2006 BMW M5 problems & reliability
38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 BMW M5, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 8, 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).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 BMW M5 vehicles were involved in 3 fatal crashes with 3 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 25 | 66% |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 18% |
| Power Train | 5 | 13% |
| Engine | 3 | 8% |
| Seats | 3 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% |
| Steering | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 12 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 37 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 54,000 miles (middle 50% between 43,200 and 77,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Clearance failure on s85 engine to rod bearings causes oil starvation. This in turn causes engine catastrophic failure. If driving this will effect power breaking, power steering and all components requiring the engine to be running. This is a very common issue, I now have symptoms requiring a change of rod bearings…”
Engine · filed May 24, 2020
“Upon starting my car, I received an error message " fault in passenger restraint system affecting air bags, belt tensioner or belt force limiter" the message continues to show up every day.. This is the same issue that has a recall in all other 5 series models for this year, 2006 and has a recall for those vehicles…”
Air Bags · filed Aug 3, 2017
“The early m5 with the smg (sequential manual gearbox) 7 speed have numerous tsb's and warranty campaigns. The shifting of the gearbox is up executed by pressure from the hydrualic pump that stores aaprx 80psi in the accumulater. This accumulator or pump has a hi chance of failing and when it does the car shuts down…”
Power Train · filed Feb 17, 2017
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
60 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 BMW M5. The 10 most recent:
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
Functional noises (squealing/honking) when braking shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop. CAUSE Material-
B340714 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 13, 2023
Vehicle cannot be opened or closed using comfort access, engine start is not possible, and the vehicle may not start when placing the key against the steering column.
B662419 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2022
Coolant is leaking from under the car which is equipped with the S63 engine. A low coolant warning might also be displayed (CC Message ID166).
B170222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2022
Diagnosis of Compound Brake System Complaints in M Vehicles: 1. Visible cracks are caused by high thermal stresses during rapid heating and cooling of the brake discs. Braking from high speed with cold brake components…
B340414 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2021
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…
B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2020
Power Reduction FC2A82 Intake VANOS and/or FC2 A87 Exhaust VANOS Camshaft Fault: The "Service Engine Soon" (MIL) lamp is illuminated and engine power reduction is perceived. This situation can occur after driving for…
B110208 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2020
Various Electrical Problems Caused by Water Ingress. Water ingress into the luggage compartment may cause various electrical problems or faults associated with the MPM (Micro Power Module); PDC (Park Distance Control)…
611306 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 10, 2019
Diagnosis of Compound Brake System Complaints in M Vehicles:
B340414 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2018
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 2006 BMW M5 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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 2006 BMW M5?
- · 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 54,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.