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Important NHTSA Safety Advisory

Federal recall records for the 2020 BMW 5 Series include 1 campaign with urgent safety operating instructions:

  • Campaign #25V636000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:RELAY): ⚠️ Park Outside Advisory

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists 7 official safety recall campaigns for the 2020 BMW 5 Series in AutoUtility's current federal dataset. The primary affected vehicle systems include Driver Assistance & Safety Tech, Electrical System, Engine & Cooling. NHTSA records include 1 campaign carrying an official Park Outside safety advisory. The 2020 BMW 5 Series belongs to the 7th Generation (G30) platform.

Key Recall Findings
  • Official Recall Campaigns: 7 campaigns on file with NHTSA
  • Primary Affected Subsystems: Driver Assistance & Safety Tech, Electrical System, Engine & Cooling
  • Urgent Safety Advisories: 1 campaign carries urgent Do Not Drive or Park Outside instructions
  • Official Remedy: Detailed per campaign in official NHTSA records below
  • Most Recent NHTSA Report: September 23, 2025
VIN-Specific Notice: Safety recall campaigns apply to specific production date ranges and vehicle identification numbers (VINs). A campaign listing on this model-year page does not establish that every vehicle or trim is affected. Check your 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov or with an authorized dealer to verify whether a safety repair is needed.
Official Recall Campaigns
7
Listed in current NHTSA data
Affected System Areas
5
Broad component categories
Latest NHTSA Filing
September 23, 2025
Most recent campaign report
VIN Verification
Required
Exact applicability depends on VIN

Vehicle Systems Involved in Recalls for 2020 BMW 5 Series

Distribution of official safety recall campaigns across automotive subsystem domains

Vehicle Subsystem 3 campaigns

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech

Vehicle Subsystem 2 campaigns

Electrical System

NHTSA records also contain 5 consumer complaint filings involving this same system. View Complaints →
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign

Engine & Cooling

NHTSA records also contain 4 consumer complaint filings involving this same system. View Complaints →
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign

Fuel & Propulsion System

NHTSA records also contain 2 consumer complaint filings involving this same system. View Complaints →
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign

Powertrain & Transmission

NHTSA records also contain 1 consumer complaint filing involving this same system. View Complaints →
Domain Mapping Methodology: A single NHTSA recall campaign may involve more than one vehicle subsystem (such as electrical wiring affecting fuel delivery), so domain totals can exceed the total number of unique recall campaigns. Complaint and recall counts are grouped by broad vehicle system; component co-occurrence does not establish that an individual owner complaint is related to a specific recall campaign.

Official NHTSA Recall Campaigns (7)

Complete safety campaign filings including defect descriptions, safety hazards, and free dealer remedies

NHTSA Campaign #25V636000 Electrical System
⚠️ Park Outside Advisory
Affected Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:RELAY
NHTSA Report Date: September 23, 2025
Safety Defect Summary:

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 BMW 330i, 2019-2022 BMW Z4, 2020-2022 BMW 530i, X3, X4, Toyota Supra, 2021-2022 BMW 430i, 430i Convertible, and 2022 BMW 230i vehicles. The engine starter relay may corrode, causing the relay to overheat and short circuit.

Safety Risk / Consequence:

A short circuit in the starter relay may increase the risk of a fire.

Authorized Remedy Instructions:

Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is complete. Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 6, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov November 14, 2025.

NHTSA Campaign #21V598000 Engine & Cooling
Affected Component: ENGINE
NHTSA Report Date: August 2, 2021
Safety Defect Summary:

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 M340i, M340i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, X3 M40i, 2020-2021 X4 M40i, 745Le xDrive, 2019-2021 Z4 M40i, and 2020-2021 Toyota Supra vehicles. During engine start, the engine management software may cause loss of braking assist. Full mechanical braking (without assist) remains available.

Safety Risk / Consequence:

Loss of braking assist can increase the risk of a crash.

Authorized Remedy Instructions:

Dealers will update the engine management software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #21V096000 Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
Affected Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
NHTSA Report Date: February 19, 2021
Safety Defect Summary:

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series Coupe, Convertible and Grand Coupe, 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le, 745Le xDrive, X5 xDrive45e, X3 xDrive30e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 740i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, M760i Drive, M760Li xDrive, 750Li xDrive Alpina, Alpina B7 xDrive, and 2021 4 Series Coupe 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive vehicles. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Safety Risk / Consequence:

If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized Remedy Instructions:

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #21V046000 Powertrain & Transmission
Affected Component: POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
NHTSA Report Date: February 3, 2021
Safety Defect Summary:

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 530i xDrive, 540i xDrive and 2021 740Li xDrive vehicles. The output shafts (left/right) which transfer power from the driveshaft to the rear wheels may break due to a heat treatment error during supplier production.

Safety Risk / Consequence:

A broken output shaft can lead to a loss of drive power or a rollaway condition in a parked vehicle (if the parking brake is not engaged), increasing the risk of a crash.

Authorized Remedy Instructions:

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the output shaft(s), free of charge. The recall began March 24, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #20V598000 Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
Affected Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
NHTSA Report Date: September 30, 2020
Safety Defect Summary:

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 X3 sDrive 30i, X3 xDrive 30i, X3M 40i, X3 xDrive 30e, X4 xDrive 30i, X4M 40i, 530i, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 550e, 550e xDrive, and 550e iPerformance vehicles. A small portion of the rearview image may be slightly obscured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Safety Risk / Consequence:

If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized Remedy Instructions:

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, program the rearview camera with updated software. The recall began November 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #20V601000 Electrical SystemFuel & Propulsion System
Affected Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
NHTSA Report Date: September 30, 2020
Safety Defect Summary:

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 530e iPerformance and X3 xDrive30e and MINI Cooper Countryman All4 SE, 2020 BMW i8, and 2021 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le xDrive and X5 xDrive45e vehicles. Debris may have entered one or more of the hybrid battery cells during their production.

Safety Risk / Consequence:

The debris could result in a short-circuit, increasing the risk of fire or injury.

Authorized Remedy Instructions:

BMW will inspect and, if necessary, replace the battery module free of charge. The remedy is currently being developed. Until the remedy is completed, drivers are instructed to not charge their vehicles. Drivers are instructed to not drive in manual mode, sport mode, and to not use the shift paddles. Owners were notified of the safety risk October 23, 2020. The recall began November 24, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #19V684000 Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
Affected Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
NHTSA Report Date: September 27, 2019
Safety Defect Summary:

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."

Safety Risk / Consequence:

The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.

Authorized Remedy Instructions:

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.

Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Source Data Notice: Campaign summaries, safety consequences, and remedy descriptions are direct text extracts published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation.

Recall History for BMW 5 Series

Official safety recall campaign volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Recalls NHTSA Complaints Detailed Report
2015 BMW 5 Series 4 99 View 2015 Recalls →
2016 BMW 5 Series 7 83 View 2016 Recalls →
2017 BMW 5 Series 2 38 View 2017 Recalls →
2018 BMW 5 Series 4 101 View 2018 Recalls →
2019 BMW 5 Series 2 38 View 2019 Recalls →
2020 BMW 5 Series Current Page 7 16 Current
2021 BMW 5 Series 10 27 View 2021 Recalls →
2022 BMW 5 Series 5 15 View 2022 Recalls →
2023 BMW 5 Series 4 0 View 2023 Recalls →
2024 BMW 5 Series 6 18 View 2024 Recalls →
2025 BMW 5 Series 4 0 View 2025 Recalls →
2026 BMW 5 Series 0 0 View 2026 Recalls →
Historical Reporting Note: Recall campaign counts are shown by model year and should not be interpreted as a vehicle reliability score. Campaigns may cover multiple model years, and newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time for new safety campaigns to be issued.

VIN-Specific Recall Verification

How to confirm whether an individual vehicle requires an authorized safety repair

Safety recall campaigns on this page are associated with this make, model, and model year in NHTSA federal records. A campaign may apply only to certain vehicles based on production date, equipment, manufacturing details, or other campaign-specific criteria.

AutoUtility cannot determine whether a particular VIN is affected or whether a recall remedy has already been completed.

For vehicle-specific recall status, check the 17-digit VIN using NHTSA's official recall lookup or contact an authorized dealer. Campaign-specific remedy information shown above is reproduced from official NHTSA recall records.

Official NHTSA Safety Resources: NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 711)
Official US Government Data Provenance

Recall records published on this page are retrieved directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Safety Recalls Database.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.