Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2008 BMW 5 Series, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Fuel system, gasoline40
- Engine and engine cooling36
- Electrical system16
- Power train7
- Exterior lighting7
- Fuel system, other5
- Service brakes, hydraulic4
- Engine4
- Fuel/propulsion system3
- Structure3
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 2008 BMW 5 Series cars on Dutch roads are the 2.5 petrol (140 kW, 188 hp), 3.0 petrol (160 kW, 215 hp) and 3.0 petrol (200 kW, 268 hp), out of 11 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 petrol | 140 kW 188 hp | 275 |
| 3.0 petrol | 160 kW 215 hp | 274 |
| 3.0 petrol | 200 kW 268 hp | 227 |
| 2.0 petrol | 120 kW 161 hp | 177 |
| 3.0 diesel | 173 kW 232 hp | 114 |
| 3.0 diesel | 145 kW 194 hp | 106 |
| 2.0 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 75 |
| 3.0 diesel | 210 kW 282 hp | 56 |
| 2.0 diesel | 120 kW 161 hp | 52 |
| 2.0 diesel | 130 kW 174 hp | 22 |
| 4.8 petrol | 270 kW 362 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
1,457 first registered in 2008 are on Dutch roads; 50% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €67,974.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde683
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen480
- Band onvoldoende profiel447
- Remslang beschadigd, wapeningsmateriaal zichtbaar320
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld292
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm283
- Band beschadigd149
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage133
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
5,432 cars built in 2008 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 2,000 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, 7,882 of these cars first registered in 2008 took their annual MOT test. 71% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2008 the figure was 57%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.4% | 19.8% |
| Suspension | 1.4% | 17.2% |
| Tyres | 0.9% | 7.6% |
| Brakes | 0.6% | 11.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.5% | 6.2% |
| Visibility | 0.4% | 6.7% |
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
1,810 of these cars first registered in 2008 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 350,000 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
367 2008 cars are on the New Zealand register; 81% arrived as used imports, 13% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
6 Transport Canada recalls for the 2008 BMW 5 Series.
| 2022095 2 Mar 2022 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles equipped with an N52 or N52K 6-cylinder engine, a manufacturing problem could cause the PCV valve heater (blow-by heater) to short … |
| 2017470 28 Sept 2017 | Engine On certain vehicles equipped with the N52 6-cylinder engine, an electrical short could occur in the PCV valve heater due to manufacturing irregularities. If thi… |
| 2013310 18 Sept 2013 | Lights And Instruments Certain vehicles may experience the loss of one or more rear lamp functions (tail, brake, turn and reverse). Failure of any rear lamp function may result in the… |
| 2012109 23 Mar 2012 | Electrical On certain vehicles, the insulated bulkhead connector (used to join the two halves of the positive battery cable) may have been incorrectly installed during veh… |
| 2010328 1 Oct 2010 | Brakes On certain vehicles, a check valve in the brake vacuum pump may leak a small amount of lubricating oil. Over time, this could result in contamination of the br… |
| 2007334 16 Oct 2007 | Electrical Certain 550I, 650I cabriolet, 650I coupe, and X5 vehicles equipped with a V8 engine, operated in conditions of below-freezing temperatures combined with low hum… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 1 Series Coupe (128i); 2007-2013 3 Series Coupe (328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive); 2007-2010 X3 SAV (X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i); 2008-2013 1 Series Convertible (128i); 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi); 2006-2012 3 Series Wagon (328i, 328i xDrive); 2007-2013 3 Series Convertible (328i); 2006-2010 5 Series Sedan (525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi); 2006-2007 5 Series Wagon (530xi); 2007-2010 X5 SAV (X5 3.0si, X5 xDrive30i); 2006-2008 Z4 Coupe (Z4 3.0si); and 2006-2011 Z4 Roadster (Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si, Z4 sDrive30i) vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 5-SERIES, MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 6-SERIES, MODEL YEAR 2006-2010 M5, AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 M6 VEHICLES. THE INSULATED BULKHEAD CONNECTOR FOR THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE TRUNK FLOOR PANEL, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A LOOSENING OF THE BOLT CONNECTION. AS IT LOOSENS, AN INCREASE IN ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE AT THIS CABLE CONNECTION IS POSSIBLE AND COULD CAUSE THE CABLE CONNECTION TO OVERHEAT.
BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 5-SERIES, 6-SERIES, AND MODEL YEAR 2002-2008 7-SERIES VEHICLES. A CHECK VALVE OF THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP MAY LEAK A SMALL AMOUNT OF LUBRICATING OIL. OVER TIME THIS COULD RESULT IN CONTAMINATION OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER.
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 2008 BMW 5 Series: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10249437 | The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. |
| 10249027 | The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle discharged battery complaints. |
| 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. |
| 10182619 | Discharged Battery Energy Diagnosis Must Be Performed: The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle "discharged battery" complaints. In order to properly repair the vehicle the first time in the workshop, it is very important that the diagnostic test plans are performed to completion, with all results taken into consideration. Without performing the energy diagnosis test plan, the root caus |
| 10057568 | BMW: ON SOME VEHICLES, WHEN STARTING, LOW BEAM, WITH 0552 OPTION, WOULD BRIEFLY FLASHES, DUE TO A FAULTY LED MAIN LIGHT MODULE THAT NEEDS REPLACING. MODEL 2008-14 F01, F02, F06, F07, F10, F12, F13, F25. *PE |
| 10057532 | BMW: DURING PROCESS OF STARTING ENGINE, ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST (EPS) WILL BE REDUCED, INTERMITTENTLY, AND YELLOW EPS WARNING LAMP BRIEFLY ILLUMINATES, DUE TO A BRIEF UNDERVOLTAGE. *PE |
| 10057527 | BMW: SELECTIVE CATALYST REDUCTION MODULE (SCR) HAS A STORED FAULT, PRESSURE BUILD UP IS LOW, CAUSING SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. * |
| 10056099 | BMW: WHEN USING IPHONE, VARIOUS CONNECTIVITY FAILURES OCCUR, SUCH AS DISCONNECTION OF CALL, LIST OF CONTACTS INCOMPLETE, DUE TO THE VARIANTS AND SOFTWARE USED. MODEL 2008-2014. |
| 10053485 | BMW: SERVICE ENGINE AND ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT ILLUMINATES. VEHICLE MAY HAVE REDUCED POWER OUTPUT. FAULT CODE MAY NOT CLEAR FROM DME FAULT MEMORY. *KB UPDATED ON 11/8/2013. *KB UPDATED 2/21/2014 *JS UPDATED 3/11/14. *PE |
| 10052365 | BMW: WARNING LAMPS ARE ILLUMINATED FOR THE DSC, ABS AND BRAKE AND A POSSIBLE WARNING IN CONTROL DISPLAY FOR CHASSIS CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE. MODELS 2012 F25, 30, 01, 02, 07, 10, 12, 13, E70, 71, 84. *PE |
| 10052360 | BMW: SOME VEHICLE ENGINES MAY EXPERIENCE A DELAY IN RESPONSE TO ACCELERATION, AFTER SLOWING DOWN, DUE TO AN UNFAVORABLE SOFTWARE CALIBRATION. MODELS F10, 25, 07, E70, 71. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE |
| 10052012 | BMW: BATTERY HAS AN INCREASED DEMAND DUE TO DEVELOPEMENTAL PROCESS OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THIS IS CAUSING THE BATTER TO NEED TO UNDERGO AN ENERGY DIAGNOSIS. *KB |
| 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 |
| 10045283 | BMW: EXPERIENCING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP IS ILLUMINATED, A NOISE, LIKE RATTLING, COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *PE UPDATED 10/31/12. *PE MODELS 2010 E70, 71, 82, 88, 90, 92, 93, F07, 10, 12, 13, 25. UPDATED 1/18/13. *PE UPDATED 4/18/2013. *KB UPDATED 05/13/2013 *JS UPDATED 5/19/15. *PE |
| 10045282 | BMW: WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, AT TIMES WOULD BE ROUGH RUNNING; WHITE OR BLUE SMOKE SEEN EXITING EXHAUST SYSTEM AND THE ENGINE OIL IS CONSUMED ABOVE SPECIFICATIONS. *PE UPDATED 1/11/13. *PE |
| 10045279 | BMW: A FAILURE OF THE TURBOCHARGER WASTEGATES, CAUSED BY A DEFECT, HAS AN EMISSIONS EXTENDED WARRANTY, 8 YEARS OR 82,000 MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST, NOT OTHERWISE FALLING WITHIN COVERAGE EXCLUSION. *PE |
| 10044281 | BMW: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. ON CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2011 VEHICLES, A DEFECT INVOLVING THE ELECTRIC AUXILIARY WATER PUMP CAN OVER HEAT OR FAIL TO COOL ENGINE AND FIRE MAY OCCUR IN VEHICLE OR ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *PE |
| 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 |
| 10042684 | BMW: ON SOME VEHICLES, THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP HAS AN INTERNAL COMPONENT THAT MAY FAIL AND CAUSING DRIVABILITY SYMPTOMS SUCH AS ERRATIC ENGINE OPERATION AND LONGER STARTING TIMES. *PE |
| 10042664 | BMW: INFORMATION IS BEING PROVIDED REGARDING THE OFF AND ON FLASHING LIGHT OR SERVICE ENGINE SOON ILLUMINATION WHILE VEHICLE IS IN TRANSPORTATION MODE. *PE |
| 10041407 | BMW: SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ON AND THE ENGINE HAS REDUCED POWER WITH TROUBLE CODES STORED. *RM UPDATED ON 4/24/2013. *KB |
| 10041276 | BMW: SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ON WITH A FAULT CODE STORED. INTERNAL DMTL PUMP FAILURE.*RM |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)