2008 BMW 5-Series BMW 5-Series 2008

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2008 BMW 5-Series repairs by problem area

Engine (48%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (9%)

Brakes and Traction Control (2%)

Suspension and Steering (7%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (23%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (7%)

Other (4%)

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Chart based on 644 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2008 BMW 5-Series.

2008 BMW 5-Series electrical repair cost distribution

$2500+ (6%)

$1000 - $2499 (11%)

$500 - $999 (11%)

$100 - $499 (30%)

< $100 (42%)

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Chart based on 122 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2008 BMW 5-Series

Engine not specified

90000 mi

£450
The rear wiper should automatically come on if front wipers are on and reverse gear is engagaed. It does not do so. The garage took four attempts to fix that and has failed to do so. 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Wagon

turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

66200 mi

US $302
warm a/c replaced compressor and expansion valve 
73800 mi

US $450
wires to tailgate cycled and broke. needed to replace wires to tailgate. 
101500 mi replace air conditioner compresser 
106000 mi

US $100
tire pressure monitor needed replacement on left front wheel. 
116000 mi

US $116
water from drains shorted out electrical components. replaced sirius module under insurance claim. 
41240 mi Weak AC. Schader valve was found leaking. System re-charged. 
44020 mi Rear hatch would open on its own intermittently while driving. 
77500 mi

C $2500
Replace rear window switch Replace switch for rear window 
55800 mi

$3500
Distance sensor for adaptive cruise control had to be replaced 
87960 mi Warning light appeared indicating "High Battery Drain". Took to mechanic to check diagnostic message. Apparently, the 12V socket would not go to "sleep" and thus warning light appeared. Mechanic cleared message and reset computer. 
96720 mi

C $550
Intelligent battery sensor replaced 
133000 mi

US $800
Key fob stopped working, and the problem was the wiring harness, which developed a short where it travels from the chassis to the rear hatchback. 
41000 mi air conditioner blows hot air 
7000 mi iPod selection would spontaneously switch to the radio. 
34000 mi Front park distance sensor failed. 
38000 mi Warning light panel had to be replaced. 
89000 mi

US $600
Battery needed replacing 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Wagon

turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed manual AWD

76800 mi

US $50
this is a wagon so, rear hatch glass "switch" to latch the glass window was "popping" itself unlatched. simple fix, covered under warranty. 
90600 mi

US $55
AC compressor failure. Replaced under CPO warranty. The problem I have with CPO I am realizing is paying $50+tax every time. Over 2 years this could easily add up to $500 plus the annoyance of having to go to shop in the first place. 
111000 mi

US $4100
car not responding to remote keys. (doors won't lock/unlock, hatch won't open, etc) $2500-$3300 to repair/replace wiring looms in rear hatch area !!!!!! 
116600 mi

US $280
Intermittent low battery warning. The battery was original from 2008. Had it replaced with aftermarket Interstate battery and also had the battery registered to the ECU. 
54700 mi

US $4000
Draining battery symptoms were slow clock, various error message. Battery and alternator both bad. 
70000 mi A headlight filled with water that never evaporated and caused the bulb to fail … I did a DIY fix to get out the condensation and replaced the bulb on my own. 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Wagon

turbocharged 232hp 3.0L I6 Diesel 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

18600 mi Rear hatch window unlocking by itself. 
19840 mi Rear hatch window unlocking by itself. Fixed on second attempt. 
27280 mi "Excessive battery drain" message on car start because of CD player which keeps spinning after car is turned off. Known problem which should have been sorted by CIP progman upgrade but the dealer claims that the newest version is there already. 
38440 mi

$150
The CCC unit was faulty and had to be replaced. 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Wagon

turbocharged 174hp 2.0L I4 Diesel 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD

199020 mi Tailgate wiring faults 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD

60000 mi

US $3500
air conditioner failed again. 
19100 mi "Increased Battery Discharge" light came on. Dealer said that I am driving too many short trips so that battery is not recharged by driving. Suggested that I get a battery charger. Seems like a $50K car should not have this problem. 
42000 mi Air conditioner thermostat not working correctly. Fixed better than before but still not great 
38000 mi

US $134
problem with passenger seat belt warning turning on randomly - passenger seat sensor replacement 
22500 mi Front right daytime running lamp was burned out. It was replaced at the dealership. 
2000 mi Driver's side door speaker went out. Was replaced at no charge. 
12000 mi The driver side window made a "clunking" noise upon rolling it down. The window regulator was replaced. 
24000 mi Nav system quit working. Service advisor saw the problem. It spontaneously resolved prior to my service appt. 
28000 mi iDrive crashing. Reload of sw fixed it. 
61000 mi

US $100
Rear window regulator failed. 
112500 mi A/C compressor was making a growling noise when A/C was on. Warranty company covered replacement of noisy A/C compressor under warranty. 
125000 mi Car was making a squeaking noise right at start up. I thought it was an issue with the installation of a replacement A/C compressor from a previous repair. Was due to the DVD drive instead. I declined to replace that as it works fine. 
132000 mi There is a connection point under the hood where the battery wire from the trunk terminates and is connected to the jump-start point. This point then has another wire going down to the starter. Car wouldn't start. Found loose nut/bolt at this point. Tightened bolt, problem fixed. 
151000 mi Battery failed and replaced by me 
99850 mi

US $2000
Replaced BOTH headlight housings with New Hella OE Adaptive Xenon units. The internal wiring harnesses and plastics of the e60 factory headlight housings (Hella) are notorious for failing internally. I had attempted to refurbish mine but to no avail. I ended up having to cannibalize the adaptive xenon control unit and igniters to install in the new $2000/pair Hella replacements plus the cost of new bulbs. 
88000 mi

US $175
TPM in a wheel failed. Dealer determined which TPM sensor was bad, pulled the tire and replaced it. 
98000 mi

US $1049
TPM failure. Dealer could not determine which unit in tire failed. Solution was to replace all for $800. Choose not to but had to pay $200 for diagnostic. Left Halo light not working - cost $339.04 to replace - have to remove the front bumper to get to the light! Replaced all tire TPM sensors as dealer could not determine which one failed. I paid for 3 of the 4 sensors. 
98000 mi

US $1049
TPM failure light on - all 4 TPM sensors replaced because BMW dealer could not determine which individual sensor was bad 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

40500 mi

US $160
Right Low bean headlight. 
47200 mi

US $345
Replaced with a new battery 
45000 mi battery failed 
50000 mi rear passenger window inoperable. 
29000 mi Oil change, halo (headlight) replaced, brakes replaced, battery replaced due to car stating there was a power outage when I would go back to car after driving it for a short period. 
29300 mi Windshield washer pump was leaking washer fluid, repaired on the first trip, however it took 2 weeks before the dealer could see my car. I drove it until then. 
31300 mi Rear passenger window was stuck down. There was a strange noise when the window button was pressed. The power window motor was replaced and it took from Monday to Wednesday to get the part. 
64000 mi

US $200
right rear lights went out, replaced connector and a bracket 
34400 mi DVD Drive for Navigation 
49300 mi

US $900
Both headlamp fixtures needed replacement, no longer under original factory warranty. 
32000 mi Navigation system repair 
24000 mi Burned out daytime running light lamp. Took the shop over an hour to replace. 
138000 mi

US $1200
Compressor replaced 
16000 mi The car would lose all time and date as if the battery had run out of charge. All it needed was a software flash. 
16000 mi Software flash as I was getting a problem with the clock losing time plus other things that the flash fixed. 
37000 mi Voice recognition would respond only part of the time. 
7000 mi Advertised voice recognition command to access USB/Ipod feature did not work at time of delivery. Previous trips for repair unsuccessful. A new sofware upgrade this trip fixed it. Now works perfectly. 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD

62000 mi Failure of daytime running lights. Repair deferred due to cost to run diagnostics (>$200) 
67000 mi

US $1500
Also replaced passenger side angel eye bulb. 
73200 mi

US $500
Replace left rear window regulator 
42000 mi NAV option not in idrive. DVD drive was not reading the NAV disc. Dealer replaced the DVD drive. NAV now functions. 
42000 mi Shortly after dealer repaired the no-nav problem, the CD drive would no longer read CDs. 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed manual AWD

71000 mi Interior driver seat control buttom was not working. Dealer removed and reset button. 
78000 mi

US $18
Replaced tail light socket. 
86000 mi

US $1500
AC compressor 
78300 mi

US $299
Car was making growling noise when HVAC was on. This noise changed pitch with engine RPM's. AC system needed re-charged, with dye. Dealer claimed it was not leaking and that it is normal to lose 10% per year of refrigerant. 
93300 mi

US $250
Evaporator developed a leak December 2014, just now getting around to replacing it. Parts are inexpensive, however must take dash completely out to repair. 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 232hp 3.0L I6 Diesel 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

26040 mi Problems with playing music from USB drive which caused navigation system resets. This only happens with some particular songs. Computer software was reportedly re-installed which I doubt. 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 174hp 2.0L I4 Diesel 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD

77000 mi

£250
Battery software update. My garage did not charge. Previous owner changed battery but not updated software causing all sorts of issues/code messages. Issue solved. 
89000 mi

£200
Cable loom worn out, occasionally shorting the system for faults. 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

500-horsepower 5.0L V10 7-speed automated manual RWD

16289 mi Battery was weak due to lack of driving. BMW offered a goodwill replacement, provided I would use a battery conditioner on the vehicle while the car was not being used. Battery was weak due to lack of driving. BMW offered a goodwill replacement, provided I would use a battery conditioner on the vehicle while the car was not being used. 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

500-horsepower 5.0L V10 6-speed manual RWD

64000 mi AC Compressor blown. 
80000 mi

US $990
Alternator replaced 
88700 mi

US $375
Replace Battery 
39000 mi

US $350
Tire pressure sensor 
33000 mi Voltage Regulator inside Alternator went bad. 
28000 mi Left front running light failed prematurely. Related to software, which was updated for entire system (5 HR download) 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

360-horsepower 4.8L V8 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD

64100 mi

US $350
Battery started to die, which Causes other systems to malfunction since the car has so many electrical systems. 
60000 mi

US $120
A/C not blowing cold after car sat for >24 hours until car was moving at road speed. 
78000 mi

US $400
after market battery (purchased 2 yrs earlier)began to fail. Purchased new BMW battery and had it registered to the vehicle. 
65000 mi

US $350
Battery Replacement. 
69000 mi No start 
35000 mi Windshield wiper motor replaced; Brakes 
114000 mi

US $400
The car required a new control module. The transmission went into safety mode and wouldn't shift. The car had also been failing to start even thought the battery was charged. 
18000 mi High battery drain due to door latch short. Parts ordered, not installed yet 
18300 mi Replaced rear door handle that was shorting 
48000 mi seat adjustment motor replaced under warranty 
92000 mi Ac compressor Fiber optic szl unit. (Handles communication with steering wheel controls, airbag.) 
59000 mi

US $200
battery drain - caused by LED bulbs 
90000 mi

US $50
Tire pressure sensor 
91000 mi

US $65
Tire TPMS sensor replaced 
95000 mi

US $100
replaced with a Bosch battery from Pepboys. 
US $300 Replace battery and program car 
113000 mi

US $450
Rear window lift 
115000 mi

US $100
Replaced 6 month old battery with AGM battery 
72800 mi

US $250
PDC module went bad resulting in frequent non functioning park distance control. Occurs when shifting to reverse. 
125000 mi

US $1100
Alternator;  
68300 mi

US $375
Windshield washer pump failed. Also had a rear tail light bulb carriers recall repair 
72000 mi

US $3800
Starter replaced 
10000 mi passenger side rear tire keeps setting off the tire pressure monitor. the sensor says tire pressure is low but tire is fine. not sure why the sensor keeps going off every couple of days. 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

360-horsepower 4.8L V8 6-speed manual RWD

111000 mi

US $9000
2 weeks after $9000 repair to replace defective valve stem seals and install new manual clutch, battery light on indicating battery discharging while driving car. Just paid $1600 about 7 months ago for dealer installed new alternator. Had to at that time also replace battery that was only year old because bad alternator fried my battery. Car is presently back in shop. Mechanic indicates bad generator though only 7 months new! Thinks oil leaks damaged newly replaced generator looks like another $1000 repair 
27800 mi Replace Daytime Running Light. Also, recall for brake booster line leak. 
50500 mi

US $50
Side window regulator needed replacement, window would not roll up. 
92000 mi

US $800
Electrical system giving "Increased Battery Discharge" warning. BCM replaced, problem not solved. Car now at different mechanic (dealer) diagnosing problem. 
92200 mi

US $1800
Increased battery discharge warning received, fixed by replacing Body Control Module and reprogramming 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD

127000 mi

US $972
starter was replaced. 
87000 mi

US $1004
Starter Motor Replacement 
9000 mi Battery charging computer replaced. 
52000 mi Spontaneously opening trunk 
68200 mi

C $350
Rear lighting harness burnt out affecting the driver side rear light array. Dealer did a re-wire job to save me the $1200 for a whole new harness. 
72540 mi

C $865
Starter died. Had it replaced 
87000 mi

US $300
Replaced the battery 
109000 mi

US $1200
Engine ran hot and later would not start. Needed new starter. 
22000 mi Had to replace the Sirius satellite unit. Was playing but would sometimes stay on one channel and could not change it even after turning car off and back on again... 
53000 mi AC drainage tube was blocked and water stayed trapped in air ducts. Water vapor was felt when AC was on. This appears to be a relatively common problem based on what I read on blogs. The drainage opening under the car gets clogged. 
54500 mi Too much voltage to DRL's - replaced bulbs and reflashed computer to permanently lower the voltage. 
83000 mi Fan control knob broke. Repaired and reinstalled. 
79000 mi

US $800
Starter went out. 
55000 mi Battery replacement under warranty, Battery terminal recall done 
68200 mi

US $50
Alternator failed 
90000 mi

US $1000
replaced battery 
106000 mi

US $50
Car was making a humming noise at low speeds. Turned off at to hear it better and noise went away. Checked and refrigerant was low. Topped off, noise went away 
55000 mi

US $400
Replaced rain sensor in front windshield for intermittent wiper system 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

39600 mi

US $550
Rip off high price for a new battery 
16000 mi poor AM radio reception, but was told this is normal for this model. 
15400 mi front parking sensor broke and was replaced.  
109000 mi

US $200
new battery - i-drive was acting up - sending all sorts of errors. the new battery seemed to fix the issue 
40000 mi Navigation did not work. 
122000 mi

US $200
Replaced passenger side headlight. 

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2008 BMW 5-Series 4dr Sedan

230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD

87000 mi

US $800
Left Halo light burned. 
99000 mi

US $500
Daylight lights out on one side. Simple checks could not fix it. So was gonna be a More major repair effort and I said not worth it. 
102000 mi

US $1400
left rear window needed a new regulator. 

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2008 BMW 5-Series Electrical Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2008 BMW 5-Series problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.