2011 535I XDRIVE GT CV JOINTS ON DRIVE SHAFT FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY DESTROYING THE CAR RENDERING IT UNDRIVABLE. NO RECALLS ON THIS MODEL OR THIS VIN ALTHOUGH ALL OTHER LIKE MODELS WERE ON RECALL. CAR PURCHASED AND SERVICED AT BMW DEALERSHIP.
2011 BMW 535I
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 535I years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
65 reports with mileage · 47 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.
- Engine. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 34 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
112 reportsTHIS RECALL HAS MY POWERTRANS NOT PREFORMING AS IT SHOULD. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN 2017 AND THIS RECALL WAS NEVER DONE. I TURN MY CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SINCE THEN I HAVE BEEN TAKING MY CAR FREQUENTLY TO MECHANICS FOR POWERTRANS PROBLEMS. WHEN I TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TELL ME THEY DON'T SEE A FAULT FOR THE POWERTRANS …
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THIS RECALL HAS MY POWERTRANS NOT PREFORMING AS IT SHOULD. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN 2017 AND THIS RECALL WAS NEVER DONE. I TURN MY CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SINCE THEN I HAVE BEEN TAKING MY CAR FREQUENTLY TO MECHANICS FOR POWERTRANS PROBLEMS. WHEN I TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TELL ME THEY DON'T SEE A FAULT FOR THE POWERTRANS IT AS SOON AS I LEAVE THE FAULT RETURNS. I PAID MONEY FOR NUMEROUS DIAGNOSTICS FOR THIS PROBLEM AND I STILL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS AFTER REACHING SPEEDS OVER 65 MPH.
SES LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CHECKED THE OBD2 SYSTEM FOR A CODE. P-2763 IS PRESENT. TROUBLESHOOTING FOR THE ISSUE REVEALED THE ORANGE TCC PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID IS MALFUNCTIONING. ZF WILL NOT SELL THE SOLENOID INDIVIDUALLY. THEY REQUIRE THE CONSUMER TO PURCHASE A MECHATRONIC UNIT. THE ORANGE SOLENOID IS A SCARCE PART TO FIND LOCALL…
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SES LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CHECKED THE OBD2 SYSTEM FOR A CODE. P-2763 IS PRESENT. TROUBLESHOOTING FOR THE ISSUE REVEALED THE ORANGE TCC PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID IS MALFUNCTIONING. ZF WILL NOT SELL THE SOLENOID INDIVIDUALLY. THEY REQUIRE THE CONSUMER TO PURCHASE A MECHATRONIC UNIT. THE ORANGE SOLENOID IS A SCARCE PART TO FIND LOCALLY IN THE U.S. ONLINE PRICES ARE AROUND $90. ON THE GLOBAL MARKET. THESE ARE NOT NEW SOLENOIDS. THE MECHATRONIC UNIT, OVERHAULED IS $1600 PLUS A CORE CHARGE. PLUS LABOR. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT ZF WILL NOT SUPPORT THE 8HP TRANSMISSION BY SELLING THE SOLENOID INDIVIDUALLY. COSTING ME SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS WHEN A SINGLE PART AROUND $100 DOLLARS WILL REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION. ZF CUSTOMER SERVICE INFORMED ME THAT I SHOULD SOURCE THE PART THROUGH A USED PARTS DEALER OR LOCAL JUNK YARD. I TRIED BUT NO TRANSMISSIONS ARE AVAILABLE. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING SINCE MAY OF 2019. I TALKED TO BMW AND CHRYSLER PARTS DEPARTMENTS AT MY LOCAL DEALERS. THE TELL ME THEY CAN ONLY ORDER THE MECHATRONIC UNIT.
DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION IS ON MAY BE DUE TO A BAD FUEL PUMP OR ENGINE COILS
CARE WAS IN MOTION ON LOCAL STREET CARE STARTED STALLING, DECREASE IN FUEL, SMOKE OUT OF TAIL PIPE, COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE, UNABLE TO START ON ENGINE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE FORUMS ON THIS SPECIFIC VEHICLE WITH ISSUES DUE TO FUEL INJECTOR. SINCE I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL BUYER ON VEHICLE I WAS NOT AWARE AND WAS NEVER NOTIFIED BY THE …
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CARE WAS IN MOTION ON LOCAL STREET CARE STARTED STALLING, DECREASE IN FUEL, SMOKE OUT OF TAIL PIPE, COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE, UNABLE TO START ON ENGINE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE FORUMS ON THIS SPECIFIC VEHICLE WITH ISSUES DUE TO FUEL INJECTOR. SINCE I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL BUYER ON VEHICLE I WAS NOT AWARE AND WAS NEVER NOTIFIED BY THE NEW DEALER THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ISSUE. VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT AT 126K MILES IN SEPT 2019.
2011 535XI WITH 95,000 MILES WAS SERVICED AND PASSED ALL INSPECTIONS, LESS THAN 700 MILES LATER ENGINE STARTS MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND WHILE DRIVING. IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND TOWED TO DEALER WHERE THEY FOUND METALLIC SHAVINGS IN OIL FILTER. SAID ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $36,591 BUT OFFERED NO CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE…
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2011 535XI WITH 95,000 MILES WAS SERVICED AND PASSED ALL INSPECTIONS, LESS THAN 700 MILES LATER ENGINE STARTS MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND WHILE DRIVING. IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND TOWED TO DEALER WHERE THEY FOUND METALLIC SHAVINGS IN OIL FILTER. SAID ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $36,591 BUT OFFERED NO CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE.
MY VEHICLE CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING DRIVE TRAIN/ DRIVE SHAFT MESSAGE CAME ON WHICH MADE MY ENGINE LIGHT COME ON SHUDDERING WITH HEAVY SHAKING MAKING WEIRD NOISES WHICH ARE THE SYSTEMS OF A DEFECTED DRIVE SHAFT SAME SYMPTOMS THAT APPLY TO RECALL 17V067000 VERY SCARY MY VEHICLE WAS JUST AT BMW DEALERSHIP FOR A RECALL DUE TO AN AGGRE…
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MY VEHICLE CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING DRIVE TRAIN/ DRIVE SHAFT MESSAGE CAME ON WHICH MADE MY ENGINE LIGHT COME ON SHUDDERING WITH HEAVY SHAKING MAKING WEIRD NOISES WHICH ARE THE SYSTEMS OF A DEFECTED DRIVE SHAFT SAME SYMPTOMS THAT APPLY TO RECALL 17V067000 VERY SCARY MY VEHICLE WAS JUST AT BMW DEALERSHIP FOR A RECALL DUE TO AN AGGRESSIVE FUEL LEAK...,I ASKED ABOUT THE RECALL FOR THE DRIVE TRAIN I WAS ADVISED YES IT'S A RECALL BUT NOT FOR MY VEHICLE WHICH IS A 2011 535I AT THE TOP OF THE RECALL LIST THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND THE 2ND TIME THIS CAR HAVE PUT MY LIFE IN DANGER HOW CAN YOU HAVE A RECALL ON THE 2011 535I AND THEN SAY NOT MY SPECIFIC VEHICLE BMW IS THE WORST I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER BMW I CANNOT BELIEVE IT THESE PARTS CANNOT BE FROM WEAR AND TEAR THIS STARTS FROM PRODUCTION OF VEHICLE
THE VEHICLE (2011 BMW 535I GT) INDICATED THAT IT WAS OVERHEATED AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 25 MINUTES IN THE CITY AND HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY SLOWED DOWN AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. FAN WAS CONTINUALLY RUNNING AFTER VEHICLE WAS STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED BACK ON HOURS LATER. TO…
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THE VEHICLE (2011 BMW 535I GT) INDICATED THAT IT WAS OVERHEATED AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 25 MINUTES IN THE CITY AND HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY SLOWED DOWN AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. FAN WAS CONTINUALLY RUNNING AFTER VEHICLE WAS STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED BACK ON HOURS LATER. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO SAID IT WAS THE AUXILIARY WATER PUMP THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. BMW HAS A RECALL BUT THE 535I GT IS NOT IN THE RECALL, THE 550I GT IS. THE RECALL SHOULD BE LOOKED AT FOR EXPANSION.
CAD WAS RUNNING FINE. PARKED GOT OUT NEXT MORNING NO START. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED TIME BELT GONE. BOUGHT CAR FROM BMW MAINLINE IN MARCH 2014 CERTIFIED USED. VARIOUS ISSUES WITH CAR. JUST READ THAT THE 5 SERIES HAD TIMING CHAIN ISSUES. MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY WITH 125,063 MILES. ALWAYS MAINTAINED AND OIL CHANGES AND SERVICE…
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CAD WAS RUNNING FINE. PARKED GOT OUT NEXT MORNING NO START. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED TIME BELT GONE. BOUGHT CAR FROM BMW MAINLINE IN MARCH 2014 CERTIFIED USED. VARIOUS ISSUES WITH CAR. JUST READ THAT THE 5 SERIES HAD TIMING CHAIN ISSUES. MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY WITH 125,063 MILES. ALWAYS MAINTAINED AND OIL CHANGES AND SERVICE. NOW THIS. AM I LEGIBLE TO HAVE MY TIMING CHAIN AND ANY DANGE IT CAUSED TO BE REPAIRED. WHY DOESN'T BMW STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS OR RECALL THEIR PROBLEM CARS. WITH THE MONEY PAID FOR THIS CAR I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR MISTAKES. BULLETIN TSB NO. 111614. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT BMW WILL NOT RECALL BUT ACT AS THOUGH THEY ARE DOING THEIR CUSTOMERS A FAVOR BY REPAIRING OR MAYBE REPAIRING THEIR OWN MISTAKES. THANK GOD IS GOT MYSELF AND INFANT SON HOME BEFORE THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE.
CAR WAS DRIVING FINE. NO NOISE NO BACK FIRE NO RATTLING. GOT HOME PARKED CAR NEXT DAY GOT IN CAR AND WOULD NOT START. TOOK TO BMW SPECIALIST. SAYS THE CAR HAS NO COMPRESSION. HOW DOES AN ENGINE GO JUST LIKE THAT. JUST HAD OIL CHANGE ONE MONTH AGO NO PROBLEMS NOW THIS OUT OF THE BLUE.
Official recalls
417V067000 · Power Train:driveline:constant Velocity Joint
Feb 2, 2017
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 1 Series M Coupe and 135i Convertible vehicles, 2011 Z4 sDrive 35i, 335i, 335d, 335i Coupe, 335is Coupe, 335i Convertible, 335is Convertible, 535i, 535i xDrive, 535i Gran Turismo and 550i xDrive Gran Turismo vehicles and 2012 740i and 740Li vehicles. The rear driveshaft constant velocity (CV) joint on the affected vehicles may fatigue and break.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the CV joint breaks, the vehicle may have a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear driveshaft CV joint and, based on its production date, will replace it, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
16V832000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
Nov 17, 2016
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2011 BMW 528i, 528xi, 535i, 535xi, 550i and 550xi vehicles manufactured March 1, 2010, through August 31, 2011. The affected vehicles may have received a replacement Sensor Cluster Unit (SCU) during a service visit. These SCUs have an acceleration sensor that may have been incorrectly programmed and, as a result, the SCU may not accurately determine if activation and deployment of the air bags, safety belt pre-tensioners and head restraints is necessary in the event of a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Depending on the severity of the crash, inadequate activation of the driver and/or passenger air bags, safety belt pre-tensioners and active head restraints may increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the SCU, free of charge. The recall began on December 16, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
16V746000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
Oct 17, 2016
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 BMW X5 3.0si, X5 4.8i, X5 M, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i and X5 xDrive50i, 2008-2011 X6 x Drive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6 M, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 535i xDrive Gran Turismo, 535i Gran Turismo, 550i xDrive Gran Turismo and 550i Gran Turismo, 2011-2012 528i, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i and 550i xDrive and 2012 535i ActiveHybrid, 640i Convertible, 650i Convertible, 650i xDrive Convertible, 650i Coupe and 650i Coupe xDrive vehicles. The affected vehicles have in-tank fuel pumps that may have insufficiently crimped wire contacts.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The loose wires may cause the connector to melt, resulting in a fuel leak. Additionally, the fuel pump may stop working, possibly causing an engine stall and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
14V176000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Apr 10, 2014
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 128i Coupe, 128i Convertible, 328i Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 328i Coupe, 328i Convertible, 328i Sports Wagon and Z4 sDrive 30i, 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 135i Convertible, 335i Sedan, X5 xDrive 35i, and X6 xDrive 35i, 2011 335i xDrive Sedan, 335i Coupe, 335i Convertible, 528i Sedan, 535i Sedan, 535i xDrive Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, and X3 xDrive 35i, 2010 X3 xDrive 30i, and X5 xDrive 30i, 2012 640i Coupe, and 640i Convertible and 2010-2012 535i Gran Turismo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit can loosen over time and may possibly break.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the bolts loosen or break the engine may have reduced power or stall. An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four VANOS housing bolts for both VANOS units (intake and exhaust), free of charge. In addition, owners of approximately 170,172 model year 2010-2012 BMW vehicles equipped with inline 6 cylinder engines not covered by this recall, will receive an extended warranty to address this condition. The recall began on September 24, 2014. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417.
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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