Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2007 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
BMW 530I headlights have faulty wiring. Insulation is crumbling an severly degraded leaving bare wires exposed to short circuits. Discovered the faulty wire when I went to replace the parking / angel eye lights. I have attempted to solve the problem short term with electrical tape. As soon as you touch the wire to put electrical tape on it, more of the faulty insulation comes off. Wire has essentially lost all insulation.
ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND TRANSMISSION REPAIR ISSUES
MY CAR WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY. MY COMPLAINT IS I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A FRIEND OF OUR FAMILY AND EVERYTHING WAS. ABOUT A MONTH LATER WHEN I START THE CAR I GET THIS ERROR" FAULT IN PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM EFFECTING AIRBAG-BELT TENSIONER OR BELT FOR DELIMITER. SO I CALL BMWUSA TO SEE IF THIS WAS RECALLED. THE MAN I SPOKE WITH SAID YES IT WAS BUT I LET ME HAVE YOUR VIN# OH NO I'M SORRY NOT FOR YOUR VIN " I WAS SHOCKED TO THINK IT WOULD BE A RECALL ON ONE BUT NOT ANOTHER. IF IT IS EFFECTING MY AIR BAG U WOULD THINK. IT WOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ALL CARS THAT GET THAT ERROR. OR WAS THAT CAR BUILT KNOWING IT WAS EVENTUALLY GOING TO GO OUT AND WE THE CUSTOMERS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. I WOULD RATHER NOT HAVE THAT AT ALL. IT MAKES NO SENSE. ESPECIALLY IF YOUR OK TO FIX SOME CARS AND NOT ALL OF THEM AFTER ALL WHY WOULD WE WANT SOMETHING IN THE CAR IF WE KNOW ONE ITS JUST GOING TO GO OUT AND WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. AND FOR THE SAFETY PART . IT EVEN SOUNDS MORE CRAZY THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD MALFUNCTION AND I NOT EVEN SURE IF ANYBODY SHOULD RIDE IN MY PASSENGER SEAT. WELL IT'S [XXX] AT [XXX] IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY. GOOD BLESS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC *TR
WIRING ON HEADLIGHTS FLAKING APART LEAVING BEAR EXPOSE WIRES !!!
MY CAR AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF AND I SMELLED A BURNING PLASTIC ODOR COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE BMW LICENSED MECHANIC THAT I NORMALLY SEE WHO REPAIRED THE ISSUE THAT WAS DEEMED TO BE THE PCV VALVE HEATER. THIS HAPPENED AT THE END OF MAY. THEN AT THE END OF JUNE, I RECEIVED A LOWER FROM BMW ANNOUNCING RECALL # 17V-683: PCV VALVE HEATER. BMW TOLD ME TODAY THAT THEY CAN NOT REFUND ME FOR THE REPAIRS THAT I HAD DONE BECAUSE THESE REPAIRS HAD TO BE PERFORMED AT A BMW DEALERSHIP. I HAVE ALL MY RECEIPTS. TOTAL REPAIRS COST $2626.91 + RENTAL CAR EXPENSES OF $204.16 AND $76.71. * (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS
HEADLIGHTS INTERNAL WIRING GETA SO HOT IT MELTS AND CRACKS AND DETERIORATES AND CAUSES SHORT CIRCUIT EVENTUALLY LEADING TO BOTH OR SINGLE HIGH BEAM MALFUNCTION.
LAST YEAR I COULD HEAR A SOUND OF WATER THROUGH MY SUNROOF AND WOULD HAVE WATER THROWN AT ME THROUGH MY AC. MY STEREO AND DASH STOPPED WORKING AND SUDDENLY STARTED WORKING AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS. I TOOK IT TO 2 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND THEY WOULD TELL ME THERE WAS NO SHORT IN A FUSE. YESTERDAY MY CAR WOULD NOT START IT WAS STATIONED IN FRONT OF MY HOME. I WENT TO A MECHANIC AND FOUND THAT MY BATTERY WAS SITTING IN WATER. THE CAR WILL NOT START EVEN AFTER WATER WAS DRAINED AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. I CALLED BMW BUT THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $385 JUST FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. I HAVE CHANGED MY BATTERY LIKE 4 TIME IN THE LAST 2 YEARS WHICH IS JUST A HEADACHE IN ITSELF. MY VEHICLE WONT START.
THE LEFT FRONT PARKING BULB WAS NO WORKING, TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BMW DEALERSHIP IN COLUMBIA, S.C. TO HAVE BULB REPLACED. UPON PICKING UP THE VEHICLE, THE WARNING INDICATOR FOR THE SAME BULB AND THE LEFT FRONT HIGH BEAM WARNING BOTH LIGHTS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY APPEARED. I RETURNED TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO INQUIRE WHY THE WARNING WAS ON, WHICH THEY STATED IT WAS PROBABLY LEFT LOOSE. THE SERVICE ADVISER RETURNED TO BRING ME INTO THE SHOP TO SHOW ME THE WIRING FOR THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS CRACKING AND FALLING OFF, EXPOSING BARE WIRE CAUSING THE SHORT AND BLOWING THE BULBS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT BMW STATED A NEW ASSEMBLY WOULD BE REQUIRED WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT $1500 EACH FOR THE PARTS. AFTER REPLACEMENT OF THE BULB WHILE IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THERE WAS ANOTHER ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSING THE BULBS TO BLOW IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE READ THE WIRING WAS COATED WITH A SOY BASED PRODUCT, WHICH IS WHY THE WIRING COATING IS PREMATURELY CRACKING AND EXPOSING BARE COPPER WIRE, CREATING AN ELECTRICAL AND FIRE HAZARD. DUE TO THE INADEQUATE MATERIAL UTILIZED BY THE MANUFACTURER, IT SHOULD BE RECTIFIED BY THE MANUFACTURER PRIOR TO SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
REPLACING THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT BULB THAT FAILED, I REMOVED THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY FROM THE VEHICLE TO HAVE EASIER ACCESS TO THE BULB RECESSED DEEP INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING. UPON OPENING THE ACCESS PANEL, I DISCOVERED THE WIRING INSULATION OF MOST OF THE INNER WIRING HARNESS OF HEADLIGHT BRITTLE AND FLAKING OFF, EXPOSING THE BARE WIRES. THE SHORT CIRCUIT PROBABILITY IS HIGH WITH THE EXPOSED WIRES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY.
I WAS DRIVING AND OPENED THE SUNROOF. THE NIGHT BEFORE THERE WAS A MASSIVE RAIN STORM. SHORTLY AFTER OPENING THE SUNROOF THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM STARTED SEVERELY MALFUNCTIONING. A WARNING SIGN CAME ON THAT SAID THAT THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS HAVING A MASSIVE MALFUNCTION AND THAT I SHOULD PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY. THE WATER FROM THE STORM DRAINED INTO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND SHORTED IT. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE CAR AND BMW IS AWARE OF IT. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS STORED NEAR THE DRAINS IN THE LOWER REAR OF THE CAR.
ALL ACTIVE XENON HEADLIGHT WIRING PROTECTIVE COATING IS/HAS FLAKED OFF EXPOSING WIRES, MAKING IT VULNERABLE TO ELECTRICAL SHORT, LOSE OF DRIVING LIGHTS AND POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD . *JS
THE SHEATHING ON MY HEADLIGHT'S WIRING IS FLAKING OFF WHICH COULD LEAD TO POTENTIAL FIRES. I WAS QUOTED $1500 PER HEADLIGHT TO REPLACE THEM WITH THE SAME CRAPPY HEADLIGHT HOUSINGS THAT ARE MADE WITH THE SAME MATERIAL THAT WILL EVENTUALLY DO THE SAME THING. ALL I NEED IS TO HAVE THE CAR PARKED IN MY GARAGE AND IT CAUSING A FIRE THAT COULD BURN DOWN OUR HOME OR WORST INJURE MY FAMILY. *TR
WARNING LIGHT CAME ON STATING ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION THEN SEVERAL OTHER WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND WAS LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE. THE ODOMETER AREA STARTING GOING HAYWIRE. IT WAS LIKE THE CAR WAS POSSESSED !! *TR
THE HEADLIGHTS, DRIVING LIGHTS ARE ALL SHORTED OUT. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS IT HAPPENED AT NIGHT. WHEN TAKEN TO MY MECHANIC, HE TOLD ME THAT IT IS A COMMON FAULT ON BMW'S. THAT THE WIRING FOR ALL THE LIGHTS IS MADE FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC AND WITH THE HEAT FROM OUTSIDE AND THE ENGINE THE INSULATION COMPLETELY DETERIORATES. HE SHOWED MY BARE WIRES EVERYWHERE AND IF YOU TOUCH THE INSULATION IT JUST CRUMBLES AWAY. HOW COULD A $55,000 CAR HAVE SUCH POOR WIRING THAT IS CAN CREATE A DANGEROUS AND POSSIBLY FATAL ACCIDENT. TO ME THERE SHOULD BE A COMPLETE RECALL OF AFFECTED VEHICLES.*JB
MY 2007 BMW 530I ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE ON APRIL 15 THE MOMENT CAR WAS IGNITED IN THE EARLY MORNING. I WAS WITH MY WIFE AND 2.5 YEARS OLD SON AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR DISASTER OR EVEN BLAST IF WE WERE NOT HOME OR WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO CONTROL THE FIRE ON TIME. WE REPORTED ABOUT THIS LIFE-THREATENING INCIDENT TO BMW NA MULTIPLE TIMES BUT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE FROM CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS BETSY HOHMANN CALLED OUR CONCERNS AS HYPOTHETICAL UNLESS THERE WERE PERSONAL INJURIES INVOLVED. BMW OF FREMONT SERVICE CENTER IDENTIFIED THAT PCV HEATED HOSE SHORTED OUT AND BURNT OTHER COMPONENTS. THE WIRE HARNESS AND INTAKE MANIFOLD WERE BURNT OUT AND MELTED. THE DEALERSHIP VERBALLY ACCEPTED THIS ISSUE A DESIGN FLAW THAT CAUSED ALMOST 6-9 INCHES FLAMES INSIDE THE ENGINE. BMW NA CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFERED A DEAL TO FIX THE PROBLEM AS LONG AS WE SIGN A CONFIDENTIAL NDA TO HIDE THE FACTS. BMW NA ALSO RECOMMENDED US TO SELL THIS CAR AFTER REPAIRS BUT WE DON'T WANT TO RISK ANYONE ELSE'S LIFE BY NOT DISCLOSING THE FIRE EVEN IF WE AGREE TO BMW NA'S PROPOSED RESOLUTION. OUR CONFIDENCE IN BMW BRAND HAS ALREADY SHAKEN FROM THE OUTCOME OF OUR CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE AFTER ALL THIS IS THE MATTER OF CUSTOMER LIFE, SAFETY, TRUST AND BRAND. *TR
VEHICLE SENT ERROR MESSAGE ABOUT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG FAILURE IN THE AM, COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE IN THE EVENING WHEN I WENT TO RETURN HOME. DEALER FOUND WATER IN TRUNK, BELOW SPARE TIRE. TRUNK ABOVE SPARE TIRE WAS DRY, NO SIGNS OF MOISTURE. WE EXPERIENCED HEAVY RAINFALL ON 3/17. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS FRIED - VEHICLE IS INOPERABLE. APPEARS TO BE FAILED SUNROOF WATER SEALS PER BMW SERVICE BULLETIN SI B 61 13 06. IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION AS A MECHANICAL ENGINEER, THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW. MULTIPLE OWNERS' FORUMS CONCUR. *KB
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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