Electrical System Problems of BMW 530 - part 2

After traveling for several weeks, my 2006 BMW 530i was parked in my drive way. When I returned home, I opened by door to find mold growing all over the seats , interiors surfaces, and a bad odor. I opened the back door and found 4 inches of water standing in the floor board. I immediately used my wet/dry vac to suck all the standing water out. As I looked around mold had grown all over the leather seats, interior trim ,and carpet. I started to do some research on bimmer forums to see what might the culprit. This appears to be a common problem with many BMW sunroofs of this vintage. I was able to remove the back seat and I found that the cloth between trunk and rear seat was also saturates with water, mold, moisture. I had read to pull back the carpet and I found at lease 2 inches of standing water in both rear floor board areas. I also noticed many electrical components were under water. My alarm was constantly going off. I would reset it from the key remote and it would starting sounding off like the alarm was set off. I had to disconnect the battery terminal to get this to stop. So it is clearly a short in the electrical system. I am just returning form a business trip and plan to get it towed to a dealership to get an estimate to replace the carpet, deal with the mold that I am not sure how will be treated. And address all the electrical issues since I do not have a way to drive it now. I have owned 6 other BMW and this one for 5 years. I have never seen any kind of flooding like this.

See all problems of the 2006 BMW 530 🔎.

I am contacting you in an attempt to obtain assistance / remedy in the repair of a burned outer tail lamp socket in my 2007 530xit. I am the original owner of this vehicle. On 12/31/2014 I received a right tail lamp malfunction warning via I-drive and when I arrived home I inspected the right tail lamp assy and found the outer tail lamp bulb socket contacts to be melted and no longer making contact with the bulb holder. The stock and original bulb tested faulty. Unfortunately, due to the damaged and melted contact on the socket assy, the BMW replacement bulb will not function either. I have a photo of the socket assy should it be needed for investigation. As is the case with the 2008-2010 e60 & e61 models, there have been substantial failures in the rear lighting system resulting in a recall. I feel that this failure reduces the vehicles ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions, increasing the risk of a crash and should be investigated for a potential recall on pre lci e61 models.

See all problems of the 2007 BMW 530 🔎.

While driving on highway I noticed a smell of burning matter rapidly increasing in the car, immediately followed by a sharp burning sensation in my right thigh. While half-standing I was able to maneuver my car to the highway shoulder. (which was very difficult to do safely, given the traffic was dense and moving with highway speeds. ) after I pulled over, turned off the car, came out of the vehicle and looked at the seat, I noticed a burn mark on the leather, exactly where my thigh was when it got burned. It seemed that the seat warmer overheated and burned a hole in the leather. I ventilated the car from the burning odor, which gave enough time for the seat to cool down. After getting to a safer location I tested my theory by turning on the seat warmer – the issues was reproducible. I went to stevens creek BMW dealership for diagnostics and repairs. They charged me $210. 88 diagnostic fee and quoted with around $1,500 for the repairs, implying that they will not fix this issue as “a good will” since my car is too old and has too many miles on it and that it has none of the warranties left. I still think they should have fixed it as "a good will" since the dealership diagnosed a short circuit in the seat warmer. The seat warmer should have failed in a fail-safe way by not warming or at least blowing a fuse (and age & miles have little to do with poor engineering).

See all problems of the 2004 BMW 530 🔎.

The contact owned a 2006 BMW 530xi. While driving approximately 25 to 30 mph, the vehicle had an abnormal odor. The contact pulled the vehicle over at a fuel station, opened the trunk, and noticed flames. The fire was extinguished by a patron. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign numbers: 12v126000 (electrical system) and 08v384000 (air bags). The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.

Inside headlight wiring insulation became brittle and falls off leading to potential shorts and equipment failure. Additional wiring throughout engine compart shows similar degradation and failure. Split wire housing to protect wires from engine heat also show signs of decay, exposing wires to excess heat and inducing failure of insulation. This is not a turbocharged engine and has lower engine compartment temperatures. This problem started 7-8 years ago and has gotten worse.

I was driving and opened the sunroof. The night before there was a massive rain storm. Shortly after opening the sunroof the car's electrical system started severely malfunctioning. A warning sign came on that said that the entire electrical system was having a massive malfunction and that I should pull over immediately. The water from the storm drained into the electrical system and shorted it. This is a design flaw in the car and BMW is aware of it. The electrical system is stored near the drains in the lower rear of the car.

Headlights went crazy 4x4 lights came on took into a tech and found code 93b3 steering angle failure. . Found campaign si b 34 05 06 from BMW rec a problem with steering angle sensor. My car falls in the date range but not VIN number . . The bulletin states that the VIN should not be the deciding factor on repairs. . . .

My vehicle is a 530i with a production date in March 2004, it is my contention that the vehicle should be subject to recall rcdnn-04v575. Despite the December 2004 notice to ntsha indicating that 100% of vehicles with the seat heating option produced between June 17th 2003 and April 30th 2004. BMW insists that my vehicle (production date in March 2004 and containing the seat heater in question) is, according to internal documents which they will not release to me, not in fact subject to the recall. The malfunction described in the recall notice happened exactly as described, burning a hole through my driver seat side bolster. Despite agreeing to remedy the driver side damage to my satisfaction, BMW contends that they are under no obligation to repair or even inspect the passenger side seat bolster, which I contend is defective and was subject to the recall. I have emails from BMW stating my vehicle is not subject to the recall and acknowledging that no recall repairs had occurred they are claiming I am not entitled to view the internal documentation that allegedly shows that the defect was remedied before the vehicle was delivered off the production line. What I find inexplicable and beyond belief, is that they would issue a notification to ntsha in November 2004, a full six months after allegedly remedying defects in cars produced from mid-March 2004 through April 30th 2004 without correcting those dates in the notification letter. BMW refuses to repair or even inspect my passenger side seat bolster heating element despite clear evidence that it is in fact defective and subject to the recall. I would like that problem remedied as prescribed in the recall notice or definitive proof produced that the repair was conducted or alternatively that the redesign was in place on the passenger side seat bolster before delivery of the vehicle. .

Tl - the contact owns a 2006 BMW 530xi. The contact stated that his main airbag sensor control unit light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed airbag sensor control. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer told the contact that his vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13v564000 . The failure mileage 93,661, and the current mileage was 95,000. Bt.

Warning light came on stating electrical malfunction then several other warning lights came on and was lit up like a christmas tree. The odometer area starting going haywire. It was like the car was possessed !!.

I was recently made aware that there is a recall regarding the rear tail lights on 2008+ 5 series vehicles. I recently expereinced the same symptoms as the recall notice on my rear tail lights; however my car is a 2007 model. The I-drive would intermittenly alert that a bulb is out. I have replaced it but it would go out again. I inspected the bulb carrier and bulb socket and noticed severly burned contact area's where one of the bulb sockets plug in. The recall clearly is for sedans 2008+ but I seem to have the exact issue and there are others who have the same issues (see 5series. Net forum website).

Have a problem with the right headlight in my 530i 2006 BMW. The angel light bulb burned out and when I went to replace it, the wire covers started to come off exposing the wires completely. After replacing the bulb (which was a bit difficult to do), most of the wires in the headlight have no protection and were completely exposed. I had to cover them with electric tape to prevent some shorts, but missed a section I guess, since now the computer is giving me a adaptive headlight warning message and the light is not pointing to the proper direction. I have done some research on line and found that it is happening to a lot of people. Contacted BMW of north America, and they said since my car is out of warranty, they cannot do anything about it. The material used to cover these wires is not correct, as it will break off just by lightly touching them. I feel this is a safety concern where there may be short circuits while the car is running and it would affects the car's computers. In my case, the light control module is also shorted and must be replaced. I would like to know if there is anything you can do to find out if this is a safety concern or not. I believe it is specially on a car still new. Let me know if you would need any further information. Thank you.

Idrive is totally black, including all dashboard functions, no wipers or power to windows, only my engine runs. I was told by the dealer that water got into the sunroof and leaked to the truck near tire and cause two gaskets to burn out. I am told that the cost to repair is $1650 or $2950 depending on which option I choose. I am also told that the problem may return. This problem appears to be a manufacturer issued but the consumer has to pay out of pocket for the repair cost, even though through no fault of our own the problem exists.

My 2007 BMW 530i engine caught fire on April 15 the moment car was ignited in the early morning. I was with my wife and 2. 5 years old son at the time of incident. It could have been a major disaster or even blast if we were not home or with fire extinguisher to control the fire on time. We reported about this life-threatening incident to BMW na multiple times but their customer service representative from corporate headquarters ¿betsy hohmann� called our concerns as hypothetical unless there were personal injuries involved. BMW of fremont service center identified that pcv heated hose shorted out and burnt other components. The wire harness and intake manifold were burnt out and melted. The dealership verbally accepted this issue a design flaw that caused almost 6-9 inches flames inside the engine. BMW na customer service offered a deal to fix the problem as long as we sign a confidential nda to hide the facts. BMW na also recommended us to sell this car after repairs but we don't want to risk anyone else¿s life by not disclosing the fire even if we agree to BMW na's proposed resolution. Our confidence in BMW brand has already shaken from the outcome of our conversations because after all this is the matter of customer life, safety, trust and brand.

BMW is recalling 200,000 my 2006 3 series sport seat, my 2004-2006 5 series standard and sport seat, and my 2004-2006 x3 passenger vehicles. Depending on the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit, small cracks have developed in the mat. If this occurs, the front passenger air bags, with the exception of the head protection system, will be deactivated and the air bag warning lamp as well as the passenger air bag "on-off" lamp will be illuminated. Consequences: in this situation the front passenger air bags will not deploy even if a sufficiently severe accident would occur and occupant protection provided by the system would not be possible. Remedy: dealers will rework the front passenger seat sensor mat so that external force application to the seat does not cause a crack to the mat. The recall began on November 6, 2008. BMW will also extend the warranty on these vehicles to 10 years from first registration without any mileage limit. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417. I have contacted BMW and they say my VIN is not part of this recall, however I am experiencing the same issue as the recalled vehicles. I am worried about passenger safety! please help!.

Passenger airbag sensor. Warning light system failure.

A recent rain storm flooded the spare tire well compartment and fried all the electrical components stored underneath the tire. Luckily I wasn't driving the wagon that day and the car was parked on the driveway. Otherwise, the car would had shut down if it was moving and could cause an accident (happened to someone as discussed in the bimmer forum). Apparently, BMW have known about this safety issue as well as the sunroof drainage & tire well design defects for quite some time. They even generated a technical service/service information bulletin (sib54-06-06 & 61-13-06 on special roofs) for their service department to use. However, BMW keeps denying any damage liability and refusing to admit any design defects. BMW na, public relations and the sf BMW dealership responded to me that it is due to "external factors" (rains) and thereby they have no responsibility to the damaged vehicle. The service adviser told me that the repair cost would run into $15k. I am filing the said complaint and am seeking an attorney for a possible class action suit against BMW na.

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. Alan gofberg 609 221-4122.

Much like the other complaints, I just copied and pasted this from another complainant. The passenger restraint system malfunction alarm came on the idrive. The dealer says that the vehicle is not covered under recall. However, the recall id #73368 exactly matches the description of my problem. Therefore, we believe that our vehicle should be covered. Please advise how to get this resolved as soon as possible so that I can get the car fixed. We are concerned because it's a serious safety issue when the front air bags will not come on in case of an accident. I went as far as to speak with BMW directly and they said it only goes to the 2004 models, and then to the 2006 models. . . . Yea, whatever. It's a safety recall, they should honor it, and BMW is completely inflexible when it comes to their customers. It's a shame not only will they not help, they want to charge over $1000 to the customer for a recall part. I'm trading my other BMW in on anything but another BMW and will drive my affected 530i until it reaches the scrap yard.

See all problems of the 2005 BMW 530 🔎.

Front passenger seat occupant mat is malfunctioning in my 2005 BMW 530i. There was a recall in action number ea08001 in which BMW agreed to extend the warranty or complete the repair of the problem. When I went to the BMW service facility, they would only fix the issue if I paid. I called BMW USA and they told me that my specific VIN number is not included in the repair/extended warranty. Even though my vehicle is experiencing the problem, they tell me my VIN is not included. Therefore, my passenger seat airbags do not work. I reported this problem originally in 2012 to BMW.

The front passenger air bags is deactivated and the air bag warning lamp as well as the passenger air bag "on-off" lamp is illuminated. This issue is the same as the 2004 BMW 5 series frontal airbag recall ( #08v384000), but for some reason when I contacted BMW at 1-800-525-7417 and provided them my VIN number they said it wasn't covered under the recall. Please review and reconsider as this is a serious defect that needs to be addressed.

Passenger seat occupancy sensor failure. This failure has disabled the airbags on the passenger side of the vehicle. In the event of an accident, any passenger in the vehicle would not be protected by the airbags. There was a recall on my2004-2006 BMW 5-series models (along with numerous other models) for the passenger seat occupancy sensor. BMW of north America has advised me that my vehicle (per VIN) is not a part of the recall. However, I am experiencing the same fault as outlined in the recall issued by BMW na. Neither my local dealership, or BMW na is willing to cover this failure. This is a significant safety issue for any passengers in the vehicle.

Ref NHTSA campaign number: 08v384000 while my vehicle is the same model year, model and specification listed in the recall, my vehicle's VIN is not "included" in the list of recalled vehicles. I have and am currently experiencing this exact seat sensor mat problem. BMW is unwilling to cover any warranty work as the specific VIN is apparently not affected despite the fact that clearly it is. I am concerned about the safety of the occupants of my vehicle based on the unreliability of this component and feel the recall should be expanded to include all vehicles that experience the same problem.

The contact owns a 2004 BMW 530i. The contact stated that the passenger side restraint system warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the passenger seat mat needed to be replaced because the sensor was faulty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure yet no repairs were performed. The current and failure mileage was 130,000.

My vehicle is a 530i with a production date in December 2003, it is my contention that the vehicle should be subject to recall rcdnn-04v575. Despite the December 2004 notice to ntsha indicating that 100% of vehicles with the seat heating option produced between June 17th 2003 and April 30th 2004. BMW insists that my vehicle (production date in December 2003 and containing the seat heater in question) is, according to internal documents which they will not release to me, not in fact subject to the recall. What I find inexplicable and beyond belief, is that they would issue a notification to ntsha in November 2004, a full six months after allegedly remedying defects in cars produced from mid-March 2004 through April 30th 2004 without correcting those dates in the notification letter. BMW refuses to repair or even inspect my passenger side seat bolster heating element despite clear evidence that it is in fact defective and subject to the recall.

My 2005 BMW 530i has a micorprocessor unit located in the spare tire sump in the trunk. Water got into the trunk and shorted out this unit. This is a poor place to locate such a vital part, as this particular microprocessor controls the vehicle's idrive system (BMW's integrated system which includes the radio, heat/air settings, diagnostics, etc). BMW will only fix this item as part of a new car warranty. Repairs caused by the poor placement of this unit can costs into the thousands if conducted by a BMW dealership. If the microprocessor shorts out while in operation it could catch fire.

The heated leather seat for my BMW 2004 530 I malfunctioned and burned a hole from a small fire through the seat.

The contact owns a 2004 BMW 530i. The contact stated that when he opened the trunk in the rain there were sparks and smoke emitting from the microprocessor (mpm), located under the spare tire well. As a result, the air bag sensor, I-drive and several electrical components on the vehicle were no longer functioning. The manufacturer advised the contact that the dealer could repair the vehicle at his expense. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

I contacted BMW north America by phone regarding a recall for this issue. They told me that my 2006 BMW 530xi was not included in the recall. Yet, my car exhibits the exact problems outlined in the recall. The front passenger air bags will be deactivated and the air bag warning lamp, as well as the passenger air bag "on-off" lamp will be illuminated. This includes a warning in idrive system stating "passenger restraint" system issue. How is it that other 2006 5 series vehicles were included and my car was not? the local dealer is saying this is more than $1000 to repair, not sure how they would know that without seeing the vehicle.

A 2007 BMW 530xi caught fire shortly after it was started. The lamp control module burned, causing sparks, smoke, and burning various parts. The mechanic at chambers BMW said that the left front head light collected moisture, and the lights drain clogged. The accumulated moisture caused the fire. The car has ahistory of electrical problems. In Dec. 2008, 1 year prior to the fire, the rear sunroof drain clogged, causing water to collect in the spare tire well. It caused the tire pressure light to falsely signal, as rdc module had burned out. There were other electrical problems, which required a radio replacement. A few days before the fire, the dashboard signal for engine overheating went on during a cold winter day. We towed the car to the dealer who claimed he fixed it. Two days after we got the car back, my wife turned it on, started to drive, and the fire started.

I have a 2003 530i BMW with 100k miles on it the heated seat on the drivers side has burned thought the seat, this was an issue with the 7 series seats (which are the same seats and they were recalled. ) the issue happened while driving the vehicles. There was a very strong burning smell, researched the issue on the internet and it is very common with this model. I also have found that it is a very well known safety concern that the pixels go out on the instrument cluster and the mid. Also the back doors have a structural problem where water pools in the back seat.

See all problems of the 2003 BMW 530 🔎.

There is currently a recall on my 2004 BMW 530i regarding the seat warmers burning the leather and driver. However, the recall covers the backrest and not the seat bottom. After talking to BMW north America, they said the seat bottom was not covered. Can you make them include the seat bottom in the recall? the seat warmers are burning through the seats in both places, and is hot enough to burn the driver in both places.

Both electric windows had to be replaced because the motors died within weeks of each other. I was unable to open the doors properly or put the windows down. Also I only have 10000 miles on my Mini and my tale pipe rattles like a '56 chevy. The light on passenger visor does not work. The silver is peeling off the gear shift. I love my car hate the little stuff that keeps going wrong.

While driving air conditioner smelled of a strong odor coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle, and smoke started to come the from the passenger side of the vehicle, and it caught on fire.

Electrical malfunction - computer resets while driving turning off lights, stalling motor and all electrical systems. Power returns to normal after 4 seconds of power down. Stored computer values reset to factory defaults which include maintain schedules and indicators. Dealer would not perform warranty maintenance until reset indicators expire. We drove 36,000 miles on original oil until that time when the oil service indicator activated. Requesting odi id # 8016663 to compare fault. First event at 10k miles, second event at 19,500 miles and 3rd on at 35,500 on Jan 30, 2003 after we schedule appointment for service.

See all problems of the 2001 BMW 530 🔎.