← New search

2013 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

Other model years Selected 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

22 reports with mileage · 16 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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Exterior Lighting. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports2 fire reports1 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

13 reports
Clear category filter
12,000 miles · Aug 28, 2014
Electrical SystemSteering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 535I. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING DOWN A HILL. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MIL…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 535I. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING DOWN A HILL. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

NHTSA ODI #10629238

10,000 miles · Apr 26, 2014
Air BagsElectrical SystemEquipment Adaptive/mobilityCrashInjury

DRIVING NEW 2013 535I (HEAVILY EQUIPPED) ABOUT 50 MPH IN 55 MPH ZONE ON A CLEAR EVENING W/LOW TRAFFIC. SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING BMW COLLIDED INTO REAR-END OF ILLEGALLY PARKED VEHICLE LACKING ANY WARNING LIGHTS OR FLARES. BMW RAMMED ADVERSE PARKED VEHICLE APPROX. 16' BEFORE PULL APART. AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ON STEERING WHEEL A…

Read full complaint

DRIVING NEW 2013 535I (HEAVILY EQUIPPED) ABOUT 50 MPH IN 55 MPH ZONE ON A CLEAR EVENING W/LOW TRAFFIC. SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING BMW COLLIDED INTO REAR-END OF ILLEGALLY PARKED VEHICLE LACKING ANY WARNING LIGHTS OR FLARES. BMW RAMMED ADVERSE PARKED VEHICLE APPROX. 16' BEFORE PULL APART. AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ON STEERING WHEEL AND KNEE. STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO LEFT ARM ETC.. BOTH LEGS IN SIMILAR TRAUMA POST-CRASH AT KNEE TO FOOT EQUALLY. FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED INWARDS (NOT OUTWARD) ABOVE STEERING WHEEL. FORCE OF IMPACT TO RT. FOOT/HEEL TO PEDAL/FLOOR CAUSED MULTIPLE FRACTURES REQ. 10 SCREWS WITH PLATE AND OTHER INJURIES. TEMPORARY TOTAL DISABILITY AND PARTIAL PERMANENT DISABILITY. OUT OF POCKET MEDICAL COSTS, AND OTHER SPECIALS EXCEED $100,000.00 EXCLUDING VALUE OF VEHICLE. (DAMAGE TO VEHICLE ESTIMATED TO EXCEED $42,000.00) BMW STALLED AND ROLLED TO A REST IN LEFT LANE. BMW ASSIST COULD NOT SPEAK TO ME, BUT COULD HEAR FROM WITHIN VEHICLE. BMW ADMITTED ITS BMW ASSIST SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND MAY NOT HAVE PROPERLY AND/OR TIMELY NOTIFIED 911. PERSONAL INJURIES FROM AIRBAG DESPITE SEAT AND STEERING WHEEL FULLY RETRACTED. BMW PROMISED, BUT FAILED TO PROVIDE AUDIOTAPE AND TRANSCRIPT, DESPITE REPEATED ATTEMPTS. MOREOVER, BMW WON'T PROVIDE COMMON COURTESY OF A RESPONSE TO SAID FAILURE EVEN THOUGH PROOF OF SERVICE EXISTS. UNUSUAL PARTICULARLY SINCE NO THREAT OF LITIGATION HAS BEEN OR WILL BE MADE. AIR BAGS DO NOT SHOW AS BEING DISCONNECTED FROM CRASH ON THIS SITE. PERSONAL INJURIES E.G. MEDICAL BILLS, PAIN AND SUFFERING ETC. INTO SIX FIGURES. BMW HAS ALSO REFUSED TO INSPECT VEHICLE TO REBUT ANY QUERIES AS TO VEHICLES' PERFORMANCE AT MOMENT OF IMPACT. BMW NOR SELLING DEALER NEVER INFORMED ASSIST PACKAGE FOR ABOUT $1,300 WOULD HAVE PREVENTED OR SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE OUTCOME. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10585071

10,000 miles · Mar 29, 2014
Electrical System

AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE I WAS TOLD THAT THE FIRST TUNE UP WOULD BE DUE AT 10,000 MILES. THEREFORE I SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR SERVICE, HOVER WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN THE FIRST TIME AT 10,000 MILES I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO NEED FOR TUNE UP THAT THE COMPUTER WOULD DISPLAY A MESSAGE TELLING ME WHEN TO SERVICE IT. ONE WEEK LATER IT WAS…

Read full complaint

AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE I WAS TOLD THAT THE FIRST TUNE UP WOULD BE DUE AT 10,000 MILES. THEREFORE I SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR SERVICE, HOVER WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN THE FIRST TIME AT 10,000 MILES I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO NEED FOR TUNE UP THAT THE COMPUTER WOULD DISPLAY A MESSAGE TELLING ME WHEN TO SERVICE IT. ONE WEEK LATER IT WAS DISPLAYING THAT IT NEEDED OIL, SO I BROUGHT IT IN. ONE QUART OF OIL WAS ADDED ON THE SPOT. AFTER 11,000 IT WAS TELLING ME TO SERVICE THE CAR IN 1200 MILES SO AT 12200 I BROUGHT IT IN. ONCE AGING I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT TIME. NOW IT IS ONCE AGAIN DISPLAYING A MESSAGE THAT OIL LEVEL IS LOW BUT I STILL DON'T HAVE THE MESSAGE FOR SERVICE NEEDED. THE CAR NOW HAS 14000 MILES. I JUST DO NOT WANT THE ENGINE TO BLOW OUT AND THE DEALER BLAME IT ON ME FOR NOT BRINGING IN ON TIME. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10575561

Official recalls

1

15V188000 · Exterior Lighting

Mar 31, 2015

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2013 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i, 550i xDrive, and ActiveHybrid 5 vehicles. The rear reflex reflectors may not reflect enough light. As such, the vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The vehicle may be less visible to other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear reflex reflectors, free of charge. The recall began July 28, 2017. 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

1

DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System

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.