Owners have filed 15 complaints
about the 2016 BMW 535I with NHTSA between 2017 and 2024.
The largest single group is the airbags.
Across this model's run it ranks 9 of 9 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 10
Against the median year of the BMW 535I. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 28
17% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2016 BMW 535I
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Airbags
746.7%
Median failure at 36,000 miles
Other & Unspecified
213.3%
Median failure at 36,000 miles
Seat Belts
213.3%
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
16.7%
Median failure at 36,000 miles
Tires
16.7%
Median failure at 19,000 miles
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers
16.7%
Median failure at 36,000 miles
Engine & Cooling
16.7%
Median failure at 78,000 miles
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
10,000 – 24,999 miles
116.7%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
466.7%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
116.7%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Aug 2017peak 3Sep 2024
NHTSA investigations into the 2016 BMW 535I
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.C...
DP22005Opened 27 Jan 2023Closed 7 Aug 2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after Marc...
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Naples, FL
AIR BAGS
Passenger restraint system malfunction, available for inspection. Passenger side air bag will not work if in an accident Problem has been confirmed by dealer Warning lamp appeared approximately 4-5 weeks ago, prior to that no symptoms. Just happened all of a sudden.
NHTSA complaint #11616563 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 78,000 milesWest Orange, NJ
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 535I. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the message that the engine was overheating was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was left overnight in a hotel parking lot. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the water pump, plug connector, and head gasket had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
NHTSA complaint #11609695 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Santa Barbara, CA
SEAT BELTS
1 .Panoramic sunroof curtain has been repaired twice at the dealer and now it broke for the third time 2. the controls to the panoramic sunroof do not work at all 3.Passenger restrain system malfunction
NHTSA complaint #11582125 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Santa Barbara, CA
AIR BAGS
PASSENGER RESTRAIN MALFUNCTION
NHTSA complaint #11582126 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Santa Barbara, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 .Panoramic sunroof curtain has been repaired twice at the dealer and now it broke for the third time 2. the controls to the panoramic sunroof do not work at all 3.Passenger restrain system malfunction
NHTSA complaint #11582125 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lake Elsinore, CA
AIR BAGS
The passenger air bag signal flashes on and off even when someone is seating on the passenger seat.
NHTSA complaint #11570431 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Port Charlotte, FL
AIR BAGS
Air Bag warning light stays on.
NHTSA complaint #11569571 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Austin, TX
SEAT BELTS
I got a notice from the car that the restraint system was malfunctioning. It said to go ahead and wear my seatbelt and go to the nearest repair shop. This is distressing and should not have happened. I’m afraid to drive it. I have no other means of transportation. My life was destroyed by a near fatal car accident in 1994 as I was enrolling in medical school. An 18-wheeler pulled out on narrow 2-lane Hwy with no shoulder. It ran through a very dense pine forest in east Texas. The trailer had only a bicycle sized reflector, and it was caked with mud. He was invisible. I couldn’t see him until my headlights shone upon the trailer. What is that? A distance of 50-60 feet, at most? Brights weren’t on. It was drizzling and little wisps of road mist were floating above the road here and there. I slammed as hard as I could apparently. As I swerved into the oncoming lane, the driver behind me watched in horror as my headlights swept across the entire length of the trailer. There was nowhere to go. I slid under the trailer and hit the axle going 45 mph. No time to stop. The driver directly behind me was an off duty police officer. He got out and ran over to the truck to tell the driver to stop. He didn’t know he’d caused an accident. The off duty policeman checked my car to see if there were any survivors. He peered into the dark through my window and found me alive and conscious. The seatbelt was still wrapped around me but the force of impact caused it to pop out of its socket. My head snapped forward on impact. It hit the airbag with such force, it ruptured fully on one side. I have a brain injury, was in a light coma for over four years. My life was so thoroughly destroyed, I had not one thing left but my 2 dogs and a Bible. My house, car, job, the ability to live independently, my future, and my personality—the person I was for the first 24 years of my life—all gone. Family abandoned me. I couldn’t function. Seatbelts must do their job. And truck drivers can go to hell.
NHTSA complaint #11529362 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Port Charlotte, FL
AIR BAGS
The driver's side supplemental restraint warning light has come on and stays on. I have an appointment with my service center.
NHTSA complaint #11506240 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 36,000 milesFremont, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE HEAD UNIT OR THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. AS A RESULT, REAR VIEW CAMERA, ALL WARNING SYSTEMS OR THE CAR INCLUDING WARNINGS FOR LOW TIRE PRESSURE, WARNINGS FOR DISTANCE FROM OBJECTS IN FRONT, SIDE AND REAR ALL STOPPED WORKING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH ALL SAFETY FEATURES OF THE CAR WERE DISABLED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME HEAD UNIT HAS STOPPED WORKING ON THE SAME CAR AND THE SECOND TIME WHEN THE HEAD UNIT NEEDED A REPLACEMENT. SEEMS LIKE A SYSTEMIC ISSUE AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED WITH BMWS.
NHTSA complaint #11391051 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 36,000 milesFremont, CA
VISIBILITY/WIPER
THE HEAD UNIT OR THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. AS A RESULT, REAR VIEW CAMERA, ALL WARNING SYSTEMS OR THE CAR INCLUDING WARNINGS FOR LOW TIRE PRESSURE, WARNINGS FOR DISTANCE FROM OBJECTS IN FRONT, SIDE AND REAR ALL STOPPED WORKING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH ALL SAFETY FEATURES OF THE CAR WERE DISABLED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME HEAD UNIT HAS STOPPED WORKING ON THE SAME CAR AND THE SECOND TIME WHEN THE HEAD UNIT NEEDED A REPLACEMENT. SEEMS LIKE A SYSTEMIC ISSUE AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED WITH BMWS.
NHTSA complaint #11391051 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 36,000 milesFremont, CA
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
THE HEAD UNIT OR THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. AS A RESULT, REAR VIEW CAMERA, ALL WARNING SYSTEMS OR THE CAR INCLUDING WARNINGS FOR LOW TIRE PRESSURE, WARNINGS FOR DISTANCE FROM OBJECTS IN FRONT, SIDE AND REAR ALL STOPPED WORKING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH ALL SAFETY FEATURES OF THE CAR WERE DISABLED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME HEAD UNIT HAS STOPPED WORKING ON THE SAME CAR AND THE SECOND TIME WHEN THE HEAD UNIT NEEDED A REPLACEMENT. SEEMS LIKE A SYSTEMIC ISSUE AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED WITH BMWS.
NHTSA complaint #11391051 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 36,000 milesSAN Diego, CA
AIR BAGS
MY CAR IS SHOWING A WARNING SIGN PASSENGER RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION
NHTSA complaint #11312190 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 19,000 milesPasadena, CA
TIRES
TIRES ARE COMING APART AND UNSERVICEABLE AT 19000 MILES OF NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE TIRE SHOP TELLS ME THEY ARE CLEARLY DEFECTIVE
NHTSA complaint #11079721 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Parlin, NJ
AIR BAGS
TAKATA RECALL. I HAVE RECEIVED A NOTICE ON 7/31/2017 OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT REGARDING MY VEHICLE AND TAKATA AIR BAGS.; HOWEVER BMW HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL TO FIX THE AIR BAG PROBLEM. IS BMW OBLIGATED TO FIX THE AIR BAG PROBLEM REGARDLESS IF I JOIN THE SUIT OR NOT?
NHTSA complaint #11012313 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.