Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Engines
The most common engines in 1993 BMW 5 Series cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp), 2.5 petrol (141 kW, 189 hp) and 3.0 petrol (160 kW, 215 hp), out of 4 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 31 |
| 2.5 petrol | 141 kW 189 hp | 28 |
| 3.0 petrol | 160 kW 215 hp | 24 |
| 4.0 petrol | 210 kW 282 hp | 23 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
143 first registered in 1993 are on Dutch roads; 34% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen20
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect13
- Stofhoes fuseekogel beschadigd en dicht niet af10
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde9
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)8
- Remleiding door corrosie aangetast6
- Fusee(kogel) te veel speling6
- Band onvoldoende profiel6
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
85 cars built in 1993 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 417 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 149 of these cars first registered in 1993 took their annual MOT test. 73% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1993 the figure was 67%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1993 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 0.7% | 17.2% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
14 of these cars first registered in 1993 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 299,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
86 1993 cars are on the New Zealand register; 42% arrived as used imports, 51% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 1993 BMW 5 Series.
| 1998197 14 Oct 1998 | Heater And Defroster On certain vehicles, failure of a cooling system component such as thermostat, water pump or fan belt can result in a significant increase in coolant temperatur… |
| 1997173 9 Oct 1997 | Engine On certain 318IC, 318IS, 318TI, 325I, 325IC, 325IS, 525I, 525IT, 530I, 530IT, 540I, 740I, 740IL, 840CI and M3, the cruise control and throttle cable are attache… |
| 1996158 7 Oct 1996 | Lights And Instruments On certain 325I, 325IC, 325IS, 525I, 525IT, 530I, 530IT, 535I, 540I, 735I, 735IL, 740I, 740IL and 750I, the brake light switch may fail due to a reduction of co… |
| 1994096 30 May 1994 | Fuel System On certain 318I, 318IC, 318IS, 325IC, 325IS, 325IX, 525I, 535I, 735I and 735IL vehicles, the fuel feed hose could harden and "set" over time due to engine compa… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 1993 BMW 5 Series.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What BMW told its dealers about the 1993 BMW 5 Series: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 601210 | SUBJECT REGARDING THE ABS/ASC WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED DURING DYNAMOMETER TEST. *YC *JN |
| 52200 | ENGINE DIFFICULT TO START. *TW |
| 50897 | RECALL 96V111 - THIS RECALL CAMPAIGN INVOLVES THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. *TW |
| 10249437 | The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. |
| 10244242 | Various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (ADCAM system) can lead to customer complaints. |
| 10135028 | SERVICE ACTION: PROGRAM DME: The incorrect dataset could be programmed into DME 5.2.1 control module. |
| 10025584 | N54 RATTLE NOISE FROM TURBOCHARGER AREA. MODELS E90, E92 AND E93 (3 SERIES) 335I AND 335XI; E60 AND E61 (5 SERIES) 535I AND 535XI, ALL WITH N54 ENGINE FROM THE START OF PRODUCTION TO JANUARY 17, 2008 PRODUCTION. *PE |
| 10025573 | N52 EDK THROTTLE JAMMING FAULTS 2D09, 2CED AND 2CEC. MODEL E90 AND E91 (3 SERIES) AND E60 AND E61 (5 SERIES), ALL MODELS UP TO 11/2005 WITH N52 ENGINE. *PE |
| 10025571 | INSTRUMENT CLUSTER: FAILURE OF DISPLAYS/FUNCTIONS. MODEL E60, E61 (5 SERIES) AND E63, E64 (6 SERIES). *PE |
| 10015410 | CHECK ENGINE LAMP ILLUMINATED AND/OR VEHICLE OVERHEATS. BMW E90 (3 SERIES) ALL E90 (3 SERIES) AND E60 (5 SERIES) MODELS EQUIPPED WITH N52 ENGINE. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)