"How reliable is the 2008 Bmw 5 Series?"

"Based on 131 NHTSA complaints, the 2008 Bmw 5 Series has a median complaint mileage of 27000 miles. The most common issue is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE."

"What are common problems with the 2008 Bmw 5 Series?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2008 Bmw 5 Series is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, accounting for a significant portion of the 131 total complaints filed."

2008 Bmw 5 Series: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 131 complaints

131

Total Complaints

27,000mi

Median Mileage

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

14,072 25th Percentile

27,000 Median Mileage

45,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

ENGINE

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TRUNK HAS UNEXPECTADELY OPENED WHEN THE RELEASE BUTTON WAS ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED WILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. APPARENTLY THERE IS NO LOCK OUT ON THE BUTTON PREVENTING TRUNK OPENING WHILE VEHICLE IS IN GEAR AND MOVING. *TR"

"I PURCHASED A NEW BMW 535I ON MAY 26, 2008 AND ON AUG 8, 2008 WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AT 70 MILES AND HOUR THE CAR STARTED WAS SHAKING AS IF RUNNING ON 3 CYLINDERS. THERE WAS A MESSAGE FROM THE CAR STATING ENGINE MALFUNCTION REDUCED POWER! I WAITED 3 HOURS FOR A TOW TRUCK AND AFTER A FEW DAYS I..."

"ADDED EXXONMOBIL GAS 9/2/2008. CAR DEAD BY 9/7/2008, AFTER DRIVING APPROX. 50 MILES. THE FUEL PUMP ON THIS VERY NEW CAR HAS FAILED. THE DEALER CLAIMS THE GAS WAS BAD (SAYS ALCOHOL LEVEL TESTED TO 15%), WHILE EXXONMOBIL INSISTS THE FUEL WAS FINE AT 10% ALCOHOL, FROM THE ETHANOL. I BELIEVE THE REA..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28