Research · Midsize Cars · 6 NHTSA variants

2015 BMW 5 SeriesRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 100 owner complaints for the 2015 BMW 5 Series. Most complaints involve electrical system (44) and engine and engine cooling (37). The EPA rates it 19–30 mpg combined, and NHTSA gives it 5 stars overall.

Combined MPG
19–30mpg
EPA · 6 versions
NHTSA overall
5of 5 stars
NCAP crash tests
Safety recalls
4campaigns
Latest Aug 2024
Owner complaints
100
Top: electrical system
Fuel cost / yr
$3,000est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

4 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Engine and engine cooling: pump

Free remedy

BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, 2015-2016 428xi vehicles. An improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit.

Engine and engine coolingReported Aug 14, 2024NHTSA 24V608000

Fuel system, diesel

Remedy pending

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2018 328d, 328d xDrive, 2014-2018 328d Sports Wagon, 328d xDrive Sports Wagon, 2014-2016 535d, 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d SAV, and 2014-2017 X5 xDrive35d SAV diesel vehicles equipped with an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) module with an integrated cooler. The EGR cooler may leak internally, causing coolant to mix with diesel engine soot, which could result in smoldering particles and a melting intake manifold.

Fuel system, dieselReported Nov 19, 2021NHTSA 21V907000

Fuel system

Free remedy

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2018 328d, 328d xDrive, X5 xDrive35d, 2014-2016 535d, 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, and 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d vehicles. The high-pressure fuel pump may fail.

Fuel system, dieselReported Jul 29, 2021NHTSA 21V586000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 10, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

100 complaints filed with NHTSA · Feb 2016 – Aug 2026
  1. Electrical system44
  2. Engine and engine cooling37
  3. Engine19
  4. Fuel/propulsion system8
  5. Structure7
  6. Power train5
  7. Exterior lighting5
  8. Air bags4
  9. Steering3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

By model year

Complaints for each 5 Series model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
199769
199859
199970
200075
200165
2011479
2012194
2013127
2014151
2015100
201738
201940
202016
202128
202413
Crashes reported
2
Fires reported
5
Injuries reported
1
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Electrical system

44 reports3 fires
“The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while idling, there was smoke emerging from under the hood, and the contact discovered that the electrical connection for the water pump caught fire. No warning light illuminated. The contact extinguished the fire using a fire extinguisher. No injury was reported, and no police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the water pump and other damaged components needed replacement. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The dealer submitted a claim to the manufacturer, but the manufacturer denied coverage because the water pump was previously replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had not directly contacted the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 26, 2026Engine and engine cooling, Electrical systemFire reportedODI 11759782

Engine and engine cooling

37 reports2 fires
“The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while his vehicle was parked, the coolant pump connector caught on fire, which was connected to a after market Coolant pump. The failure experienced was a localized electrical fire that originated at the coolant pump connector and aftermarket coolant pump while the vehicle was parked. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) but was told by the dealer they could not repair the recall due to the vehicle having an aftermarket coolant pump. The contact stated he originally replaced the coolant pump with an aftermarket one due to a failure, as advised in the recall notice. The vehicle was occupied during the failure. There was grey smoke coming from the engine and inside the vehicle, with flames that were coming from the hood and under the engine. The fire originated specifically within the coolant pump assembly and its associated electrical connector, with the thermal damage concentrated in that area before spreading. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 6, 2026Engine and engine cooling, Electrical systemFire reportedODI 11716235

Engine

19 reports2 fires
“I am filing an official safety recall non-compliance and documentation fraud complaint against the franchise dealership, BMW of [XXX], regarding their handling of active safety campaigns B110724 (Electric Water Pump) and B120921 (DME Control Unit).Following a severe engine overheating failure related to the water pump recall, both BMW Roadside and the dealership denied my request for a safety tow, forcing me to pay out-of-pocket for a private flatbed. Upon arrival, the dealership held my vehicle for over a week, explicitly withholding the mandatory safety campaign remedies to leverage an aggressive $4,517.18 retail repair quote for secondary turbo coolant lines. My service advisor explicitly left a voicemail stating: "That is why we were waiting to see if you were going to have the work performed before finishing up that 2nd recall."Furthermore, the dealership committed administrative fraud regarding federal disclosure rules. On my final paperwork under Repair Order #XXX, the dealership checked Box #4 on the 'Vehicle Recall Status Disclosure' page, falsely certifying under penalty that the vehicle was 'Not Subject to an Open Safety Recall'—directly…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 13, 2026EngineODI 11756649
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

6 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Midsize Cars, Large Cars
Engines
3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel · 2.0L 4-cyl turbo · 3.0L 6-cyl turbo · 4.4L 8-cyl turbo
Transmissions
Automatic (S8)
Drive
Rear-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Diesel · Premium Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 10, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
535d
Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Diesel, Turbo · Rear-Wheel Drive
263830$3,150334
528i
Auto (S8), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo · Rear-Wheel Drive
233326$3,000338
535i
Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Turbo · Rear-Wheel Drive
203024$3,200376
535i Gran Turismo
Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Turbo · Rear-Wheel Drive
192722$3,500405
550i
Auto (S8), 8 cyl, 4.4 L, Turbo · Rear-Wheel Drive
172520$3,850439
550i Gran Turismo
Auto (S8), 8 cyl, 4.4 L, Turbo · Rear-Wheel Drive
162419$4,050463
  • 535d
    Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Diesel, Turbo
    26 city · 38 hwy · $3,150/yr
    30
    mpg comb.
  • 528i
    Auto (S8), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo
    23 city · 33 hwy · $3,000/yr
    26
    mpg comb.
  • 535i
    Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Turbo
    20 city · 30 hwy · $3,200/yr
    24
    mpg comb.
  • 535i Gran Turismo
    Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Turbo
    19 city · 27 hwy · $3,500/yr
    22
    mpg comb.
  • 550i
    Auto (S8), 8 cyl, 4.4 L, Turbo
    17 city · 25 hwy · $3,850/yr
    20
    mpg comb.
  • 550i Gran Turismo
    Auto (S8), 8 cyl, 4.4 L, Turbo
    16 city · 24 hwy · $4,050/yr
    19
    mpg comb.
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 10, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

6 tested variants
Overall rating
5/ 5
5 of 5
BMW 528 I 4 DR RWD
Frontal crash
4 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
5 of 5
Rollover risk
9.3%
Overall
5 / 5
BMW 535 I 4 DR RWD
Frontal crash
4 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
5 of 5
Rollover risk
9.3%
Overall
5 / 5
BMW 535 I GT 5 HB RWD
Frontal crash
4 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
5 of 5
Rollover risk
9.3%
Overall
5 / 5
BMW 550 I GT 5 HB RWD
Frontal crash
4 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
5 of 5
Rollover risk
9.3%
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Nov 10, 2026Vehicle 9442Vehicle 9180Vehicle 9182
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2015 5 Series questions

How many recalls does the 2015 BMW 5 Series have?

4 safety recalls as of Nov 10, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2015 BMW 5 Series problems?

Owners filed 100 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are electrical system (44), engine and engine cooling (37), engine (19). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2015 BMW 5 Series get?

The EPA rates the 2015 BMW 5 Series at 19–30 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (6 versions rated).

How safe is the 2015 BMW 5 Series?

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gives the 2015 BMW 5 Series 5 out of 5 stars overall.

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Nov 10, 2026