My serpentine belt broke causing my car to shut down. Apparently only BMW’s have a terrible design that the belt gets sucked into the engine and then the engine is gone. No other cars have this design. There are thousands of this model vehicle that are dead cars being sold online. This seems to be a problem
2006 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
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When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
68 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. 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.
Engine complaints
15 reports2006 BMW 5 SERIES. CONSUMER WITES SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR VEHICLE REPAIRS RELATED TO SAFTEY RECALL 22V-119.
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 530i. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle started smoking from the engine and steering wheel. There was no fire in the vehicle. The check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over safely to the side of the road. The vehicle was cooled down…
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The contact owns a 2006 BMW 530i. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle started smoking from the engine and steering wheel. There was no fire in the vehicle. The check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over safely to the side of the road. The vehicle was cooled down and then was driven to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 2,000.
MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON FOR NO REASON ONE DAY AND WILL NOT GO OFF I INITIALLY GOT A RECALL PAPER FOR IT BUT WAS UNABLE TO TAKE IT TO THE SHOP I VAN NO LONGER FIND THE PAPER BUT THE TRANSMISSION IS TRASH
MANUFACTURES RECALL VEHICLE WAS RELOCATED AND NOW UNKNOWN
"TAKATA RECALL" THE CAR OVERHEAT, THE DASHBOARD SHOW SAFETY BELT MALFUNCTION, WHEN PUSH THE GAS PEDAL SOMETIMES JUMP, THE CAR SMELL GASOLINE ALL HE TIME, ALL THE TIME SHOW LOW LIMITS OF OIL BUT THE LEVEL OF OIL IS CORRECT.
MY CAR HAS BEEN LEAKING ENGINE OIL FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS. AFTER I HAD IT CHECKED, I WAS TOLD THAT ONE BOLT ON THE ENGINE WAS BROKEN. I FOUND THAT THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED COMMON. I THINK BMW SHOULD SOLVE THIS PROBLEM THROUGH RECALL, BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT.
DURING A BMW SPONSORED VEHICLE INSPECTION I WAS INFORMED THAT ONE OF MY VALVE COVER BOLTS WAS BROKEN AND OIL WAS LEADING ON THE ENGINE (FIRE HAZARD). THE BMW MECHANIC STATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 530 SERIES AS THE MANUFACTURED USED ALUMINUM BOLTS TO REDUCE WEIGHT ON THE VEHICLE. THE ALUMINUM BOLTS SNAP/BREAK DUE T…
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DURING A BMW SPONSORED VEHICLE INSPECTION I WAS INFORMED THAT ONE OF MY VALVE COVER BOLTS WAS BROKEN AND OIL WAS LEADING ON THE ENGINE (FIRE HAZARD). THE BMW MECHANIC STATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 530 SERIES AS THE MANUFACTURED USED ALUMINUM BOLTS TO REDUCE WEIGHT ON THE VEHICLE. THE ALUMINUM BOLTS SNAP/BREAK DUE TO HEAT. THIS IS A POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD AND THE ALUMINUM VALVE COVER BOLTS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED BY BMW.
I HAVE A 2006 BMW 530I THAT HAS BEEN LEAKING OIL FOR 3 YEARS. I HAVE HAD WORK DONE ON THE CAR FROM AN AUTHORIZED BMW SHOP AND THE LEAK WAS NOT FIXED. I HAVE HAD EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION TO WHERE I HAVE HAD TO EITHER PUT OIL IN THE CAR MYSELF BECAUSE IT WAS AT THE MINIMUM LEVEL, OR TAKE IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP (IF I'M IN THE A…
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I HAVE A 2006 BMW 530I THAT HAS BEEN LEAKING OIL FOR 3 YEARS. I HAVE HAD WORK DONE ON THE CAR FROM AN AUTHORIZED BMW SHOP AND THE LEAK WAS NOT FIXED. I HAVE HAD EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION TO WHERE I HAVE HAD TO EITHER PUT OIL IN THE CAR MYSELF BECAUSE IT WAS AT THE MINIMUM LEVEL, OR TAKE IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP (IF I'M IN THE AREA) FOR THEM TO TOP IT OFF. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 4 DIFFERENT TIMES AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND AN OIL LEAK. RECENTLY I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THEY TOLD ME I HAD A LEAK IN 3 DIFFERENT PLACES. SINCE I HAVE BEEN TOLD DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, I ESCALATED THE ISSUE TO HIGHER MANAGEMENT AND ASKED FOR AN ANSWER AS TO WHY TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS AT A DEALERSHIP THAT SPECIALIZE IN THE "ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE" GAVE ME THREE DIFFERENT DIAGNOSTICS. THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT MY CAR HAS A BROKEN BOLT WHICH IS COMMON FOR THIS MODEL, BUT REFUSE TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION AND THE VEHICLE IS UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY AND NEITHER WILL PAY THE COST. *TR
WE HAVE A 2006 BMW 530I IN JANUARY OF 2013 WE HAD A IGNITION COIL GO OUT WITH AROUND 75000 MILES WHICH WAS ABOUT A 275.00$ TO GET FIXED. THEN ON 6/26/13 WE HAD 2 MORE IGNITION COILS GO OUT AT 78000 MILES, THAT TIME IT WAS 507.00 $ TO FIX, THIS MUST BE A FAULTY PART BECAUSE NOW 12/16/13 WITH 82000 MILES IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN! …
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WE HAVE A 2006 BMW 530I IN JANUARY OF 2013 WE HAD A IGNITION COIL GO OUT WITH AROUND 75000 MILES WHICH WAS ABOUT A 275.00$ TO GET FIXED. THEN ON 6/26/13 WE HAD 2 MORE IGNITION COILS GO OUT AT 78000 MILES, THAT TIME IT WAS 507.00 $ TO FIX, THIS MUST BE A FAULTY PART BECAUSE NOW 12/16/13 WITH 82000 MILES IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN! I AM GOING TO PAY FOR THE REMAINING 3 TO BE CHANGED. WHEN I CALLED BMW THERE WAS A RECALL APPARENTLY FROM 2002-2004 FOR THIS. BY WAY OF MY VIN.# I FOUND OUT MY CAR WAS MADE 9/2005 I FEEL THIS PROBLEM NEVER GOT FIXED OR SIMPLY JUST CHANGING THE BRAND OF THE COIL WAS NOT THE ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM! BECAUSE ITS NOT FIXED. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A CAR WITH ISSUES LIKE THIS. WHEN I SPOKE TO A INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED BMW MECHANIC I WAS TOLD IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM! *TR
Official recalls
319V273000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (pcv)
Apr 4, 2019
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 530xi Sports Wagon, 325i, 325xi, 325xi Sports Wagon, 330i, 330xi, Z4 3.0i and Z4 3.0si vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall is an expansion to recall 17V-683.
17V428000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
Jul 6, 2017
BMW of North America, Inc. (BMW) is recalling certain 2006 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, and 550i vehicles equipped with the Sport Seat option and certain 2006 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 550i vehicles with standard seats. The front passenger seat occupant detection mat that determines if, and how, the passenger frontal air bag should deploy in a crash may fatigue and develop cracks which could lead to a system failure.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will repair the occupant detection mat to eliminate the possibility that it may crack, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 1, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
13V564000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
Nov 12, 2013
BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2006 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi sedans and 325xi sports wagons, model year 2007 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi sedans and 328i and 328xi sports wagons, model year 2006-2007 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 550i sedans and 530xi sports wagons, model year 2006 760i sedans, model year 2006-2007 750i, 750Li, and 760Li sedans, and model year 2006 X5 sports activity vehicles, equipped with certain seat types. The front passenger seat occupant detection mat that determines if and how the passenger frontal air bag should deploy in a crash may fatigue and develop cracks which could lead to a system failure.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners with an interim notification letter in January 2014 since parts are not currently available. When parts are available, BMW sent a second letter in August and dealers will repair the occupant detection mat to eliminate the possibility that it may crack, free of charge. Additionally, owners of model year 2006-2007 3 Series with standard seats, 5 Series with comfort seats, and Z4 models, will receive an extended warranty on their front passenger seat occupant detection mat. 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.
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