2013 BMW 535I

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

My 2013 BMW 535i (VIN [XXX] ) caught fire spontaneously while parked, turned off, and unoccupied on 11/18/2025 in Westbury, NY. A passerby saw smoke and called 911. Nassau County Police and the Westbury Fire Department responded. Firefighters informed me at the scene that the fire was mechanical in origin. The vehicle was completely off and had been parked for about 20 minutes. I was not in or near the car. The fire originated under the hood. This matches known fire patterns in BMW 5-series models from this generation involving electrical/engine components, even though my VIN shows no open recalls. The previous owner did not register the car, so any recall notices may not have reached them. The vehicle is a total loss. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11700387

Incident

Nov 18, 2025

Heard a clicking noise behind the steering wheel for a few days then I’ll the sudden the horn stopped working and all the controls on the steering wheel stopped working. I’m a mechanic so I took apart the clock spring stealing wheel compartment to find all of the wire broken and very very brittle. Cause for concern due to airbag malfunction and is no longer connected properly!!!I’ve been hearing a clicking noise behind the steering wheel for a few days. Then, suddenly, the horn stopped working, and all the controls on the steering wheel stopped working as well. Since I’m a mechanic, I disassembled the clock spring and the steering wheel compartment to find that all the wires were broken and extremely brittle. This is concerning because it could cause an airbag malfunction, and the wires are no longer connected properly.

NHTSA ID

11675261

Incident

Nov 4, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 535I. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine was overheating. Additionally, the contact noticed an abnormal burning odor while driving, with smoke coming from underneath the hood while at a complete stop. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA ID

11666052

Incident

May 10, 2025

Mileage

200,000 mi

After the replacement of all 02 sensors and fuses, the fault code returns and was traced back to the integrated supply module/IVm

NHTSA ID

11643302

Incident

Feb 18, 2025

Headlight Assembly has issues with the seal and condensation can/does enter the headlight assembly rendering the functionality of the headlight as suspect. Without proper lighting and condensation in front of the headlight which greatly impacts/effects the clarity and visibility of objects in the front of the car creating a safety issue. The cost to replace/repair these assemblies is excessive and is a widespread problem across multiple BMW models/years.

NHTSA ID

11587192

Incident

Mar 8, 2023

Back passenger door handle started smoking.

NHTSA ID

11569707

Incident

Feb 3, 2024

Front drive shaft detached and went into oil pan causing oils to splash out everywhere.

NHTSA ID

11564639

Incident

Dec 22, 2023

Water pump failure with @32,900 miles on odometer. Cost to replace $2,800

NHTSA ID

11540136

Incident

Aug 17, 2023

The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.

The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle “discharged battery” complaints.

Engine will crank but not start. There is no communication with the integrated fuel module (TFE) whendiagnosing with ISTA. The following two fault codes will be stored in the DME: 032B43 - Low fuel pressure system, electric fuel pump: pressure value too low CDA594 - Message (- 0x33E) missing, receiver DME, transmitter TFE

Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicle’s equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. Additionally, the red anti-theft alarm LED in the interior mirror does not briefly flash every 2 seconds, indicating the alarm is armed.

The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) warning light comes on while driving. The following DSC fault codes for the wheel speed sensors are stored: 480712 and/or 480715 and/or 480718 and/or 48071B They cannot be cleared, even though the wheel speed sensors work correctly and no problem can be found with the wiring harness.

After programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes repeatedly fails.