10 of the 175 complaints about the 2004 BMW 530I are about the engine — 6% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 54,000 miles.
10
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
ENGINE
SMELL BURNING OR EXHAUSTE FUME IN THE CABIN DURING THE FIRST TWO MILES OF DRIVING THE CAR!
NHTSA complaint #11365535 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
VEHICLE WONT STOP LEAKING OIL.
NHTSA complaint #11076525 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
SUBJECT: 2004 BMW 535I ON OCTOBER 30,2012 JUST AFTER HURRICANE SANDY HIT THE EAST COAST OF NEW JERSEY, I HAD OCCASION TO USE MY 535I. WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED VARIOUS WARNING AND FAULT LIGHTS FLASHING ON THE CONTROL PANEL, LOSS OF POWER AND THE CABIN BEGAN FILLING WITH SMOKE. WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, I MANAGED TO PULL ACROSS SEVERAL LANES TO THE SIDE OF THE MULTI-LANE HIGHWAY I WAS ON (ROUTE 42N). UPON INSPECTION I FOUND 6-8 INCHES OF WATER IN THE TRUNK WHEEL WELL. UNDER THE SPARE TIRE I OBSERVED A BURNING AND SMOKING MSM POWER MODULE. I SUBSEQUENTLY BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY LOCAL BMW DEALER IN TURNERSVILLE, NJ. THE DEALER REFUSED ANY LIABILITY OR FAULT FOR THE $3000 REPAIR WHICH INCLUDED REPLACING AND RELOCATING THE MSM POWER MODULE, REPLACING THE RADIO SYSTEM, CLEANING WATER STAINS FROM THE HOOD LINER AND TRYING TO ALLEVIATE THE SMOKE ODOR. I CAME TO FIND OUT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN TO RELOCATE THE MSM POWER MODULE HIGHER IN THE TRUNK FROM ITS ORIGINAL POSITION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WHEEL WELL. THE DEALER LIED AND TOLD ME WATER HAS LEAKED INTO THE TRUNK VIA LOOSE TRUNK RIVETS. I LATER DETERMINED THE WATER ENTERED THE TRUNK FOLLOWING CLOGGED SUNROOF DRAINS. THE DEALER DID NOT DENY THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED BUT REFUSED TO COVER THE DAMAGES. BMW SHOULD BE SUED AS I'VE DETERMINED THIS ISSUE IS NOT ATYPICAL AND COULD LEAD TO A DISASTER. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'
NHTSA complaint #10779408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
BATTERY CABLE/TERMINAL MELTED. CAR WOULD NOT START ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. AFTER SITTING ...THEN CAR WOULD START. RANDOM START. ALSO, RADIO WOULD COME ON ALL BY ITSELF. CALL HAS JUST OVER 100K MILES (101,200). ALSO CODES RECEIVED FOR CAM SHAFT AND AIR PUMP WHICH HAD TO BE REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #10724016 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE SEAT MAT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V384000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. UPDATED 08-16-12 *BF UPDATED 08/16/2012
NHTSA complaint #10466415 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
IN JULY MY CAR WAS SHORT OF OIL AND THE FOLLOWING PARTS WERE REPLACED CYCLONE SEPLERATOR WITH UPDATED KIT AND REPLACED SEPARATOR WITH UPDATED PARTS INCLUDING DIPSTICK TUBE. HAD OIL CHANGED ON 9/16/11, ON ROAD AT 2:00 A.M. IN THE MORNING AND THE OIL LEVEL LOW LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD FOR FEAR OF PERM. DAMAGE TO ENGINE. IN TOWN WHERE THERE WERE NO STORES OPEN TO BUY OIL,I THOUGH THE OIL LEAKAGE SITUATION WAS TAKEN CARE OF. ADDED 1.5 QUARTS OF OIL, RETURNED HOME TO TAKE IT BACK TO DEALER WITH THE MILEAGE 69731 AND IT WAS A QUART SHORT. THEY STATED THERE WERE NO LEAKS AND I WAS INFORMED PER SIB 110584 1 QUART OF OIL IS ALLOWED TO BE CONSUMED PER 750 MILES. I INFORMED THE DEALER THIS CAR NEVER CONSUMED OIL BEFORE. HAD I KNOWN THAT IT CONSUMED OIL I WOULD NOT HAVE PAID 1308.00 TO REPLACE THE PARTS. I WOULD HAVE TRADED THE CAR. VERY DISAPPOINTED AND THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS.
NHTSA complaint #10444010 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
2004 BMW 530I. CONSUMER STATES ENGINE ABRUPTLY STOPPED RUNNING WHICH IN TURN, SHUT DOWN THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES *TGW THE MECHANIC STATED THE OIL LEVEL SENSOR HAD SHORT-CIRCUITED INTERNALLY AND THE SENSOR WAS INSTALLED ON THE SAME CIRCUIT AS THE FUEL INJECTORS, SO THE POWER TO THE FUEL INJECTORS WAS ABRUPTLY CUT OFF AND THE MOTOR FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #10387568 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
2004 BMW 530I WITH ONLY 54,000 MILES (6 YRS OF OWNERSHIP) - ON SUNDAY MORNING, MY ENGINE WON'T START ON 1/31/2010 ALL OF SUDDEN. - CALLED AAA FOR BATTERY CHECK AND JUMP START BUT IT WAS NOT A BATTERY ISSUE PER AAA. - TOWED MY CAR TO MY BMW DEALER FOR CHECK UP - BMW DEALER CHECKED AND TOLD ME MY ENGINE IS DEAD AND NEED TO REPLACE IT WITH A NEW ENGINE. IT WOULD COST $13,000 (THIS IS RIDICULOUS.) - I TOLD THEM IT MUST BE ENGINE DEFECT AND CHECK THIS FOR ME AND TELL BMW HQ - MY DEALER CHECKED MY MAINTENANCE RECORD WITH THEM AND THEY ARE TRYING HELP AND FIND OUT WHAT WAS THE ISSUE WITH THE ENGINE. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND EITHER. - DEALER IS STILL TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY MY ENGINE DIED WITH A GOOD MAINTENANCE RECORD AND ONLY 54,000 MILES (NO FLOOD INVOLVED) - DEALER IS TRYING TO REPORT TO BMW HQ WITH THEIR FINDING IF BMW HQ IS WILLING TO HELP. NO UPDATE FROM BMW DEALER YET. NOT SURE IF BMW HQ IS WILLING TO HELP. - PLEASE KINDLY INVESTIGATE THIS BMW ENGINE FAILURE DEFECT ISSUE BECAUSE YOU DON'T EXPECT TO BUY A CAR THAT CAN LAST ONLY 54,000 MILES (6 YRS). THIS IS CRAZY! - MY FRIEND HAS 3 SERIES BMW AND HE TOLD ME HIS ENGINE STOPS MULTIPLE TIMES ALMOST EVERYDAY. BMW ENGINE HAS A MAJOR ISSUE.
NHTSA complaint #10312326 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
BMW X5 ACCELERATOR FAILED TO RESPOND AFTER STOP AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS. IT MOVED FORWARD SLOWLY FOR ABOUT 20 YDS. BEFORE DECIDING TO ENGAGE...THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES, CONSECUTIVELY, AT THE END OF DRIVE HOME. AROUND NOON ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 14, 2008. THE DAY BEFORE THE INTERNAL DOOR LOCK BUTTON FAILED TO FUNCTION. CALLED BMW DEALERSHIP AND HAD IT TOWED. BMW CONTINUE TO TEST BUT WAS INFORMED LAST EVENING THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE NOTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE ACCORDING TO THE COMPUTER! THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND BMW [CENTRAL] HAVE NOT BEEN SUPPORTIVE SO FAR. I HAVE ASKED THAT THE CAR BE FIXED AND THAT I BE SUPPLIED WITH A LOANER UNTIL THEN.
NHTSA complaint #10245659 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
THIS 2004 BMW 545I CAR HAS A PROBLEM WHICH CAUSES EMISSIONS WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON FREQUENTLY AND THE SUBSEQUENT FUEL MILEAGE TO BE REDUCED IN HALF. THE DEALERSHIP IS UNABLE TO PERMANENTLY FIX THE PROBLEM -EACH ATTEMPT TO FIX THE PROBLEM LASTS FOR ONLY ABOUT ONE MONTH. IT AS BEEN TO THE DEALER APPROXIMATELY 8 TIMES FOR THIS CONDITION AND IS CLEARLY HARMING THE ENVIRONMENT. I HAVE ALSO BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE REGIONAL OFFICE AND THEY ARE OF NO HELP.
NHTSA complaint #10211029 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.