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 2008 BMW 535I submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 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
DRIVING FAMILY DOWN THE HIGHWAY AROUND 65 MPH. I LOOSE ALL POWER IN THE CABIN. THE CAR STARTS THROWING ALL WARNING LIGHTS, ABS, STEERING,SWAY CONTROL, TRANSMITION, ETC. ENGINE STILL RUNNING WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL HAD TO USE E BRAKE TO PULL OVER THEN IT WANTED TO KEEP GOING HAD TO TURN CAR OFF TO STOP IT. CALLED TOW TRUCK SENT FAMILY HOME.
INSULATION CRUMBLING ON ALL WIRING INSIDE BOTH HEADLIGHT (DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES) UNITS RESULTING IN MALFUNCTIONING HEADLIGHTS, RUNNING LIGHTS, AND MARKER LIGHTS. UNFORTUNATELY, A COMMON PROBLEM AND A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. ISSUE IS EXACERBATED BUT NOT CAUSED BY HEAT. INSULATION ON WIRING TO NAVIGATION, RADIO/MEDIA PLAYER, CLIMATE CONTROL UNIT, OR CCC (CAR COMMUNICATION COMPUTER), CRUMBLING CAUSING MALFUNCTIONS TO OCCUR IN ALL THE ABOVE SECTIONS. I SUSPECT MUCH OF THE CAR'S WIRING TO BE IN SIMILAR, POOR CONDITION. I HAVE READ THAT MANY EUROPEAN CARS FROM THE '80S, '90S THROUGH THE FIRST TEN OR SO YEARS OF THE 21ST CENTURY USED A SOY BASED, BIODEGRADABLE WIRE INSULATION AS PART OF A "GREEN MOVEMENT". THIS EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF SAID WIRE DOES NOT LAST MUCH LONGER THAN 10 YEARS, MUCH LESS THAN THAT WHEN EXPOSED TO HEAT. PLEASE SEE: HTTPS://WWW.BIMMERFORUMS.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?2132684-HEADLIGHT-WIRE-JACKETS-JUST-FLAKE-OFF HTTPS://5SERIES.NET/FORUMS/E60-DISCUSSION-2/HEADLIGHT-WIRING-OUTER-JACKET-DETERIORATING-139655/ HTTP://WWW.PEACHPARTS.COM/SHOPFORUM/OFF-TOPIC-DISCUSSION/330631-CAN-YOU-BELIEVE-BMW-STILL-USING-BIODEGRADEABLE-WIRING-INSULATION.HTML HTTP://WWW.MERCEDESDEFECTS.COM/2008/04/WIRE-HARNESS-DEFECT.HTML HTTPS://RENNLIST.COM/FORUMS/PORSCHE-CAYENNE-FORUM/733521-BRITTLE-WIRING-INSULATION.HTML THERE ARE MANY, MANY MORE THREADS SUCH AS THESE ON THE WEB. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CARS ON THE ROAD LIKE THIS. THE MANUFACTURERS KEEP PRODUCING VEHICLES WITH THIS TYPE OF WIRING. IT'S WONDERFUL THAT THE INSULATION DEGRADES. IT'S ABSURD TO START BIODEGRADING WHEN THE CAR IS JUST FIVE OR SO YEARS OLD.
I ORDERED NEW LIGHT BULBS TO CHANGE OUT MY HALO ANGEL BULB LIGHTS (RUNNING PARKING LAMPS) .WHICH SAID THEY WERE OUT ON MY SCREEN INSIDE OF THE BMW . WHEN I TWISTED OFF THE HOUSING CAP IN THE BACK ,THE WIRING INSIDE OF MY HEADLIGHT HOUSING WHICH TURNS ON MY PARKING LIGHTS LEFT AND RIGHT IS TOTALLY DEGRADED AND FLAKED OFF ,THE COPPER CABLES WERE TOUCHING EVERYWHERE .I READ THIS IS BECAUSE GERMANY USE BIODEGRADABLE MATERIAL BUT THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS FIRE HAZARD FOR DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAYS AND ROAD IN FLORIDA . WE AS 5 SERIES OWNERS FOR THESE YEARS NEED A RECALL OF NEW HARNESS WITH BETTER WIRING .EVEN IF YOU BUY A NEW HOUSING IT WILL DO THE SAME THING IN 4 YEARS GUARANTEED . YOU WOULD HAVE TO FIND SOME ONE TO REWIRE IT WITH THE SAME CABLES FORD USES SO IT CAN LAST 20+ YEARS . PLEASE FIX. *TR
MY 2008 BMW 535I HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AND I TOOK IT TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC TO CHANGE THE HEADLIGHT BULB, HE TOOK OUT THE HEADLIGHT AND SHOWN TO ME THE WIRING IN BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAVE FLAKED OFF AND HAD PRESENTED A FIRE HAZARD SITUATION WHICH CAUSED THE FUSE THE BLEW. I RESEARCHED THE BMW FORUMS AND FOUND LOTS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE, HENCE, IT IS NOT AN OUTLIER. I CONTACTED BMW USA AND THEY REFUSED TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. I WAS TOLD BY THEM THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT THE VEHICLE MILEAGE WAS PAST THE HEADLIGHT WIRING SHOULD NOT GO BAD IN 8 YEARS AND THEY WERE RUDE AND TOLD ME THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR IT. I ALSO LEARNT THAT MOST OF THESE HEADLIGHT WIRES IN THE E60 FLAKED OFF WITHIN 50K MILES AND ARE NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL A SHORT OR BLOWN BULB. HELLA (THE MANUFACTURER OF THE HEADLIGHT) SAID IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM SINCE THE MAKE THE HEADLIGHTS TO BMW SPECIFICATIONS.
WIRES INSIDE HEADLIGHTS HAVE INSULATION CRUMBLING OFF. FIRE RISK. SO MANY BMW'S HAVE THIS PROBLEM. A CLEAR ISSUE THAT BMW KNOWS ABOUT.
VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY DRIVEN THE DAY BEFORE DROVE PERFECT NO PROBLEMS, THE DAY AFTER THE VEHICLE WHEN YOU PUT IN DRIVE OR REVERSE IT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY GO BACK TO PARK ON IT'S OWN AND WOULD NOT MOVE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVE WAY AS NORMAL. I HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO BMW THEY DIAGNOSED AS THE MECHATRONIC SLEEVE NEEDED REPLACING THEY CHARGED ME 1300 DOLLARS MY WIFE PICKED THE CAR UP AND DROVE 50 MILES AND THE CAR STARTED DOING THE SAME PREVIOUS BEHAVIOR I CONTACTED BMW THEY HAD ME TO TOW BACK TO THEIR DEALERSHIP A SECOND TIME BOTH TOWS COST ME 125 DOLLARS EACH THE CAR WAS THEN DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING A 9000 TRANSMISSION AND I WAS TOLD THE PREVIOUS REPAIR THAT I PAID FOR WOULD NOT BE CREDITED TOWARD THE NEW TRANSMISSION I'M OUTRAGED. MY SERVICE ADVISOR IS JOHN ARD AT TOM WILLIAMS BMW IN IRONDALE ALABAMA.
MY 2008 BMW 535I IS SUFFERING FROM THE SAME PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION ERROR AS THE EARLIER BMW MODELS. NHTSA INFORMATION I'VE READ INDICATES THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A SUBSTANTIAL FRONT END COLLISION, WHICH POSES A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO PASSENGERS. BMW ONLY RECALLED MODEL YEARS 2004 - 2006, HOWEVER. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT TO THOSE YEARS. MY 2008 BMW 535I THROWS THE ERROR EVERY TIME I DRIVE WITH OR WITHOUT A PASSENGER. BOTH THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT LIGHT AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT REMAIN ILLUMINATED ANY TIME THE KEY IS IN THE IGNITION. WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT MORE RECENT BMW MODELS? *TR
NEW BATTERY INSTALL CAUSED POWER SURGE DAMAGING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *TR
DRIVING A 2008 BMW 535I AT HIGHWAY SPEED, APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, WHEN, WITH NO WARNING, LARGE RED WARNING LIGHT APPEARS, "ENGINE OVERHEATED - TURN OFF ENGINE." LIGHT CAME ON SUDDENLY AND ENGINE DIED TO 5 MPH AND THEN STOPPED RUNNING. BARELY ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND IN GREAT DANGER FROM TRUCKS BEARING DOWN ON A MOUNTAINOUS CURVING CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY. DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM WAS AN IMMEDIATE FAILURE OF THE ELECTRIC WATER PUMP WHICH CAUSES SUDDEN ENGINE LOSS PLACING THE DRIVER IN GRAVE DANGER. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY DRIVERS TO BMW (SEE ONLINE FORUMS) AND THEY KNOW THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM BUT HAVE NOT ISSUED RECALL NOTICES ON THE ELECTRIC WATER PUMPS ON THEIR VEHICLES. THEY PREVIOUSLY ISSUED RECALLS ON THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMPS BUT THIS ALSO REQUIRES A RECALL AS THE CAR ABRUPTLY DIES AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *TR
PRESSING THE SHIFT (TRANSMISSION) SELECTOR INTO THE REVERSE POSITION, CAUSES THE SHIFTERS ELECTRICAL RIBBON CABLE TO GET PINCHED AND THE LIGHTS IN THE SHIFTER AND SPORT BUTTON FAIL TO WORK ANYMORE. REPOSITIONING OF THIS RIBBON CABLE OR USING A DIFFERENT INSULATION METHOD WOULD SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH ON A BUSY STREET AT RUSH HOUR I PREPARED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN BY INDICATING. THE FAST TURN SINGLE FLASHING STARTED AND THE COMPUTER SYSTEM IN MY 2008 535I SAID REAR TURN SINGLE MALFUNCTION. I SLOWED TO MY THE TURN AND THE PERSON BEHIND ME SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES AND SWERVED TO AVOID HITTING ME AND ALMOST CRASHED INTO THE PERSON NEXT THEM. I DIDN'T REALIZE WHY THIS HAPPENED, SO I PULLED OVER TO CHECK MY LIGHTING SYSTEM AND REALIZED THAT THE RIGHT REAR LIGHTS WEREN'T FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. I OPENED THE REAR BRAKE COMPARTMENT AND SMELLED BURNING MELTED PLASTIC. I DISCONNECTED THE BRAKE LIGHT CONNECTOR AND FOUND THAT IT WAS MELTED. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR MY YEAR CAR. WHEN I WENT TO BEVERLY HILLS BMW I WAS TURNED AWAY. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WASN'T A RECALL THAT COVERED MY CAR. THEY WERE VERY RUDE ABOUT THE WHOLE AND BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT I'D HAVE TO DEAL WITH MYSELF AND COVER THE COSTS. AFTER MORE RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ONLINE: HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=571079 APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME. BUT, BMW HAS BEEN AVOIDING THE SAFETY ISSUE!!! PLEASE FILE A COMPLAINT AND GET THIS SAFETY ISSUE RESOLVED BEFORE SOMEONE DIES AS A RESULT. *TR
I JUST HAD TO HAVE MY WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT REPLACED ON MY 2008 535I. I WAS TOLD THAT IT HAPPENS SO OFTEN, THEY KEEP THE PART ON THE SHELF! ARE THERE REALLY NO RECALLS ON THIS PROBLEM?? ALSO, MY RIGHT TAIL LIGHT SHORTED OUT. I ASKED THE SHOP WHY...HE SAID THIS ALSO HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. THE WIRES FRY! NOT COOL.I REALLY THINK SOMEONE NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS. WHEN I WAS TOLD THEY REPLACE THEM ALL OF THE TIME, I WAS SHOCKED. THAT COST ME $1102.62 TO FIX. THE GUY WHO TOWED ME SAID HE MAKES SEVERAL TRIPS A WEEK FOR PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
AS I WAS DRIVING HOME ON THE HIGHWAY MY ENGINE OVERHEATED VERY QUICKLY. IT WENT INTO SERIOUS LIMP MODE AND SLOWED DOWN TO UNDER 30MPH IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A WIDE FREEWAY. I LET IT COOL FOR OVER 20 MINUTES, AND IT OVERHEATED WITHIN 1 MINUTE OF TURNING IT BACK ON. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC AND HE DETERMINED THE WATER PUMP HAD FAILED. I STARTED DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND IT TURNS OUT TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE. I READ MANY MANY COMPLAINTS OF PEOPLE HAVING ELECTRICAL WATER PUMP FAILURES BEFORE 75,000 MILES. WITHOUT A WATER PUMP YOU MUST HAVE THE CAR TOWED AND ITS A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX. BMW/MINI HAVE HAD MANY CARS WITH PROBLEMATIC WATER PUMPS IN THE PAST AND THEY NEVER DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO RESULT IN A RECALL. *TR
RIGHT REAR BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE INDICATOR ON DASH BOARD TURNED ON. INSPECTING THE LIGHT BULBS, ALL SEEMED TO BE IN WORKING CONDITION. FUSES WERE ALSO GOOD. FOUND THE GROUND WIRE PIN AND SOCKET ON THE BULB HOLDER BURNED OUT PRETTY SEVERELY. PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE INTERMITTENT AS THE INDICATOR WOULD TURN ON AND OFF BEFORE EVENTUALLY STAYING ON PERMANENTLY. ALSO, INDICATOR WOULD SHOW TURN SIGNAL FAILURE AT FIRST, THEN BRAKE LIGHT, THEN RIGHT BACK UP LIGHT, THEN ALL THREE. EVENTUALLY IT SETTLED IN ON BRAKE LIGHT ONLY. POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENTS RELATED TO TURN SIGNALS NOT WORKING AND WARNING OTHER DRIVERS OF BRAKING AND/OR TURNING. ALSO POTENTIAL FOR AN ELECTRICAL FIRE BEGINNING IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE CLOSE TO WHERE THE FUEL FILLER CAP IS LOCATED. CHECKING ONLINE FORUMS FOR A REPAIR, IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM, AND THE SUBJECT OF AN EARLIER RECALL ON OTHER BMW MODELS. *TR
WHILE DRIVING, THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL PANEL [SPEEDOMETER, RADIO, DISPLAY SCREEN, ETC.] BEGIN TO CLICK ON/OFF EACH TIME REAPPEARING WITH APPEARED TO BE EVERYTHING BUT ENGLISH. SOON TO FOLLOW, I RECEIVED A WARNING LIGHT INDICATING "ENGINE OVERHEATED", "ENGINE POWER WAS BEING REDUCED", AND "TO STOP THE VEHICLE" WHEN POSSIBLE. UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY PULL OFF TO THE SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE DIDN'T TRAVEL VERY FAR BEFORE COMPLETE ENGINE POWER WAS LOST DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF "FIRE RISK" AS INDICATED ON THE PANEL. *TR
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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