Total Complaints
4 filings
BMW 5-SERIES · model year
2001 BMW 5-SERIES
4 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2001BMW5-SERIES carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2001 5-SERIES is structure with 1 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and exterior lighting (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2001 5-SERIES. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| VISIBILITY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20111015EXTERIOR LIGHTING
THE HEADLIGHT'S HAVE MANUAL ADJUSTERS ON EACH SIDE, BOTH OF MY HEADLIGHTS POINT TOWARDS THE GROUND BECAUSE THEY ARE BROKEN, I TRIED TO ADJUST THE BEAM AND BOTH SIDES JUST CLICK. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE AT NIGHT IT LIMITS YOUR VISION AHEAD TO ABOUT 10 TO 20 FEET. I OWN OTHER VEHICLE'S THAT ARE OLDER THAN THIS VEHICLE AND THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM. I AM A MEMBER OF A FORUM FOR THIS PARTICULAR MODEL CAR AND MORE THAN HALF, IF NOT EVERY MEMBER HAS ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM. THE SOLUTION FROM MY DEALER WAS TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLIGHTS FOR A TOTAL OF $1000.00 PLUS. I DON'T THINK A HEADLIGHT SHOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED ON A VEHICLE AND THIS IS A WELL KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED PROBLEM. THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY IS AT RISK BECAUSE OF THE POOR DESIGN OF THESE HEADLIGHTS. THE ADJUSTER'S JUST CLICK AND THE HEADLIGHTS ALWAYS POINT TOWARDS THE GROUND, IM PRETTY SURE IT WAS MADE THIS WAS TO INCREASE VISIBILITY OF THE ROAD AND HAZARDS AHEAD BUT IF THE MECHANISM IS BROKEN THEN THE SAF
Mileage: 140,000
20111015VISIBILITY
THE HEADLIGHT'S HAVE MANUAL ADJUSTERS ON EACH SIDE, BOTH OF MY HEADLIGHTS POINT TOWARDS THE GROUND BECAUSE THEY ARE BROKEN, I TRIED TO ADJUST THE BEAM AND BOTH SIDES JUST CLICK. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE AT NIGHT IT LIMITS YOUR VISION AHEAD TO ABOUT 10 TO 20 FEET. I OWN OTHER VEHICLE'S THAT ARE OLDER THAN THIS VEHICLE AND THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM. I AM A MEMBER OF A FORUM FOR THIS PARTICULAR MODEL CAR AND MORE THAN HALF, IF NOT EVERY MEMBER HAS ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM. THE SOLUTION FROM MY DEALER WAS TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLIGHTS FOR A TOTAL OF $1000.00 PLUS. I DON'T THINK A HEADLIGHT SHOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED ON A VEHICLE AND THIS IS A WELL KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED PROBLEM. THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY IS AT RISK BECAUSE OF THE POOR DESIGN OF THESE HEADLIGHTS. THE ADJUSTER'S JUST CLICK AND THE HEADLIGHTS ALWAYS POINT TOWARDS THE GROUND, IM PRETTY SURE IT WAS MADE THIS WAS TO INCREASE VISIBILITY OF THE ROAD AND HAZARDS AHEAD BUT IF THE MECHANISM IS BROKEN THEN THE SAF
Mileage: 140,000
20091203ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
FAILURE OF THE INFORMATION CLUSTER, MISSING PIXELS)....MILEAGE AND OTHER INFORMATION CAN NOT BE READ.*TR
Mileage: 36,000
20091125STRUCTURE
BMW X5 WITH 15,000 MILES HAD SUCH EXTENSIVE RUST IN THE FRONT END PARTS THAT THE REPAIR COST OVER $2,000. *TR
Mileage: 15,000
Compare 2001BMW5-SERIES to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2001 BMW 5-SERIES have?▼
The 2001 BMW 5-SERIES has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 BMW 5-SERIES?▼
The most-complained component for the 2001 BMW 5-SERIES is STRUCTURE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and EXTERIOR LIGHTING.
Is the 2001 BMW 5-SERIES safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2001 BMW 5-SERIES; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.