2008 BMW 5 Series problems and complaints
Owners have filed 432 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 BMW 5 Series. The most-reported areas: Electrical System (108), Exterior Lighting (82), Engine (81).
Key takeaways
- 432 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 4 involve a crash, 32 a fire, 8 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 108 | 25% |
| Exterior Lighting | 82 | 19% |
| Engine | 81 | 19% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 59 | 14% |
| Fuel System | 53 | 12% |
| Gasoline | 48 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 47 | 11% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 44 | 10% |
| Power Train | 40 | 9% |
| Seat Belts | 29 | 7% |
| Unknown Or Other | 18 | 4% |
| Seats | 18 | 4% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 BMW 5 Series 4-DR w/SAB | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 4/5 |
| 2008 BMW 5 Series Wagon w/SAB | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Engine,fuel/Propulsion System - filed 2025-11-05
My vehicle had a faulty PCV valve that was under "Stop Drive," order. I received no correspondence from the NHTSA nor from BMW of North America in regards to this. My BMW X-5 had significant issues that are directly associated with this issue. After contacting BMW of North America directly because I could not reach a...
Exterior Lighting - filed 2025-09-19
The daylight lamps fall apart causing poor lighting at night and continuous alarms while driving. Also, impacting the quality of light and lack of lighting at night. The alarms are continuous and block ALL other alerts from the vehicle, including cruise control, temperature, overheating, engine, and other notices.
Electrical System,engine - filed 2025-09-13
Vehicle abruptly shut off while reversing out of my driveway. Vehicle restarted after a long crank and appeared to enter a reduced power mode/limp mode with a transmission fault that locked the transmission in 4th gear. Reading OBD2 codes revealed a code for the crankshaft position sensor. Inspection of the 3 termin...
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More for the 2008 BMW 5 Series
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.