NHTSA vehicle safety data

2021 BMW M5 Recalls & Complaints

The 2021 BMW M5 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 3 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized BMW dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2021 BMW M5. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2021 BMW M5 owner complaints

Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 BMW M5, describing incidents dated December 30, 2020 to October 12, 2026.

Most-cited components

Electrical System 1 complaint
Engine 1 complaint
Exterior Lighting 1 complaint
Fuel/Propulsion System 1 complaint
Power Train 1 complaint

Of the 3 complaints on file, 1 reports a fire (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11771370 · Filed October 15, 2026
BMW Federal Emissions Recall Campaign - Delivery Stop: Replace Coolant Expansion Tank [B170324] The manufacturer's recall remedy replaces a defective, heat-compromised plastic coolant reservoir with an identical plastic component that is subject to the exact same thermal fatigue and catastrophic…
ODI #11596199 · Filed June 24, 2024
Car catch on fire and explode it with 2 ocupantes inside
ODI #11385992 · Filed January 1, 2021
THE REVERSE BACKUP LIGHTS AND CAMERA IMAGE IS SO DIM AND LIMITED AS BE UNUSABLE AND VERY UNSAFE WHEN BACKING UP AT NIGHT IN DARKNESS. DEALER SERVICE COULD NOT FIX AS DESIGNED IN! I BELIEVE SAME SYSTEM USED ON ALL 2021 SERIES 5 CARS. LEFT CAR AT DEALER WITH FOBS AS I AM REFUSING THE CAR CANCELLING…

Read all 3 complaints

Rearview Camera Image Obscured/FMVSS 111

NHTSA #20V598000 · Back Over Prevention — Sensing System — Camera · NHTSA notice

Reported September 30, 2020 · BMW of North America, LLC

Potentially affected: 312 vehicles

Repair completion: 100% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified November 18, 2020

Defect description

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 X3 sDrive 30i, X3 xDrive 30i, X3M 40i, X3 xDrive 30e, X4 xDrive 30i, X4M 40i, 530i, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 550e, 550e xDrive, and 550e iPerformance vehicles. A small portion of the rearview image may be slightly obscured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Safety consequence

If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Manufacturer remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, program the rearview camera with updated software. The recall began November 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

2021 BMW M5 4 DR AWD

—

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Not Rated

Frontal Crash

Not Rated

Driver: Not Rated, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Driver: Not Rated, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Pole

Not Rated

Rollover

Not Rated

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control Forward Collision Warning Lane Departure Warning

3 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2021 BMW M5.

Engine

ODI #11771370

Incident: October 12, 2026 · Filed: October 15, 2026

BMW Federal Emissions Recall Campaign - Delivery Stop: Replace Coolant Expansion Tank [B170324] The manufacturer's recall remedy replaces a defective, heat-compromised plastic coolant reservoir with an identical plastic component that is subject to the exact same thermal fatigue and catastrophic failure. I had the dealer replace the tank in March 2024 under this recall. This week, however, I noted coolant residue from the horizontal seam of the expansion tank. Furthermore, the dealership's primary diagnostic criteria (a cold pressure test) FAILED to detect severe, ongoing coolant leakage that was actively drowning the fuel injectors, nearly resulting in catastrophic engine failure. I demanded the bulletin be followed by removing the expansion tank based on the visual evidence alone. I further demanded bore scope photos as stated in the recall bulletin. These support the above claims that ALL FOUR injectors are contaminated with gross amounts of coolant which could have led to a catastrophic engine failure. BMW replaced my expansion tank in 2024 when I first bought the car with 13k miles on it with a tank that suffers from exactly the same design flaw. It is therefore no fix at all and all of these cars are all ticking time bombs unless a permanent solution is mandated.

Power Train; Electrical System; Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11596199

Fire

Incident: June 23, 2024 · Filed: June 24, 2024

Car catch on fire and explode it with 2 ocupantes inside

Exterior Lighting

ODI #11385992

Incident: December 30, 2020 · Filed: January 1, 2021

THE REVERSE BACKUP LIGHTS AND CAMERA IMAGE IS SO DIM AND LIMITED AS BE UNUSABLE AND VERY UNSAFE WHEN BACKING UP AT NIGHT IN DARKNESS. DEALER SERVICE COULD NOT FIX AS DESIGNED IN! I BELIEVE SAME SYSTEM USED ON ALL 2021 SERIES 5 CARS. LEFT CAR AT DEALER WITH FOBS AS I AM REFUSING THE CAR CANCELLING SALE AS HIDDEN DEFECT UNSAFE AND NOT FIXABLE PER DEALER SERVICE MGR. ATTACHED PHOTOS ARE ACTUALLY BRIGHTER THAN WHAT DRIVER SEES. VIEW IS FROM MY GARAGE AND DRIVEWAY TO BACKUP. RED TINT IS BREAK LIGHTS STRONGER THAN WEAK BACKUP LIGHTS ALL VERY ABNORMALLY DIM WITH VERY RESTRICTED ILLUMINATED VIEW.

Other BMW M5 model years

Check your 2021 BMW M5 VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your BMW M5 at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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