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2006 BMW 5 SeriesProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 85 owner complaints about the 2006 BMW 5 Series, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 7 safety recalls, and for recall 22V-119 the manufacturer reports only 27% of affected cars repaired.

48
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.1× the 5 Series median · #2 of 8 years by complaints
Safety recalls7Lowest repair rate 27%Owner complaints8511 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage70kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 2, 2022. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2006 BMW 5 Series has problems

85 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags363
Electrical system192
Power train80
Exterior lighting71
Visibility70
Engine60
Wheels40
Service brakes, hydraulic41
Tires40
13 other systems273

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

7 recalls

2006 BMW 5 Series recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

27%repaired · 2024 Q2

Emission control: crankcase (pcv)

Recall 22V-119 · Mar 2, 2022 · 917,106 vehicles · 251,242 repaired

Risk. An electrical short can cause the PCV valve heater to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire while driving or, soon after driving when parked.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Air bags: frontal

Recall 08V-384 · Aug 5, 2008 · 200,000 vehicles

Risk. IN THIS SITUATION THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY EVEN IF A SUFFICIENTLY SEVERE ACCIDENT WOULD OCCUR AND OCCUPANT PROTECTION PROVIDED BY THE…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 3 more recalls
–no report yet

Power train: automatic transmission

Recall 05V-504 · Nov 1, 2005 · 240 vehicles

Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE THE PARKING LOCK SYSTEM NOT TO ENGAGE, AFTER THE TRANSMISSION IS PLACED IN THE PARK ("P") POSITION.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with BMW.

Mileage at failure

When do air bags problems start?

70kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 34 air bags complaints. 91% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
6under 30k miles31under 100k miles3100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2006 vs. every other 5 Series year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the 5 Series median. How we score

'96'97'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'23
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2006 BMW 5 Series safety ratings

2006 BMW 5 Series 4-DR w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2006 BMW 5 Series, and the recalls they led to.

  1. BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATIONEA08001 · closed Dec 31, 2008
    Led to recall 08V-384
  2. BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATIONPE07045 · closed Jan 4, 2008
    No recall
In owners' words

What 5 Series owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTION MAT HAD TO BE REPLACED AS IT WAS DEFECTIVE. THOUGH NOT IN PREVIOUS RECALLS IN SIMILAR BMWS AND SIMILAR YEARS, THE ERROR PRESENTED A SAFETY ISSUE THAT WOULD DISABLE THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS AND INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY DURING A CRASH. WITH THIS ERROR,…
Complaint 11024085 · Sep 18, 2017 · 74,000 miles
THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG MALFUNCTIONED CASING THE SEAT TO HAVE TO BE REMOVED AND SENSOR REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS BUT MY CAR, AND 2 OF MY FRIENDS CARS WERE NOT INCLUDED ON THE RECALL, MY FRIENDS WERE CHARGED BY THE DEALERSHIP. MY ENGINE LEAKS OIL ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD CAUSING SMOKE…
Complaint 10939903 · Jan 5, 2017 · 69,000 miles
MY PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON ABOUT A MONTH AGO FOR APPARENT REASON AND STAY ON EVER SINCE. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL BMW DEALER AND WAS TOLD MY VIN WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED AND DONT UNDERSTAND WHY SOME CARS WERE ON THE RECALL AND SOME WERE NOT. APPARENTLY THIS…
Complaint 10846358 · Mar 13, 2016 · 80,000 miles

Own a 2006 5 Series?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.