2005 BMW 530i recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Air bags

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING, WHICH WAS A SAFETY CONCERN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE AFFECTED THE AIR BAGS, AND THAT THE FLOOR MAT SENSOR WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INDICATED THAT AN UNKNOWN RECALL CAMPAIGN WAS AVAILABLE FROM 2009; HOWEVER, THE STATUTE EXPIRED. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED NO SOLUTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

  Feb 28, 2018
• Air bags

  I BOUGHT THIS CAR LAST YEAR WITH 140,000 MILES ON IT. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT AND SEATBELT LIGHT BOTH CAME ON AFTER MAYBE A MONTH OF DRIVING. I TOOK IT TO THE BMW SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT IT CAME ON BECAUSE I HAD SOMETHING HEAVY SITTING IN THE SEAT---NOTHING HEAVIER THAN MY PURSE. THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME A DIAGNOSIS FEE TO TURN THE LIGHT OFF BUT I REFUSED. THAT IS NOT A CAUTION IN THE HANDBOOK SO HOW WAS I SUPPOSE TO KNOW THAT WAS PROBLEM. I'M WORRIED THAT MY SEATBELT AND AIRBAG MAY MALFUNCTION IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2005 BMW 525.

  Jun 26, 2015 · 141,500 miles
• Air bags

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND REFUSED ANY REPAIR OR ASSISTANCE.. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,000. UPDATED 10/19/16*LJ UPDATED 10/24/16/16.*JB

  Jun 10, 2016 · 134,000 miles
• Air bags

  MY IDRIVE SHOWED A MESSAGE INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG IN THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS DEACTIVATED BECAUSE OF A SENSOR OR SIMILAR ISSUE. I TOOK THIS TO THE DEALER, ASKED FOR IT TO BE COVERED UNDER THE PREVIOUS SERVICE BULLETIN WHICH INDICATED THE SEAT MAT SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT. I CONTACTED BMW NORTH AMERICA AND THEY SAID THEY MIGHT FIX IT IF I PAID FOR THE ASSESSMENT. THE ASSESSMENT SUGGESTED THERE WAS A DEFECT IN DIFFERENT SENSOR. AND SUGGESTED THAT A BATTERY CABLE SHOULD BE REPLACED. ALL OTHER SYSTEMS IN THE CAR WORKS FINE. BOTH BMW AND THE DEALER REFUSED TO FIX THIS ISSUE. THERE HAVE BEEN NO OTHER REPORTED CASES OF THE BATTERY CABLE ACTUALLY…

  Jan 18, 2016 · 112,000 miles
• Air bags

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 530I. THE SRS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 192,000.

  Mar 25, 2016 · 192,000 miles
• Air bags

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 530I. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THROUGH THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR WAS CONSISTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V564000 (AIR BAGS) BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE…

  Sep 1, 2015 · 170,000 miles
• Air bags

  I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM SOMEONE. THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION SIGNAL ON COMPUTER HAS COME ON, THE BRAKE PAD MALFUNCTION WARNING HAS ALSO COME ON, ALONG WITH THE LEFT BRAKE LIGHT MALFUNCTION! I HAVE TRIED TO HAVE BMW HONOR THE WARRANTY ON THE PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT, TO NO AVAIL! I HAVE ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISOR SEVERAL TIMES, THEY ARE SAYING I NEEDED TO PAY TO HAVE THIS DONE, ALTHOUGH IT WAS STILL UNDER THE TERMS OF 10 YEAR RULE! THE LIGHT AND BRAKES ARE FINE, HOWEVER I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THE COMPUTER SAYS OTHERWISE, UNLESS THERE ARE SOME UNDETERMINED PROBLEMS. THE BRAKES AND SENSOR HAVE BEEN REPLACED! THE LIGHT IS WORKING PROPERLY, YET THE COMPUTERS…

  Jun 1, 2015
• Air bags

  PSS. RESTRAINT SYSTEM SHOWS IN MAIN SCREEN. SEAT BELT SHOWS IN THE FRONT SCREEN. IM CONCER OF ITS ACTUALLY FUNCTIONALITY.

  Nov 8, 2015 · 139,900 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

• BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATIONClosedLed to recall 08V384000

  BMW IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN ON APPROXIMATELY 200,000 MY04 THROUGH MY06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05 TO CORRECT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AREMY04- 06/ 5-SERIES WITH STANDARD AND SPORT SEATS, MY04-06/ X3-SERIES AND MY06/ 3-SERIES WITH SPORT SEATS. IN ADDITION, BMW WILL EXTEND THE WARRANTY COVERAGE OF THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT TO 10-YEAR/UNLIMITED MILEAGE ON APPROXIMATELY 120,000 REMAINING MY04-06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ARE MY 06/ 6 SERIES, MY 06/ 3-SERIES WITH STANDARD SEATS, MY04-05/ Z4, MY04-06/ 7 SERIES, MY 06/ X5, AND MY04-06/ 5-SERIES WITH COMFORT SEATS.THE AVERAGE FREQUENCY OF FAILURES AMONG THE EXTENDED WARRANTY GROUPS WAS LESS THAN 1/7TH OF THE RECALL VEHICLE GROUPS.PLEASE SEE BMW'S…

  EA08001 · opened Jan 4, 2008 · closed Dec 31, 2008
• BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATIONClosed

  IN CERTAIN MY 2005 THROUGH MY 2006 BMW VEHICLES, THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) FOR THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIRBAG MAY MALFUNCTION AND RENDER THE PASSENGER AIRBAG INOPERATIVE.IN JUNE 2006, BMW ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (SI B 72 02 06) REGARDING THE ILLUMINATION OF THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG STATUS LAMP.ILLUMINATION OF THESE LIGHTS WARN THAT AN OPEN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT MAY BE PRESENT WITHIN THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT SENSOR.WHEN BOTH OF THE LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED, THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN A FRONTAL CRASH.CERTAIN BMW VEHICLES IN ADDITION TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLES CONTAIN THE SAME SEAT MAT SENSOR.THESE ARE THE MY 2004 5-SERIES, 7-SERIES AND X3, THE MY 2004 THROUGH 2006Z-4 SERIES AND MY 2006 3-SERIES, 6-SERIES AND X5 VEHICLES.AN IMPROVED SEAT MAT SENSOR WAS INTRODUCED IN DECEMBER 2005 FOR THE MID-MY 2006 PRODUCTION.IN RESPONSE TO…

  PE07045 · opened Sep 4, 2007 · closed Jan 4, 2008