2011 BMW 5 Series: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
1,063 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2011 5 Series, with 1,063 owner complaints and a score of 37, and the 2012 car, with 317 complaints and a score of 46. No 5 Series year with a deep record does better than CAUTION: the 2013 and 2014 cars score 58 and 54 on 252 and 233 complaints, and the 2017 to 2019 cars that score 91 to 94 do so on 18, 0 and 12 complaints with low evidence. Read the full note on the model page. 2011 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 1,063 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Used BMW 3 Series and 5 Series: the years to avoid, including 2011 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 1,063 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 70.87
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made awa…
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Recall Campaign Number: 23V707000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the message "Drive Train Malfunction - Drive Moderately" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the same dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that faulty …
It feels like someone is hitting me from behind when it downshifts from I believe 2nd into 1st gear. Its a hard down shift. I was told by a mechanic at Bavarian Auto in Bakersfield Ca. His name is Sal and he is the owner. I told him when I took my car in that I wanted the transmission fluid changed. He told me it's a lifetime transmission and it never had to be changed. Now I'm pretty sure I'm having a problem with m…
Recalls: 6 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 17V067000 | Power Train:Driveline:Constant Velocity Joint | BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 1 Series M Coupe and 135i Convertible vehicles, 2011 Z4 sDrive 35i, 335i, 335d, 335i Coupe, 335is Coupe, 335i Convertible, 335is Convertible, 535i, 535i xDrive, 535i Gran Turismo and 550i xDrive Gran Turismo vehicles and 2012 740i and 740Li vehicles. The rear driveshaft constant… |
| 14V176000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 128i Coupe, 128i Convertible, 328i Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 328i Coupe, 328i Convertible, 328i Sports Wagon and Z4 sDrive 30i, 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 135i Convertible, 335i Sedan, X5 xDrive 35i, and X6 xDrive 35i, 2011 335i xDrive Sedan, 335i Coupe, 335i Convertible, 528i Sedan, 535i… |
| 16V746000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 BMW X5 3.0si, X5 4.8i, X5 M, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i and X5 xDrive50i, 2008-2011 X6 x Drive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6 M, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 535i xDrive Gran Turismo, 535i Gran Turismo, 550i xDrive Gran Turismo and 550i Gran Turismo, 2011-2012 528i, 535i, 535i… |
| 16V832000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module-Inactive | BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2011 BMW 528i, 528xi, 535i, 535xi, 550i and 550xi vehicles manufactured March 1, 2010, through August 31, 2011. The affected vehicles may have received a replacement Sensor Cluster Unit (SCU) during a service visit. |
| 18V248000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Turbo/Supercharger | BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 BMW 550i, 550i xDrive, 550i Gran Turismo, 550i Gran Turismo xDrive, 750i, 750Li, 750i xDrive, 750Li xDrive, 760Li, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M, ActiveHybrid7, MINI Cooper S Convertible, John Cooper Works (JCW) Convertible, Cooper S Countryman, Cooper S Countryman ALL4, Cooper S, JCW,… |
| 17V683000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control:Crankcase (Pcv) | 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size premium car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 25 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,050
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Tires235 complaints · typical job: Tyre replacement and TPMS service, per axle (1.0 h labour + parts)$340–$1,020
- Engine210 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train159 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Fuel/Propulsion System133 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Steering117 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Electrical System107 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
Other BMW 5 Series years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2011 BMW 5 Series?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Tires (235 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2011 BMW 5 Series a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 37/100, computed from 1,063 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2011 BMW 5 Series's most common problem?
235 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2011 BMW 5 Series sit in the Tires group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is tyre replacement and tpms service, per axle: about 1.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $340–$1,020 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2011 BMW 5 Series cost to run per year?
About $6,886 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $34,430 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2011 BMW 5 Series have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2011 BMW 5 Series, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 02/02/2017. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other luxury midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2011 BMW 5 Series really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 1,063 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 1063 NHTSA complaints on record (70.9/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (10.7/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems