Problems · NHTSA complaints
2014 BMW 5 Series problems
Owners filed 151 complaints about the 2014 BMW 5 Series with NHTSA between Apr 2014 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is engine (53).
Complaints
151
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Engine53
- Electrical system38
- Fuel/propulsion system28
- Engine and engine cooling23
- Power train13
- Exterior lighting8
- Fuel system, diesel8
- Structure8
- Air bags5
- Steering4
- Fuel system, gasoline3
- Vehicle speed control2
- Service brakes2
- Latches/locks/linkages2
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
7
4
2
11
9
12
6
11
23
18
14
26
8
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 7 |
| 2015 | 4 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 11 |
| 2018 | 9 |
| 2019 | 12 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 11 |
| 2022 | 23 |
| 2023 | 18 |
| 2024 | 14 |
| 2025 | 26 |
| 2026 | 8 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Engine
53 reports2 crashes2 fires
“car was brought in for a recall could erupt fire from engine and electrical brought car to bmw 8/2025 have checked list when brought in car was in perfect condition per bmw .pick up car checked engine light was on brought back immediately manager took to shop and cleared light immediately came back on i called them then i drive screen was saying low coolant oil low drivetrain overheating oil leaks burning smell coolant smell etc called bmw na service manager etc waited for appointment 1/26 bmw had for 8 days only to say it had nothing to do with recall car now has no power excessive smoke smell undriveable been in garage for 3 months if ran would catch on fire”
Electrical system
38 reports6 fires
“The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust and there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The message "Engine Temperature High" was displayed. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the recall repairs were performed at a previous engine oil service. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.”
Fuel/propulsion system
28 reports1 fire
“Am experiencing repeat high-pressure fuel pump (hpfp/cp4) failure on my 2014 bmw 535d. First incident was covered an extended warranty. Policy then with the second being cover under then recently issued recall of the matter. Now i am experiencing however another cp4 failure with the dealership refusing to cover the repair saying the recall was completed . Given that the vehicle already received bmw corrective action for this known issue and the same component has now failed again, CP4 failures are a well known document concern with the diesel bmw community and this failure creates potential safety risk(stalling) I believe it is reasonable to expect bmw to participate in covering this repair under goodwill consideration. I have maintained the vehicle responsibly.”
Engine and engine cooling
23 reports2 fires2 related recalls
“See attached document for complaint. Greetings: I am writing pursuant to recalls No. 24V‑608, both remedy unavailable and remedy available, ten months later. During the intervening ten months, I experienced hardship, expense and loss of use of my vehicle. The attached documents represent my correspondence to BMW Customer relations. The docs were submitted on September 22, 2025 and October 14, 2025, by email. I have received no response, to date; not even acknowledgement of receipt. I hereby submit my belief that BMW has some responsibility for failure to cure the smoke condition they knew about for ten months. Please note the BMW service inspection of August 14, 2025 in which it was stated that my warning lights passed the inspection. Meanwhile, the warning lights on my dashboard look like a “xmas tree”. I am being ghosted by BMW and I have no power, unless you say I do. Please help in any way which is fair. Thank You.”
Power train
13 reports
“The Check engine light is displayed, a drivetrain malfunction message is being displayed and the engine's power output has been reduced The issue is diagnosed as turbocharger wastegate valve actuator I would like for BMW to extend the limited warranty for this issue to 2014 BMW 528i”
Exterior lighting
8 reports2 fires1 related recall
“This is a known and unaddressed issue. BMW headlight seals fail allowing condensation to build and erode electronics. Replacement costs exceed $15K and only OEM parts and BMW servicing are options. Many BMW repair shops refuse to do this work as it is overly complicated and expensive. This issue is well known and document and warrants compensation and/or recall.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.