Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 BMW 530I submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 530i. The contact stated that the battery drained quickly, which caused the contact to frequently replace the battery. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
HEADLIGHTS WOULD TAKE TURNS RANDOMLY WORKING, THEN ONE NIGHT BOTH HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF WHILE I WAS GOING AROUND A CORNER AT 55MPH. THIS WAS IN THE COUNTRY NO STREET LIGHTS. JUST AS I CAME TO A BLIND STOP THERE BOTH KICKED BACK ON. AFTER GETTING HOME I TOOK APART TO FIND SOME WIRES WERE ROTTING OTHER ALREADY BARE, AND OTHERS CRACKING. I PRAY THIS DOESNT HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE BECAUSE IF THIS PROBLEM ISN'T FIXED SOMEONE'S GOING TO DIE. ALSO IF SOMEONE DOES CRASH I PRAY TO GOD THEY CAN QUICKLY GET OUT OF CAR BEFORE ALL THOSE BARE WIRES BEHIND HEADLIGHT GET SMASHED TOGETHER AND THE FIRE STARTS.
CAR SHUT OFF MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY VERY DANGEROUS AND DEADLY ALL BECAUSE KEY LOST CODE...HOW IF IT'S IN THE IGNITION AND I'VE BEEN DRIVING OVER SEVERAL MILES
MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON FOR NO REASON ONE DAY AND WILL NOT GO OFF I INITIALLY GOT A RECALL PAPER FOR IT BUT WAS UNABLE TO TAKE IT TO THE SHOP I VAN NO LONGER FIND THE PAPER BUT THE TRANSMISSION IS TRASH
MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND MY TRANSMISSION HAS AN ISSUE AS IF IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AFTER RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THAT MECHATRONICS AND OTHER COMPONENTS TO BE AN ISSUE FOR INSTANCE IF YOUR TRYING TO PASS YOUR CAR STALLS AND SAYS TRANSMISSION FAILURE AFTER SHUTOFF MESSAGE DISAPPEARS CAR WILL GO IN LIMP MODE AND CAR STARTS OUT IN 2ND GEAR INSTEAD OF 1ST AND 1ST GEAR WILL ALSO LOCK ITSELF.....THIS IS DANGEROUS FOR A SUPPOSED HIGH END WELL BUILT PERFORMANCE VEHICLE. TRANNY HAS NO ISSUES COMPUTER DOES THAT CAUSES SHUTTER AND STALL LIMP MODE NEARLY COULD HAVE DIED
SPEEDOMETER, OTHER ELECTRONIC AND SOUND INDICATORS, AND RADIO RANDOMLY TURN OFF AND ON WHILE DRIVING. AFTER TAKING IT TO SEVERAL AUTO REPAIR SHOPS, A CORRODED COMPUTER COMPONENT UNDER THE SPARE TIRE WAS FOUND TO BE CORRODED DUE TO WATER INTRUSION. REPLACING THE PART MADE THE PROBLEM MOSTLY GO AWAY, BUT OCCASIONALLY GET ENGINE AND COOLANT PROBLEM INDICATORS.
INSULATION AROUND THE WIRING IN THE HEADLIGHTS HAS COMPLETELY CRUMBLED OFF AND BARE WIRE IS EXPOSED, COULD POSSIBLE TOUCH AND CAUSE A FIRE. PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR IN THE SEAT IS FAULTY AND I RECIEVED A RECALL NOTICE BUT BMW SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL ON MY CAR AND REFUSES TO FIX.
INTERNAL HEADLIGHT WIRING INSULATION FLAKING OFF EXPOSING COPPER WIRE CAUSING FAILURE OF PARKING AND DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND FAILURE OF THE FRONT HEADLIGHT SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE RISK OF FIRE. ALSO HAVING ISSUES WITH INTERMITTENT CRUISE CONTROL, POWER PORTS AND FAN INSIDE THE CAR.
THE MICRO POWER MODULE IN THE TRUNK BURNED UP, CRASHING THE SCREEN/AUDIO/SERVICE SCREEN. THE CAR IS DRIVABLE BUT I CANNOT ACCESS ANY FEATURES FROM THE DASH COMPUTER SCREEN, NONE OF IT WORKS. THERE IS A DISTINCT PLASTIC BURNED SMELL IN THE TRUNK. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM...WHEN I CALLED MY BMW CERTIFIED MECHANIC, I BARELY EXPLAINED MY ISSUE AND HIS RESPONSE WAS "LET ME GUESS, YOU HAVE AN '05 OR '06 BMW 5 SERIES, CORRECT? THE MICROPROCESSORS IN THE TRUNK ARE BURNING UP...THEY'VE SINCE MOVED THEM FROM UNDER THE TIRE". MY CAR COULD HAVE BURNED DOWN. CLEARLY BMW KNOWS THEY HAVE A PROBLEM AS THEY HAVE SINCE MOVED THE PROCESSOR. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS COSTLY REPAIR.
AFTER TRAVELING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, MY 2006 BMW 530I WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVE WAY. WHEN I RETURNED HOME, I OPENED BY DOOR TO FIND MOLD GROWING ALL OVER THE SEATS , INTERIORS SURFACES, AND A BAD ODOR. I OPENED THE BACK DOOR AND FOUND 4 INCHES OF WATER STANDING IN THE FLOOR BOARD. I IMMEDIATELY USED MY WET/DRY VAC TO SUCK ALL THE STANDING WATER OUT. AS I LOOKED AROUND MOLD HAD GROWN ALL OVER THE LEATHER SEATS, INTERIOR TRIM ,AND CARPET. I STARTED TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON BIMMER FORUMS TO SEE WHAT MIGHT THE CULPRIT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY BMW SUNROOFS OF THIS VINTAGE. I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE BACK SEAT AND I FOUND THAT THE CLOTH BETWEEN TRUNK AND REAR SEAT WAS ALSO SATURATES WITH WATER, MOLD, MOISTURE. I HAD READ TO PULL BACK THE CARPET AND I FOUND AT LEASE 2 INCHES OF STANDING WATER IN BOTH REAR FLOOR BOARD AREAS. I ALSO NOTICED MANY ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WERE UNDER WATER. MY ALARM WAS CONSTANTLY GOING OFF. I WOULD RESET IT FROM THE KEY REMOTE AND IT WOULD STARTING SOUNDING OFF LIKE THE ALARM WAS SET OFF. I HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TERMINAL TO GET THIS TO STOP. SO IT IS CLEARLY A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I AM JUST RETURNING FORM A BUSINESS TRIP AND PLAN TO GET IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP TO GET AN ESTIMATE TO REPLACE THE CARPET, DEAL WITH THE MOLD THAT I AM NOT SURE HOW WILL BE TREATED. AND ADDRESS ALL THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES SINCE I DO NOT HAVE A WAY TO DRIVE IT NOW. I HAVE OWNED 6 OTHER BMW AND THIS ONE FOR 5 YEARS. I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY KIND OF FLOODING LIKE THIS. *TR
THE WIRING INSULATION IS PEELING AROUND ALL OF THE WIRES IN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THIS IS NOT A SERVICEABLE PART, BUT THE LIGHT BULBS ARE SERVICEABLE. THIS SEEMS TO POSE A FIRE RISK BECAUSE BARE CONDUCTORS OF OPPOSITE POLARITY ARE EXPOSED TO ONE ANOTHER. *TR
WHEN I STARTED MY CAR THE IDRIVE DISPLAYED THE "INCREASED BATTERY DISCHARGE" MESSAGE. I THEN SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF SMOKE AND MELTED PLASTIC, AND THE IDRIVE STOPPED WORKING ALTOGETHER. I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM UNTIL I SEARCHED THIS WEBSITE AND SEVERAL BMW DEVOTED MESSAGE BOARDS TO DISCOVER THAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE TRACED TO A DEFECTIVE DESIGN RELATED TO THE MICRO PROCESSOR MODULE THAT CONTROLS THE IDRIVE. APPARENTLY, BMW THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO INSTALL THE MPM, AN IMPORTANT AND SENSITIVE ELECTRICAL COMPONENT, IN THE SPARE TIRE WHEEL-WELL WHERE LIQUID CAN GATHER EASILY. A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER SPILLED IN MY TRUNK, AND THE MPM BURNED AND MELTED ALONG WITH THE ATTACHED WIRING HARNESS. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS DESIGN DEFECT. AND MINE IS NOT THE FIRST INSTANCE OF THIS HAPPENING - WHY HASN'T A RECALL BEEN REQUIRED? IT ALSO SEEMS THAT BMW ISSUED AT LEAST ONE SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING THIS ISSUE, AND DIRECTED ITS DEALERS TO RELOCATE THE MPM TO A SAFER LOCATION. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED - AT LEAST TWICE FOR PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BUT THE DEALER NEVER MENTIONED THE BULLETIN OR SUGGESTED THAT THEY SHOULD RELOCATE IT. *TR
AS I WAS DRIVING A WARNING CAME ON MY IDRIVE DISPLAY THAT THERE WAS A PARKING LIGHT MALFUNCTION. I LATER REMOVED THE HEADLIGHT TO REPLACE A BULB AND UPON DOING SO I NOTICED BARE COPPER WIRES. I THEN REMOVED THE MAIN COVER AND SAW THAT LITERALLY EVERY WIRE HAD PORTIONS OF THE OUTER WIRE JACKET DETERIORATING. WHEN I REMOVED THE PARKING LAMP ASSY. TO REPLACE THE BULB, THE WIRE JACKET JUST FLAKED OFF. DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE DAMAGE I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE HEADLIGHT TO LAUDERDALE BMW. LAUDERDALE BMW HAD A SPECIALIST LOOK AT THE HEADLIGHT. THE SPECIALIST SAID THAT THOUGH IT DID LOOK VERY BAD UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS JUST DUE TO THE FLORIDA SUN! THERE IS NO SUPPORT FOR THE HEADLIGHT EITHER FROM HELLA NORTH AMERICA (THE ACTUAL MANUFACTURER OF THE HEADLIGHT) OR FROM BMW. NO PARTS CAN BE ORDERED FOR IT. THE ONLY OPTION AVAILABLE IS TO PURCHASE A COMPLETE NEW HEADLIGHT ASSY. AT $1500.00 I WROTE TO HELLA NORTH AMERICA AND THEY REFERRED ME TO BMW GERMANY. I WROTE TO BMWNA AND THEY RESPONDED THAT IT WAS JUST NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. IMAGINE THAT, AN 8 YEAR OLD HEADLIGHT DETERIORATE TO BARE WIRES IS BY BMW'S CONCERN, NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR! THAT'S SHAMEFUL! AT THIS POINT I CANNOT INSTALL THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY BACK INTO THE CAR FOR FEAR OF A DEAD SHORT AND POSSIBLE FIRE! I HAVE A 1995 CHEVROLET S-10 THAT AT 19 YEARS HAS NO WIRING ISSUES AND DEFINITELY NO BARE WIRES! FOR BMW THOUGH IT IS CONSIDERED COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE AFTER 8 YEARS! YET BOTH VEHICLES SIT SIDE BY SIDE IN THE FLORIDA SUN EVERYDAY! IS IT RIGHT THAT BMW VEHICLE PRICING ON THE AVERAGE IS SO MUCH HIGHER THAN CHEVROLET AND YET BMW'S BUILD QUALITY AND WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE IS SO MUCH LOWER! WHEN THIS HAPPENS, SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG! *TR
WE HAVE A 2006 BMW 530I IN JANUARY OF 2013 WE HAD A IGNITION COIL GO OUT WITH AROUND 75000 MILES WHICH WAS ABOUT A 275.00$ TO GET FIXED. THEN ON 6/26/13 WE HAD 2 MORE IGNITION COILS GO OUT AT 78000 MILES, THAT TIME IT WAS 507.00 $ TO FIX, THIS MUST BE A FAULTY PART BECAUSE NOW 12/16/13 WITH 82000 MILES IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN! I AM GOING TO PAY FOR THE REMAINING 3 TO BE CHANGED. WHEN I CALLED BMW THERE WAS A RECALL APPARENTLY FROM 2002-2004 FOR THIS. BY WAY OF MY VIN.# I FOUND OUT MY CAR WAS MADE 9/2005 I FEEL THIS PROBLEM NEVER GOT FIXED OR SIMPLY JUST CHANGING THE BRAND OF THE COIL WAS NOT THE ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM! BECAUSE ITS NOT FIXED. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A CAR WITH ISSUES LIKE THIS. WHEN I SPOKE TO A INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED BMW MECHANIC I WAS TOLD IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM! *TR
REF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V384000 WHILE MY VEHICLE IS THE SAME MODEL YEAR, MODEL AND SPECIFICATION LISTED IN THE RECALL, MY VEHICLE'S VIN IS NOT "INCLUDED" IN THE LIST OF RECALLED VEHICLES. I HAVE AND AM CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING THIS EXACT SEAT SENSOR MAT PROBLEM. BMW IS UNWILLING TO COVER ANY WARRANTY WORK AS THE SPECIFIC VIN IS APPARENTLY NOT AFFECTED DESPITE THE FACT THAT CLEARLY IT IS. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE OCCUPANTS OF MY VEHICLE BASED ON THE UNRELIABILITY OF THIS COMPONENT AND FEEL THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ALL VEHICLES THAT EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT IN MY 530I 2006 BMW. THE ANGEL LIGHT BULB BURNED OUT AND WHEN I WENT TO REPLACE IT, THE WIRE COVERS STARTED TO COME OFF EXPOSING THE WIRES COMPLETELY. AFTER REPLACING THE BULB (WHICH WAS A BIT DIFFICULT TO DO), MOST OF THE WIRES IN THE HEADLIGHT HAD NO PROTECTION AND WERE COMPLETELY EXPOSED. I HAD TO COVER THEM WITH ELECTRIC TAPE TO PREVENT SOME SHORTS, BUT MISSED A SECTION I GUESS, SINCE NOW THE COMPUTER IS GIVING ME A ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHT WARNING MESSAGE AND THE LIGHT IS NOT POINTING TO THE PROPER DIRECTION. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON LINE AND FOUND THAT IT IS HAPPENING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. CONTACTED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, AND THEY SAID SINCE MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE MATERIAL USED TO COVER THESE WIRES IS NOT CORRECT, AS IT WILL BREAK OFF JUST BY LIGHTLY TOUCHING THEM. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN WHERE THERE MAY BE SHORT CIRCUITS WHILE THE CAR IS RUNNING AND IT WOULD AFFECTS THE CAR'S COMPUTERS. IN MY CASE, THE LIGHT CONTROL MODULE IS ALSO SHORTED AND MUST BE REPLACED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO FIND OUT IF THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN OR NOT. I BELIEVE IT IS SPECIALLY ON A CAR STILL NEW. LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD NEED ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. THANK YOU. *JB
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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