IllustrationTHE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE INFORMATION SYSTEM SAID THE FUEL PUMP WAS MALFUNCTIONING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THE FUEL PUMP FAILED. *TR
2008 BMW 535I
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 535I 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
70–25K
1125–50K
1850–75K
1175–100K
16100–150K
4150K+
67 reports with mileage · 7 unknown
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.
- Engine. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports4 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
74 reportsWHILE 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. UNFORT…
Read full complaint
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
THE CAR PULLS HARD TO THE RIGHT AND NOW SHAKES ABOVE 20MPH. *TR
THE ACTIVE STEERING STOPS WORKING WITHOUT WARNING, DRAMATICALLY CHANGING THE HANDLING OF THE CAR. IT RANDOMLY STARTS & STOPS WORKING. THE DEALER FIRST DENIED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM, THEN AFTER 3 VISITS "FIXED" IT WITH UPDATED SOFTWARE, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. I HAVE GONE OFF THE ROAD, BUT NOT HIT ANYTHING...YET. *TR
Official recalls
113V407000 · Exterior Lighting:tail Lights
Sep 11, 2013
BMW is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2010 528i, 535i, 550i, and M5 passenger cars manufactured from March 1, 2007, through December 31, 2009. Over time, increased resistance at the taillight electrical contact points may cause damage to the ground terminal and housing of the connector resulting in an intermittent or permanent loss of functionality of one or more rear lamp functions (tail, brake, turn-signal, reverse).
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Intermittent light operation reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear lamp bulb carriers free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
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.