2002 BMW 5 Series Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 2002 BMW 5 Series. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“I have a 2002 525i which I drove to work on january 15, 2019. After being in work for 15 minutes, I was notified that the entire front end of my car was engulfed in flames. The top of the hood, under the hood, and under the front end of my car was completely on fire. I have read about the pvc…”
“I have a 2002 525i which I drove to work on january 15, 2019. After being in work for 15 minutes, I was notified that the entire front end of my car was engulfed in flames. The top of the hood, under the hood, and under the front end of my car was completely on fire. I have read about the pvc…”
“I have a 2002 525i which I drove to work on january 15, 2019. After being in work for 15 minutes, I was notified that the entire front end of my car was engulfed in flames. The top of the hood, under the hood, and under the front end of my car was completely on fire. I have read about the pvc…”
“Driving at 50 mph I was being harassed by another motorist because I was driving the speed limit. I decided to let him pass but first I had to speed up to 58 mph inorder to completely overtake a passenger car to my right (passenger side) I gave the throttle some gas and the car went nowhere. The…”
“Driving at 50 mph I was being harassed by another motorist because I was driving the speed limit. I decided to let him pass but first I had to speed up to 58 mph inorder to completely overtake a passenger car to my right (passenger side) I gave the throttle some gas and the car went nowhere. The…”
“Had my front thrust rod bushings replaced at bmw dealer due to vibration in steering at about 40,000 miles. Problem returned at 74000 miles (2.5 years later). Defective material results in bushing cracks which negatively affects steering. *tr”
“Rubber around the windshield is crumbling. Obvious defective material used in the rubber compound. Bmw refuses to addres the problem. *tr”
“Car has hesitated while being driven at or above 50 mph. Car has stalled completely while accelerating out of a parking lot and while being driven at 40 mph. *nlm”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2002 BMW 5 Series as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.