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Light NHTSA footprint — 10 owner complaints and 2 active recall campaigns. Either a clean record or thin data; we'll show what's there.
The 2013 BMW M5 has 10 NHTSA owner complaints and 2 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is engine at 5 complaints, typically surfacing around 43,235 miles (~$3,100 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 M5 | 1 | 2 |
| 2013 M5 (this page) | 10 | 2 |
| 2014 M5 | 2 | 1 |
| 2015 M5 | 3 | 1 |
| 2016 M5 | 1 | 2 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
Run the VIN from the listing — 2 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 8.4/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
Car reads low on oil while driving. I have taken it back to dealer and was told that the car only needed one quart of oil. Dealer has never looked to see if there is a problem with the tolerance between the engine oil pump drive shaft and the pump's rotor. Dealership only showed…
Fuel filler tube gaskets are improperly installed allowing water to enter the left rear quarter panel causing the steering electronics to be flooded and short out causing a loss of power steering without warning. This is a recurrent problem that dealerships are refusing to…
I was driving home when I accelerated the car jerk started smoking I pulled over and oil was leaking from underneath
Creaking noise in the front suspension when turning steering wheel when parked and at low speeds. Diagnosis from shop indicated the lower control arms and ball joints were loose. Both sides replaced.
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
The vehicle may be less visible to other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
Separation of the pump's driveshaft from the rotor could lead to a sudden loss of oil pressure causing the possibility of complete engine failure, resulting in an engine stall-like condition, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 8.4 out of 10 based on 10 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 BMW M5 is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
On the NHTSA data, the 2013 BMW M5 does not need avoiding. Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally. The record behind that call: No systemic severe-failure pattern in the complaint record; Reliability score 8.4/10 — above the segment average; 2 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the engine first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 5 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 43,235 miles. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 8.4 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 10 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is engine. Typical failure occurs around 43,235 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is engine, with 5 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 43,235 miles. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop.
The engine is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 43,235 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 10 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $3,100, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.