Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Engines
The most common engines in 1998 BMW 5 Series cars on Dutch roads are the 2.5 petrol (125 kW, 168 hp), 2.8 petrol (142 kW, 190 hp) and 2.0 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp), out of 4 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 79 |
| 2.8 petrol | 142 kW 190 hp | 77 |
| 2.0 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 38 |
| 4.4 petrol | 210 kW 282 hp | 36 |
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
650 first registered in 1998 are on Dutch roads; 37% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €54,257.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen397
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect327
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde285
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld138
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm114
- Band onvoldoende profiel110
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm109
- Waarschuwingsinrichting antiblokkeersysteem geeft defect aan109
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
567 cars built in 1998 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1,643 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, 917 of these cars first registered in 1998 took their annual MOT test. 62% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1998 the figure was 64%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.1% | 16.0% |
| Brakes | 0.8% | 11.8% |
| Visibility | 0.8% | 6.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.4% | 7.2% |
| Tyres | 0.4% | 3.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 0.2% | 9.3% |
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
138 of these cars first registered in 1998 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 322,000 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
129 1998 cars are on the New Zealand register; 64% arrived as used imports, 34% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 1998 BMW 5 Series.
| 1998135 15 Jul 1998 | Powertrain On certain 528IA vehicles, the transmission gear position switch sealing material may in time develop leaks and allow water ingress. This could eventually resu… |
| 1998134 15 Jul 1998 | Powertrain On certain 540I, 540IA, 740IA, 740ILA and 750ILA, the differential pinion shaft in the differential case assembly was not properly surface hardened. This condi… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 1998 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 1998 BMW 5 Series: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 606358 | SERVICE ACTION TO RECODE GENERAL MODULE. *TT |
| 604622 | CUSTOMER MAY COMPLAIN OF SUNROOF INOPERATIVE, OR LOST INITIALIZATION. *TT |
| 601929 | SUNROOF INOPERATIVE, OR LOST INITIALIZATION. *YC |
| 601210 | SUBJECT REGARDING THE ABS/ASC WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED DURING DYNAMOMETER TEST. *YC *JN |
| 601099 | INFORMATION REGARDING HEADLIGHTS ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURE. *YC *JN |
| 601096 | SUBJECT ON INTEGRAED AUTOMATIC HEATINGAND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM ( IHKA )- COMMON COMPLAINTS. *YC *JN |
| 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 |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
WINDSHIELD WIPER INOPERATION
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation