2000 BMW M5: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2000 BMW M5
Only 5 defect reports have been filed with NHTSA about the 2000 BMW M5, which is too few to compute mileage percentiles or a risk score. The reports reported fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure.
When each failure gets reported
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 2 | 2 | — | 45k | — | 1.1 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Unclassified problem | other | 2 | 1 | — | 80k | — | 1.1 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
Recalls on the 2000 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2000 BMW M5, affecting an estimated 2,403 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover tires:sidewall and exterior lighting:brake lights:switch. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
TIRES:SIDEWALL
3,167 vehicles 2001-01-04- Defect
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 18-inch tires. (18-inch tires are standard equipment on the m5 and optional equipment on the 7-series models). The machine used to mount and inflate the tires on the wheels at the assembly plant may have damaged the sidewall of one or more tires. The damaged area could weaken to the point where a sudden loss of air from the tire could occur.
- Consequence
- Handling and control would be drastically affected increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the tires and if damage from the mounting machine is found, the tire will be replaced. Owner notification began march 10, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
17,700 vehicles 2000-02-17- Defect
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The brake lamps in these vehicles are controlled by a switch activated by the movement of the brake pedal. This switch could fail internally, causing it to remain either in the "brake lamps off" position or in the "brake lamps on" position.
- Consequence
- If this happens, the brake lamps either will not operate or will be continuously illuminated, regardless of brake pedal position.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the existing brake lamp switch with an improved switch.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
Every year of the BMW M5
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
What the reports on file say
The complaints recorded against the 2000 BMW M5 are fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure (2 reports, around 45k miles) and airbag inflator rupture (1 report). With a sample this size these are anecdotes rather than a pattern, and they are shown because somebody looking at this exact car would rather see them than nothing.
Why this page is short
A model year needs about 8 reports before percentiles mean anything, and this one does not have them. Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road, so a thin page usually means a rare car, a new car, or a car whose owners do not file.
Other years of the same model do have enough: 2006 and 2013. The mechanical parts are often shared across those years, so their pages are the better guide to what this one is likely to do, with the caveat that a shared part is not a shared production line.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed