BMW M5 · model year

2002 BMW M5

7 NHTSA complaints, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2002BMWM5 carries 7 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, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 M5 is visibility with 1 filings, followed by visibility:rear window wiper/washer (1) and electrical system (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2002 M5. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

7 filings

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

ComponentCount
VISIBILITY1
VISIBILITY:REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
SEATS1
AIR BAGS1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
POWER TRAIN1

Recalls (2)

15V31800028/05/2015

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi Sedans, and 325xi and 325i Sportswagons, 2002-2006 330Ci, 325Ci, and M3 Convertibles and 325i, 330i, and M3 Coupes, 2002-2003 M5, 540i, 525i Sedan, and 530i Sedans, and 540i and 525i Sportswagons,

17V04700020/01/2017

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2002 BMW 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 323Ci, 325Ci, 330Ci, M3, 323iT, 325iT and 325xiT vehicles, 2001-2002 525i, 530i, 540i, M5, 525iT and 540iT vehicles, and 2001-2003 X5 3.0i, X5 4.4i, and X5 4.6is vehicles. These vehicles may hav

Recent Complaints

20190801STRUCTURE:BODY

THERE ARE NO POWER MODIFICATIONS TO MY VEHICLE, I JUST RECENTLY INSTALLED A LOWER MILEAGE ENGINE, ALONG WITH ALL OF THE PARTS SURROUNDING THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION (IE CLUTCH, FLYWHEEL, THROWOUT BEARING, CLUTCH FORK, ETC). THE BREAK-IN PERIOD FOR A NEW CLUTCH IS 500 MILES OF NORMAL DRIVING AND 1000 MILES FOR THE ENGINE. I COMPLETED THE BREAK-IN PERIOD ON SATURDAY JULY 20, 2019, FOR THE CLUTCH BUT STILL HAVE SOME MILES TO GO FOR THE ENGINE BREAK-IN, SO ON 7-24-19 I WAS ENTERING THE FWY FROM A STOP LIGHT AND WHEN I PUSHED THE GAS PEADAL IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING EXPLODED AND I HADN'T EVEN GOTTEN OUT OF 1ST GEAR YET!!! SO, I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, B/C I HEARD SOMETHING RUBBING, AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TOW IT BACK TO THE SHOP THAT HAD JUST INSTALLED THE NEW ENGINE. THE SHOP CONTACTED ME WITH NEWS AND PICTURES, SHOWING ME THAT THE FACTORY WELDS ON THE DIFFERENTIAL'S SUBFRAME MOUNT HAD SNAPPED APART, DROPPING THE DIFFERENTIAL FROM ITS CORRECT POSITION AND DESTROYING MY DRI

Mileage: 195

20190801POWER TRAIN

THERE ARE NO POWER MODIFICATIONS TO MY VEHICLE, I JUST RECENTLY INSTALLED A LOWER MILEAGE ENGINE, ALONG WITH ALL OF THE PARTS SURROUNDING THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION (IE CLUTCH, FLYWHEEL, THROWOUT BEARING, CLUTCH FORK, ETC). THE BREAK-IN PERIOD FOR A NEW CLUTCH IS 500 MILES OF NORMAL DRIVING AND 1000 MILES FOR THE ENGINE. I COMPLETED THE BREAK-IN PERIOD ON SATURDAY JULY 20, 2019, FOR THE CLUTCH BUT STILL HAVE SOME MILES TO GO FOR THE ENGINE BREAK-IN, SO ON 7-24-19 I WAS ENTERING THE FWY FROM A STOP LIGHT AND WHEN I PUSHED THE GAS PEADAL IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING EXPLODED AND I HADN'T EVEN GOTTEN OUT OF 1ST GEAR YET!!! SO, I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, B/C I HEARD SOMETHING RUBBING, AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TOW IT BACK TO THE SHOP THAT HAD JUST INSTALLED THE NEW ENGINE. THE SHOP CONTACTED ME WITH NEWS AND PICTURES, SHOWING ME THAT THE FACTORY WELDS ON THE DIFFERENTIAL'S SUBFRAME MOUNT HAD SNAPPED APART, DROPPING THE DIFFERENTIAL FROM ITS CORRECT POSITION AND DESTROYING MY DRI

Mileage: 195

20170505AIR BAGS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW M5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V047000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

20150112SEATS

WHILE MOVING THE SEAT FORWARD (VALET MOVED IT BACK) WE FOUND THAT THE SEATS TWISTED; IN OUR CASE, THE OUTER SIDE OF THE SEAT BOTTOM MOVED FURTHER THAN THE INNER SIDE, CAUSING THE SEATS TO TWIST TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE CAR AND LEAVING THEM UNEVEN WITH THE DASH AND FRONT OF THE CAR. ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE SEAT POSITIONING BY MOVING THE SEAT BACKWARDS VIA POWER SWITCH CAUSED THE INNER BOTTOM PORTION OF THE SEAT (AROUND THE THIGH BOLSTERS) TO BIND AND JAM AGAINST THE CENTER CONSOLE. WE FOUND THAT THE POWER PASSENGER SEAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. WE RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ON BMW-RELATED WEBSITES (IN PARTICULAR, M5BOARD.COM) AND FOUND THAT EACH SEAT HAS THREE SEPARATE MOTORS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO MOVE IN UNISON WITH THE CONTROL SWITCH VIA ONE CABLE. AS DESIGNED AND BUILT, THESE POWER CABLES LEADING TO EACH MOTOR ARE TWISTED TO FIT WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE UNDER SEAT DESIGN. THE CABLE END ADJACENT TO EACH MOTOR MAKES CONTACT DURING NORMAL SEAT MOVEMENT WITH OTHER UNDER-SEAT COMPONENTS. AF

Mileage: 26,000

20090630ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

UNKNOWN BATTERY DRAIN CAUSES PREMATURE FAILURE OF BATTERY AND MORE THAN AVERAGE REPLACEMENT INTERVALS - EVERY TWO YEARS AS OPPOSED TO 5-7 YRS. CAR WILL NOT START IF IDLE FOR 24-48 HOURS. I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A CLAIM FOR THE CHARGING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT FOR ANY BMW M5 (E39) BUILT BETWEEN 2000-2003. *TR

Mileage: 99,999

20080909VISIBILITY:REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER

FOR SOME MONTHS NOW, MY REARVIEW MIRROR HAS BEEN DISCOLORED/OBSTRUCTED WITH A FLUID "BUBBLE" IN THE GLASS. I GENERALLY ONLY DRIVE THE CAR ON WEEKENDS IN BRIGHT AND SUNNY WEATHER, SO THE DECREASED VISIBILITY ISN'T A REAL BIG A DEAL AS IT WOULD BE IF DRIVEN AT NIGHT OR DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER. HOWEVER I'VE RECENTLY LOOKED INTO REPLACING THE MIRROR MYSELF--THE DEALER WANTS A RELATIVELY LARGE SUM OF MONEY TO PERFORM THE WORK AS THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY--AND HAVE DISCOVERED THERE MIGHT BE ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS IF EXPOSED TO THE FLUID CONTAINED INSIDE. (FELLOW OWNERS OF VEHICLES WITH THESE MIRRORS NOTE THAT IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR THIS FLUID TO LEAK OUT OR EXPLODE, PARTICULARLY ON HOT DAYS AS I OFTEN EXPERIENCE HERE IN FLORIDA; THIS FLUID SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSES DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR IN ADDITION TO THE AFOREMENTIONED POSSIBLE HEALTH EFFECTS.) THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER OF THE MIRROR HAS NOT PUBLICLY DISCLOSED ANY INFORMATION AT THIS TIME IN REGARDS TO THE FLUIDS CHEMICAL COMPOSIT

Mileage: 30,000

20080616VISIBILITY

MY REAR VIEW MIRROR FAILED AND LEAKED A SUBSTANCE WHICH DRIPPED ONTO MY SHIFT LEVER. UNKNOWINGLY I PLACED MY HAND ON THE LEVER AND WAS CONTAMINATED. I ALSO WAS BREATHING THE VAPORS WHICH SMELLED SOMEWHAT LIKE DRY CLEANING FLUID. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING AND HAVE FOUND THAT THE SUBSTANCE INSIDE THE MIRROR MAY BE HIGHLY TOXIC. HOW DO I KNOW FOR SURE IF I HAVE A PROBLEM? IF I DO WHAT TYPE OF TREATMENT DO I SEEK? THANKS *TR

Mileage: 12,000

Compare 2002BMWM5 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2002 BMW M5 have?
The 2002 BMW M5 has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2002 BMW M5?
Yes, the 2002 BMW M5 has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 BMW M5?
The most-complained component for the 2002 BMW M5 is VISIBILITY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2002 BMW M5 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 as of 2025. 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.