2010 BMW 535I Complaints

MY 3 KIDS AND I HAD LEFT THE BMW DEALER AFTER I HAD PARTS SERVICED/PARTS REPLACED, AND JUMPED ON THE INTERSTATE. I WAS CRUISING AROUND 70MPH WHEN I FELT THE CAR SLOW DOWN AND THE MSG "ENGINE MALFUNCTION, REDUCE SPEED" APPEARED. I VEERED TO THE RIGHT A LITTLE,BUT I QUICKLY FOUND AND EXIT AND PULLED OVER. FORTUNATELY, THE TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE WAS LITE AND AN ACCIDENT WAS AVOIDED, BUT IT DID GET MY HEART RACING. THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS A "COMMON" TYPE OF MSG, BUT I'M WEARY. I TRIED TELLING THEM ABOUT THE FUEL PUMP ISSUE, BUT THEY SAID MY CAR WAS NOT AFFECTED. THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC FEE AND I JUST PAID TO HAVE MY CAR SERVICED AND DIAGNOSED! THEY ALSO SUGGESTED I CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT UNTIL THE ISSUE FORCES ME TO HAVE TO BRING IT IN - BASICALLY UNTIL SOMETHING BREAKS. I WOULD HAVE THE DEALER WOULD HAVE STARTED WITH REPLACING THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND MOVING ON FROM THERE SINCE IT IS A DOCUMENTED PROBLEM. WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. *TR

I PURCHASED A PRE-OWNED 2010 BMW 535I ON 12/31/2013. THE NEXT DAY (NEW YEAR'S DAY), AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR INDICATION, THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY SHUT DOWN, COMING TO A ROLLING STOP. AS SOON AS THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, THE DASHBOARD SHOWED A "FUEL PUMP" WARNING, WHICH ALSO NOTED THAT "CONTINUED DRIVING IS POSSIBLE." HOWEVER, SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RE-START WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL, AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE PUSHED TO A SAFE LOCATION. PRIOR TO THE ENGINE FAILURE, I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 35 MPH ON A 2-LANE DIVIDE ROADWAY, WHERE CONSTRUCTION BARRICADES REPLACED THE SHOULDER. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED JUST AROUND MIDNIGHT, AND THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC, SO WE WERE SPARED CERTAIN CATASTROPHE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MY HOME, AND ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON, WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FROM THERE. FOR THE NEXT 30+ DAYS, VARIOUS FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM COMPONENTS WERE SERVICED AND/OR REPLACED INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING: HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP REPLACED; LOW-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP REPLACED; FUEL INJECTORS FLUSHED, IGNITION COILS AND SPARK PLUGS REPLACED. AFTER EACH OF THOSE "FIXES", THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO US, AND SHUT DOWN AGAIN ON THE ROAD AND IN TRAFFIC WITHIN 2 DAYS. FINALLY, THE INJECTION PUMP CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED, AND THE VEHICLE UNDERWENT A COMPLETE SOFTWARE SYSTEM UPDATE. WE PICKED UP THE VEHICLE FOR THE 4TH TIME ON 2/3/2014, AND IT APPEARS THAT THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED AND OUR SAFETY RESTORED.... *TR

IGNITION COIL MALFUNCTION RECURS AFTER DEALERSHIP REPAIRS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. CAUSES ENGINE SPEED TO VARY AND BE OUTSIDE THE DRIVERS CONTROL. *TR

DESCRIPTION: THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR ACTUATOR WENT BAD. AS A RESULT, DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK WHEN HANDLE IS DOUBLE-PULLED. THE MAIN PROBLEM IS, THE DOOR IS DESIGNED SUCH THAT, IT CANNOT BE UNLOCKED MANUALLY BY PULLING THE LOCK STUD UP... THE ONLY WAY TO UNLOCK THE DOOR IS TO PULL THE HANDLE TWICE. THEREFORE, WHEN THE ACTUATOR MALFUNCTIONS, THE ONLY WAY TO UNLOCK THE DOOR AND GET OUT OF THE CAR IS BY PRESSING THE UNLOCK BUTTON WHICH IS ON THE MAIN CONTROL PANEL. RISK: IF I AM IN AN ACCIDENT WITH A PASSENGER SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, SHE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR AND GET OUT OF THE CAR. IF THE PASSENGER IS A CHILD OR SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO OPERATE THE UNLOCK BUTTON IN THE MAIN CONTROL PANEL, IT MIGHT GET VERY SERIOUS. FREQUENCY: ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR ACTUATOR WENT BAD, AND WAS REPLACED UNDER MY WARRANTY (UNDER 50K). BUT, I HAD TO PUT UP A FIGHT TO GET IT COVERED BY WARRANTY. NOW THE PASSENGER SIDE ACTUATOR IS GONE. AND BMW REFUSES TO FIX IT UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. BROWSING ONLINE, I FOUND QUITE A FEW PEOPLE HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES. HERE IS A DISCUSSION THREAD I OPENED, AND SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE: HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=674994 ALSO, MANY MENTIONED THIS ARTICLE BELOW, WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE SAME ISSUE: HTTP://GUARDIANLV.COM/2013/09/14-YEAR-OLD-GIRL-DIED-TRAPPED-INSIDE-LOCKED-CAR-VIDEO/ CONCLUSION: THIS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE IN THE SAME CAR. THIS HAPPENED TO A LOT OTHER PEOPLE. THIS IS, IN MY OPINION, A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND DEFINITELY POSES GRAVE SECURITY RISK. BMW SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COSTS AND GET THE FAULTY ACTUATORS REPLACED AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMERS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 535I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE FOG LIGHT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE AND THE HOUSING FOR THE LIGHT HAD BECOME MELTED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BUT THE DEFECT WAS NOT REMEDIED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RECALLED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,100.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 535I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND REAR TURN SIGNALS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE WIRES FOR THE BRAKES LIGHTS AND REAR TURN SIGNALS BURNED OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

ON JANUARY 12, 2013, WHILE DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY ON A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS OF ROUGHLY 70 MPH, OUR 2010 BMW 535I SEDAN, SUDDENLY LOST POWER, STALLED, COULD NOT ACCELERATE, AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AS I CROSSED 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC; SURPRISINGLY GUIDED THE VEHICLE SAFELY TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. AT THE TIME THE VEHICLE LOST POWER, A WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT DISPLAYED, "ENGINE MALFUNCTION-REDUCED POWER." AS A RESULT, IT REQUIRED A TOW SERVICE TO A LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 535I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY THEN THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S DESTINATION AND WAS LATER TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THREE OF THE SIX THE FUEL INJECTORS HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WAS 53,300.

TL* (COUNTERFEIT AIRBAG CONCERN) THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 535I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE SUSPECTED THAT HER VEHICLE POSSESSED A COUNTERFEIT AIRBAG. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000. UPDATED 10/19/12 *CN UPDATED 10/23/2012 *JS

THE KEYFIT 30 BASE DOES NOT STAY SECURED TO THE BACKSEAT. THE LOCK APPEARS SPRUNG PER THE INSTALLER'S OPINION. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I'VE HAD THEM OUT TO TIGHTEN THE BASE AND FINALLY RESORTING TO USE A LOCKING CLIP. THIS IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND I CAN PROVIDE PICTURES IF REQUESTED. *TR