Used BMW 5 Series Saloon 2017-2023 reliability

When viewing a used car, always follow our used car buying checklist.

Bodywork

The BMW 5 Series is a big car, and while you get parking sensors as standard, you should still check the alloy wheels for kerb grazes. Smaller ones are less likely to attract damage, but irrespective of wheel size, a sizeable chunk of metal missing from the wheel rim might suggest a high-speed kerb impact that could also have affected the suspension system.

Electrics

You’ll also find a great deal of electronic toys inside the 5 Series, so spend some time familiarising yourself with all the buttons’ functions and check that they all do what they’re supposed to.

At the time of writing, the BMW 5 Series has 10 recalls listed. To check whether any remedial work has been carried out, you can contact your local BMW dealer. You will not need to pay for anything involving the recall.

Leaking glycol coolant could create in combination with soot and oil sediments in the EGR module ignitable deposits.

The EGR cooler may leak presenting a fire risk.

The ball head connecting the brake pedal and the master brake cylinder the ball head might not be locked properly into the ball cage. If the driver accidentally pulls up the brake pedal the brake switch would be activated permanently. This will cause: The brake lamps to be illuminated even while driving A Check Control Message would not alert the driver. An engine start or gear selection would be possible without brake actuation. If the driver's door were opened after switching off the engine the gear would not switch automatically to "P" as designed.

Curtain airbags may have propellant which may have a humidity level higher than specification and in the event of a collision may not deploy correctly increasing the risk of injury.

If the retaining ring inside the steering gear has not been fitted correctly the sealing cap would not be fixed axially and might start moving. If the sealing cap has moved the ball return channel would not be fixed anymore and might move out of position possibly resulting in a ball jam accompanied by an extensively increased steering force and possibly lock.

The engine counterbalance shaft bearing bushing into the crankcase may be out of specification

The battery cables on the 48V starter generator may not have been sufficiently secured during the production process.

The rear drive shafts may not fulfil the durability requirements.

In very rare cases welding beads were not always completely removed in the cleaning process during battery production.

A possibility of impurities contained in the HV batteries may cause short circuits.

Click here for more information. Contact your local BMW dealer if you believe your vehicle is involved in a recall.

Petrol BMW 5 Series models are less prone to problems than diesels, according to the What Car? Reliability Survey. The petrols finished in third place out of 20 cars in the executive car class with a score of 96.7%, while the diesel variants finished in a disappointing last place with a score of 79.8%.

Petrol versions had far fewer faults than diesels, with most issues concerning the electrical systems. BMW also fully covered the cost of repairing 75% of petrol models but repaired only 46% of diesels gratis. Petrol models were fixed quicker, too.

For the diesels, not only did they have a high fault rate, but they were also costly and slow to put right. A third of owners had to pay between £201 and £750; some paid more than £1500. Most of the afflicted cars could still be driven, but 46% took more than a week to fix.

For the full list of executive and luxury saloon cars in our survey, click here.

In the same survey, BMW as a brand ranked eighth out of 31 manufacturers, which is respectable, with a score of 94%. See the full list of manufacturers here.

Used BMW 5 Series reliability: the owners' view

In our latest What Car? Reliability Survey, owners said the BMW 5 Series (petrol and diesel models from 2017-2023) delivered mixed results when it came to dependability. Several owners praised the car for being largely trouble-free, with no unexpected faults during ownership. However, others reported a range of reliability issues, particularly with the infotainment system and electrical components, including faulty sensors and persistent warning lights.

Some diesel owners experienced costly problems with the EGR valve and DPF systems, leading to repeated visits to the dealership. While a few respondents described their local dealers as helpful and professional, others found the service disappointing, with slow diagnosis times and high repair costs. There were also complaints about dealers failing to rectify faults on the first attempt.

Overall, the 5 Series shows reasonable reliability for many, but a notable minority encountered expensive and frustrating issues, especially with electronic and emissions-related components.