Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Real-world fuel consumption
18,174 BMW 5 Series cars first registered in Europe in 2023 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Diesel hybrid versions use 7.1 l/100 km on the road against 5.6 in the WLTP test (+27%).
| Fuel | Cars | On the road | WLTP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 318 | 10.8 | 9.2 | +17% |
| Petrol hybrid | 1,810 | 8.6 | 7.0 | +22% |
| Diesel | 605 | 7.2 | 5.4 | +32% |
| Diesel hybrid | 11,533 | 7.1 | 5.6 | +27% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 3,908 | 7.1 | 1.7 | +313% |
Litres per 100 km from the cars' own fuel meters (OBFCM), collected in 2024; the year is the year of first registration. All years together · European Environment Agency · CC BY 4.0
Engines
The most common engines in 2023 BMW 5 Series cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 hybrid (135 kW, 181 hp), 3.0 hybrid (210 kW, 282 hp) and 2.0 hybrid (140 kW, 188 hp), out of 6 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 hybrid | 135 kW 181 hp | 1,434 |
| 3.0 hybrid | 210 kW 282 hp | 131 |
| 2.0 hybrid | 140 kW 188 hp | 121 |
| 2.0 hybrid | 180 kW 241 hp | 70 |
| 3.0 hybrid | 245 kW 329 hp | 41 |
| 3.0 hybrid | 250 kW 335 hp | 35 |
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
1,869 first registered in 2023 are on Dutch roads; 46% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €84,331.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde24
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld14
- Band beschadigd6
- Band onvoldoende profiel4
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm3
- Bandenspanning op 1 as niet gelijk2
- Zijrichtingaanwijzer(s) werkt niet (goed)1
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie werkt niet goed1
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
3,398 cars built in 2023 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 133 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
In Finland
423 of these cars first registered in 2023 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 46,000 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
35 2023 cars are on the New Zealand register; 3% arrived as used imports, 97% 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 2023 BMW 5 Series.
| 2026391 13 Aug 2026 | Powertrain Issue: On certain vehicles, the connection between the driveshaft and rear differential could wear. If this happens, there could be a loss of power to the whe… |
| 2026331 8 Jul 2026 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine starter may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the starter could overheat. Note: This recall is an exp… |
| 2026040 30 Jan 2026 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine starter may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the starter could overheat. Safety Risk: A starter … |
| 2024544 15 Aug 2024 | Label Issue: On certain vehicles, the tire and loading information label does not list that there is no spare tire in both official languages. The label reads as "N… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota GR Supra, 3 Series Sedan (330i xDrive, M340i xDrive, M3), 5 Series Sedan (530i, 530i xDrive, M5), 4 Series Gran Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive), 4 Series Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive), 4 Series Convertible (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive), 8 Series Coupe (840i, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Convertible (840i, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Gran Coupe (850i xDrive, M8), X3 SAV (X3 xDrive30i, X3M), X4 SAV (X4 xDrive30i), X5 SAV (X5 xDrive40i, X5 M50i, X5M), X6 SAV (X6 xDrive40i, X6 M50i, X6M), and Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i vehicles. The weld seam of the integrated transmission control unit's cover may not have been manufactured properly, which could allow automatic transmission oil to leak into the transmission control unit.
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 2023 BMW 5 Series: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11002864 | No Bass or a cracking noise can be heard from the bass speakers. |
| 11000563 | At low outside temperatures (below 40 degrees F) and slow driving speeds (i.e. when parking, maneuvering)with a large steering angle, the front end can be slightly axially misaligned. |
| 11000533 | Quality improvements and robustness measures are to be implemented on the affected vehicles via thissoftware update. The software update improves functions in the following areas of the vehicle: Bluetooth malfunctions The start-up phase of the head unit (HU) has been shortened (faster start of the operating system) The number of disconnections from Apple CarPlay have been reduced Vehicle access and the drive-ready state have been improved The AC charging abort error has been fixed Remote Control Parking without function |
| 11000529 | In vehicles that are not mapped to a BMW ID, the manual time setting option is not selectable (greyed-out)in the System Settings menu. Time cannot be manually set in the vehicle. |
| 11000509 | The overhead reading lights are not bright enough on SP21 (Service Pack 2021) vehicles. |
| 11000500 | There is a jerking or shuddering during either or both of the following: Cornering or accelerating from low speeds Driving with low to medium loads There are no warning lights or Check Control messages. |
| 10252038 | Check Control message (CCM) indicates: (ID 213): Stop, exercising due care. Voltage supply The Service Engine Soon light is on with the following DME Fault Code: 21B209 - Starter alternator / belt for 48V system (OSA_RIEMEN_RISS): Belt betweenCombustion engine and starter generator torn And/or one or more of the following other issues are also occurring: Noise in the area of the belt drive. Odor from the engine compartment. Smoke formation in the area of the belt drive. Drive belt damaged or prematurely worn. Torn drive belt. |
| 10252031 | One or more of the LED daytime running lights are dim or discolored. |
| 10250364 | A limited amount of Model Year 2023 (MY23) vehicles were produced with Smart Opener control units set too sensitively. TheSmart Opener is part of the Comfort Access feature, enabling to open the trunk lid or tailgate using the foot kicking motionbeneath the rear bumper. When walking past the rear of the vehicle with a valid ID transmitter, the trunklid may open or closeunintentionally. The control unit for contactless trunklid opening (smart-opener control unit) interpretspassing by as a foot kick signal. Normally, the trunklid should only open or close after the foot kick motionbeneath the |
| 10250362 | The engine cranks but will not start. |
| 10249437 | The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. |
| 10249032 | The Central Information Display goes black intermittently due to resets of the Head Unit (HU-H3). FaultB7F8F9 HU-H: Reset will be stored in the HU-H3. |
| 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. |
| 10249026 | The washer fluid reservoir mounting hook has too much play, which allows the reservoir to vibrate and cause a noise. |
| 10249018 | At low outside temperatures (below 40 degrees F) and slow driving speeds (i.e. when parking, maneuvering)with a large steering angle, the front end can be slightly axially misaligned. This can be felt (jerking)/ heard via an acoustic acknowledgement (clunk) as seen at the 11 second mark of the video. See attached video V36 01 21. |
| 10249017 | SITUATION Unusual noises occur only when operating the steering column in the axial direction. 1. A one-time thump sound at the start of movement Shortly after the steering column starts moving, retracting, or extending, a one-time thump noise is heard. See attached video V32 03 23 2. Humming noise while steering column extends in the axial direction. The sound is only heard when the steering column is extended, not when the steering column is retracted. When the steering column starts to move in the extended direction, the humming noise can be heard. See attached video V32 04 23 |
| 10248088 | Quality improvements and robustness measures are to be implemented on the affected vehicles via thissoftware update. The software update improves functions in the following areas of the head unit: 1. Bluetooth connection issues and Bluetooth malfunctions (disconnections) 2. Central display may remain black in rare cases 3. Personalization issues and the loss of normalization/sitting position 4. Missing Condition-Based Service (CBS) data |
| 10247570 | If regional navigational maps are downloaded into the vehicle via over-the-air, they cannot be installed into the active Navigation. |
| 10247569 | BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective December 20, 2023) on certain Model Year 2023 - 2024BMW vehicles that were produced between July 4, 2022, and October 26, 2023. |
| 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. |
| 10245367 | Check Control message (CCM) indicates: (ID 213): Stop, exercising due care. Voltage supply The Service Engine Soon light is on with the following DME Fault Code: 21B209 - Starter alternator / belt for 48V system (OSA_RIEMEN_RISS): Belt betweenCombustion engine and starter generator torn And/or one or more of the following other issues are also occurring: Noise in the area of the belt drive. Odor from the engine compartment. Smoke formation in the area of the belt drive. Drive belt damaged or prematurely worn. Torn drive belt. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)