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BMW · NHTSA safety record

2013 BMW M5

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

10

Complaints

0

Crashes

1

Fires

0

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2013 BMW M5 have filed 10 safety complaints with NHTSA between March 2013 and May 2020. The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 6 of them (60%). The typical failure was reported at 37,000 miles, the median across the 10 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 2 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (2)

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

15V188000 · March 31, 2015

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2013 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i, 550i xDrive, and ActiveHybrid 5 vehicles. The rear reflex reflectors may not reflect enough light. As such, the vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk
The vehicle may be less visible to other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear reflex reflectors, free of charge. The recall began July 28, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 13,443 vehicles across all model years covered

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

12V475000 · September 28, 2012

Do not drive until repaired

The defect
BMW is recalling certain model year 2013 M5, M6 Coupe, and M6 Convertible vehicles, manufactured from July 19, 2012, through September 11, 2012. Due to a manufacturing process error, the tolerance between the engine oil pump's drive shaft and the pump's rotor was not within specification. As a result, the pump's driveshaft could separate from the rotor.
The risk
Separation of the pump's driveshaft from the rotor could lead to a sudden loss of oil pressure causing the possibility of complete engine failure, resulting in an engine stall-like condition, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil pump, free of charge. The safety recall began on November 30, 2012. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC · up to 696 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 10.

ENGINE 6 60%
STEERING 3 30%
AIR BAGS 1 10%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 10%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 10%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 10%
SEAT BELTS 1 10%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 10%
SUSPENSION 1 10%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2019 at 3.

2013 2019 2020
2013 to 2020

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SERVICE BRAKES

fire · 16,000 miles

THE VEHICLE MENTIONED ABOVE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHEN I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON A SNOWY EVENING. THE TRIP TO MY HOUSE IS AROUND 7 MILES AND AFTER ABOUT 6 MILES, I PARKED ALONG THE STREET AS I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS WERE BEING DISPLAYED. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, I SAW A FIRE UNDER THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. RESEARCHING ABOUT FIRES IN BMWS I FOUND QUIET A BIG NUMBER OUT THERE. NOW WE ARE WORRIED TO EVEN DRIVE THE TWO OTHER BMWS THAT I STILL OWN. *TR

NHTSA complaint 10584266. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

towed · 59,817 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW M5. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL SOUND BEFORE THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. DON JACOBS BMW LOCATED AT 2689 NICHOLASVILLE RD #1, LEXINGTON, KY 40503, WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE AND MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V475000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,817.

NHTSA complaint 11323365, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

200 miles

FUEL FILLER TUBE GASKETS ARE IMPROPERLY INSTALLED ALLOWING WATER TO ENTER THE LEFT REAR QUARTER PANEL CAUSING THE STEERING ELECTRONICS TO BE FLOODED AND SHORT OUT CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. THIS IS A RECURRENT PROBLEM THAT DEALERSHIPS ARE REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR FIX WITHOUT CHARGING $1,000.00.

NHTSA complaint 11221202. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

62,000 miles

I WAS DRIVING HOME WHEN I ACCELERATED THE CAR JERK STARTED SMOKING I PULLED OVER AND OIL WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH

NHTSA complaint 11210134. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

45,000 miles

CREAKING NOISE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL WHEN PARKED AND AT LOW SPEEDS. DIAGNOSIS FROM SHOP INDICATED THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND BALL JOINTS WERE LOOSE. BOTH SIDES REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint 11209993. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

50,500 miles

LIGHT COMES ON FOR PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION

NHTSA complaint 11051087. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

29,000 miles

CAR READS LOW ON OIL WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR ONLY NEEDED ONE QUART OF OIL. DEALER HAS NEVER LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TOLERANCE BETWEEN THE ENGINE OIL PUMP DRIVE SHAFT AND THE PUMP'S ROTOR. DEALERSHIP ONLY SHOWED MY HUSBAND HOW TO REPLENISH OIL WHEN LIGHT COMES ON. THIS HAS PROBLEM BEGAN WHEN THE CAR ONLY HAD 29,000 MILES. THE LIGHT WILL COME ON WHEN CAR IS STATIONERY AND IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET OR HIGHWAY. CURRENTLY MUST DRIVE AROUND WITH A QUART OF OIL IN CAR AT ALL TIMES FOR SAFETY REASONS. CAR NOW HAS 40,000 MILES.

NHTSA complaint 11025421. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the BMW M5

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2019 8 3 —

Other 2013 BMW models

328I 257 X3 226 X5 148 528I 73 X1 SAV 64 528XI 55 335I 43 535I 38

Every BMW on this site — 249 vehicles, 484 recall campaigns and 2 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst