Recalls: BMW E39 5-Series sedan
Overview
Manufacturers, or importers, issue recalls for defects or faults which have the potential to cause injury. Generally, manufacturers will inform the original buyers if their vehicle is subject to a recall and of the steps required to remedy the defect or fault. Please note that the recalls below (if any) are for Australian-delivered vehicles only. Furthermore, the number of recalls should not be taken as an indication of a model’s reliability or its safety more generally.
Recalls: BMW E39 5-Series sedan
BMW E39 5-Series sedan: engine could overheat
In October 2001, a recall was issued for BMW E39 5-Series sedans due to a manufacturing problem with the auxiliary cooling fan electronics that could cause the fan to become thermally overloaded, reducing the cooling system’s performance and causing the engine to overheat (PRA 2001/5017).
BMW E39 5-Series sedan: cracking of front strut support plates
In September 2005, a recall was issued for BMW E39 5-Series sedans due to material fatigue and subsequent cracking on the spring support plates of the front struts; this problem generally occurred at high mileage and after a long period of service (PRA 2005/8026).
2002-05 BMW E39 5-Series sedan: Takata airbag recall
In August 2016, a recall was issued for BMW E39 5-Series Sedans that were available for sale from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2005. If subjected to high levels of absolute air humidity, the gas generator of the driver’s airbag could malfunction; if the gas generator exploded, metal parts could be propelled out of the airbag due to high internal pressure, potentially causing injury to the driver and/or passengers. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2016/15581.
2000-04 BMW E39 5-Series Sedan: Takata airbag recall
In March 2017, a recall was issued for BMW E39 5-Series Sedan vehicles that were available for sale from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2004. During the service life of these vehicles, or as part of the Takata airbag recall, the airbag inflator may have been replaced and the replacement airbag module may not deploy correctly. If the replacement airbag module was faulty, deployment of the airbag could cause the airbag’s metal case to rupture and disperse metal fragments throughout the cabin which had the potential to cause serious injury or death. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2017/15881.
2000-03 BMW E39 5-Series Sedan: Takata airbag recall
In February 2019, recall campaign 0032790200 was issued for BMW E39 5-Series Sedans vehicles that were available for sale in Australia from 8 August 2000 to 30 September 2003 and had undergone a steering wheel conversion during the life of the vehicle. The replacement steering wheel in such vehicles may have contained a Takata airbag. Propellant wafers inside the Takata airbag could absorb moisture over time and, in the event of airbag deployment, excessive pressure inside the metal airbag inflator housing could cause it to explode or rupture – this could cause metal fragments to be projected through the airbag and into the vehicle’s cabin. These metal fragments had the potential to cause serious injury or fatality. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2019/17335.
Problems and faults: BMW E39 5-Series Sedan
Overview
This section identifies potential problems, causes and fixes based on the experiences of owners and repairers, online sources and technical service bulletins. This information is provided solely for reference purposes and AustralianCar.Reviews recommends that only properly qualified persons carry out repairs or modifications. Furthermore, the number of items below should not be taken as an indicator of a model’s reliability or the frequency with which they may occur.
To report a problem or fault to the AustralianCar.Reviews team, please use the Contact Us form. Note that AustralianCar.Reviews does not offer advice on automotive problems or disputes; such enquiries will not receive a reply. For vehicles purchased from dealers after 1 January 2011, please see our Australian Consumer Law fact sheet.
Front suspension: thrust arm bushing failure
For the front suspension, the thrust arm bushing has an estimate lifespan of 70,000 to 130,000 kms. The bushing is a rubber cylinder that is filled with hydraulic fluid and wrapped in a metal sleeve; it sits inside the thrust arm bore and acts as a shock absorber. Over time, the bushing rubber ends tear and fluid leaks out – this can be identified by the spill mark on the bottom exterior of the bushing sleeve and thrust arm bore.
Symptoms of thrust arm bushing failure include intermittent steering wheel shimmy (i.e. side-to-side shaking) at particular speeds, generally 80 to 100 km/h. Other symptoms include wear on the inside of the front tyres, intermittent front end clunks when stopping or accelerating from rest, ABS activating during moderately heavy braking on rough surfaces, less responsive handling and less responsive braking.
Rear suspension: swing arm ball joint wear
In the rear suspension, the swing arm ball joint has a lifespan of 90,000 to 150,000 kms.The swing arm ball joint consists of a centre metal shaft and a cylindrical metal sleeve, where the ball end of the shaft fits into the sleeve’s socket. The ball joint is packed in grease and the joint ends are sealed with rubber boots which are mounted with metal O-rings.
Over time, the surfaces of the ball joint and socket wear such that the fit is not as tight, creating ‘play’ in the suspension. Furthermore, the ball joint rubber boots can tear, allowing the grease to leak out – the loss of lubrication causes joint wear to accelerate
Symptoms of worn swing arm ball joints include ‘tramlining’ of the rear wheels when cornering, rear suspension vibrations, squeaking noises from the rear suspension when driving over bumps and wear on the inside of the rear tyres.
Suspension: front struts and rear shock absorbers
The original Sachs front struts and rear shock absorbers have an expected life of 120,000 to 190,000 kms. Initial symptoms of worn struts include squeaking noises and additional rebound on speed bumps. Within a month, a lack of compression will occur when driving over speed bumps (i.e. a hard landing) and the suspension will not be as absorbent over bumps. For the rear shock absorbers, the rear wheels may rise into the wheel well during cornering; as the swing arm rises, it produces negative camber and produces a swerve feeling. Over time, worn struts can cause wear to the inside of the tyres; severely worn struts may also leak oil.
E39 523i, 525i, 528i and 530i: M52 and M54 VANOS failure
For tthe M52 and M54 engines, the VANOS units may fail due to deterioration of the VANOS piston seal O-rings which are made from Buna (a material with limited temperature resistance). Over time, the O-rings harden and shrink, causing them to lose their functional characteristics – this can cause symptoms such as a loss of power below 3000 rpm, surging around 3000 rpm, a louder idle and rough running.
The piston O-rings lies under and provides support to a Teflon piston seal ring. Replacing the O-rings requires the Teflon seals to be removed for access. Since the Teflon seals cannot be removed from the piston seal groove without damaging it, the Teflon and O-ring seals must be replaced simultaneously. For greater longevity, the Buna O-rings can be replaced with O-rings made from Viton.
The VANOS unit had two piston seals with O-rings, while each piston had two O-ring sizes to provide hydraulic sealing in two VANOS cylinders of different sizes and an additional, smaller O-ring that was used to seal off a piston bearing. It is understood that the O-ring for this cap was also made from Buna and deteriorated in the same manner as the piston seal O-rings.
For more information about the M54 engine, please see BMW M54 and S54 engines.
E39 525i and 530i: M54 engine and cold climates
In February 2009, BMW issued technical service bulletin SI B11 08 03 for BMW E39 525i and 530i Sedans with the M54 engine. In these vehicles, extremely cold climate conditions could cause moisture to accumulate and freeze in the:
- Engine oil separator;
- Hose to oil dipstick guide tube; or,
- Orifice in the dipstick guide tube.
Depending on the position of the crankcase ventilation valve when this occurred, the following may occur:
- High crankcase pressures (stuck closed) resulting in valve cover leakage and/or breakage; or,
- An oil hydro-lock condition (stuck open) which could result in engine damage.
To fix, the crankcase ventilation valve, hoses and dipstick guide hoses were to be replaced; a new insulated style of oil separator and hoses were also introduced.
E39 535i and 540i: M62TU VANOS failure
For the M62TUB35 and M62TUB44 engines, the VANOS unit may fail due to deterioration of the VANOS seals and symptoms include a rattling noise after cold starts (VANOS rattle), a clattering noise at idle once the engine has warmed up, a loss of bottom-end power and uneven power delivery. The VANOS seals comprise:
- An O-ring at the outer perimeter of the VANOS plastic housing; and,
- A dynamic rod seal at the inner perimeter of the same plastic housing.
Over time, the O-ring at the outer perimeter of the housing – made of Viton – experiences compression (flattening) and fails. Due to the sealed nature of the VANOS unit, the outer perimeter O-ring can’t be accessed and replaced. However, the VANOS top lip can be pressed down onto the plastic housing to, in turn, press the plastic housing down and set it on a VANOS wall shelf. This seating creates a functional oil seal that provides the oil chamber seal the O-ring was intended to achieve.
The plastic housing inner perimeter rod seal consists of a Teflon ring and backing O-ring; the Teflon ring is susceptible to wear and loss of material, causing it to lose its functional characteristics. Furthermore, the rod seal O-ring also experiences compression, exacerbating the effect of wear to the Teflon ring.
E39 528i and 530i: manual shift lever sticks in 5th and reverse
In January 2005, BMW issued technical service bulletin SI B04 04 02 for E39 528i and 530i sedans with manual transmissions. In these vehicles, the manual gearshift lever:
- May be difficult to move into and out of 5th gear and reverse;
- May not automatically move from the 5th and reverse gears back to the centre/neutral position; and,
- May have a loose shift feel (i.e. lack of guidance).
The service bulletin attributed this condition to the fifth gear and reverse gear selector shaft pin sticking due to a defective bushing that was mounted in the selector shaft bore of the transmission. To fix, the fifth and reverse gear selector shaft pin bushing needed to be replaced.
Problems and faults: BMW E39 5-Series sedan
- For models with the 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine (i.e. the E39.I 540i), the ‘check engine’ light may illuminate, indicating problems with the secondary air system caused by carbon buildup in the cylinder heads – the cylinder heads need to be removed and cleaned.
- For models with V8 engines, oil and coolant may leak due to a failed main rear seal leaks.
- For models with BMW’s variable valve timing system (VANOS), the engine may suffer valve jamming and varnish buildup if oil changes are extended.
- For models with xenon headlights, the headlights may not illuminate if the switch is turned while cranking the engine.
- The seat back or entire seat may move spontaneously, requiring a replacement rocker switch, control module, or both.
- The boot release button may not work because the rubber seal moves and holds the switch closed.
- For models fitted with a sunroof, the sunroof may stop working and need to be ‘reinitialised’ by removing and reinstalling the fuse and then holding the ’tilt’ button until the roof tilts twice.
- For early models, the power adjustable seats may not work because misrouted wires short circuit and blow the fuses.
- For some early models, the trip odometer may reset itself due to a software error.
