Home › BMW › 535xi › 2011

2011 BMW 535xi Problems and Recalls

Owners filed 35 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 BMW 535xi, most often about the wheels and tires (40% of complaints, typically around 6,000 miles). It is the 2nd most complained-about 535xi model year since 2000.

Complaints35
Recalls0
Crashes reported0
Fires reported0
Injuries reported2

Most common 2011 BMW 535xi problems

  1. Wheels and tires

    14 complaints · 40%

    Half of these problems showed up before 6,000 miles.

    While driving on an interstate I had a blowout of my left front tire , goodyear 245/40 r 19 98vxl eagle ls2. It is a run flat tire. After driving 40 miles, the tire disentegrated, and I need a tow truck to get me off the highway. After getting a new tire, less than one month later and less that 2000 miles on the "new…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2011, at 5,967 miles
    I bought this 2011 model BMW 535ix in march 2011, and it came with goodyear eagle ls/2 rof tires. The front tire started to develop a bubble on the side wall and lose air pressure. A few days later a crack was found on the rear tire. The vehicle has only been on the road for 6,000 miles when the issue occurred. The…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2012, at 6,000 miles

  2. Transmission

    7 complaints · 20%

    Half of these problems showed up before 44,000 miles.

    When accelerating from a stop there is a very noticeable throttle response lag of over 1 second before the vehicle starts moving . If you are not aware of this behavior when driving the vehicle this is a major safety hazard when pulling into or out of intersections. It is as if the vehicle does not know which gear to…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2013, at 44,000 miles
    Drive train malfunction, engine over heats and does not function the same. The vehicle slows down, sputters and does not have power. It has died out on the highway while going 65mph and had to pull over suddenly through 3 lanes of traffic.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2017, at 55,000 miles

  3. Engine

    6 complaints · 17%

    When accelerating from a stop there is a very noticeable throttle response lag of over 1 second before the vehicle starts moving . If you are not aware of this behavior when driving the vehicle this is a major safety hazard when pulling into or out of intersections. It is as if the vehicle does not know which gear to…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2013, at 44,000 miles
    Malfunction or failure of thermostat and water pump, resulted in significantly increased coolant temperature and system pressure. Indicating a critical overheating condition and my car stopped in the middle of the road and I almost got in a rear end crash. I had to be towed to a shop and they replaced the failed…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2018, at 82,000 miles

  4. Fuel system

    5 complaints · 14%

    The contact owns a 2011 BMW 535xi. While driving various speeds, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The dealer diagnosed that the intake fuel pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 16v746000 (fuel system, gasoline), but the parts were not…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2017, at 61,000 miles
    I was driving my BMW 535 xi on interstate highway. All of a sudden cars gave a message of "drivetrain malfunction: contact your service centre". After that car's power reduced. After that whenever I apply brake, the car ignition stopped and car puts itself in neutral. I had to start the car around 8 times to reach…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2017, at 85,140 miles

  5. Seats

    3 complaints · 9%

    I was driving at around 20 MPH with a friend of mine sitting on the passenger seats and the car system tells me "passenger restraint system malfunction. Continue to wear seat belt." I checked online and its because sensors for the air bag system are malfunctioning. This has been a problem in all bmws since 2006. I…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2014, at 44,586 miles
    The memory power seat in my car malfunctioned and went back without stopping causing a fracture to my 2 1/2 year old son's leg who was sitting in the car seat directly behind me. The vehicle was parked at the time of the incident.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2016, at 80,000 miles

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

2011 BMW 535xi recalls

NHTSA lists no recalls for this model year.

Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.

Questions about the 2011 BMW 535xi

What are the most common problems with the 2011 BMW 535xi?
By NHTSA owner complaints: wheels and tires (14 complaints, typically around 6,000 miles); transmission (7 complaints, typically around 44,000 miles); engine (6 complaints).
How many recalls does the 2011 BMW 535xi have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2011 BMW 535xi. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls in case one is issued later.
Is the 2011 a bad year for the BMW 535xi?
It is the 2nd most complained-about 535xi model year since 2000, with 35 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.

Other BMW 535xi years

BMW 535xi problems by year