IllustrationCLEARANCE FAILURE ON S85 ENGINE TO ROD BEARINGS CAUSES OIL STARVATION. THIS IN TURN CAUSES ENGINE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. IF DRIVING THIS WILL EFFECT POWER BREAKING, POWER STEERING AND ALL COMPONENTS REQUIRING THE ENGINE TO BE RUNNING. THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE, I NOW HAVE SYMPTOMS REQUIRING A CHANGE OF ROD BEARINGS. *TR
2006 BMW M5
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all M5 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
30–25K
1025–50K
1250–75K
1175–100K
2100–150K
0150K+
38 reports with mileage · 1 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
Engine complaints
3 reportsMY FAMILY AND I WERE HEADING HOME ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CARS ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE WENT INTO LIMP HOME MODE ALONG WITH A LOUD KNOCKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE NEXT DAY I HAD TO CAR TOWED TO BMW OF HONOLULU. THE DEALERSHIP CONTACTED ME AND TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED A ENGINE WHICH THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $35K FOR A NEW …
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MY FAMILY AND I WERE HEADING HOME ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CARS ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE WENT INTO LIMP HOME MODE ALONG WITH A LOUD KNOCKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE NEXT DAY I HAD TO CAR TOWED TO BMW OF HONOLULU. THE DEALERSHIP CONTACTED ME AND TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED A ENGINE WHICH THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $35K FOR A NEW ENGINE. I THEN CALLED GETZINGER MOTORWERKES WHICH IS ANOTHER SHOP THAT WORKS ON BMW'S JUST TO GET A SECOND OPINION. AFTER DIAGNOSING MY CAR THE OWNER OF THE SHOP TOLD ME THAT IT WAS CRANK BEARINGS AND SINCE THEY WENT BAD THE MEDAL SHAVING WENT INTO MY ENGINE AND ALSO CAUSED THE VANOS PUMP TO GO BAD, HE THEN STATED THAT HE WAS JUST READING ABOUT THAT SAME ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH A LOT OF 2006 M5;S DUE TO THE FACT THAT ITS A BAD ENGINE DESIGN AND THAT THOSE PARTS WOULD GO BAD EVERY 60,000 MILES. TO REPLACE THOSE PARTS IT WOULD COST $8,000 IN PARTS ALONE. SO NOW I AM STUCK PAYING FOR A CAR THAT I CAN'T EVEN DRIVE. I NOW LIVE IN ANOTHER STATE AND MY CAR IS STUCK IN HAWAII BECAUSE THE SHIPPING COMPANY WILL NOT SHIP IT IN THE CONDITION THAT ITS IN. *TR
ENROUTE FROM PALO ALTO TO MOUNTAIN VIEW AND WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WAITING AT A STOP LIGHT ON A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE (CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY) WHEN THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING. CARS BEHIND ME PROCEEDED TO PASS ME TO MAKE THE LEFT TURN WHILE MY CAR WAS SHUT DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO RE-START THE CAR AFTER ~5 - 10 MINUTES AND DRIVE ANOTHER 1000 …
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ENROUTE FROM PALO ALTO TO MOUNTAIN VIEW AND WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WAITING AT A STOP LIGHT ON A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE (CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY) WHEN THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING. CARS BEHIND ME PROCEEDED TO PASS ME TO MAKE THE LEFT TURN WHILE MY CAR WAS SHUT DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO RE-START THE CAR AFTER ~5 - 10 MINUTES AND DRIVE ANOTHER 1000 FEET WHEN THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING AGAIN. PRIOR TO BOTH INCIDENTS THE PANEL INDICATED AN ALERT "TRANSMISSION FAIL" AND A "CHECK ENGINE" ALERT. THE CAR WOULD NOT START BACK UP AND HAD TO BE PUSHED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION TO A STREET WHERE IT COULD BE PARKED SAFELY. INITIAL AUTOBODY ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIRS RELATED TO BATTERY REPLACEMENT, HOWEVER, TRANSMISSION RELATED FAULT CODES STILL SHOWED UP. FORTES BROTHERS AUTOBODY DISCOVERED "SAFETY" RELATED NOTIFICATIONS ISSUED BY BMW AND THEREFORE RECOMMENDED TAKING CAR TO BMW. CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO BMW MOUNTAIN VIEW DEALERSHIP WHERE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DIAGNOSED AND THEN REPLACED BOTH HYDRAULIC PUMP AND CLUTCH. BASED ON SUBSEQUENT RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, THERE ARE REFERENCES TO HYDRAULIC PUMP RECALLS BY BMW FOR BMW M5 2005 MODEL. ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS A BMW M5 2006 I AM REQUESTING FOLLOW UP TO CONFIRM THAT THE HYDRAULIC PUMP IS MANUFACTURED TO ALL REQUIRED SPECIFICATIONS AND DOES NOT POSE A SAFETY RISK. *TR
Official recalls
112V126000 · Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery:cables
Mar 26, 2012
BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 5-SERIES, MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 6-SERIES, MODEL YEAR 2006-2010 M5, AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 M6 VEHICLES. THE INSULATED BULKHEAD CONNECTOR FOR THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE TRUNK FLOOR PANEL, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A LOOSENING OF THE BOLT CONNECTION. AS IT LOOSENS, AN INCREASE IN ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE AT THIS CABLE CONNECTION IS POSSIBLE AND COULD CAUSE THE CABLE CONNECTION TO OVERHEAT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: OVERHEATING COULD LEAD TO A FIRE, EVEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN USE. AS A PRECAUTION, OWNERS ARE ADVISED TO PARK OUTSIDE UNTIL THE REMEDY HAS BEEN MADE.
Remedy: BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND SECURE THE BATTERY BOLT CABLE CONNECTION AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES AT 1-800-525-7417.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.