2011 BMW 5 Series problems & reliability
81 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 BMW 5 Series, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Tires | 30 | 37% |
| Steering | 20 | 25% |
| Power Train | 10 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 7% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 5% |
| Engine | 3 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 4% |
| Wheels | 3 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 3,500 miles (middle 50% between 1,894 and 12,250 miles), based on 52 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2011 BMW 5 Series. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed as a camshaft failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number- 14V176000 ( Engine and Engine…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Mar 21, 2023
“Tl* the contact owns a 2011 bmw 5-series. The contact stated that there was an electrical malfunction in which the vent controls failed to function for the air conditioner and heater. Due to the extreme temperatures, the vehicle was unable to be driven. Bmw of wilmington (4920 new centre dr, wilmington, nc 28403…”
Visibility · filed Jun 19, 2019
“While driving with ac on smoke started coming heavily for the interior ac vents. A very toxic smoke, with electrical smell. I noticed the bmw 3 series has a recall on electrical blower problem. I think my car has the same issue.”
Electrical System · filed Mar 26, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
68 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 BMW 5 Series. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin outlines the Customer Care Package program that has been designed exclusively for BMWvehicles with the N63 engine. Vehicles with the N63 high performance engine are engineered with EfficientDynamics that…
B110614 · Service Campaign · issued Mar 27, 2025
Vehicle has the air bag warning lamp on after a body shop has made repairs. There is a fault code stored in the air bag control module ACSM3: 930A5B airbag sensor, door, front left: open circuit 30A65 airbag sensor…
B650425 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 20, 2025
Only fuel nozzles with the recommended “specified” diameter for diesel engine passenger vehicles can beinserted into the filler neck. Most fuel stations have their diesel fuel pumps fitted with this recommendeddiameter…
B131110 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 16, 2024
The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
B510819 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2024
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…
B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 11, 2024
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…
B160623 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 20, 2023
Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicleâ  s equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the…
B653423 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2023
Various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (ADCAM system) can lead to customer complaints.
B660523 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 19, 2023
The engine?s intake charge-air duct limited warranty extension to 10 years/120,000 miles applies to ?eligible USspecification
SIM010717 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2017
Bmw - brake booster vacuum might reduce if temperature gets below 14 degrees *ma
34 04 15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2015
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2011 BMW 5 Series has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2011 BMW 5 Series?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 3,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.