AI Damage2011 BMW 535I US: common problems
Owners of the 2011 BMW 535I US filed 36 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 36
What fails most often
- 1 Tires 50% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 17% of all complaints
- 3 Wheels 11% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 6% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 8 Engine and cooling 3% of all complaints
- Tires: 18 complaints (50% of all).
- Engine: 6 complaints (17% of all).
- Wheels: 4 complaints (11% of all).
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (8% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 36 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Both head lights became filled with condensation/water. I took it to a bmw dealership. They performed a bmw diagnosis. I was told that the most likely case was the cold air. They checked for excess air leaks in both head lights but did not find excess air leaks.
I was driving it one day after work and all of a sudden the car stalled on the highway. Car did not shut down or anything but loss of power, it's like my vehicle went into neutral gear, I stepped on the gas and the car will not move. This almost resulted in a fatal crash. 'drivetran malfunction' came on the dashboard.
There are wires on the engine that are cracking and was told by the bmw dealer that this can cause a fire.
Car shows error of drivetrain malfunction and the car starts to shake.
While driving over 40 mph, the vehicle began to shake. The contact removed his foot from the accelerator pedal to bring the speed down to 30 mph, but the shaking became aggressive. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the shaking continued.
Drive train malfunction & check engine light came on. Scanned code came back as p0087 which translate to "low fuel rail pressure". Zeigler bmw of 11030 w 159th st, orland park, [ZIP] states remedy is unavailable however they want to charge me $167.00 to diagnose it. Told me to wait for letter stating remedy is ready.
Gas smell in interior of vehicle, service noted that there is gas leak. There is a known recall but when we call bmw and they say they are prepared to do nothing at this time and we need to wait. We have been waiting for over 9 months now.
Bubble in sidewall of right front tire. Tire replaced less than 2 months ago. Minimal driving, combination highway/roads.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,253 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
What to check before buying
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2011 BMW 535I US?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, engine, wheels. Total complaints: 36. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (8%), fuel system, fuel smell (6%), loss of power / limp mode (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2011 BMW 535I US?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2011 BMW 535I US from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2011 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.