Problems · NHTSA complaints

2019 BMW 5 Series problems

Owners filed 40 complaints about the 2019 BMW 5 Series with NHTSA between Mar 2019 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (12).

Complaints
40
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
6
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system12
  2. Engine9
  3. Vehicle speed control6
  4. Power train5
  5. Service brakes5
  6. Fuel/propulsion system4
  7. Forward collision avoidance4
  8. Air bags3
  9. Seat belts2
  10. Wheels1
  11. Lane departure1
  12. Equipment1
  13. Exterior lighting1
  14. Visibility1

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
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20192
20205
20216
20222
20233
20248
20256
20268

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.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

12 reports3 crashes
“The contact owns a 2019 BMW 530E. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V441000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact had not experience a failure.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 29, 2026Electrical systemODI 11767663

Engine

9 reports
“I learned from Carfax on July 12, 2026 that a recall has been issued on my vehicle, a 2019 BMW 530e -- "Recall 26V-441:540 Engine Starter". The recall relates to the engine starter and I understand from my research that the engine could catch on fire, even when the car is turned off. Now 5 weeks later, I have not received ANY notification from BMW about the recall, the hazard it presents, nor the advice apparently to park the car away from structures. All of my information is coming from Carfax. And there is apparently still no remedy available! This seems utterly unacceptable -- both no communication from BMW or a dealer and no remedy available after almost 6 weeks.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 22, 2026EngineODI 11758780

Vehicle speed control

6 reports4 crashes
“The contact owns a 2019 BMW 540i. The contact stated that while slowly driving into the driveway the vehicle erroneously accelerated forward at a high rate of speed and crashed into the garage door. The contact indicated that during the incident the brake pedal was being pressed but the vehicle did not immediately stop. During the incident the front end of the vehicle was damaged but no air bags deployed. No injuries were reported but the contact experienced emotional stress from the incident. The contact also indicated that the failure had once occurred while the husband was driving the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 31,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 14, 2026Vehicle speed controlCrash reportedODI 11737812

Power train

5 reports
“* The component that failed is the front axle of my 2019 530e xDrive, and it's a common issue for the xDrive, even under NORMAL use. I was told by my service advisor at my local BMW dealership that it should be repaired as soon as possible. * A damaged axle can lead to a wheel locking up, causing the vehicle to skid or veer off course, especially during turns or at higher speeds. This can result in loss of control, making it difficult to steer and brake safely. A failed xDrive front axle is a known common issue for the xDrive. While BMW isn't doing anything while knowing it would lead to serious safety issues. * Yes, it has been inspected by the service department, and more concerning is the quality of BMW OEM's part supplier, I bought the car used at around 26k miles, when at around 35k miles that the axle are beginning to make clunking noise. More surprising is that after having the vehicle checked out, they've found out that the front right axle was already replaced by the previous owner, replaced with GKN brand axle, which is the original supplier that manufactures BMW's axle. After calculation, the two axles didn't even last over 36,000 miles, with an…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 22, 2025Power trainODI 11675399

Service brakes

5 reports2 crashes
“The contact owns a 2019 BMW 530I. The contact stated that the vehicle's automatic breaking system would suddenly activate without warning or with a loud screeching alarm type noise before it occurs. The automatic breaking system would also fail to activate when coming close to items and or other vehicles where the automatic breaking system should have caused the vehicle to come to a stop. The failures occur intermittently. The contact contacted the dealer who had not repaired the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue The approximate failure mileage was 31,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 28, 2021Service brakes, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11418859

Fuel/propulsion system

4 reports
“I was driving my car for about 7 min (in 0 degree weather) and it overheated and just shut off on the road. I noticed it was over heating and headed to the repair shop. It stalled again. Even after apparently it was fixed the engine continues to act like it wants to stall. It’s says malfunction, but codes do not show up in the system. They keep telling me it’s fine and they fixed it, it keeps wanting to shut off.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 7, 2026Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11722692
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.