2008 BMW M5: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2008 BMW M5
On the 2008 BMW M5, the failure owners report most often is other engine problem, with 2 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 70,000 miles.
What breaks on the 2008 BMW M5
Owners have reported 9 named failure modes on the 2008 BMW M5, and the three most-reported carry 42% of everything filed.
Other engine problem leads with 2 reports and about 0.1 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other body or interior problem follows with 2 reports, median 80,000 miles.
Sunroof failure or glass breakage follows with 1 report, median 65,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into body (3), engine (2) and transmission (1).
When these failures get reported
12 of the reports on the 2008 BMW M5 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 70,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 33% by 50,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 80,000 and 90,000 miles, which alone holds 42% of the dated reports.
0% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, so this is mostly a story about older, higher-mileage cars.
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
- Dashed the median reported mileage
Severity, and what it costs
Across the named modes, 1 mentions a crash and 3 a fire. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 5.33, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. 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: other engine problem at $300–$4,000, other body or interior problem at $200–$2,000, sunroof failure or glass breakage at $700–$4,500 and other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
25% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other engine problem | engine | 2 | 2 | — | 66k | — | 0.1 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 2 | 2 | — | 78k | — | 0.1 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 1 | 1 | — | 65k | — | 0.1 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 86k | — | 0.1 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 80k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 40k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 40k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 80k | — | 0.1 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 40k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Unclassified problem | other | 1 | 1 | — | 70k | — | 0.1 | — | 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.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2008 BMW M5 draws about 0.8 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 72nd percentile of complaint rates among 2008 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 2008 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 body or interior problem
On sept 25, 2014, I was driving my 2008 bmw m5 and turning into a parking lot when I was hit from the rear, shoved on top and over a median and into another vehicle. My vehicle was struck from the rear and then struck again from the front. I do not know how fast the driver that hit me was going, however, none of my airbags in my vehicle were deployed. I am unable to determine the exact characteristics in which each airbag would be deployed and I requesting the NHTSA to perform that review. *tr
Sunroof failure or glass breakage
The sunroof drains of my vehicle overfill or clog causing water to leak in the trunk and wheel well. The cars wheel well holds the cars battery, rdc, and pdc modules. Surrounded by foam when water reaches the modules they arc and spark causing them to heat up and melt. Also located in the trunk is several other electrical components xm radio amp, etc. If not caught in time could cause fire and maybe even death. You can't tell when they are overfilled/clogged until it's to late. I have replaced them 2 times both times almost causing fire to the car. Here is a ling showing that bmw acknowledges the issue and is not fixing it. From someone else too. Http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=265090&d=1296781065 http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=259095&page=1
Recalls on the 2008 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2008 BMW M5, affecting an estimated 27,161 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 exterior lighting:tail lights and 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.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
134,100 vehicles 2013-09-11- Defect
- 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).
- Consequence
- Intermittent light operation reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
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
12 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 12 reports, 12 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 100% 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 2008 BMW M5?
The most-reported failures are other engine problem (2 reports, median 65,000 miles), other body or interior problem (2 reports, median 80,000 miles) and sunroof failure or glass breakage (1 report, median 65,000 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