The Lemon Index

All cars · BMW 5 Series · 2010

2010 BMW 5 Series. Advanced data.

The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.

Lemon Index75100 = average car
Complaints34NHTSA, first 3 years
Sold39,488U.S. model year
Per 100K sold86complaints
Year rank#17 of 20#1 = fewest complaints

Failure mileage by system

Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 50,000 and 115,000 miles. Median 71,000, from 119 complaints with a mileage.

SystemMedianMiddle halfComplaints
Engine82,50059,800–120,00024
Fuel or ev drive system83,00066,000–116,50025
Electrical60,00026,100–85,50021
Engine100,00010,000–160,00019
Fuel system, gasoline8,6003,900–52,00015

Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.

Complaints by system

SystemShare of complaints
Fuel system, gasoline41%
Engine15%
Electrical15%
Lights12%
Fuel or ev drive system9%

One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.

Severity, all complaints

TotalCrashesFiresInjuriesDeathsTows
1555102013

As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.

Recall campaigns 2

  • 17V683000 Oct 2017 Engine And Engine Cooling / Exhaust System / Emission Control / Crankcase (Pcv)

    Defect. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2011 128i and 2007-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.

    Risk. An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.

    Remedy. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notification by the end of October 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

  • 13V407000 Sep 2013 Exterior Lighting / Tail Lights

    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).

    Risk. 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.

Manufacturer communications 95

BMW filed 95 service communications for this car with NHTSA.

  • Loss of performance and turbocharger noise due to the oil supply restricted, causing oil…
  • Engine, due to ambient temperatures and engine is cold, fails to turn over on first attempt, but
  • ConnectedDrive/BMW Assist System Diagnosis Information

Safety equipment

Electronic stabilityForward collision warningLane departure warning
StandardNoOptional

Nearby model years

YearLemon IndexComplaintsSoldTop system
2007623054,142Electrical
20082149745,915Fuel system, gasoline
2009–1840,109Fuel system, gasoline
2010753439,488Fuel system, gasoline
201119011451,491Tires
2012603756,798Tires
2013302156,863Engine

Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.

Updated

Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data