2003 BMW 5-SERIES — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
19
Owner Complaints
2
Recalls
5
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2003 BMW 5-SERIES
The 2003 BMW 5-SERIES has received a total of 19 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 2 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with STEERING:LINKAGES:ROD:RELAY:CONNECTING, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN. 5 technical service bulletins have been issued by BMW of North America, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Air Bags (4 complaints), Electrical System (4 complaints), and Latcheslockslinkages (2 complaints).
Recalls for the 2003 BMW 5-SERIES
NHTSA has recorded 2 recalls for the 2003 BMW 5-SERIES, potentially affecting up to 1,199 vehicles.
Recall 19E058000 — STEERING:LINKAGES:ROD:RELAY:CONNECTING
| 614 vehicles affected
Defect: ZF Group North America Operations (ZF) is recalling certain Lemförder Steering Center Rods sold as aftermarket parts for 1996-2004 BMW 5-Series (E39) vehicles. The steering center rods may have an insufficient ball pin pull force that may allow the rods to detach from the steering knuckle.
Consequence: If the steering rod detaches from the steerable wheel knuckle, it can cause sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: ZF has notified the parts distributors, instructing them to inform the end customer. ZF will reimburse them for the affected parts. The recall began August 28, 2019.
View full details →Recall 12E029000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
| 585 vehicles affected
Defect: This recall involves aftermarket parts sold by Valeo. Valeo is recalling certain engine cooling fans, part numbers 696121, 696273, and 696275, used as service replacement parts for model year 2008-2011 BMW 1-Series, 2006-2011 BMW 3-Series, 2000-2009 BMW 5-Series, 2004-2005 BMW 6-Series, and 2006-2007 BMW 7-Series vehicles. A metal-oxide semiconductor may overheat due to insufficient screwing of the semiconductor on the...
Consequence: This condition could cause the fan motor to become inoperative, or cause the motor circuit board in the assembly to overheat, potentially leading to a fire in the engine compartment.
Remedy: Valeo will notify owners and replace the fans free of charge. The safety recall began on August 22, 2012. This recall is being conducted by Valeo, not by BMW. For further information, owners may contact Valeo at 1-888-718-2536.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2003 BMW 5-SERIES
19 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2003 BMW 5-SERIES. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latcheslockslinkages | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Otherstoragefuel Gauge System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
TAKATA RECALL. MORE THAN A YEAR AGO, I RECEIVED INFORMATION IN THE FORM OF A WARNING THAT MY CAR HAD AIRBAGS THAT SHOULD BE REPLACED. I CONTACTED THE BMW CENTER ON S.DIXIE HIGHWAY NEAR 160 STREET IN MIAMI AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WILL GET BACK TO ME. AFTER A LONG ENOUGH WAIT, I CALLED AGAIN AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. AFTER ANOTHER PERIOD OF TIME, I TOOK MY CAR TO THEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE AIRBAG HAD BEEN ORDERED AND THAT I WILL BE NOTIFIED AS SOON AS IT COMES IN. AFTER ANOTHER LONG WAIT, I CALLED AND LATER WENT BACK WITH MY CAR BUT STILL GOT THE SAME RUN-AROUND. IT HAS BEEN ALMOST 2 YEARS SINCE I CONTACTED BMW. I AM LUCKY THAT NOTHING BAD HAS HAPPENED TO ME WHILE DRIVING MY CAR. WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO DO IN ORDER TO GET THE SERVICE THAT I NEED? THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. *TR
I'M GETTING THE RUN AROUND ABOUT REPLACING THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG IN MY CAR. I RECEIVED THE INITIAL NOTICE OVER 6 MONTHS AGO AND WAS TOLD THE AIR BAGS WERE RELEASED OVER A MONTH AGO BUT I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN A SECOND NOTICE. THE BMW DEALERSHIP SAYS THERE ISN'T AN ISSUE WITH THE BMW IT'S JUST PRECAUTIONARY BUT THEY STILL DON'T HAVE THE AIRBAGS IN.
TAKATA RECALL - I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT MY VEHICLE, WHICH HAS BEEN MINE SINCE IT WAS NEW IN 2003, IS PART OF THE TAKATA RECALL AND HAS BEEN SINCE ALMOST A YEAR AGO. I NEVER RECEIVED A SINGLE NOTIFICATION IN THE MAIL. I HAVE LIVED AT THE SAME ADDRESS SINCE 2003, SO THERE SEEMS TO BE ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE FOR THIS. WHEN I CALLED MY BMW DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE RECALL, I WAS TOLD THERE IS NO CURRENT REMEDY BUT THAT SOMEONE WOULD CALL ME BACK ABOUT MY OPTIONS. IT HAS BEEN ALMOST TWO WEEKS AND NO ONE HAS CALLED ME. I THEN SENT AN E-MAIL TO BMW, WHICH RESULTED IN A FORM RETURN MESSAGE. WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR SOMEONE WITH THIS RECALL AND NO REMEDY? I CAN'T SAY THAT I FEEL AT ALL SAFE DRIVING MY CAR, ESPECIALLY NOT WITH MY CHILDREN IN IT, BUT I APPARENTLY HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE AS I'M NOT IN A POSITION TO PURCHASE A NEW VEHICLE OR TO RENT A VEHICLE.
I WAS DRIVING APPX 40MPH WHILE ON A LOCAL ROAD SLIGHTLY UPHILL, ENGINE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING, LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKE ASSIST. LUCKILY NO CARS AROUND ME SO I WAS ABLE TO BARELY ROLL OVER TO THE ROADSIDE. CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN, WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. REPLACED ECU FOR A TOTAL COST OF $2K. *TR
I WAS DRIVING APPX 40MPH WHILE ON A LOCAL ROAD SLIGHTLY UPHILL, ENGINE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING, LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKE ASSIST. LUCKILY NO CARS AROUND ME SO I WAS ABLE TO BARELY ROLL OVER TO THE ROADSIDE. CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN, WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. REPLACED ECU FOR A TOTAL COST OF $2K. *TR
Safety Rating for the 2003 BMW 5-SERIES
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2003 BMW 5-SERIES in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2003 BMW 5-SERIES
BMW of North America, LLC has issued 5 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2003 BMW 5-SERIES. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
B61-17-12 — VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
BMW: WIPERS LIGHTS AND FRONT POWER WINDOWS ARE INOPERATIVE. THIS SITUATION MAY START AND LEAD TO A PERMANENT FAULT. ALSO INCLUDED MODEL F07 (5 SERIES GRAN TURISMO) MODEL YEARS UP TO MARCH 2012. *JS
SIB-61-06-12 — STEERING:COLUMN
BMW: STEERING COLUMN SWITCH CENTER CONTAINS ONE OR MORE FAULTS: INTERNAL CONTROL, STEERING WHEEL LOCK RANGE EXCEEDED, WIPER ANGLE DEFECTIVE. VARIOUS CHECK CONTROL MESSAGES APPEAR WITH AIRBAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. *PE
SIB-63-03-11 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
BMW: WIRING ON THE HEADLIGHTS MAY HAVE DETERIORATED DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND THE COVER NOT BEING SECURED PROPERLY. E60/E92. *RM UPDATED 9/30/11. *PE
SIB-11-14-07 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER
BMW VEHICLE: N54 TURBOCHARGER WASTE GATE CONTROL NOISES AND OPERATION. AFTER TURNING OFF ENGINE, A SLIGHT RATTLE NOISE IS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS NOISE IS SIMILAR TO A MECHANICAL TYPEWRITER. IN ADDITION, THE COMPLAINTS OF A SLIGHT REDUCTION OF POWER SIMILAR TO AN INCREASED TURBO LAG. THE VACUUM...
SIB-11-14-07 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
BMW VEHICLE: N54 TURBOCHARGER WASTE GATE CONTROL NOISES AND OPERATION. AFTER TURNING OFF ENGINE, A SLIGHT RATTLE NOISE IS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS NOISE IS SIMILAR TO A MECHANICAL TYPEWRITER. IN ADDITION, THE COMPLAINTS OF A SLIGHT REDUCTION OF POWER SIMILAR TO AN INCREASED TURBO LAG. THE VACUUM...
NHTSA Investigations for the 2003 BMW 5-SERIES
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the BMW 5-SERIES
- 1998 BMW 5-SERIES — 0 complaints
- 1999 BMW 5-SERIES — 2 complaints
- 2000 BMW 5-SERIES — 3 complaints
- 2001 BMW 5-SERIES — 4 complaints
- 2002 BMW 5-SERIES — 10 complaints
- 2003 BMW 5-SERIES (current)
- 2004 BMW 5-SERIES — 89 complaints
- 2005 BMW 5-SERIES — 26 complaints
- 2006 BMW 5-SERIES — 125 complaints
- 2007 BMW 5-SERIES — 22 complaints
- 2008 BMW 5-SERIES — 140 complaints