IllustrationFUEL FILLER TUBE GASKETS ARE IMPROPERLY INSTALLED ALLOWING WATER TO ENTER THE LEFT REAR QUARTER PANEL CAUSING THE STEERING ELECTRONICS TO BE FLOODED AND SHORT OUT CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. THIS IS A RECURRENT PROBLEM THAT DEALERSHIPS ARE REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR FIX WITHOUT CHARGING $1,000.00.
2013 BMW M5
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →10Owner complaints
Model-year median: 2
2Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
2013 BMW M5
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 10 owner complaints · 2 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Engine: 6 reports
- Steering: 3 reports
- Air Bags: 1 reports
- Electrical System: 1 reports
- Electronic Stability Control (esc): 1 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all M5 years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure 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
Limited mileage data: 10 of 10 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Engine. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
Steering complaints
3 reportsCREAKING NOISE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL WHEN PARKED AND AT LOW SPEEDS. DIAGNOSIS FROM SHOP INDICATED THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND BALL JOINTS WERE LOOSE. BOTH SIDES REPLACED.
WHILE MAKING A SLOW RIGHT TURN THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN AND IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED A FEW MOMENT LATER. HOWEVER, WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED ALL POWER STEERING WAS LOST WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY MULTIPLE SYSTEM FAILURE WARNINGS THAT WERE DISPLAYED, SUCH AS: REAR DIFFERENTIAL IS LOCKED, POWER STEERING HAS FAILED, SEAT BELT …
Read full complaint
WHILE MAKING A SLOW RIGHT TURN THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN AND IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED A FEW MOMENT LATER. HOWEVER, WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED ALL POWER STEERING WAS LOST WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY MULTIPLE SYSTEM FAILURE WARNINGS THAT WERE DISPLAYED, SUCH AS: REAR DIFFERENTIAL IS LOCKED, POWER STEERING HAS FAILED, SEAT BELT TENSIONER SYSTEM FAILED AND TO STOP DRIVING THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY AND CONTACT A SERVICE CENTER IMMEDIATELY. I DROVE THE VEHICLE INTO MY DRIVEWAY WHICH WAS 100 YARDS AWAY AND SHUT THE VEHICLE DOWN AND CALLED ORANGE COUNTY BMW IN HARRIMAN, NY. I WAS TOLD TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND LET IT SIT FOR TEN MINUTES AND THE SYSTEM SHOULD RESET ITSELF, WHICH I DID. I WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE 5 SERIES AND IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME FROM THE SALES MANAGER, [XXX], TO WHOM I SPOKE TO ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE ERRORS CLEARED BUT I WAS ABLE TO RECREATE THE FAILURE MAKING THE SAME TURN WITH THE SAME FAILURES OCCURRING AS LISTED ABOVE. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING AT A HIGHER SPEED THIS WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN LOSS OF ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED I ENDED UP DRIVING INTO THE ONCOMING LANE OF TRAFFIC UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO FORCEFULLY STEER THE VEHICLE BACK INTO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Recall campaigns
215V188000 · Exterior Lighting
Mar 31, 2015
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2013 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i, 550i xDrive, and ActiveHybrid 5 vehicles. The rear reflex reflectors may not reflect enough light. As such, the vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The vehicle may be less visible to other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear reflex reflectors, free of charge. The recall began July 28, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
12V475000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Sep 28, 2012
BMW is recalling certain model year 2013 M5, M6 Coupe, and M6 Convertible vehicles, manufactured from July 19, 2012, through September 11, 2012. Due to a manufacturing process error, the tolerance between the engine oil pump's drive shaft and the pump's rotor was not within specification. As a result, the pump's driveshaft could separate from the rotor.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Separation of the pump's driveshaft from the rotor could lead to a sudden loss of oil pressure causing the possibility of complete engine failure, resulting in an engine stall-like condition, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil pump, free of charge. The safety recall began on November 30, 2012. Owners may contact BMW 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 ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.