2007 BMW 530XI

The front Xenon Headlight Wiring protective plastic coating has degraded and prematurely failed on both headlight assemblies. This caused headlight bulb shorting and poses a potential fire hazard in the front engine compartment of the vehicle. The wiring used in the headlight assemblies was not up to proper standards and failed. The wiring used in other areas of the engine bay seems to be okay. The internal headlight wiring appears to be supplied by the OEM Headlight Manufacturer (HELLA) and does not seem to be up to proper standards to prevent the plastic protective coating from failing over time. This should not be considered a "wear item" as electrical wiring is used throughout millions of much older vehicles without incident.

BMW Headlight wiring on the 530 series is defective. Wire Insulation throughout the headlight assembly crumbles. The design and wire specification were not fit for use. Heat may be an issue but has nothing to do with climate. The vehicle has spent most of its life in Michigan where the problem was first noted when the age of the vehicle was approximately 8 years. High heat within the headlight assembly also caused deterioration of the covering on fiber optic cable. This problem is well known to BMW owners. The bare wires within the headlight housing pose a risk of electrical shorts and potentially fires.

I AM CONTACTING YOU IN AN ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN ASSISTANCE / REMEDY IN THE REPAIR OF A BURNED OUTER TAIL LAMP SOCKET IN MY 2007 530XIT. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. ON 12/31/2014 I RECEIVED A RIGHT TAIL LAMP MALFUNCTION WARNING VIA I-DRIVE AND WHEN I ARRIVED HOME I INSPECTED THE RIGHT TAIL LAMP ASSY AND FOUND THE OUTER TAIL LAMP BULB SOCKET CONTACTS TO BE MELTED AND NO LONGER MAKING CONTACT WITH THE BULB HOLDER. THE STOCK AND ORIGINAL BULB TESTED FAULTY. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE DAMAGED AND MELTED CONTACT ON THE SOCKET ASSY, THE BMW REPLACEMENT BULB WILL NOT FUNCTION EITHER. I HAVE A PHOTO OF THE SOCKET ASSY SHOULD IT BE NEEDED FOR INVESTIGATION. AS IS THE CASE WITH THE 2008-2010 E60 & E61 MODELS, THERE HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIAL FAILURES IN THE REAR LIGHTING SYSTEM RESULTING IN A RECALL. I FEEL THAT THIS FAILURE REDUCES THE VEHICLES ABILITY TO WARN OTHER MOTORISTS OF THE DRIVER'S INTENTIONS, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR A POTENTIAL RECALL ON PRE LCI E61 MODELS. *TR

I DISCOVERED FAILURES OF MULTIPLE WIRES IN THE TAILGATE/REAR WINDOW WIRING HARNESSES. THROUGH RESEARCH ONLINE I HAVE FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE OVER SEVERAL MODEL YEARS - SEARCH FOR BMW E61 TAILGATE WIRING PROBLEMS. THE FAILURES ARE CAUSED BY A POOR DESIGN WHERE THE WIRES ENTERING THE HINGE GUIDES (4) FOR THE GLASS AND TAILGATE ARE REPEATEDLY FLEXED AT A SHARP ANGLE UNTIL THE INSULATION, THEN THE COPPER WIRE BREAKS. SAFETY ISSUES - POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT LEADING TO FIRES (HIGHEST LOAD IS FOR REAR DEFROSTER); LIGHTING FAILURES (REAR HIGH BRAKE LIGHT, LICENSE PLATE LAMPS AND OTHERS); REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO LOSS OF WIPER/WASHER/DEFROSTER; REAR GLASS LATCH OPENING WHILE UNDERWAY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN LOSS OF CARGO OR INGRESS OF EXHAUST FUMES. THIS IS NOT AN EASILY REPAIRED PROBLEM. IT WOULD BE BEYOND THE CAPABILITIES OF ALL BUT A SKILLED MECHANIC WITH PROPER TOOLS. I DISCOVERED IT WHEN THE REMOTE LOCK/UNLOCK USING THE KEY FOBS FAILED. AS I INVESTIGATED I FOUND THE BROKEN WIRE, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHERS WITH BROKEN INSULATION, SOME WITH BROKEN COPPER STRANDS. *TR

I WAS RECENTLY MADE AWARE THAT THERE IS A RECALL REGARDING THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS ON 2008+ 5 SERIES VEHICLES. I RECENTLY EXPEREINCED THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS THE RECALL NOTICE ON MY REAR TAIL LIGHTS; HOWEVER MY CAR IS A 2007 MODEL. THE I-DRIVE WOULD INTERMITTENLY ALERT THAT A BULB IS OUT. I HAVE REPLACED IT BUT IT WOULD GO OUT AGAIN. I INSPECTED THE BULB CARRIER AND BULB SOCKET AND NOTICED SEVERLY BURNED CONTACT AREA'S WHERE ONE OF THE BULB SOCKETS PLUG IN. THE RECALL CLEARLY IS FOR SEDANS 2008+ BUT I SEEM TO HAVE THE EXACT ISSUE AND THERE ARE OTHERS WHO HAVE THE SAME ISSUES (SEE 5SERIES.NET FORUM WEBSITE). *TR