2010 BMW 535I problems
NHTSA has received 81 complaints about the 2010 BMW 535I, and 42% of them involve fuel system. After that come engine (20%) and electrical system (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 81 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Fuel system 42% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 5 and 4
- Injuries and deaths
- 4 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 62,000 miles 68 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 19 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 5 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 8 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 14 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 7 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 7 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 4 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 4 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 68 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 62,000 miles. For fuel system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 62,000 miles (29 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 5 complaints mention a crash; 4 complaints mention a fire; 4 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2010 ranks 1st most-complained-about out of 8 model years of the BMW 535I with enough data (48 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Within two weeks of taking ownership of this car, I experienced a series of faults in the system where the car froze up and had to be towed to the dealer for repair. Over the past two years, the car has experienced a variety of malfunctions in the electronic warning system. On 5/22/12, upon leaving my residence, I lost momentary control of the car. The car stopped, jerked and then I hit a curb and when I righted the car, I pressed down on the brake pedal, but the car accellerated to a high speed.
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.
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.
The passenger mirror will move out of position on its own without touching any controls. This will also occur when the car is turned off. After reviewing various internet postings other BMW owners have experienced the same problem. This is a serious safety issue as it can adversely impact the driver's rear vision.