraded with low miles. After purchasing the vehicle some strange things started happening but I didn't pay close attention, and then my son was kidnapped from my home May 2022. It was at the beginning of June 2022 that I noticed we were being tracked, and private conversations inside the vehicle were publicly bein…”
NHTSA complaint #11590050, 2024 · 2 injury(ies)

“Date of accident: 8/10/2022 Location of accident: 2436 Krueger Dr, Concord, CA 94520 Accident Summary: My wife own’s the above mentioned home and was in the process of getting a new tenant. She reached the Krueger home at around 12:15 pm. She drove onto the driveway as she normally does, put the car in park and turned on the hand/parking brake. It is to be noted that driveway is on an upgrade. The prospective tenant did not show up. There was another potential tenant that was going to come around 2 pm. She decided to wait in the car and made herself comfortable by turning her body towards rig…”
NHTSA complaint #11489755, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Engine 8

“oil filter housing is plastic and is bound to give I hadn’t reach 150k miles its an expensive job not normal maintenance problem bmw is expensive but recall this part to protect consumers”
NHTSA complaint #11731750, 2026

“Start blowing black smoke-while idling, over heated, stalled.”
NHTSA complaint #11731708, 2026

“I own a 2019 BMW 540 with B58 engine and I have begun noticing abnormal rattling noise from the engine area, which may indicate early stage failure of the oil pump assembly. There are widespread reports from other owners of failure of the oil pump rotor housing/adjusting ring due to heat-related degradation of plastic components. Failure of this component can lead to sudden loss of oil pressure, drivetrain malfunction warnings, and ultimately engine seizure while driving. Sudden engine failure at speed presents a significant safety hazard due to loss of propulsion and potential inability to ma…”
NHTSA complaint #11726908, 2026

Vehicle Speed Control 6 4 crash 3 injury

“Dear NTSB Team, I am writing to formally report a serious safety incident involving my 2019 BMW 530E, which occurred last night on [XXX] in Danville, CA. My vehicle was parked in my friend’s private driveway, with the parking brake engaged and the gear selector set to Park. I was chatting with my friend who was in the passenger seat . My feet were on the floorboard, my seat belt was on and the engine was idling to provide heat as it was a cold night. Suddenly, about 10 minutes into our conversation, my car accelerated forward with speed, hit my friend’s garage door and then reversed with th…”
NHTSA complaint #11642943, 2025 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“Serious crash from sudden unintended acceleration occurred yesterday where throttle seemed to be stuck in all gears and brakes didn’t work”
NHTSA complaint #11430762, 2021 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2019 BMW 540i. The contact stated that while slowly driving into the driveway the vehicle erroneously accelerated forward at a high rate of speed and crashed into the garage door. The contact indicated that during the incident the brake pedal was being pressed but the vehicle did not immediately stop. During the incident the front end of the vehicle was damaged but no air bags deployed. No injuries were reported but the contact experienced emotional stress from the incident. The contact also indicated that the failure had once occurred while the husband was driving the vehic…”
NHTSA complaint #11737812, 2026 · crash

Power Train 5

“* The component that failed is the front axle of my 2019 530e xDrive, and it's a common issue for the xDrive, even under NORMAL use. I was told by my service advisor at my local BMW dealership that it should be repaired as soon as possible. * A damaged axle can lead to a wheel locking up, causing the vehicle to skid or veer off course, especially during turns or at higher speeds. This can result in loss of control, making it difficult to steer and brake safely. A failed xDrive front axle is a known common issue for the xDrive. While BMW isn't doing anything while knowing it would lead to seri…”
NHTSA complaint #11675399, 2025

“This vehicle malfunctioned 6x; 2 drivers; by where the car would lunge forward on it's own after coming to a complete stop. 1 incident almost resulted in an accident. This was reported to BMW NA after 5-6 weeks in Stevenscreek BMW for service and issues apparently could not be duplicated after Regional and National Technicians were called in to further investigate. BMW refused to buy-back the vehicle and ultimately I was encouraged to take it to the purchasing dealership (BMW of Monterey) for trade-in consideration. BMW of Monterey indicated they were planning to auction this vehicle but 5…”
NHTSA complaint #11434846, 2021

“The contact owns a 2019 BMW 540I. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the contact pressed the button on the gear shifter and the vehicle inadvertently shifted into NEUTRAL. The contact then shifted back into DRIVE. The contact continued driving with no further issues. However, the contact concern was that there should be no reason for the gear shifter to change gear with little to no pressure on the gear shifter from an inadvertent touch of the button on the gear shifter. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer to be inspected however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the fai…”
NHTSA complaint #11433724, 2021

Service Brakes 5 2 crash 1 injury

“Serious crash from sudden unintended acceleration occurred yesterday where throttle seemed to be stuck in all gears and brakes didn’t work”
NHTSA complaint #11430762, 2021 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I WAS AT A RED LIGHT. WHEN IT TURNED GREEN THE CARS BEGAN TO MOVE BUT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED AGAIN. I APPLIED THE BREAK IMMEDIATELY BUT HE CAR DID NOT STOP SO I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME.”
NHTSA complaint #11301505, 2019 · crash

“The contact owns a 2019 BMW 530I. The contact stated that the vehicle's automatic breaking system would suddenly activate without warning or with a loud screeching alarm type noise before it occurs. The automatic breaking system would also fail to activate when coming close to items and or other vehicles where the automatic breaking system should have caused the vehicle to come to a stop. The failures occur intermittently. The contact contacted the dealer who had not repaired the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue The approximate failure mileage was 31,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11418859, 2020

Unknown Or Other 5

“Q) What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A) Refrigerant gas(R-1234yf) leak in the evaporator core. If the inspection request is made after the repair, no. It is suspected that there is a inherent defect in the evaporator core. Possibly related to interaction between the R-1234yf refrigerant and the material of the evaporator core. Q) How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A) The hole caused by this defect leaks refrigerant gas into the cabin, which in turn exposes drivers and passengers to a range of harmful health…”
NHTSA complaint #11679354, 2025

“sunroof exploded Myself and two friends were in the car when we heard a loud bang, it sounded like a gunshot that went off and glass was falling down all over us. We thought a bullet or rock came thru the sunroof. After arriving back at home we did some research and see this is a known problem with exploding sunroofs. It was very scary. BMW claims there are no recalls for this on our model. What can we do?”
NHTSA complaint #11580414, 2024

“Radiator Grill does not open when running. It remains in the close position. It started with the engine symbol that appeared on the dash.”
NHTSA complaint #11493211, 2022

Forward Collision Avoidance 4 1 crash 2 injury

“Dear NTSB Team, I am writing to formally report a serious safety incident involving my 2019 BMW 530E, which occurred last night on [XXX] in Danville, CA. My vehicle was parked in my friend’s private driveway, with the parking brake engaged and the gear selector set to Park. I was chatting with my friend who was in the passenger seat . My feet were on the floorboard, my seat belt was on and the engine was idling to provide heat as it was a cold night. Suddenly, about 10 minutes into our conversation, my car accelerated forward with speed, hit my friend’s garage door and then reversed with th…”
NHTSA complaint #11642943, 2025 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“I went to start my vehicle one morning and the cars DSC light and Steering lights were on. The steering wheel had loss of power as the electronic steering went out. A got a group of warning messages. Warnings include: Cont. driving possible: Chassis stabilization, Increased Steering effort: Drive carefully to the closet service station, Driving Assistance support reduced, Pedestrian Warning was disabled, Frontal Collision warning disabled, Cruise Control disabled, Heads up display disabled. I also bought a 2017 BMW 540i car from a dealer and within the 2nd day the vehicle had the same proble…”
NHTSA complaint #11576492, 2024

“VEHICLE WAS TRAVELLING AT 50 MPH, CLEAR DRY WEATHER, NO TRAFFIC IN FRONT OR IN REAR AND COLLISION AVOIDANCE BRAKING SYSTEM ACTIVATED WITHOUT CAUSE”
NHTSA complaint #11415742, 2021

Fuel/Propulsion System 4

“Start blowing black smoke-while idling, over heated, stalled.”
NHTSA complaint #11731708, 2026

“I was driving my car for about 7 min (in 0 degree weather) and it overheated and just shut off on the road. I noticed it was over heating and headed to the repair shop. It stalled again. Even after apparently it was fixed the engine continues to act like it wants to stall. It’s says malfunction, but codes do not show up in the system. They keep telling me it’s fine and they fixed it, it keeps wanting to shut off.”
NHTSA complaint #11722692, 2026

“My vehicle was vandalized and the vandalism targeted the electrical, mechanical and the seat belts in the back. I reported cyber violence and stalking in 2023 to BMW, and my finance company Ally and at the beginning of 2024 my car overnight started leaving puddles oil and the entire electrical system would shut down (and it still does) as I'm driving with my seven year old child with autism. The seat belts are severely destroyed and my seven year old is not strong enough to push them down to the point where a safety belt cannot be latched. I contacted Gieco and they told me to take it to Calib…”
NHTSA complaint #11586293, 2024

Air Bags 3 2 crash

“The contact owned a 2019 BMW 530E. The contact stated that while stopped due to traffic, the vehicle was rear-ended causing the contact to crash into the vehicle in front. During the impacts, the contact hit his head, and was unconscious. The contact does not remember if it was the steering wheel or the windshield where he hit his head. The only air bags deployed were the side air bags but no frontal. The rear-end damage to the vehicle was severe as the entire trunk was destroyed. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contac…”
NHTSA complaint #11556498, 2023 · crash

“The contact owns a 2019 BMW 540i. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the failure recurred. The contact continuously depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle lunged forward and collided with a barrier and crashed into his neighbor's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy upon impact. The contact was not treated for any injuries. A police report was not filed. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who discovered t…”
NHTSA complaint #11421080, 2021 · crash

“The passenger restraint system is malfunctioning and dealer not covering the cost. It’s a defect in the component and a clear safety issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11543307, 2023

Seat Belts 2 2 injury

“I purchased a used BMW from Apolo Auto in New Jersey around July 2021 the car was in perfect condition and it did not appear to have any mechanical or electrical defects. However, the prior owner had many aftermarket things done to the car and that was a big selling point as it was upgraded with low miles. After purchasing the vehicle some strange things started happening but I didn't pay close attention, and then my son was kidnapped from my home May 2022. It was at the beginning of June 2022 that I noticed we were being tracked, and private conversations inside the vehicle were publicly bein…”
NHTSA complaint #11590050, 2024 · 2 injury(ies)

“The passenger restraint system is malfunctioning and dealer not covering the cost. It’s a defect in the component and a clear safety issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11543307, 2023

Equipment 1 1 fire

“The contact owned a 2019 BMW 530E. The contact stated that while driving at a moderate rate of speed, a warning message that stated" This car will not start again" appeared on the instrument panel. Upon exiting the vehicle, a grayish-whitish smoke began to emit from the driver's side door. The contact and her granddaughters immediately exited the vehicle, and the authorities were called to the scene. The contact attempted to use her home's water hose as flames began to emit from the undercarriage of the vehicle. Upon the authorities' arrival at the scene, the fire department took almost an hou…”
NHTSA complaint #11699176, 2025 · fire

Exterior Lighting 1

“daytime running light module fails from improper cooling and melts the light tube (light tube is not sold as replaceable item) and is only sold as an assembly which is roughly $4000-6000 to replace per side and is a failure of the north carolina state inspection”
NHTSA complaint #11695605, 2025

Seats 1 2 injury

“I purchased a used BMW from Apolo Auto in New Jersey around July 2021 the car was in perfect condition and it did not appear to have any mechanical or electrical defects. However, the prior owner had many aftermarket things done to the car and that was a big selling point as it was upgraded with low miles. After purchasing the vehicle some strange things started happening but I didn't pay close attention, and then my son was kidnapped from my home May 2022. It was at the beginning of June 2022 that I noticed we were being tracked, and private conversations inside the vehicle were publicly bein…”
NHTSA complaint #11590050, 2024 · 2 injury(ies)

Steering 1

“I went to start my vehicle one morning and the cars DSC light and Steering lights were on. The steering wheel had loss of power as the electronic steering went out. A got a group of warning messages. Warnings include: Cont. driving possible: Chassis stabilization, Increased Steering effort: Drive carefully to the closet service station, Driving Assistance support reduced, Pedestrian Warning was disabled, Frontal Collision warning disabled, Cruise Control disabled, Heads up display disabled. I also bought a 2017 BMW 540i car from a dealer and within the 2nd day the vehicle had the same proble…”
NHTSA complaint #11576492, 2024

Suspension 1

“I went to start my vehicle one morning and the cars DSC light and Steering lights were on. The steering wheel had loss of power as the electronic steering went out. A got a group of warning messages. Warnings include: Cont. driving possible: Chassis stabilization, Increased Steering effort: Drive carefully to the closet service station, Driving Assistance support reduced, Pedestrian Warning was disabled, Frontal Collision warning disabled, Cruise Control disabled, Heads up display disabled. I also bought a 2017 BMW 540i car from a dealer and within the 2nd day the vehicle had the same proble…”
NHTSA complaint #11576492, 2024

Visibility 1

“The contact owns a 2019 BMW 540i Sedan. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH, the peripheral rear-view mirror detached and collided with the passenger's window. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11632656, 2024

Visibility/Wiper 1

“o Rear view camera o When in reverse, camera image on infotainment display goes black hindering rearward visibility. This only happens occasionally. o Vehicle has been into Sewell BMW of Grapevine, TX multiple times for this issue. They have done a software update and replaced the camera. Problem continues to persist. They will no longer look at the issue without me paying a $265 diagnostic fee since the car is now out of warranty. o The problem has been present since I purchased the vehicle new in Nov 2019.”
NHTSA complaint #11570467, 2024