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2003 BMW 5 Series recalls, complaints and safety ratings

There are 0 US recalls for the 2003 BMW 5 Series, and 2 in Canada. Owners filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags.

0US recalls
0urgent recalls
15owner 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 2003 BMW 5 Series.

Canadian recalls (2)

Show 2 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

2015-05-27 · campaign 2015-230

Issue: 2023 Update - BMW has updated this recall and issued a do not drive advisory for all vehicles that that not yet been repaired. 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. Note: This recall supersedes special service campaign 2014-587. Correction: Dealers will replace the airbag module. 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

Owner complaints (15)

Owners filed 15 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 BMW 5 Series (1 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries reported). Among 17 model years of this model, it ranks #6 for the most complaints (median 8).

Most-reported problemComplaints
Air bags4
Electrical system4
Latches/locks/linkages2
Steering2
Fuel system, other1
Engine and engine cooling1
Tires1
Suspension1

Crash test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2003 BMW 5 Series.

VersionOverallFrontalSideRollover
2003 BMW 5 Series Sport Wagon w/SAB––––

Fuel economy

EPA ratings for each 2003 BMW 5 Series version.

VersionCity MPGHighway MPGCombinedYearly fuel cost
525i 2.5 L Automatic (S5)182621$3,900
525i 2.5 L Manual 5-spd182721$3,900
525i Sport Wagon 2.5 L Automatic (S5)172420$4,100
525i Sport Wagon 2.5 L Manual 5-spd172419$4,350
530i 3.0 L Automatic (S5)172520$4,100
530i 3.0 L Manual 5-spd182722$3,750
540i 4.4 L Automatic 5-spd162218$4,550
540i 4.4 L Manual 6-spd142116$5,150
540i 4.4 L Automatic (S5)151917$4,850
540i Sport Wagon 4.4 L Automatic (S5)151917$4,850
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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.