The contact owns a 2011 BMW 5 Series. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed as a camshaft failure. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number- 14V176000 ( Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,000. The VIN was not available.
The worst 2011 BMW 5 Series problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Tires30
- Steering20
- Transmission10
- Engine7
- Electrical6
- Fuel system5
- Acceleration3
- Wheels3
- Suspension2
- Visibility2
- Airbags1
- Body1
- Seat belts1
- Seats1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2011 BMW 5 Series
Recalls 4
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2010-2012 1 Series Coupe, 1 Series Convertible, 3 Series Sedan, 3 Series Convertible, 2010-2011 3 Series Sportswagon, 3 Series Coupe, 5 Series Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, X3 xDrive 30i, X5 xDrive30i, and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The aluminum bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit can loosen over time and possibly break.
- Risk
- Loose or broken VANOS unit bolts can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the four VANOS bolts, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed December 18, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed June 19, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 23V707000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: other fuel types: turbo/supercharger
- What is wrong
- Bmw is recalling certain model year 2011 5-series, 5-series gran turismo, model year 2012 6-series convertible, 7-series, x5 sav, and x6 sav vehicles equipped with 8- or 12-cylinder, turbocharged, engines because the circuit board for the electric auxiliary water pump can overheat.
- Risk
- This could lead to a smoldering of the pump or an engine compartment or vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will replace the auxiliary water pump free of charge. The safety recall began on april 30, 2012. Owners may contact bmw customer relations and services at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 12V161000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: other fuel types: turbo/supercharger
- What is wrong
- Bmw is recalling certain model year 2011 5-series, model year 2010-2011 5-series gran turismo, model year 2009-2011 7-series, model year 2010-2011 x5 sav, and model year 2008-2011 x6 sav vehicles equipped with 8- or 12-cylinder, turbocharged, engines because the circuit board for the electric auxiliary water pump can overheat.
- Risk
- This could lead to a smoldering of the pump or an engine compartment or vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will replace the auxiliary water pump free of charge. The safety recall began on december 19, 2011. Owners may contact bmw customer relations and services at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 11V521000 · Recall details
Fuel system, other: storage: fuel gauge system
- What is wrong
- Bmw is recalling certain 2010 and 2011 5-series and 5-series gran turismo passenger vehicles manufactured from january 12 through july 1, 2010. The vehicle's fuel level sensor within the fuel tank can become wedged against the tank.
- Risk
- If this occurs, the fuel gauge in the instrument cluster would display a larger amount of fuel than was actually in the tank. As a result, if the tank became empty, the vehicle could stall increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Bmw will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on october 18, 2010. Owners may contact bmw at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 10V331000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2011 BMW 5 Series 68
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This bulletin outlines the Customer Care Package program that has been designed exclusively for...
- Vehicle has the air bag warning lamp on after a body shop has made repairs
- Only fuel nozzles with the recommended “specified” diameter for diesel engine passenger vehicles can...
- The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few...
- Engine will crank but not start
- Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle
- Various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (ADCAM system) can lead to customer...
- The engine?s intake charge-air duct limited warranty extension to 10 years/120,000 miles applies to...
- Faulty codes in the dme for the engine thermostat activates the service engine soon light
2011 BMW 5 Series fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | RWD | 20 | 30 | 24 |
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | AWD | 18-20 | 27-28 | 21-23 |
| 4.4L 8‑cyl | AWD | 15-16 | 22-24 | 18 |
| 4.4L 8‑cyl | RWD | 15 | 22 | 18 |
What 2011 BMW 5 Series owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 bmw 5-series. The contact stated that there was an electrical malfunction in which the vent controls failed to function for the air conditioner and heater. Due to the extreme temperatures, the vehicle was unable to be driven. Bmw of wilmington (4920 new centre dr, wilmington, nc 28403, (910) 392-2700) stated that the blower motor may need to be replaced and was to contact the manufacturer. An independent mechanic tested and diagnosed the vehicle, but the details were unknown. Volvo cars new bern (3405 doctor m.l.k. Jr blvd, new bern, nc 28562, (252) 638-6161) diagnosed that the blower motor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 38,000.
While driving with AC on smoke started coming heavily for the interior AC vents. A very toxic smoke, with electrical smell. I noticed the bmw 3 series has a recall on electrical blower problem. I think my car has the same issue.
While make turns while driving the vehicle axel makes popping noise and steering wheel jerks violently. Took to shop they said nothing found wrong with car. Cv axel replaced on both sides problem still persists.also not even 10k miles the car went thru 2 belt tensioner causing the drive belt to snap/tear.
My AC fan motor has started to make a weird noise when you lift the foot from the accelerator. This happens even when the car is stationary
A few days back my steering wheel started making a squeaky noise like one of the rubbers have gone bad in the steering column. My car has approximately 55k miles on it and is majorly garage kept. I researched online and there are numerous complains of the same issue. You can see an example at: http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=838504 you can hear the squeak if the car is driving or is static.
Positive crankcase ventilation pcv valve heater this is a recall bmw states remedy not available yet.
The federal safety agency recall campaign 16v‑746 was issued 13 oct 2016. To date bmw has yet to to notify us to schedule the repair of the defect - nearly 6 months after the recall was issued. We believe this an unacceptably long wait for which we have not seen any action from the federal safety agency or other federal authorities to compel bmw to accelerate compliance with the recall order. Are we going to have to wait for people to die in a fiery made for tv news accident before this is taken seriously??? Fix my car!!
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 bmw 5-series. When the accelerator pedal was depressed, the engine stalled without warning. The vehicle did not restart. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the timing chain failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v746000 (fuel system, gasoline). The approximate failure mileage was 48,000.
While driving for 15 minutes with seat warmers on my husband (driver) turned it off. We were travelling on suburban roads around 40 MPH. Then at a stop light he noticed a burning smell. We continued driving when light turned green. Then I noticed the smell a few seconds later, so I opened a window expecting to find smell a fire nearby or hear sirens. At that point we saw a ploom of smoke come from under his seat towards the passenger side open window. He immediately pulled over, jumped out of the car and turned everything off. The smoke took some time to clear but did stop. Several minutes later we drove 1 mile to the bmw dealership. We were told its not under warranty, and would cost $1,700 to fix. I declined to pay $1,700 to fix and requested they disconnect seat heater. Bmw personnel informed me it could not disconnect power to seat heater without disconnecting the entire AC/heat system. This is a personal safety issue, not a warranty issue. For a seat heater to cause smoke it caused a fire and this is a defect. The car will catch on fire if the seat warmer is activated. I asked dealership what if I loan my car to someone who does not know about the defect, they suggested putting tape over the button. This is not acceptable safety measure to prevent burns, fire, or even death. Consider for a moment people have small children that ride in this vehicle. On a cold morning I could have buckled kids in, turned on car, seat heater, and talk to a neighbor for 2 minutes, or teacher at the carpool line.... What would have happened to the children? There is no visible damage to vehicle but bmw personnel did agree there was smoke smell in vehicle caused by seat warmer.
Compare the 2011 BMW 5 Series
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Questions about the 2011 BMW 5 Series
Is the 2011 BMW 5 Series reliable?
Owners have filed 81 complaints about the 2011 BMW 5 Series, 5.4 times a typical 5 Series model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2011 BMW 5 Series year score?
The 2011 BMW 5 Series scores 12 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the BMW 5 Series: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 BMW 5 Series?
Tires, with 30 complaints, typically around 3,500 miles. Next is steering (20).
How many recalls does the 2011 BMW 5 Series have?
4 recalls, covering engine and engine cooling and fuel system, other.
What gas mileage does the 2011 BMW 5 Series get?
Official estimates for the 2011 BMW 5 Series range from 18 to 24 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.0L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 20 city and 30 highway.
VIN decoder
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