Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2003 BMW 5 Series, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system4
- Air bags4
- Steering2
- Latches/locks/linkages2
- Engine1
- Suspension1
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Service brakes1
- Fuel system, other1
- Power train1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Engines
The most common engines in 2003 BMW 5 Series cars on Dutch roads are the 3.0 petrol (170 kW, 228 hp), 2.2 petrol (125 kW, 168 hp) and 2.5 petrol (141 kW, 189 hp), out of 7 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 petrol | 170 kW 228 hp | 432 |
| 2.2 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 373 |
| 2.5 petrol | 141 kW 189 hp | 272 |
| 2.9 diesel | 142 kW 190 hp | 53 |
| 3.0 diesel | 160 kW 215 hp | 48 |
| 4.4 petrol | 245 kW 329 hp | 37 |
| 2.5 diesel | 120 kW 161 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
1,275 first registered in 2003 are on Dutch roads; 47% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €67,410.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen979
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde626
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect529
- Band onvoldoende profiel426
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm312
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld295
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm209
- Remleiding door corrosie aangetast165
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1,730 cars built in 2003 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 2,165 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, 2,884 of these cars first registered in 2003 took their annual MOT test. 65% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2003 the figure was 57%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2003 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.2% | 21.6% |
| Suspension | 1.2% | 16.4% |
| Brakes | 0.9% | 13.9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.6% | 7.4% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 0.6% | 3.1% |
| Tyres | 0.5% | 6.3% |
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
630 of these cars first registered in 2003 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 352,000 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
214 2003 cars are on the New Zealand register; 56% arrived as used imports, 43% 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 2003 BMW 5 Series.
| 2019020 15 Jan 2019 | Airbag Issue: 2023 Update - BMW has updated this recall and issued a do not drive advisory for all vehicles that that not yet been repaired. Some vehicles may c… |
| 2015230 27 May 2015 | Airbag Issue: 2023 Update - BMW has updated this recall and issued a do not drive advisory for all vehicles that that not yet been repaired. Long-term exposu… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2003 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 2003 BMW 5 Series: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10249437 | The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. |
| 10247567 | Engine will crank but not start. There is no communication with the integrated fuel module (TFE) whendiagnosing with ISTA. The following two fault codes will be stored in the DME: 032B43 - Low fuel pressure system, electric fuel pump: pressure value too low CDA594 - Message (- 0x33E) missing, receiver DME, transmitter TFE |
| 10245422 | Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicles equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. Additionally, the red anti-theft alarm LED in the interior mirror does not briefly flash every 2 seconds, indicating the alarm is armed. |
| 10244242 | Various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (ADCAM system) can lead to customer complaints. |
| 10145306 | NAVIGATION SYSTEM: REPORTING MISSING OR INCORRECT ROAD MAP DATA: The route guidance is inaccurate and therefore irritating to the customer; or it is not possible to locate certain addresses, for instance: |
| 10143564 | NAVIGATION SYSTEM: REPORTING MISSING OR INCORRECT ROAD MAP DATA: The route guidance is inaccurate and therefore irritating to the customer; or it is not possible to locate certain addresses, for instance: |
| 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 |
| 10043714 | BMW: STEERING COLUMN SWITCH CENTER CONTAINS ONE OR MORE FAULTS: INTERNAL CONTROL, STEERING WHEEL LOCK RANGE EXCEEDED, WIPER ANGLE DEFECTIVE. VARIOUS CHECK CONTROL MESSAGES APPEAR WITH AIRBAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. *PE |
| 10040853 | BMW: A GRINDING NOISE IS COMING FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL DURING SLOW CORNERING. WHEN TURNING A SLIP/STICK EFFECT IS CREATED ON THE LINING AND STEEL DISCS INCORPORATED IN THE DIFFERENTIAL CLUTCH CAUSES A GRINDING NOISE. *RM |
| 10040852 | BMW: THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ON. THERE ARE TROUBLE CODES STORED FOR THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR. NO DRIVEABILITY ISSUES. *RM |
| 10040057 | BMW: WIRING ON THE HEADLIGHTS MAY HAVE DETERIORATED DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND THE COVER NOT BEING SECURED PROPERLY. E60/E92. *RM UPDATED 9/30/11. *PE |
| 10040046 | BMW: WHEN OUTSIDE TEMP IS BELOW FREEZING THE OUTSIDE DOORS WILL NOT CLOSE OR ARE DIFFICULT TO OPEN. A DOOR CABLE HAS MOISTURE INTRUSION AND FREEZES. *RM |
| 10040045 | BMW: A NEW TECHNICAL SUPPORT PROCESS HAS BEEN CREATED REGARDING TRANSMISSION CONCERNS. *RM |
| 10037025 | BMW: PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING AND REPLACING INCANDESCENT AND HALOGEN LIGHT BULBS UNDER WARRANTY. *RM |
| 10037010 | BMW: SIX DIFFERENT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE M54 ENGINE COULD HAVE VALVE COVERS BREAK IN COLD WEATHER AND RUIN THE ENGINE. THIS IS DUE TO MOISTURE ACCUMULATION. *RM |
| 10036979 | BMW: A NEW TECHNICAL PROCESS HAS BEEN CREATED FOR BMW TO IDENTIFY CAUSES OF STEERING COMPLAINTS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF MODELS. *RM |
| 10035246 | BMW VEHICLES: REPLACED SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR MAT WILL NOT ENABLE. AFTER REPLACING A CIS (CAPACITIVE SENSING PASSENGER OCCUPANCY MAT), THE NEW MAT WILL NOT ENABLE WHEN USING ISTA/P. HOWEVER, ISTA/P SHOWS THAT THE ACSM (ACTIVE CRASH SAFETY MODULE) WAS CODED CORRECTLY. THE FOLLOWING FAULTS ARE STORED IN THE ACSM CONTROL MODULE:9309ED, 9309F4 AND 930A23. ADSM CODING *PE |
| 10035244 | BMW VEHICLE: ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHTS. A CHECK CONTROL (CC) MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED FOR THE ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHTS. THE HEADLAMPS NO LONGER TURN WITH STEERING WHEEL MOVEMENT. FAULT CODE 800FC6 IS ENTERED IN THE FOOTWELL MODULE (FRM3). A SECOND TURN SIGNAL REQUEST IS MADE AT THE EXACT MOMENT WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS AUTOMATICALLY CANCELLING FROM A PREVIOUS TURN SIGNAL REQUEST. F07 (5 SERIES), F01, F02, F07 (7 SERIES). *PE |
| 10033130 | BMW VEHICLES: FUEL LEVEL SENSOR REPAIRS. WHERE IT IS NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT SIDE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR DUE TO A FAILURE, THE ENTIRE PUMP AND HOUSING OR DELIVERY UNIT (SUCTION JET ASSEMBLY) DO NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. IN SOME CASES, EPC DOES NOT SHOW THAT THE REPAIR KIT IS AVAILABLE SEPARATELY IN THE ILLUSTRATION, BUT IT IS AVAILABLE IN THE PARTS DESCRIPTION. ALL MODELS. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE |
| 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 |
| 10032849 | BMW VEHICLE: DSC DISABLING FUNCTION. DUE TO REVISED DME, DSC AND CCC SOFTWARE, THE MDM (M DYNAMIC MODE) BUTTON LOCATED IN THE CENTER CONSOLE SWITCH CLUSTER (SZM) NOW HAS TRIPLE FUNCTIONALITY-DEFAULT STATE-DSC ON; SHORT PRESS-MDM ON (GREEN MDM INDICATOR DISPLAYED IN THE CLUSTER); PRESS AND HOLD-DSC OFF (YELLOW DSC INDICATOR DISPLAYED IN THE CLUSTER; MESSAGE APPEARS IN THE CONTROL DISPLAY). NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE |
| 10032825 | BMW VEHICLE: SPORT TRANSMISSION PADDLE SHIFTERS INOPERATIVE-DIAGNOSIS. THE DIRECT COMMUNICATION INPUT LINE BETWEEN THE PADDLE SHIFTERS AND THE EGS TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE IS INTERRUPTED. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)