2006 BMW 530I Exterior lighting Problems

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.

NHTSA ID

11413478

Incident

Apr 21, 2021

Mileage

200,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

10865336

Incident

Apr 21, 2016

Mileage

142,141 mi

THE WIRING ITHIN THE XENON ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE 2006 BMW 530I HAS EXTREME WIRING INSULATION ROT. THE EXPOSED WIRING IS EXTENSIVE ON ALL WIRES WITHIN THE ASSEMBLY ON BOTH SIDES WITH MOST OF THE WIRES NOW BARE. THIS IS CREATING A SEVERE AND DANGEROUS SAFETY AND FIRE HAZARD. I WILL UPLOAD PHOTOS WHEN I DISASSEMBLE THE CAR HEADLIGHTS AGAIN. THE FIRE HAZARD WAS FOUND WHEN REPLACING AN ANGEL EYE HEADLAMP.

NHTSA ID

10836268

Incident

Feb 15, 2016

Mileage

59,800 mi

INTERNAL HEADLIGHT WIRING INSULATION FLAKING OFF EXPOSING COPPER WIRE CAUSING FAILURE OF PARKING AND DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND POSSIBLE FAILURE OF THE FRONT HEADLIGHT SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE RISK OF FIRE

NHTSA ID

10824753

Incident

Feb 5, 2016

Mileage

168,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10691670

Incident

Mar 2, 2015

UPON REPLACING A HEAD LIGHT BULB I NOTICE THAT THE HEADLIGHT WIRING INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING WAS EXPOSED AND THE INSULATION CRUMBLING TO THE TOUCH. MANY WIRES ARE EXPOSED WITHOUT INSULATION THUS CREATING A SHORT CIRCUIT POTENTIAL AND FIRE HAZARD, I HAVE RESEARCHED ABOUT THIS AND IT SEEMS IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BMWS, THERE ARE MANY OWNERS WITH THIS ISSUE. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS BEFORE SOMEONE CAR CATCHES FIRE AND\OR SOMEONE DIES, BMWNA DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE BASED ON ALL THE OWNERS COMPLAINTS AND THEIR NEGATIVE RESPONSE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10664137

Incident

Dec 14, 2014

Mileage

93,700 mi

I WAS REPLACING A PARKING (ANGEL EYE) BULB IN THE DRIVERS SIDE OF MY 2006 BMW 530I AND NOTICED THAT THE WIRING FOR THE PARKING AND HIGH BEAM BULB WAS SO BRITTLE THAT THE WAS FALLING OFF EXPOSING THE BARE WIRING AND I ALSO NOTED A SMELL OF BURNT PLASTIC. I CHECKED THE FORUMS AND OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME HEADLIGHTS 2004-2010 5 SERIES WERE REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE. BMW IS NOT OFFERING A TSB OR A RECALL FOR THIS. THE LIGHTS IN THIS CASE ARE THE BI-XENON ADAPTIVE LIGHTS. IT APPEARS THE HEAT CREATED BY THE HID UNIT IS CAUSING THE WIRES TO BECOME BRITTLE. I EMAILED BMW USA DIRECTLY AND I WAS JUST REFERRED TO A DEALER. FOR THE TIME BEING I HAVE WRAPPED THE WIRING IN ELECTRICAL TAPE UNTIL I CAN AFFORD TO REPLACE EACH UNIT. I AM AFRAID TO USE MY HIGH BEAMS BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO BLOW ANYMORE BULBS, SHORT OUT MY LIGHTING SYSTEM OR POSSIBLY EVEN START A FIRE. I HAVE CONSIDERED DOWNGRADING THE TYPE OF LIGHTING SYSTEM IN MY CAR BUT THAT WOULD ENTAIL HAVING TO REWIRE THE CAR AND REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER TO RECOGNIZE THE NEW TYPE OF LIGHTING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10651390

Incident

Oct 25, 2014

Mileage

111,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10639511

Incident

Sep 11, 2014

Mileage

123,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10542155

Incident

Aug 10, 2013

Mileage

94,000 mi