2007 BMW M5: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2007 BMW M5
On the 2007 BMW M5, the failure owners report most often is instrument cluster or gauge failure, with 1 report on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 50,000 miles.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 3 named failure modes on the 2007 BMW M5, and the three most-reported carry 38% of everything filed.
Instrument cluster or gauge failure leads with 1 report and about 0.1 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other speed control problem follows with 1 report, median 90,000 miles.
Other body or interior problem follows with 1 report, median 45,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into infotainment (1), adas (1) and body (1).
The mileage the reports cluster at
Too few of the reports on this year carry an odometer reading to describe the timing: 7 of them do. The mileages quoted elsewhere on this page come from the modes that have enough of them.
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
What happens when these parts fail
Nothing in the reports on the 2007 BMW M5 mentions a crash, a fire or an injury. That is the ordinary case and it is worth stating: most defect complaints are about a car that stopped working, not one that hurt somebody.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 2.63, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: instrument cluster or gauge failure at $350–$1,400, other speed control problem at $250–$2,000 and other body or interior problem at $200–$2,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 91k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 1 | 1 | — | 45k | — | 0.1 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 5 | 5 | — | 50k | — | 0.3 | — | 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.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2007 BMW M5 draws about 0.5 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 69th percentile of complaint rates among 2007 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 15,986 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2007 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other speed control problem
I was stopped at a red light. The car had numerous safety malfunctions on at the time of the incident. The I-drive screen prompt advised to drive in a cautious manner. While stationary at the red light the cars rev counter was bouncing up and down from 500rpm-1500rpm. My destination was roughly one mile away. The light turned green and I gave the car throttle, but there was no forward movement, the car remained stationary (the revs also remained below 900rpm). I gave the car a bit more throttle roughly 30% (the revs remained below 900rpm and then I took my foot off the throttle), as I did this the car jumped forward and bucked violently with the throttle being ultra sensitive. I proceeded to manually engage second gear and luckily the bucking motion stopped. I am unsure if the issue is a software or mechanical issue. This has also occurred a few times after this first incident. The dealer found several sporadic dsc faults in the car, but couldn't trace it to a mechanical cause. I reset the smg adaptation, but this has done nothing to cure the issue. In certain situations such as heavy traffic this could cause the car to rear end…
Other body or interior problem
A message flashed on the screen stating that the passenger restraint system was defective. Took the vehicle to a dealer for a diagnostic test. The test results showed that a seat mat sensor in the passenger's seat was defective and needed to be replaced. Estimated cost over 3000 dollars asking bmw to authorize under similar recall repair. Bmw issued 10 year extended warranty on similar 5 series. Bmw please contact me currently traveling in europe with my car. Need replacement in ukraine official dealership my direct line +[xxx] thank you. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
Recalls on the 2007 model year
NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2007 BMW M5, affecting an estimated 15,986 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 electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery:cables. 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.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
367,682 vehicles 2012-03-26- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- Overheating could lead to a fire, even while the vehicle is not in use. As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the remedy has been made.
- Remedy
- 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.
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 this page cannot tell you
8 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 8 reports, 7 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 88% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2007 BMW M5?
The most-reported failures are instrument cluster or gauge failure (1 report), other speed control problem (1 report, median 90,000 miles) and other body or interior problem (1 report, median 45,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
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