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2001 BMW 5 Series recalls, complaints and safety ratings

There are 0 US recalls for the 2001 BMW 5 Series, and 4 in Canada. Owners filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure.

0US recalls
0urgent recalls
3owner complaints
–overall crash rating

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Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.

US recalls (0)

No US recalls found for the 2001 BMW 5 Series.

Canadian recalls (4)

Show 4 Canadian recalls
Do not drive

Airbag

2019-01-15 · campaign 2019-020

Issue: 2023 Update - BMW has updated this recall and issued a do not drive advisory for all vehicles that that not yet been repaired. Some vehicles may contain a replacement sport steering wheel with a Takata driver-front air bag module. Long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the propellant contained in the driver-front airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag assembly, preventing its proper function. Safety Risk: If the vehicle is involved in a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the airbag inflator could rupture and create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: BMW advises not to drive your vehicle unless this recall repair has been completed. BMW will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the driver-front airbag inflator. The driver-front airbag module or inflator will be replaced as necessary. To learn if your vehicle requires repair, owners may: • Visit https://www.bmw.ca/en/ssl/VehicleRecall.html • Contact your preferred or local BMW Retailer • Call BMW Customer Relations Recall Services at 1-855-217-3002

Do not drive

Airbag

2017-01-20 · campaign 2017-034

Issue: 2023 Update - BMW has updated this recall and issued a do not drive advisory for all vehicles that that not yet been repaired. This recall is for certain vehicles that had an airbag inflator replaced as a part of an earlier recall campaign. This recall provides a final repair. Long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the propellant contained in the driver-front airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag assembly, preventing its proper function. Safety Risk: If the vehicle is involved in a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the airbag inflator could rupture and create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: BMW advises not to drive your vehicle unless this recall repair has been completed. BMW will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the driver-front airbag inflator. The driver-front airbag module or inflator will be replaced as necessary. To learn if your vehicle requires repair, owners may: • Visit https://www.bmw.ca/en/ssl/VehicleRecall.html • Contact your preferred or local BMW Retailer • Call BMW Customer Relations Recall Services at 1-855-217-3002

Airbag

2003-10-24 · campaign 2003-259

On certain vehicles, a microprocessor in the airbag control module could cause one or more airbag(s) to deploy when placing the key in the ignition ON position, or when starting the vehicle. In this case, unexpected deployment of the airbag(s) could cause serious injury if an occupant is too close to the deploying airbag(s). In addition, the Battery Safety Terminal (BST) may also be activated. It this happens, the starter cable would become disconnected from the battery, and the engine could not be restarted. Correction: Dealer will replace the airbag control module.

Tires

2002-01-15 · campaign 2001-301 · 208 vehicles

Certain 740ILA, 750IL and M5 vehicles equipped with 18-inch tires. (18-inch tires are standard equipment on the M5 and optional equipment on the 7-series models). The machine used to mount and inflate the tires on the wheels at the assembly plant may have damaged the sidewall of one or more tires. The damaged area could weaken to the point where a sudden loss of air from the tire could occur. Handling and control would be drastically affected increasing the risk of a crash. Correction: dealers will inspect the tires and if damage from the mounting machine is found, the tire will be replaced.

Owner complaints (3)

Owners filed 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 BMW 5 Series. Among 17 model years of this model, it ranks #12 for the most complaints (median 8).

Most-reported problemComplaints
Structure1
Electrical system1
Exterior lighting1
Visibility1

Fuel economy

EPA ratings for each 2001 BMW 5 Series version.

VersionCity MPGHighway MPGCombinedYearly fuel cost
525i 2.5 L Automatic 5-spd172520$4,100
525i 2.5 L Manual 5-spd182721$3,900
525i Sport Wagon 2.5 L Automatic 5-spd172419$4,350
525i Sport Wagon 2.5 L Manual 5-spd172420$4,100
530i 3.0 L Manual 5-spd182721$3,900
530i 3.0 L Automatic (S5)162419$4,350
540i 4.4 L Automatic 5-spd162218$4,550
540i 4.4 L Manual 6-spd142116$5,150
540i 4.4 L Automatic (S5)141916$5,150
540i Sport Wagon 4.4 L Automatic (S5)141916$5,150
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Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada). Recalls updated 2026-10-30.