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2018 BMW 5 Series Reliability & Recall Report

Based on 4 NHTSA recalls and 104 owner complaints. All data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — free, no signup required.

C
57/100

Elevated Reported Activity — 2018 BMW 5 Series

The 2018 BMW 5 Series shows elevated recall and complaint activity in NHTSA data. Make sure any recall campaigns are resolved before purchase and have the vehicle inspected thoroughly.

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4
NHTSA Recalls
4 recalls on record
104
Owner Complaints
Filed with NHTSA
5
Crash Reports
1 fire report
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NHTSA Recalls — 2018 BMW 5 Series (4)

All recalls listed below must be repaired by an authorized BMW dealer at no charge to the owner.

🔧 Engine And Engine Cooling: Engine
A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft sensor, free of charge. The recall began September 6, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA #18V465000
🔧 Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or…
NHTSA #19V684000
🔧 Equipment: Electrical
An electrical shock or a fire can increase the risk of injury or death.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the charging cable, and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer…
NHTSA #18V652000
🔧 Air Bags
In the event of a crash of sufficient severity, deployment of the head air bag may be impaired and/or the igniter could separate from the inflator, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left or right head air bag, free of charge. The recall began June 24, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service…
NHTSA #20V243000
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Most Common Problems — 2018 BMW 5 Series

Based on 104 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Bars show relative complaint frequency.

Air Bags
40
Electrical System
16
Unknown Or Other
10
Seat Belts
10
Engine
7
Engine And Engine Cooling
3
Structure
3
Latches/locks/linkages
2
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BMW 5 Series — Complaints by Year

A spike means more owner complaints were filed for that model year. The 2018 model year is highlighted.

2012 265 complaints 2013 194 complaints 2014 152 complaints 2015 100 complaints 2016 83 complaints 2017 38 complaints 2018 103 complaints 2019 39 complaints 2020 17 complaints 2021 28 complaints 2022 19 complaints

→ Decode a BMW VIN — free BMW VIN decoder guide: where to find the VIN and what each part means.

⚠ Higher-complaint years: 2012, 2013 — These model years have more owner complaints in NHTSA data than the other years compared.

✅ Best model years: 2017, 2019, 2020 — Lowest complaint rates for this model.

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Frequently Asked Questions — 2018 BMW 5 Series

Is the 2018 BMW 5 Series reliable?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2018 BMW 5 Series has 4 recall campaigns and 104 owner complaints. This model year shows elevated recall or complaint activity — review the details and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.
How many recalls does the 2018 BMW 5 Series have?
The 2018 BMW 5 Series has 4 NHTSA recalls. Affected systems include: see recall details above. All recalls are repaired free at authorized dealers.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 BMW 5 Series?
The most commonly reported problems for the 2018 BMW 5 Series are: Air Bags, Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Seat Belts. See the complaint breakdown above for full details.
Is the 2018 BMW 5 Series safe to buy?
The 2018 BMW 5 Series has some safety and reliability items to review before buying. Ensure all 4 recalls are completed at a dealer. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic is strongly recommended.
What year BMW 5 Series should I buy?
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the best years for the BMW 5 Series are: 2017, 2019, 2020. These show the lowest complaint rates. Years with higher complaint counts: 2012, 2013.
How we score this: The score starts at 100 and subtracts points for the number of NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints filed for this model year, and for complaints that report crashes or fires. Newer model years get a small bonus because they have had less time to collect reports. These are raw counts and are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, so popular models tend to have more recalls and complaints. Complaints are unverified owner reports. This grade is not a prediction about any individual vehicle and is not an inspection: check a specific car’s VIN for open recalls and get an independent pre-purchase inspection.
Data source: All recall and complaint data is sourced directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public API. Data is cached and refreshed every 7 days. Recall and complaint counts reflect data available at the time of last cache update. For the most current recall status on a specific vehicle, enter the VIN above or visit NHTSA.gov/recalls.