2013 BMW 535i owner complaints

My 2013 BMW 535i (VIN [XXX] ) caught fire spontaneously while parked, turned off, and unoccupied on 11/18/2025 in Westbury, NY. A passerby saw smoke and called 911. Nassau County Police and the Westbury Fire Department responded. Firefighters informed me at the scene that the fire was mechanical in origin. The vehicle was completely off and had been parked for about 20 minutes. I was not in or near the car. The fire originated under the hood. This matches known fire patterns in BMW 5-series models from this generation involving electrical/engine components, even though my VIN shows no open recalls. The previous owner did not register the car, so any recall notices may not have reached them. The vehicle is a total loss. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOI

Seat belt my driver restraint light has come on on my car there is a known safety recall on BMW takeda airbags second issue my horn has suddenly stopped working is this related to my airbag as they are in the same area of components basically I don't know if my airbag will work in a collision and I am no longer able to honk my horn

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 BMW 535i. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message parking light malfunction and adaptive head light malfunction were displayed on the instrument panel. Additionally, the left turn signal light malfunctioned and would not operate. The cause of the failures were not determined. The local dealer BMW of macon located at 4785 riverside dr, macon, ga 31210, was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 55,000.*bf consumer stated following had malfunctions head lamp vertical aim control, battery discharging while stopping, electrical devices switched off temporarily, and air conditioner stopped working.*jb

Heard a clicking noise behind the steering wheel for a few days then I’ll the sudden the horn stopped working and all the controls on the steering wheel stopped working. I’m a mechanic so I took apart the clock spring stealing wheel compartment to find all of the wire broken and very very brittle. Cause for concern due to airbag malfunction and is no longer connected properly!!!I’ve been hearing a clicking noise behind the steering wheel for a few days. Then, suddenly, the horn stopped working, and all the controls on the steering wheel stopped working as well. Since I’m a mechanic, I disassembled the clock spring and the steering wheel compartment to find that all the wires were broken and extremely brittle. This is concerning because it could cause an airbag malfunction, and the wires ar

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 re

Water pump failure with @32,900 miles on odometer. Cost to replace $2,800

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 BMW 535i. The contact stated that while driving 3 MPH through two inches of water, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. The contact was informed that the engine had hydro-locked and would need to be replaced. The replacement engine was unavailable and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 3,900.

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 535I. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine was overheating. Additionally, the contact noticed an abnormal burning odor while driving, with smoke coming from underneath the hood while at a complete stop. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 535I. The contact stated that the driver’s side headlamp had condensation inside the headlamp housing. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who replaced the headlamp housing. The contact stated that the failure recurred with the passenger’s side headlamp housing and the driver’s side replacement headlamp housing. The failure had caused the turn signals to malfunction. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Headlight Assembly has issues with the seal and condensation can/does enter the headlight assembly rendering the functionality of the headlight as suspect. Without proper lighting and condensation in front of the headlight which greatly impacts/effects the clarity and visibility of objects in the front of the car creating a safety issue. The cost to replace/repair these assemblies is excessive and is a widespread problem across multiple BMW models/years.

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

Goodyear eagle ls2 rof tires. Only 4700 miles on my 2013 BMW 535 activehybrid. Bubble on rf tire, I am the only driver. No potholes ever hit or curbs rubbed into. I am in the auto industry. Careful examination of the tire showed no signs of impact on the outside of the tire or the wheel. No damage to the inside either. Obvious defect in the tire. Looking at the numerous complaints about this tire online there is a problem. It needs to be addressed before someone kills themselves with a blowout. *tr

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.

Takata inflators- BMW has failed on solved this recall in a timely manner even though there is a potentially safety risk resulting in serious injury or death. Its been a year and no fix has been available even though I live in zone a (puerto rio), zone associated with the most at risk vehicle per NHTSA website.

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

Rubber separating and sidewall bubbles at 15k -30k miles. Vehicle is adult driven on paved roads.

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.

Moonroof glass exploded while on highway at 60mph No other cars in around at time Moonroof blew outwards Nothing hit roof at all

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