There are 5 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2019 BMW 5 Seriesin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
* The component that failed is the front axle of my 2019 530e xDrive, and it's a common issue for the xDrive, even under NORMAL use. I was told by my service advisor at my local BMW dealership that it should be repaired as soon as possible. * A damaged axle can lead to a wheel locking up, causing the vehicle to skid or veer off course, especially during turns or at higher speeds. This can result in loss of control, making it difficult to steer and brake safely. A failed xDrive front axle is a known common issue for the xDrive. While BMW isn't doing anything while knowing it would lead to serious safety issues. * Yes, it has been inspected by the service department, and more concerning is the quality of BMW OEM's part supplier, I bought the car used at around 26k miles, when at around 35k miles that the axle are beginning to make clunking noise. More surprising is that after having the vehicle checked out, they've found out that the front right axle was already replaced by the previous owner, replaced with GKN brand axle, which is the original supplier that manufactures BMW's axle. After calculation, the two axles didn't even last over 36,000 miles, with an average lifespan of 18,000 miles. Additionally, each axle costs $ 1,778.95. For replacing both, the cost is around $ 3,557.90, plus labor, which is well over $ 4,000. leaving customers huge financial impact and safety concerns. * No warming lamps, messages. First start with clunking noise while turning at low speed, and sometimes even when braking/decelerating.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW 540I. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the contact pressed the button on the gear shifter and the vehicle inadvertently shifted into NEUTRAL. The contact then shifted back into DRIVE. The contact continued driving with no further issues. However, the contact concern was that there should be no reason for the gear shifter to change gear with little to no pressure on the gear shifter from an inadvertent touch of the button on the gear shifter. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer to be inspected however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,500.
This vehicle malfunctioned 6x; 2 drivers; by where the car would lunge forward on it's own after coming to a complete stop. 1 incident almost resulted in an accident. This was reported to BMW NA after 5-6 weeks in Stevenscreek BMW for service and issues apparently could not be duplicated after Regional and National Technicians were called in to further investigate. BMW refused to buy-back the vehicle and ultimately I was encouraged to take it to the purchasing dealership (BMW of Monterey) for trade-in consideration. BMW of Monterey indicated they were planning to auction this vehicle but 5 day's post return, they did a normal service (oil change, inspection) and re-sold the vehicle. However, they expunged the 5.5 wks of service records from the CarFax report for which I have reported against this VIN as missing information. I'm very concerned that an unsuspecting new buyer could be at risk thus why I'm reporting this to you after rendering the vehicle. I owned and drove this vehicle for 2 yrs without incident before the 6x malfunction which in my opinion is clearly a safety risk. BMW North America has closed the file on my complaints as of recent.
MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON FOR CHASSIS STABILIZATION AND DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THEY REPAIR WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. DEALERSHIP ALLEGES A RODENT GNAWED ON A ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. FROM WHAT I GATHER FROM THE DEALERSHIP THIS OCCURS FREQUENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT HAS FAILED TO MAKE NECESSARY DESIGN CHANGES TO MAKE THESE WIRING HARNESSES INACCESSIBLE TO RODENTS. MY CASE IS NOT THE WORSE CASE SCENARIO BUT A FIRE COULD HAVE STARTED, MY VEHICLE COULD HAVE BECOME INOPERABLE AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST FMVSS BE UPDATED TO ADDRESS THESE PRODUCT DESIGN DEFECTS. A WIRING HARNESS THAT CAN POTENTIAL DISABLE REGULAR FUNCTIONS OF THE VEHICLE COULD RESULT IN DEATH SHOULD NOT BE EASILY DISABLED BY A RODENT. *TR
CAR WAS PARKED/STATIONARY WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON AND ENGAGED, CAR WAS LOCKED AND NO-ONE WAS NEAR OR IN THE VEHICLE, THE CAR ROLLED INTO A CAR PARKED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF IT. FURTHER, WHILE IN THE CAR AND AFTER ENGAGING THE CAR IN REVERSE TO PARK IN A PARKING SPOT, THEN SHIFTING INTO DRIVE (TO STRAIGHTEN OR PULL THE CAR FORWARD THE CAR CONTINUED TO AGGRESSIVELY ROLL BACKWARDS. THIS HAPPENED ON AT LEAST 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. FURTHER, THE CAR WAS PARKED/STATIONARY AND DOORS LOCKED WITH NO-ONE IN THE CAR AND THE WINDOWS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BOTH FRONT AND REAR (ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS) OPENED ALL THE WAY, ON THEIR OWN. FURTHER, THE BRAKES ON THE CAR SQUEAL LOUDLY UPON STEPPING ON THE BRAKES.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026