2019 BMW 5 Series problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 39 owner complaints about the 2019 BMW 5 Series, or 5.0 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.12, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 78 model-year 2019 vehicles we track, it ranks #7 of 78 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other BMW models its rate is 58% lower; against other Luxury sedans it is about the same.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2019-03-21 and 2026-09-29. Median delay from incident to filing: 7 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2018) drew 9.1 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2020) drew 2.2 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2019 model collected 7 complaints, 91% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (23.1% of complaints), followed by Electrical (15.4%) and Unspecified or other (15.4%). 8 reports (20.5%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 6 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 61 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (54% of incidents). 9 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.12
- vs. other BMW models0.42
- vs. other 2019 models0.11
- vs. other Luxury sedans1.03
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (7)0.09
- #7 of 78 · 2019Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Airbags & seat belts
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 7
- Fires reported: 1
- Injuries: 6
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 61 months
What owners report
The contact owns a 2019 BMW 540i. The contact stated that while slowly driving into the driveway the vehicle erroneously accelerated forward at a high rate of speed and crashed into the garage door.
The contact owned a 2019 BMW 530E. The contact stated that while driving at a moderate rate of speed, a warning message that stated" This car will not start again" appeared on the instrument panel.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW 530E. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V441000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted.
I learned from Carfax on July 12, 2026 that a recall has been issued on my vehicle, a 2019 BMW 530e -- "Recall 26V-441:540 Engine Starter".
oil filter housing is plastic and is bound to give I hadn’t reach 150k miles its an expensive job not normal maintenance problem bmw is expensive but recall this part to protect consumers
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2019 · Luxury sedans
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Audi A4 | 8 | 1.0 | 0.02 |
| 2019 Lexus ES | 34 | 4.4 | 0.11 |
| 2019 BMW 5 Series | 39 | 5.0 | 0.12 |
| 2019 BMW 3 Series | 41 | 5.3 | 0.13 |
| 2019 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 54 | 6.9 | 0.17 |
| 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 79 | 10.1 | 0.25 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.