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2010 Bmw M5 Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Critical

3 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.00 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical12V126000

Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery:Cables

OVERHEATING COULD LEAD TO A FIRE, EVEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN USE.

Remedy & full details

BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND SECURE THE BATTERY BOLT CABLE CONNECTION AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES AT 1-800-525-7417.

BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 5-SERIES, MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 6-SERIES, MODEL YEAR 2006-2010 M5, AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 M6 VEHICLES. THE INSULATED BULKHEAD CONNECTOR FOR THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE TRUNK FLOOR PANEL, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A LOOSENING OF THE BOLT CONNECTION. AS IT LOOSENS, AN INCREASE IN ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE AT THIS CABLE CONNECTION IS POSSIBLE AND COULD CAUSE THE CABLE CONNECTION TO OVERHEAT.

Serious13V407000

Exterior Lighting:Tail Lights

Intermittent light operation reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear lamp bulb carriers free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

BMW is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2010 528i, 535i, 550i, and M5 passenger cars manufactured from March 1, 2007, through December 31, 2009. Over time, increased resistance at the taillight electrical contact points may cause damage to the ground terminal and housing of the connector resulting in an intermittent or permanent loss of functionality of one or more rear lamp functions (tail, brake, turn-signal, reverse).

Complaint volume

3 this model-year 11 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

0Crashes
0Fires
0Injuries
0Deaths

Across 3 complaints. Severity Index 0.00.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Air Bags · Sensor · Occup…1 · 33%Air Bags · Sensor · Occup…1 · 33%Air Bags1 · 33%
  1. Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger — 1 reports
  2. Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification — 1 reports
  3. Air Bags — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2000 (2) · 2001 (3) · 2002 (2) · 2003 (1) · 2006 (1) · 2007 (1) · 2008 (2) · 2010 · 2013 (2) · 2014 (1) · 2015 (1) · 2016 (2) · 2018 (3) · 2019 (3) · 2020 (3) · 2021 (1) · 2025 (2)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.