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2006 BMW M5

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

38 reports with mileage · 1 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Seat Belts. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Unknown Or Other complaints

1 reports
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2,000 miles · Jan 28, 2010
Air BagsPower TrainUnknown Or OtherCrashInjury

ON JUNE 24, 2006, A-UNITED LEASED THE M5 THROUGH BMW OF MONROVIA, FORMERLY ASSAEL BMW. DURING THE DURATION OF THE LEASE, A-UNITED INCURRED LESS THAN 1800 MILES ON THE M5 PRIMARILY BECAUSE THE M5'S SAFETY AND RELIABILITY HAD CAUSED SERIOUS CONCERNS. FROM AS EARLY AS NOVEMBER 2006, A-UNITED BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE…

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ON JUNE 24, 2006, A-UNITED LEASED THE M5 THROUGH BMW OF MONROVIA, FORMERLY ASSAEL BMW. DURING THE DURATION OF THE LEASE, A-UNITED INCURRED LESS THAN 1800 MILES ON THE M5 PRIMARILY BECAUSE THE M5'S SAFETY AND RELIABILITY HAD CAUSED SERIOUS CONCERNS. FROM AS EARLY AS NOVEMBER 2006, A-UNITED BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE M5 WHEN THE UNUSUAL NOISE FROM THE ENGINE BECAME LOUDER AND LOUDER. SHORTLY, THE M5 BEGAN HESITATING TO ACCELERATE. ON OCTOBER 22, 2007, THE M5 WAS TAKEN TO BMW OF MONROVIA FOR ROUTINE SERVICE AS WELL AS THE CAUTIONED SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT SOON ALERT ON THE M5. THE TECHNICIAN EXPLAINED THAT THE M5 HAD A DEFECTIVE BRAKE BOOSTER PRESSURE SENSOR AND HE DISCOVERED A FAULT MEMORY IN THE VACUUM SENSOR. HE ASSURED THAT HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE SERVICE LIGHT AS WELL AS THE UNUSUAL NOISE FROM THE ENGINE WOULD NO LONGER OCCUR. CONTRARY TO THE TECHNICIAN'S ASSURANCE, THE NOISE CONTINUED AND DID NOT GO AWAY. THE M5 EXPERIENCED ACCELERATION PROBLEMS ON AND OFF. BY JUNE 27, 2008, IT WAS DUE FOR ANOTHER ROUTINE SERVICE AND AGAIN, A-UNITED EXPRESSED CONCERNS FOR THE UNUSUAL NOISE AND PROBLEMS WITH ACCELERATION. THE TECHNICIAN CONTINUED TO REPRESENT THAT THE M5 WAS OPERABLE, SAFE AND IN WORKING CONDITION SINCE HIS CONCLUSION WAS BASED ON THE FACT THAT NONE OF THE COMPLAINTS OR FAULTS WERE STORED. A-UNITED TRUSTED THE TECHNICIAN ALONG WITH BMW OF NORTH AMERICA'S ("BMW") SOUND REPUTATION AND CONTINUED TO RELY ON SUCH THAT THE M5 HAD NO PROBLEMS. BUT, SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE M5'S NOISE GREW EVEN LOUDER THAN IT EVER WAS. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT SOON ALERT CAME ON AGAIN. IN OCTOBER 2008, THE M5 WAS LIGHTLY REAR-ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM. THIS TIME, THE M5'S PERFORMANCE ISSUES HAD RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE M5 CONTINUES TO HAVE NOISES AND ACCELERATION PROBLEMS. NOW, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DEFECT HAS OCCURRED AS WELL. *TW

NHTSA ODI #10302909

Official recalls

1

12V126000 · Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery:cables

Mar 26, 2012

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: OVERHEATING COULD LEAD TO A FIRE, EVEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN USE. AS A PRECAUTION, OWNERS ARE ADVISED TO PARK OUTSIDE UNTIL THE REMEDY HAS BEEN MADE.

Remedy: BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND SECURE THE BATTERY BOLT CABLE CONNECTION AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES AT 1-800-525-7417.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.