2013 BMW 535I

THERMOSTAT & WATER PUMPS FAIL ON THESE VEHICLES PREMATURELY. MANY OWNERS ARE BLOGGING ONLINE THAT THESE VEHICLES HAVE EARLY (AND FREQUENT) FAILURES WITH THERMOSTATS & WATER PUMPS. THESE FAILURES LEAD TO THE VEHICLE FORCING YOU QUICKLY TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL OVER(LIMP MODE) - SOMETIMES NOT IN THE MOST FORGIVING LOCATIONS. IN ADDITION, THE FAILURE OF THESE COMPONENTS MAY BE THE ROOT CAUSE OF OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS FAILING - AT AN EXTREME, UNNECESSARY EXPENSE TO THE OWNERS. THIS OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE'S "SAFETY" SYSTEM FORCES THE VEHICLE TO DECELERATE UNTIL YOU BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. THIS CAN OCCUR ON THE FREEWAY (EVEN A FREEWAY IN LOS ANGELES WHERE YOU MAY BE IN THE 8TH LANE TO THE LEFT WITH NO EMERGENCY LANE TO YOUR LEFT). THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE TO RECALL/UPDATE/REPLACE THESE FAULTY COMPONENTS ON ALL 5 SERIES MODELS FROM 2004 - 2013(AT LEAST 2 DIFFERENT MODELS IN THIS YEAR RANGE).

AIR SUSPENSION. CAR LEANED LEFT AFTER SITTING, BUT THE AIR SPRING PUMPED UP ON VEHICLE START-UP. CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO IDENTIFIED A LEAKING LEFT REAR AIR SUSPENSION SPRING. IDENTIFIED TECHNICAL BULLETIN (SI B37 01 15) NOTING FAULTY INSTALLATION DURING ASSEMBLY. THE BULLETING RECOMMENDS REPLACING LEFT AIR SPRING (BMW TO SUPPLY LABOR AND PARTS) ON CARS MANUFACTURED THROUGH FEB 2, 2013. MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED FEB 17, 2013 AND THE BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT REFUSES TO COVER THE COST OF REPLACEMENT SINCE IT IS OUTSIDE THE BULLETIN DATES. CAR HAS 40,500 MILES AND THE FAILURE WAS EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN THE TECHNICAL BULLETIN. HENCE, THIS IS EVIDENCE THAT THE VEHICLE DEFECT EXCEEDS THE ASSEMBLY DATES AND THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE SHOULD BE EXTENDED. FURTHER, THE AIR SPRING WAS DEFECTIVE, BUT A WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ACTIVATED BECAUSE THE AIR BAG WAS INFLATED DURING THE VEHICLE START UP PROCESS. THIS MAY HAVE LED TO A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF A DEFECTIVE AIR SHOCK WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION, AND IS THEREFORE A SAFETY HAZARD.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 535I. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED, WHICH WAS A SAFETY CONCERN. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LEITH BMW (5603 CAPITAL BLVD, RALEIGH, NC 27616, (919) 882-2420) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

EARLIER THIS YEAR, WATER WAS NOTICED IN THE FRONT LEFT HEADLIGHT. DEALER NOTIFIED ME THAT A SEAL WAS BROKEN AND THE UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ($2500+). 2 WEEKS LATER, THE FRONT RIGHT HEADLIGHT DID THE EXACT SAME THING. VEHICLE IS APPROX. 4.5 YEARS OLD WITH 55K MILES. SHOP FOREMAN TOLD ME THIS PARTICULAR MODEL IS KNOWN FOR THIS PROBLEM AND BMW IS AWARE AS WELL. I KNOW MULTIPLE PEOPLE WITH THIS VEHICLE THAT HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THE DEFECTIVE SEAL IN THE HEADLIGHT UNITS FOR THIS MODEL PRESENT NUMEROUS SAFETY CONCERNS, THE MOST SERIOUS OF WHICH IS THE INABILITY TO SEE THE ROAD DUE TO THE MOISTURE BUILDUP. FURTHER, THE MOISTURE EVENTUALLY CAUSES THE BULBS TO GO BAD, PARTICULARLY THE TURN SIGNAL BULB WHERE THE MOISTURE FIRST ENTERS. OTHER VEHICLES CANNOT SEE THAT TURN SIGNAL OR HEADLIGHT. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE SEALS ON THESE HEADLIGHTS AS THEY NOT ONLY RENDER THE VEHICLE USELESS (UNABLE TO PASS STATE INSPECTIONS) BUT ALSO PRESENTS SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS DUE TO A LACK OF VISIBILITY, BOTH TO THE DRIVER AND OTHER DRIVERS.

DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LATCH WILL NOT UNLOCK FROM INSIDE UNLESS CENTRAL DOOR UNLOCK BUTTON IS PUSHED OR KEYFOB UNLOCK BUTTON IS PUSHED. PLUNGER MOVES UP AND DOWN WITH DOOR HANDLE BUT DOES NOT OPEN DOOR. BECAUSE THIS CAR DISCONNECTS THE BATTERY IN AN ACCIDENT I AM AFRAID THAT I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IN AN EMERGENCY. REPAIR IS EXPENSIVE AND NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.

AS I WAS LEAVING THE STOP SIGN AND ENTERING THE BUSY INTERSECTION, MY ENGINE SUDDENLY DIED. THE SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED A FEW DAYS LATER. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 15 MPH, AGAIN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY DIED.WE TOOK THE CAR TO BMW ENCINITAS FOR ITS FIRST MAINTAINANCE CHECK AND WE DID MENTION THESE TWO SCARY INCIDENTS.THEY RE-ASSURED US THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THE LATEST INCIDENT HAPPENED TWO DAYS AGO, FEB 23 ,2015. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 15 MPH, AND AGAIN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY DIED AND THE TRANSMISSION WENT INTO NEUTRAL. *JS

GOODYEAR 245-40R-19 TIRES ON MY 2013 BMW 535XI ARE DEFECTIVE. AT 11K MILES, I HAD TO REPLACE ONE TIRE AND THEN AT 15K I HAD TO REPLACE ANOTHER DUE TO SIDE WALL "BUBBLING". DEALER INFORMED ME THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY WITH THESE TIRES AND THERE "IS NOTHING BMW OR GOODYEAR" WILL DO FOR THE CONSUMER. GOODYEAR DISCONTINUED THEIR INSURANCE. COST TO REPLACE WITH MOUNTING AND BALANCING/TAX $500 PER TIRE. AT FIRST, DEALER MENTIONED YOU MUST HAVE HIT A POT HOLE. WHEN I MENTIONED TO HIM THAT TWO TIRES "BUBBLING" AFTER 15K MILES IS VERY QUESTIONABLE HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A TIRE ISSUE. I SENT IN A COMPLAINT TO GOODYEAR AND BMW TO NO AVAIL. THEY DO NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TIRE ISSUE YET THE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AND BMW CONTINUES TO PLACE THEM ON THEIR VEHICLES. RESEARCHING THE ISSUE IT SEEMS THERE ARE MANY OTHER PEOPLE IN MY SITUATION. *TR

BMW 535I SUNROOF GLASS EXPLODED OUTWARD. BROKEN GLASS (THOUSANDS OF SHARDS) CAUSED MULTIPLE SCRATCHES IN PAINT AND DIFFICULTY WITH TRUNK LID. REPAIRS COST $6000. BMW DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE RESPONSIBILITY UNDER WARRANTY, ALTHOUGH THEY DID ADMIT THAT THE GLASS SUNROOF WAS A WARRANTABLE ITEM. UNEXPLAINED BMW SUNROOF EXPLOSIONS ARE NOT UNCOMMON (SEE INTERNET), INDICATING AN OBVIOUS FACTORY DEFECT FOR WHICH BMW IS NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY. *TR