2006 BMW 5 Series problems
The 2006 BMW 5 Series has 125 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (30%) concerns air bags. After that come electrical system (16%) and engine (6%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 125 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 30% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 8 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 9 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 68,000 miles 118 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 23 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 10 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 20 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 30 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 16 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 7 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 6 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 4 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Among the 118 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 68,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 70,000 miles (35 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 8 complaints mention a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 9 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2006 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 5 model years of the BMW 5 Series with enough data (81 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 7 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 BMW 525I. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the contact's wife began to feel dizzy. The next thing she remembered is smoke appearing under the hood and she rear ended another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact was injured and had to be transported to the hospital. The vehicle sustained damage to the front end. A police report was filed. There were no air bag recalls, but there is an open investigation regarding the air bags. The current and failure mileages were 14,500.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 BMW m5. While driving between 35-40 MPH the vehicle caught on fire. The vehicle had a history of electrical problems since the day of purchase. During the fire, the vehicle lost the ability to brake. He had to use the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the flames. The vehicle was completely destroyed. He suffered minor burns on his hands. The failure mileage was 40,000.
Computer locked key, all lights inside car and outside flickered out of control, then 2 weeks later brake did not engage while trying to stop and the vehicle crashed into a pole.
Passenger restraint system fault light has started showing on my BMW, there has been a recall reported on the same component "statement on voluntary recall involving front passenger seat sensor mat on u.s.a. Model bmws - august 13, 2008". I have the same problem but my VIN is not showing up in the recall. I took the car to dealer and dealer says its exactly the same part but I am not covered under recall warranty.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 BMW 5 series. The contact started the ignition and the front passenger's side air bag warning indicator began to illuminate continuously, although the seat was not occupied. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and repaired. The manufacturer was notified and they stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 08v384000 (air bags). The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.