My car is producing a warning light for "Passenger restraint system malfunction". This is a safety hazard and it is not covered by warranty. I believe this should be investigated and a recall should be mandated as many people have this issue. The cost to fix is over $2,500 and BMW should bear the cost of this safety issue.
2018 BMW 530I
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 530I years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 8 of 25 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seats. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Unknown Or Other complaints
4 reportsI have been smelling a vinegar smell in my vehicle for 1 week upon turning on the air conditioner. At the end of one week I have been having several health issues and I am concerned that this is mold, mildew, or another toxic chemical. I live in Las Vegas where temperatures have reached 3 digits and I am unable to use my air con…
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I have been smelling a vinegar smell in my vehicle for 1 week upon turning on the air conditioner. At the end of one week I have been having several health issues and I am concerned that this is mold, mildew, or another toxic chemical. I live in Las Vegas where temperatures have reached 3 digits and I am unable to use my air conditioner due to this horrible smell. I ended up in the hospital this week and no one knows what the issue could be. I am concerned that it’s from breathing in toxins from my car
MY CAR HAD UNDER 17,000 MILES AND HAD BEEN SERVICED ON SCHEDULE BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. I HAD BMW ANCHORED DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT IN PLACE. MY MOTHER-IN-LAW AND I WERE WEARING OUR SAFETY BELTS. WE WERE APPROACHING A FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION WITH A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE SPEED LIMIT ON THE ROAD IS 35 MILES AN HOUR. I WAS DRIVING SLOW…
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MY CAR HAD UNDER 17,000 MILES AND HAD BEEN SERVICED ON SCHEDULE BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. I HAD BMW ANCHORED DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT IN PLACE. MY MOTHER-IN-LAW AND I WERE WEARING OUR SAFETY BELTS. WE WERE APPROACHING A FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION WITH A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE SPEED LIMIT ON THE ROAD IS 35 MILES AN HOUR. I WAS DRIVING SLOWER THAN THAT SPEED. AS I WAS APPROACHING THE INTERSECTION WITH A RED LIGHT , I HAD TAKEN MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. ALTHOUGH MY FOOT WAS NOT ON ANY PEDAL, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. I HIT THE BRAKES BUT I COULD NOT SLOW THE CAR. I WAS RAPIDLY APPROACHING THE INTERSECTION AND OTHER VEHICLES. TO THE RIGHT OF THE ROAD WAS A HOUSE. I STEERED THE CAR OFF THE ROAD AND INTO THE FIELD ON THE LEFT. I AM CERTAIN THAT MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAUSE OF ITS POSITION AND RESISTANCE. THE CAR HAD ACCELERATED WITHOUT MY FOOT ON ANY PEDAL. DUE THE CAR'S SPEED AND AN INCLINE AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE FIELD, THE CAR BECAME AIRBORNE FOR A SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE LANDING HARD AND CONTINUING TOWARD A DUMPSTER. ALTHOUGH I WAS UNABLE TO SLOW THE CAR, I WAS ABLE TO STEER THE CAR AWAY FROM THE DUMPSTER AND TOWARD A STEEP HILL AT THE END OF THE FIELD. THE CAR WAS SLOWED BY THE INCLINE AND CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I WAS ABLE TO PLACE THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. I PLACED THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. I CALLED 911. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MY HUSBAND AND THE POLICE OFFICER BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING IMPINGING UPON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. MY MOTHER-IN-LAW WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE SHE WAS ADMITTED FOR ACUTE LUMBAR SPINAL COMPRESSION FRACTURE. I WAS EVALUATED IN THE ED AND RELEASED. BMW IS TO SEND AN ENGINEER FROM BMW TO EVALUATE MY CAR. THE BODY SHOP TOLD MY HUSBAND THAT AN EMPLOYEE STARTED MY CAR WHICH INITIALLY REVVED AT A HIGH RATE. UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATION
WHILE DRIVING AT 40MPH ON A NORMAL PAVED CITY STREET STRAIGHTLY, DRIVER SIDE DOOR SUDDENLY EJECTED AND OPENED TO THE "HALF-LOCK HALF-OPEN" STATE (DOOR WAS FULLY LOCKED WHEN BEGINNING TO DRIVE, AND NO WARMING WAS DISPLAYED). AT THE INCIDENT, DOOR DID NOT "FLY OPEN" BUT THE LOCK WAS SUDDENLY DISABLED, AND DOOR OPENED ITSELF. AUDIO…
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WHILE DRIVING AT 40MPH ON A NORMAL PAVED CITY STREET STRAIGHTLY, DRIVER SIDE DOOR SUDDENLY EJECTED AND OPENED TO THE "HALF-LOCK HALF-OPEN" STATE (DOOR WAS FULLY LOCKED WHEN BEGINNING TO DRIVE, AND NO WARMING WAS DISPLAYED). AT THE INCIDENT, DOOR DID NOT "FLY OPEN" BUT THE LOCK WAS SUDDENLY DISABLED, AND DOOR OPENED ITSELF. AUDIO WARMING AND VISUAL WARMING ON DISPLAY WERE BOTH ACTIVATED AT THE TIME OF THE DOOR OPENING. I IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDED TO A STOP AT THE NEAREST POSSIBLE AREA, AND MANUALLY CLOSED THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR.
Official recalls
219V684000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
Sep 27, 2019
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
18V465000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Jul 11, 2018
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW 540d xDrive vehicles. The crankshaft sensor may be equipped with incorrect firmware, preventing the sensor from properly processing input from the crankshaft reluctor ring, possibly resulting in a vehicle stall. On September 12, 2018, BMW expanded the recall to a total of 5,309 vehicles including certain 2018-2019 BMW 540d xDrive, 230i M240i, M240i xDrive, X2 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i, X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 330i, 330i xDrive, 340i, 340i xDrive, 330i xDrive Gran Turismo, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, 530e, 530e xDrive, 640i xDrive Gran Turismo, 330e, 2019 430i Gran Coupe, 430i xDrive Gran Coupe, 440i Gran Coupe, 440i xDrive Gran Coupe, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, 740i, 740i xDrive, MINI Cooper, Cooper S, JCW, MINI Countryman (Cooper, Cooper All4, Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW All4), and MINI Clubman (Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper All4, Cooper S All4, JCW All4) vehicles.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft sensor, free of charge. The recall began September 6, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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