Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 BMW 535XI submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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 taillight, blinker and reverse light all went out and when I pulled the components out To check to see if the bulbs are burnt all of the bulbs are perfectly fine, but the aluminum pieces were sparking, and the whole component will not work
Station wagon lift gate has severe wiring failures between the lift gate and body. This problem is well known throught the blog community. Broken wires cause failures, and electrical danger, to the rear lighting system that includes brake, running, back up, and turn signals. Also effected is the rear wiper, defroster, and operation access to open and close the lift gate. Tailgate failure would prohibit emergency opening and access to spare tire and fuses. I have already spent $3,000 on one harness replacement (dealer) and am looking at another $3,000 to repair (dealer) more wiring that will restore the brake/running lights on one side (failed state inpection). The internal lighting diagnostics did NOT indicate any lighting problems or warning. Broken wires could also cause failures to some or all of the entire electrical system. Very dangerous.
KNOWN SAFETY CONCERN DUE TO BROKEN WIRING IN E61 WAGON HATCH WIRING. SEE THIS THREAD: HTTPS://5SERIES.NET/FORUMS/E61-TOURING-DISCUSSION-4/TAILGATE-WIRING-HARNESS-REPLACEMENT-72751/
RIGHT REAR HATCHBACK RUNNING LIGHT SHUTS OFF WHEN HATCH SHUTS OR IS FULLY OPEN, BUT COMES ON WHEN IN BETWEEN FULLY OPEN AND COMPLETELY CLOSED. *TR
THE INSULATION OF THE WIRING INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY IS CRUMBLING AND POSES A FIRE HAZARD AS THE WIRES HAVE LOST THEIR INSULATION AND CAN GET IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER. *TR
E61 WAGON, REAR HATCH: I DISCOVERED FAILURES OF MULTIPLE WIRES IN THE TAILGATE/REAR WINDOW WIRING HARNESSES. THROUGH RESEARCH ONLINE I HAVE FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE OVER SEVERAL MODEL YEARS - SEARCH FOR BMW E61 TAILGATE WIRING PROBLEMS. THE FAILURES ARE CAUSED BY A POOR DESIGN WHERE THE WIRES ENTERING THE HINGE GUIDES (4) FOR THE GLASS AND TAILGATE ARE REPEATEDLY FLEXED AT A SHARP ANGLE UNTIL THE INSULATION, THEN THE COPPER WIRE BREAKS. SAFETY ISSUES - POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT LEADING TO FIRES (HIGHEST LOAD IS FOR REAR DEFROSTER); LIGHTING FAILURES (REAR HIGH BRAKE LIGHT, LICENSE PLATE LAMPS AND OTHERS); REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO LOSS OF WIPER/WASHER/DEFROSTER; REAR GLASS LATCH OPENING WHILE UNDERWAY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN LOSS OF CARGO OR INGRESS OF EXHAUST FUMES. THIS IS NOT AN EASILY REPAIRED PROBLEM. IT WOULD BE BEYOND THE CAPABILITIES OF ALL BUT A SKILLED MECHANIC WITH PROPER TOOLS. I DISCOVERED IT WHEN THE REMOTE LOCK/UNLOCK USING THE KEY FOBS FAILED. AS I INVESTIGATED I FOUND THE BROKEN WIRE, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHERS WITH BROKEN INSULATION, SOME WITH BROKEN COPPER STRANDS. *TR
THE REAR RIGHT TAIL LIGHT STOPPED FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY, AND THE BRAKE LIGHT, THE RUNNING LIGHT, THE REVERSE LIGHT, AND THE BLINKER STOPPED WORKING. THIS CREATED MANY POTENTIAL ACCIDENTS AS ONCOMING DRIVERS COULD NOT PROPERLY SEE ME REVERSING OR TURNING RIGHT. THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL FOR THE ISSUE AND BMW IS REPLACING THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS FOR VIN'S THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS IDENTIFIED AS HAVING THE ISSUE. MY VEHICLE HAS THE ISSUE. BMW REFUSED TO REPLACED THE TAIL LIGHT THAT HAS PERMANENT LOSS OF FUNCTIONALITY. I WAS FORCED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FUNDS FOR THE ITEM THAT HAS A RECALL AND BMW NORTH AMERICA HAS REFUSED TO ASSIST IN THIS MATTER. I SPOKE TO [XXX] AT BMW NORTH AMERICA, HE IS A CUSTOMER RELATIONS SUPERVISOR, AND HIS CONTACT INFORMATION IS IN THE BMW CASE FILE WITH ID LAST 7 DIGITS OF MY VIN. HE INDICATED THAT BMW WILL NOT DO ANYTHING UNLESS THE GOVERNMENT FORCES THEM TO BY PROVIDING THE VIN NUMBER TO THEM AS AN EFFECTED VEHICLE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
THE REAR RAIL LIGHT WARNING STARTED FLASHING INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN REAR TAIL LIGHT PERMANENTLY FAILED. INSPECTION OF REAR TAIL LIGHT SHOWED MELTING OF PLASTIC AROUND GROUND WIRE CONNECTION TO LIGHTING ASSEMBLY AND DAMAGE TO BOTH LIGHT ASSEMBLY AND THE WIRING. QUICK INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN BMWS DUE TO INADEQUATE CAPACITY OF GROUND WIRING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 535XI. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND THE EXTERIOR BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATING THE PASSENGER'S SIDE BRAKE LIGHT WAS INOPERABLE. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION BOTH THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL AND PASSENGER'S SIDE EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHT FAILED TO OPERATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND A WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED AT THE SAME TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE ELECTRICAL CONTACT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.
THE GROUND CONNECTION TO THE RIGHT REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLY FAILED. THIS RESULTED IN THE RIGHT REAR LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNAL NOT OPERATING. THE CONNECTOR TO THE WIRING HARNESS WAS MELTED AND THE TAB ON THE LAMP SOCKET HOUSING (WHERE THE CONNECTOR PLUGS IN) WAS DAMAGED. *TR
THE WIRE HARNESS CONNECTOR TO THE RIGHT REAR LIGHTS BURNED AND MELTED OUT FOR NO REASON. THE FUSE DID NOT PROTECT THE WIRES CONNECTOR FROM BURNING. ALL THE REAR RIGHTS ARE NON OPERATIONAL. *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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