2008 BMW 535I

MY 2008 BMW 535I IS SUFFERING FROM THE SAME PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION ERROR AS THE EARLIER BMW MODELS. NHTSA INFORMATION I'VE READ INDICATES THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A SUBSTANTIAL FRONT END COLLISION, WHICH POSES A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO PASSENGERS. BMW ONLY RECALLED MODEL YEARS 2004 - 2006, HOWEVER. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT TO THOSE YEARS. MY 2008 BMW 535I THROWS THE ERROR EVERY TIME I DRIVE WITH OR WITHOUT A PASSENGER. BOTH THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT LIGHT AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT REMAIN ILLUMINATED ANY TIME THE KEY IS IN THE IGNITION. WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT MORE RECENT BMW MODELS? *TR

HEADLIGHT ALMOST CAUGHT ON FIRE. STARTED CAR AND AS I WAS BACKING OUT OF GARAGE I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL AND THEN RECEIVED A DRIVERS SIDE BULB OUT ERROR INDICATION. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE HOUSE I LOOKED AT THE HEADLIGHT AND NOTICED THE INNER LENS HAD FALLEN AWAY INSIDE THE HOUSING. I BEGAN TO EXAMINE THE HEADLIGHT CLOSER AND DISCOVERED A LOT OF WIRES THAT WERE BASICALLY ROTTEN. MEANING THERE WAS NO INSULATION WHAT SO EVER TO PROTECT AGAINST A SHORT IF THE WIRES MADE CONTACT. I EXAMINED THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT ONLY TO FIND THE EXACT SAME CONDITION WITH THE WIRING, LARGE AMOUNTS OF BARE UNPROTECTED WIRES. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THE ENTIRE INNER LENS BECAME SO HOT THAT THE PLASTIC WELDS MELTED AND ALSO THE METAL HOUSING CAUSING THE LENS TO FALL AWAY. I CONTACTED BMW NA AND WAS TOLD ON THE PHONE THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT COULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR BECAUSE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE EASILY LED TO A FULL VEHICLE FIRE HAD I NOT INSPECTED THE PROBLEM AND ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR WITH ELECTRICAL TAPE. I CANNOT GET TO ALL OF THE BARE WIRES BECAUSE THEY ARE INSIDE THE HEAD LIGHT. THE COST OF REPLACING BOTH HEADLIGHT IS ~ $3000.00 PARTS PLUS AROUND 250 IN LABOR CHARGES. SADLY IF THIS IS NOT PROPERLY DISCOVERED IT COULD LEAD TO A TOTAL DESTRUCTION FROM A FIRE IN THE VEHICLE AND EVEN DEATH IF THE DRIVER WAS TO BECOME A ASPHYXIATED FROM THE FUMES WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 535I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED, THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT LIGHT FAILED TO DISENGAGE WHEN AN OCCUPANT WAS PROPERLY SECURED WITH A SEAT BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 535I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM ADVISED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER RESTRAINT AND AIR BAG WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE MANUFACTURER'S AIR BAG IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS MANUFACTURER 88, 8000.

DURING HIGHWAY TRAVELING UPON ACCELERATION TO CHANGE LANES THE CAR BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND STALL. A ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME/REDUCED POWER. I HAD TO DRIVE THE CAR ABOUT 45 MPH BECAUSE IT BEGAN TO SHAKE AS IF IT WAS GOING TO CUT OFF. DEALERSHIP ADVISED THAT IS WAS NOT THE HPFP (HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP). I WAS TOLD THAT ALL SIX FUEL INJECTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS CAR CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE OF ITS UNRELIABILITY! *TR

DRIVING A 2008 BMW 535I AT HIGHWAY SPEED, APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, WHEN, WITH NO WARNING, LARGE RED WARNING LIGHT APPEARS, "ENGINE OVERHEATED - TURN OFF ENGINE." LIGHT CAME ON SUDDENLY AND ENGINE DIED TO 5 MPH AND THEN STOPPED RUNNING. BARELY ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND IN GREAT DANGER FROM TRUCKS BEARING DOWN ON A MOUNTAINOUS CURVING CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY. DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM WAS AN IMMEDIATE FAILURE OF THE ELECTRIC WATER PUMP WHICH CAUSES SUDDEN ENGINE LOSS PLACING THE DRIVER IN GRAVE DANGER. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY DRIVERS TO BMW (SEE ONLINE FORUMS) AND THEY KNOW THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM BUT HAVE NOT ISSUED RECALL NOTICES ON THE ELECTRIC WATER PUMPS ON THEIR VEHICLES. THEY PREVIOUSLY ISSUED RECALLS ON THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMPS BUT THIS ALSO REQUIRES A RECALL AS THE CAR ABRUPTLY DIES AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *TR

WE WERE STOPPED AND WAITING AT A RED LIGHT THEN PRESSED ACCELERATOR WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN. THE CAR STARTS MOVING THEN SUDDENLY LOSES ALL POWER WITHIN SECONDS WHILE ENTERING A VERY BUSY FREEWAY ONRAMP. AFTER LOSING POWER AND CAR IS DEAD, A WARNING MESSAGE APPEARS. WARNING SAYS CAR IS "OVERHEATED AND TO STOP, DANGER OF BURNS WITH HOT WATER PUMP." CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR 2 HOURS PRIOR TO INCIDENT. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING BEFORE LOSING ALL POWER AND CONTROL OF THE CAR. HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER REPLACED THE WATER PUMP AND DID NOT EXPLAIN THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER OR LACK OF WARNING. THE CAR HAS HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. THE CAR ALSO HAS HAD SEVERAL WARNINGS OF SUDDEN POWER LOSS THAT THE DEALER IS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE. THE SUDDEN STOP ON THE FREEWAY CAUSED US TO BE NEARLY REAR-ENDED A FEW TIMES BEFORE THE POLICE CAME. *TR

ENGINE LOSSES POWER WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT COMES ON WITH WARNINGS OF ENGINE REDUCED POWER.TOOK IT TO BMW FREMONT, THEY FOUND THE VANOS SOLENOID VALVES EXHAUST FAULTY, REPLACED BOTH SOLENOIDS AND PERFORMED AN OIL SERVICE WITH FUEL INJECTION/INDUCTION SERVICE. THIS TIME BMW NA PAID 85% OF THE BILL AS A ONE TIME GOODWILL! *TR

DRIVING AT 30MPH,ENGINES POWER SUDDENLY REDUCED,ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT COMES ON . TOOK THE CAR TO BMW FREMONT, THEY FOUND THE INTAKE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS FAULTY.THEY REPLACED CAMSHAFT SENSORS,PULSE GENERATOR,O-RING AND TORQUE SCREW.AS ADVISED BY THE SERVICE AGENT HAD TO DO AN OIL, OILFILTER CHANGE AND FUEL INJECTION SERVICE TO PREVENT DEFAULT ON THE WARRANTY OF PARTS PUT IN. AS THE CAR WAS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD(EVEN THOUGH IT HAS A VERY LOW MILEAGE OF 18760) SO HAD TO PAY $1235 OUT OF POCKET. AT 19350MILES THE SIMILAR ISSUE CAME UP, TOOK IT BACK TO BMW FREMONT, THEY FOUND FAULTS STORED IN DME,2A7C VARIABLE CAMSHAFT TIMING CONTROL INTAKE COLD START 1 TIME NOT CURRENTLY PRESENT,CLEARED FAULTS AND CUSTOMER TO MONITOR. *TR