2019 BMW 5 Series
Plug-in hybrid Gas Midsize car
The 2019 BMW 5 Series is sold in the U.S. as a plug-in hybrid and gas midsize car with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the 530e, is EPA-rated at 29 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 38 complaints, most often about electrical system.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Range | kWh/100mi | Charge (240V) | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 530e | Plug-in hybrid | RWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo + 83kW DCPM | 27 | 30 | 29 (37 MPGe blended) | 16 mi electric | 46 | 2 h | $2,650 |
| 530e xDrive | Plug-in hybrid | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo + 83kW DCPM | 27 | 31 | 28 (36 MPGe blended) | 15 mi electric | 49 | 2 h | $2,750 |
| 530i | Gas | RWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 24 | 34 | 27 | — | — | — | $2,850 |
| 530i xDrive | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 23 | 33 | 27 | — | — | — | $2,850 |
| 540i | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 21 | 29 | 24 | — | — | — | $3,250 |
| 540i xDrive | Gas | AWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 21 | 29 | 24 | — | — | — | $3,250 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
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Recalls (3)
Electrical System
criticalProblem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2020 530e xDrive, 2017-2019 740Le xDrive, 2018-2020 530e iPerformance, 2016-2018 330e iPerformance vehicles. The engine starter relay may corrode, causing the relay to overheat and short circuit.
Risk: A short circuit in the starter relay may increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the remedy is complete. Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 3, 2026. Another letter will be mailed after the remedy is confirmed. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning August 28, 2026.
Back Over Prevention
minorProblem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
Equipment
criticalProblem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW 330e iPerformance, i3 Rex, i3 Sport Rex, X5 xDrive40e, i3 BEV, i3 Sport BEV and 2019 i8 and i8 Roadster vehicles and 2018-2019 530e iPerformance, 530e xDrive iPerformance and 740Le xDrive iPerformance vehicles. Capacitors within the TurboCord Portable Chargers may fail, possibly resulting in a shock hazard or a fire.
Risk: An electrical shock or a fire can increase the risk of injury or death.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the charging cable, and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA investigations
Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds (closed)
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005
Owner complaints
38 complaints filed
7 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 6 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2019: 2 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 6 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 8 · 2025: 6 · 2026: 6
Most-cited components
- Electrical System — 11
- Engine — 7
- Vehicle Speed Control — 6
- Power Train — 5
- Service Brakes — 5
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Other 5 Series model years
2027 5 Series
0 recalls · 0 complaints
B2026 5 Series
1 recalls · 1 complaints
F2025 5 Series
6 recalls · 2 complaints
F2024 5 Series
7 recalls · 18 complaints
F2023 5 Series
4 recalls · 9 complaints
F2022 5 Series
5 recalls · 17 complaints
F2021 5 Series
10 recalls · 26 complaints
F2020 5 Series
8 recalls · 15 complaints
F2018 5 Series
7 recalls · 85 complaints
B2017 5 Series
2 recalls · 38 complaints
F2016 5 Series
7 recalls · 81 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 40556, 40557, 40003, 40476, 40477, 40478). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.