Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 BMW 5 Series, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Engines
The most common engines in 1997 BMW 5 Series cars on Dutch roads are the 2.8 petrol (142 kW, 190 hp), 2.5 petrol (125 kW, 168 hp) and 4.4 petrol (210 kW, 282 hp), out of 5 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.8 petrol | 142 kW 190 hp | 45 |
| 2.5 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 42 |
| 4.4 petrol | 210 kW 282 hp | 26 |
| 2.0 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 23 |
| 3.5 petrol | 173 kW 232 hp | 21 |
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
572 first registered in 1997 are on Dutch roads; 38% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €55,882.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen288
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect268
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde186
- Band onvoldoende profiel118
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld115
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm91
- Waarschuwingsinrichting antiblokkeersysteem geeft defect aan90
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm71
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
283 cars built in 1997 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1,050 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, 459 of these cars first registered in 1997 took their annual MOT test. 65% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1997 the figure was 64%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1997 |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 1.7% | 11.8% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.5% | 16.1% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1.3% | 3.4% |
| Visibility | 1.1% | 6.6% |
| Steering | 0.9% | 3.5% |
| Suspension | 0.9% | 12.2% |
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
147 of these cars first registered in 1997 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 317,000 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
144 1997 cars are on the New Zealand register; 53% arrived as used imports, 42% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 1997 BMW 5 Series.
| 2004122 5 Apr 2004 | Suspension On certain vehicles, the front spring strut plate could develop cracks. Over time, the crack may propagate. In extreme cases, the strut plate could break and … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, DUE TO LONG EXPOSURES TO CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL AND OPERATING CONDITIONS, THE MATERIAL STRUCTURE OF THE FRONT SPRING STRUT PLATE COULD BE AFFECTED. IN SOME CASES, THE STRUT PLATE COULD BEGIN TO CRACK, AND EVENTUALLY IT COULD BREAK. IF THIS OCCURRED, THE PLATE COULD CONTACT THE TIRE.
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 1997 BMW 5 Series: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 601210 | SUBJECT REGARDING THE ABS/ASC WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED DURING DYNAMOMETER TEST. *YC *JN |
| 54154 | SITUATION ON THE SRS AIRBAG LIGHT COMES "ON" AND STAYS ILLUMINATED FOR UP TO TWO MINUTES AFTER STARTING VEHICLE. *AK |
| 53951 | RADIO DISOLAY ON MID DOES NOT APPEAR WHEN IGNITION IS TURNED ON. *AK |
| 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. |
| 10051519 | BMW: THE HIGH-VOLTAGE (HV) BATTERY CELLS COULD BE DAMAGED IF THE VEHICLE IS PREVENTED FROM ENTERING SLEEP MODE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. UPDATED 03/11/2013 *JS |
| 10051439 | BMW: INTERMITTENTLY GOES INTO PARK DURING A MSA ENGINE START. THE TRANSMISSION CAN INTERMITTENTLY GO INTO THE PARK POSITION (P) WHEN MSA ENGINE START IS OCCURRING. A DRIVE GEAR CAN BE SELECTED IN ORDER TO DRIVE AWAY, AND NO RELEVANT FAULTS ARE STORED. *JS |
| 10044024 | BMW: WIPERS LIGHTS AND FRONT POWER WINDOWS ARE INOPERATIVE. THIS SITUATION MAY START AND LEAD TO A PERMANENT FAULT. ALSO INCLUDED MODEL F07 (5 SERIES GRAN TURISMO) MODEL YEARS UP TO MARCH 2012. *JS |
| 10032987 | BMW: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER-FAILURE OF DISPLAYS/FUNCTIONS. TOTAL OR PARTIAL FAILURE OF DISPLAYS OR FUNCTIONS IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE DISPLAYS OR FUNCTIONS START WORKING AGAIN AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED (SLEEP MODE). INTERNAL ERROR IN THE PROCESSING OF INCOMING MESSAGES FROM THE K CAN BUS. THERE MAY BE VARIOUS CAN MESSAGE ERRORS STORED IN THE FAULT MEMORY. *PE |
| 10029684 | BMW: SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP OR THE CHECK GAS CAP WARNINGS ARE ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. WHEN DIAGNOSED, THE DME HAS STORED FAULTS FOR SMALL LEAK, MICRO LEAK, SUPER FINE LEAK, OR LARGE LEAK IN RELATION TO THE TANK VENTILATION OR EVAPORATIVE SYSTEM *PE UPDATED 10/27/09. *PE |
| 10029605 | BMW SERVICE CAMPAIGN: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. THE AIRBAG WARNING LAMP (AWL) IS ILLUMINATED, TOGETHER WITH THE PASSENGER AIRBAG STATUS LAMP (POL). THE PROBLEM MAY BE INTERMITTENT. MICROCRACKS IN THE OC3 SEAT MAT. *PE UPDATED 9/30/11. *PE |
| 10029444 | BMW: VEHICLE HAS A CHECK CONTROL MESSAGE SELF LEVELING SUSPENSION FAILED/MALFUNCTIONING DISPLAYED. AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING FAULT CODES IS STORED AND IS CURRENTLY PRESENT IN THE EHC CONTROL UNIT: 5F98 CONTROL TIME FAULT LIFTING REAR LEFT; 5F99 CONTROL TIME FAULT LIFTING REAR RIGHT; 5F9A CONTROL TIME FAULT LIFTING. MODEL YEARS UNKNOWN. *PE UPDATED 11/17/10. *PE |
| 10029257 | BMW: ALL INSTRUMENT DIALS ARE INOPERATIVE AND THE ILLUMINATION OF THE INFORMATION DISPLAY IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS VERY BRIGHT. *PE |
| 10029025 | BMW: SMALL NUMBER OF VEHICLES EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS RANGING FROM LEAKING OIL FILLER CAPS, LEAKING OR BROKEN VALVE COVERS, TO COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE IN EXTREMELY COLD CLIMATE CONDITIONS. MOISTURE ACCUMULATING IN ENGINE CRANKCASE VENTILATION VALVE OR HOSES CAN FREEZE DUE TO LOW AMBIENT TEMPERATURES. *PE |
| 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 |
| 10007262 | RECALL CAMPAIGN 04V-183 FRONT STRUT PLATE REPAIR FOR POTENTIAL BREAKAGE. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS MOSTLY ASKED BY CUSTOMERS. *TT |
| 10007035 | RECALL CAMPAIGN 04V-183 FRONT SPRING STRUT PLATE COULD POTENTIALLY CRACK. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
WINDSHIELD WIPER INOPERATION
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation