How many recalls does the 1997 BMW 5 Series have?

The 1997 BMW 5 Series has 1 NHTSA safety recall campaign on record.

How do I check if my 1997 BMW 5 Series has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 1997 BMW 5 Series?

Of 1 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is air bags.

1997 BMW 5 Series Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 1997 BMW 5 Series has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 25,270 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

SUSPENSION 04V183000 2004-04-12 25,270 affected

Defect

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, DUE TO LONG EXPOSURES TO CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL AND OPERATING CONDITIONS, THE MATERIAL STRUCTURE OF THE FRONT SPRING STRUT PLATE COULD BE AFFECTED. IN SOME CASES, THE STRUT PLATE COULD BEGIN TO CRACK, AND EVENTUALLY IT COULD BREAK. IF THIS OCCURRED, THE PLATE COULD CONTACT THE TIRE.

Consequence

THIS COULD LEAD TO A SUDDEN LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE OR TIRE FAILURE.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RETAINING CLIP TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FRONT SPRING STRUT PLATES. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 17, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS

Total complaints1

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“While starting the car the drivers side air bag deployed. *tr”

AIR BAGS · reported 2014-09-17

Defect investigations

Investigation SQ98010 Opened 1998-06-03 · closed 1998-09-11

WINDSHIELD WIPER INOPERATION

BMW BELIEVES THAT THERE IS NO INDICATION OF A SYSTEMATIC OR SAFETY DEFECT CONCERNING THE SUBJECT WIPER RELAY.THE MAIN REASON THAT PRECIPITATED THE ISSUANCE OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN WAS TO INFORM DEALERS OF A NEW RELAY PART NUMBER FOR THE SUBJECT VEHICLES SINCE THIS PART NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PART CATALOGS.ODI…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1997 BMW 5 Series as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.