Showing the 2019 M 5 AWD: as EPA lists it. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
17 mpgcombined; city 15, highway 21; the 5 AWD
Five years of fuel
$23,670U.S. average; Ohio $22,310 at local prices; the 5 AWD; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
NHTSA's VIN data lists no trims for the 2019 M, so these are the versions EPA tested, by its names. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 8 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 M. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
4
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
2
0
0
0
Power train
2
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
1
0
0
0
Unknown or other
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2019 M over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Electrical system: wiring; Power train: automatic transmission
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 M5 and 2020 M8 Gran Coupe, M8 Coupe, and M8 Convertible vehicles. The transmission wiring harness can become damaged, resulting in an electrical short circuit.
Risk: An electrical short circuit can cause the transmission to shift to neutral resulting in a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace any damaged transmission harnesses. All harnesses will be rerouted and secured. These repairs will be performed, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 3, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 750i xDrive, 2019 M850i xDrive Coupe, M850i xDrive Convertible, X5 xDrive50i, X7 xDrive50i, and M5 vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may not have been properly attached to the engine, which may cause the fuel pump flange to crack, resulting in a fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pumps, free of charge. The recall began August 27, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive, M2 Competition Coupe, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, M4, and 2019 330i xDrive Sportswagon vehicles. The driver and passenger knee air bag assemblies may have been improperly folded and assembled.
Risk: An improperly folded and assembled air bag may not deploy as intended, increasing risk of injury.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the knee air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began July 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 305 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2019 M, the latest on Sep 3, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (114), equipment (110), engine and engine cooling (35), equipment adaptive/mobility (23), steering (19).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2019 M.
EPA class: subcompact cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 2–5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
M2 Competition Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
18 / 25 / 20
M2 Competition Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S7)
Premium Gasoline
17 / 23 / 19
M240i Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
21 / 30 / 24
M240i Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
18 / 27 / 21
M240i M Performance Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
21 / 30 / 24
M240i M Performance Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
18 / 27 / 21
M240i xDrive All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
21 / 30 / 24
M240i xDrive M Performance All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
21 / 30 / 24
M4 Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
17 / 25 / 20
M4 Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S7)
Premium Gasoline
16 / 22 / 19
M4 Competition Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
17 / 25 / 20
M4 Competition Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S7)
Premium Gasoline
16 / 22 / 19
M4 CS Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S7)
Premium Gasoline
17 / 23 / 19
M5 All-Wheel Drive
4.4 L, 8 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
15 / 21 / 17
M5 Competition All-Wheel Drive
4.4 L, 8 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
15 / 21 / 17
M550i xDrive All-Wheel Drive
4.4 L, 8 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
18 / 25 / 20
M6 Gran Rear-Wheel Drive
4.4 L, 8 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
15 / 22 / 17
M6 Gran Rear-Wheel Drive
4.4 L, 8 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S7)
Premium Gasoline
14 / 20 / 16
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data