What's going on with the BMW 535 i model?
There are more and more reports of a mysterious stalling, near stall, power loss, and loss of power problem in late model BMW 535i model vehicles. In just the last couple of weeks we have started up two new cases. Something's afoot here folks.
A quick internet search reveals lots of other complaints of the same problems. Sometimes it's being blamed on the fuel tank. Sometimes the fault is thrown to the fuel pump. Often the dealer is calling it "could not duplicate" or "no problem found". Whatever it is, it's serious. Here's a few posts we ran across on just one website for complaints, www.arfc.org, from Florida, California, Michigan, Massachusetts, Texas, and Georgia, just to name a few states:
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER ENTERING HIGHWAY. DEALER CONFIRMED FAILURE OF HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP 2009 BMW 535I WITH 10K MILES. *TR
Source: NHTSA Website
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING: ENGINE
2009 BMW 535I ENGINE DIED ON THE FREEWAY 5 GOING 70MPH WITH MY FAMILY AND WAS VERY LUCK TO PULL OVER WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. BMW SAID IT WAS THE BRAIN AND HAD THE CAR FOR 7 DAYS TO PROGRAM IT. I FOUND OUT THAT ABOUT 5% OF ALL 335I AND 535I HAS THE SAME ISSUE, IT IS THE NEW TWIN TURBO ENGINE 3.0 IS HAVING ISSUES IN BOTH CARS. PLEASE CHECK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
Source: NHTSA Website
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER
2009 BMW 335IX WITH 10,400 MILES. SUDDEN HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING IMMEDIATE DECREASE IN POWER, ROUGH IDLE, AND POOR HANDLING. ENGINE SERVICE ICONS ILLUMINATED. CAR TOWED TO DEALER, DEALER FIXED PROBLEM, DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN AS..."BMW IS AWARE OF THESE FUEL PUMP FAILURES. THEY ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW." THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE TO DISCLOSE THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITION AND DEAL WITH IT EFFECTIVELY... NOT WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT WITH THE OPTION RETURNING THE CAR UNTIL THEY FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR
Source: NHTSA Website
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
MY FAMILY AND I WAS DRIVING TO SAN FRANCISCO AND READY TO CROSS THE BAY BRIDGE. I WAS IN MY 2010 BMW 535I (THE CAR WAS THREE MONTHS OLD WITH ABOUT 5500 MILES ON IT. WITH NO WARNING, THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT GOES ON AND I GET A MESSAGE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN. IN ABOUT 2 MINUTES, THE ENGINE DIES AND THE CAR IS STALLED. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC, VERY DANGEROUS, NO WHERE TO EXIT. I TRIED TO START THE ENGINE AND EVERYTIME I TRIED TO DRIVE, THE ENGINE DIES. WE WERE BLOCKING TRAFFIC FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE CHP ARRIVED TO MOVE THE CAR OUT OF THE TRAFFIC LANES. I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP SYSTEM (HPFP) - BMW KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY STILL HAVE NOT FIXED THIS ISSUE. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS -- THERE IS NO TELLING WHEN THIS FUEL PUMP WILL FAIL AGAIN. *TR
Source: NHTSA Website
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
MY BMW 535XI SPORT WAGON HAD A HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP REPLACED AFTER 12500 MI. THE ENGINE LOST MOST OF ITS POWER AND I NEEDED TO QUICKLY EXIT HWY.IN ORDER NOT TO POSE A THREAT TO OTHERS. PRIOR TO THIS PROBLEM I NOTICED THE ENGINE TOOK LONGER TO START, AND ONE TIME THE ENGINE SEEMED TO SPUTTER AND TEMPORARILY BECOME UN DRIVABLE. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, THE DEALER SAID THEY HAD TO FIX A PROBLEM IN THE CARS COMPUTER. THE SECOND TIME , THE DEALER SAID THE PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR
Source: NHTSA Website
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
PURCHASED 2009 BMW 335CI IN MARCH OF 2009. IN SEP THE CAR STALLED, BMW REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP OR HPFP (HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP). TODAY WE STARTED THE CAR AND MOVED IT IN OUR DRIVEWAY. 1.5 HOURS LATER WE STARTED THE CAR AGAIN TO GO TO WORK AND IT STALLED. WE TRIED TWICE TO RESTART IT WOULDN'T. AT THAT TIME WE NOTICED A FUEL SMELL AND STEPPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE INTO A PUDDLE OF GASOLINE. *TR
Source: NHTSA Website
EQUIPMENT
THIS IS AN ENFORCEMENT COMPLIANCE REQUEST ON A WEEKLY CONTINUUM FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC ON THE FOLLOWING : TIRES: GOODYEAR AND MICHELIN , ALL TYPES, TREADS, SIZES, HEIGHTS, WIDTHS. AUTOS: MERCEDES BENZ, BMW, CADILLAC, FERRARI, BUGATTI, ALFA ROMERO, ROLLS ROYCE, BENTLY, LAMBROGHINI, LINCOLN. PLEASE ASSIST WITH ALL PARTS INSPECTIONS, ANALYSIS FOR INTEGRITY, SAFETY, MAINTENANCE - UPKEEP. PLEASE ASSIST TO NOTIFY THE PROPER AUTHORITIES ON THESE FINDING, IF APPLICABLE. PLEASE BEGIN INSPECTIONS FROM ALL 1990 MODELS, MAKES, TO THE PRESENT 2009 YEAR'S PARTS, AUTOMOTIVES. *TR
Source: NHTSA Website
SUSPENSION
THIS IS AN ENFORCEMENT COMPLIANCE REQUEST ON A WEEKLY CONTINUUM FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC ON THE FOLLOWING : TIRES: GOODYEAR AND MICHELIN , ALL TYPES, TREADS, SIZES, HEIGHTS, WIDTHS. AUTOS: MERCEDES BENZ, BMW, CADILLAC, FERRARI, BUGATTI, ALFA ROMERO, ROLLS ROYCE, BENTLY, LAMBROGHINI, LINCOLN. PLEASE ASSIST WITH ALL PARTS INSPECTIONS, ANALYSIS FOR INTEGRITY, SAFETY, MAINTENANCE - UPKEEP. PLEASE ASSIST TO NOTIFY THE PROPER AUTHORITIES ON THESE FINDING, IF APPLICABLE. PLEASE BEGIN INSPECTIONS FROM ALL 1990 MODELS, MAKES, TO THE PRESENT 2009 YEAR'S PARTS, AUTOMOTIVES. *TR
Source: NHTSA Website
TIRES
THIS IS AN ENFORCEMENT COMPLIANCE REQUEST ON A WEEKLY CONTINUUM FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC ON THE FOLLOWING : TIRES: GOODYEAR AND MICHELIN , ALL TYPES, TREADS, SIZES, HEIGHTS, WIDTHS. AUTOS: MERCEDES BENZ, BMW, CADILLAC, FERRARI, BUGATTI, ALFA ROMERO, ROLLS ROYCE, BENTLY, LAMBROGHINI, LINCOLN. PLEASE ASSIST WITH ALL PARTS INSPECTIONS, ANALYSIS FOR INTEGRITY, SAFETY, MAINTENANCE - UPKEEP. PLEASE ASSIST TO NOTIFY THE PROPER AUTHORITIES ON THESE FINDING, IF APPLICABLE. PLEASE BEGIN INSPECTIONS FROM ALL 1990 MODELS, MAKES, TO THE PRESENT 2009 YEAR'S PARTS, AUTOMOTIVES. *TR
Source: NHTSA Website
STEERING
THIS IS AN ENFORCEMENT COMPLIANCE REQUEST ON A WEEKLY CONTINUUM FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC ON THE FOLLOWING : TIRES: GOODYEAR AND MICHELIN , ALL TYPES, TREADS, SIZES, HEIGHTS, WIDTHS. AUTOS: MERCEDES BENZ, BMW, CADILLAC, FERRARI, BUGATTI, ALFA ROMERO, ROLLS ROYCE, BENTLY, LAMBROGHINI, LINCOLN. PLEASE ASSIST WITH ALL PARTS INSPECTIONS, ANALYSIS FOR INTEGRITY, SAFETY, MAINTENANCE - UPKEEP. PLEASE ASSIST TO NOTIFY THE PROPER AUTHORITIES ON THESE FINDING, IF APPLICABLE. PLEASE BEGIN INSPECTIONS FROM ALL 1990 MODELS, MAKES, TO THE PRESENT 2009 YEAR'S PARTS, AUTOMOTIVES. *TR
Source: NHTSA Website
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: DELIVERY: FUEL PUMP
2009 BMW 535I: WHILE ACCELERATING, A SUDDEN NEAR-STALL/LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENTER INTO AN INTERSECTION, NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. A WARNING WAS ALERTED THROUGH THE IDRIVE SYSTEM ("ENGINE MALFUNCTION - REDUCED POWER"). THE CAR WAS DRIVABLE, BUT EXTREMELY SLUGGISH AND SLOW TO ACCELERATE. BMW SERVICE CENTER PERFORMED DIAGNOSTICS TO FIND THAT A HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP (HPFP) HAD FAILED. THEY REPLACED IT, WHICH HAS SINCE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. *TR UPDATED 09/29/09.*JB
Source: Consumer Letter
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING: ENGINE
2009 BMW 535I: WHILE ACCELERATING, A SUDDEN NEAR-STALL/LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENTER INTO AN INTERSECTION, NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. A WARNING WAS ALERTED THROUGH THE IDRIVE SYSTEM ("ENGINE MALFUNCTION - REDUCED POWER"). THE CAR WAS DRIVABLE, BUT EXTREMELY SLUGGISH AND SLOW TO ACCELERATE. BMW SERVICE CENTER PERFORMED DIAGNOSTICS TO FIND THAT A HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP (HPFP) HAD FAILED. THEY REPLACED IT, WHICH HAS SINCE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. *TR UPDATED 09/29/09.*JB
Something is seriously wrong. If you've got a bad 535i, don't take a chance. Get to an attorney now, before you BMW sends you to the hospital.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Known nationwide as a leading Lemon Law attorney, Ronald L. Burdge has represented literally thousands of consumers in "lemon" lawsuits and actively co-counsels and coaches other Consumer Law attorneys. From 2005 through 2018, attorney Ronald L. Burdge has been named as the only Lemon Law Ohio Super Lawyer by Law and Politics magazine and Thomson Reuters Corp., Professional Division. Burdge restricts his practice to Lemon Law and Consumer Law cases. The Ohio Super Lawyer results are published annually in the January issue of Cincinnati Magazine. Ronald L. Burdge was named Consumer Law Trial Lawyer of the Year 2004 by the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the nation's largest organization of consumer law private and government attorneys. "Your impact on the auto industry has been magnified many times over because of the trail you blazed for others," stated NACA's Executive Director, Will Ogburn. Burdge has represented thousands of consumers in Ohio, Kentucky and elsewhere since 1978 and is a frequent lecturer to national, state and local Bar Associations and Judicial organizations. Burdge is admitted to Ohio's state and federal courts, Kentucky's state courts, and Indiana's federal courts. Other court admissions are on a "pro hac" temporary, case by cases basis.