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BMW · NHTSA safety record

2013 BMW 535I

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 38 safety complaints about the 2013 BMW 535I with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash, 2 mention a fire, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the exterior lighting.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 13 complaints, 34% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 47,750 miles, the median across the 22 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers February 2013 to November 2025 · How this is counted

What is on file

38 complaints on file

38

Complaints

1

Describe a crash

2

Mention fire

1

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13 · 34%
ENGINE 9 · 24%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 8 · 21%
AIR BAGS 5 · 13%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 · 8%
SUSPENSION 3 · 8%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 · 8%
POWER TRAIN 2 · 5%
STRUCTURE 2 · 5%
TIRES 2 · 5%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 · 3%
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY 1 · 3%
0 8 15

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 38.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2013 at 5.

8 6 4 2
13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2013 to 2025.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2013 BMW 535I, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test 4 DR RWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 9.3%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

15V188000 · March 31, 2015

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2013 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i, 550i xDrive, and ActiveHybrid 5 vehicles. The rear reflex reflectors may not reflect enough light. As such, the vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk
The vehicle may be less visible to other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear reflex reflectors, free of charge. The recall began July 28, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 13,443 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations

1 on file

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Pedestrian alert sounds

DP22005

Closed defect petition · opened January 27, 2023 · closed August 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000

the electrical system

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · 10,000 miles

DRIVING NEW 2013 535I (HEAVILY EQUIPPED) ABOUT 50 MPH IN 55 MPH ZONE ON A CLEAR EVENING W/LOW TRAFFIC. SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING BMW COLLIDED INTO REAR-END OF ILLEGALLY PARKED VEHICLE LACKING ANY WARNING LIGHTS OR FLARES. BMW RAMMED ADVERSE PARKED VEHICLE APPROX. 16' BEFORE PULL APART. AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ON STEERING WHEEL AND KNEE. STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO LEFT ARM ETC.. BOTH LEGS IN SIMILAR TRAUMA POST-CRASH AT KNEE TO FOOT EQUALLY. FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED INWARDS (NOT OUTWARD) ABOVE STEERING WHEEL. FORCE OF IMPACT TO RT. FOOT/HEEL TO PEDAL/FLOOR CAUSED MULTIPLE FRACTURES REQ. 10 SCREWS WITH PLATE AND OTHER INJURIES. TEMPORARY TOTAL DISABILITY AND PARTIAL

NHTSA complaint 10585071, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire

Back passenger door handle started smoking.

NHTSA complaint 11569707. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire

My 2013 BMW 535i (VIN [XXX] ) caught fire spontaneously while parked, turned off, and unoccupied on 11/18/2025 in Westbury, NY. A passerby saw smoke and called 911. Nassau County Police and the Westbury Fire Department responded. Firefighters informed me at the scene that the fire was mechanical in origin. The vehicle was completely off and had been parked for about 20 minutes. I was not in or near the car. The fire originated under the hood. This matches known fire patterns in BMW 5-series models from this generation involving electrical/engine components, even though my VIN shows no open recalls. The previous owner did not register the car, so any recall notices may not have reached them.

NHTSA complaint 11700387, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION

towed · 165,000 miles

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 535I. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, an abnormal clicking sound was coming from the passenger’s side of the vehicle. Soon after hearing the noise, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the passenger’s side CV joint was replaced out of pocket. Recently, the vehicle was taken back to the same dealer for routine maintenance and the contact was informed that the driver’s side CV joint was faulty and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

NHTSA complaint 11515120. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
Heard a clicking noise behind the steering wheel for a few days then I’ll the sudden the horn stopped working and all the controls on the steering wheel stopped working. I’m a mechanic so I took apart the clock spring stealing wheel compartment to find all of the wire broken and very very brittle. Cause for concern due to airbag malfunction and is no longer connected properly!!!I’ve been hearing a clicking noise behind the steering wheel for a few days. Then, suddenly, the horn stopped working, and all the controls on the steering wheel stopped working as well. Since I’m a mechanic, I disassembled the clock spring and the steering wheel compartment to find that all the wires were broken and

NHTSA complaint 11675261, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

200,000 miles

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 535I. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine was overheating. Additionally, the contact noticed an abnormal burning odor while driving, with smoke coming from underneath the hood while at a complete stop. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA complaint 11666052. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
After the replacement of all 02 sensors and fuses, the fault code returns and was traced back to the integrated supply module/IVm

NHTSA complaint 11643302. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Headlight Assembly has issues with the seal and condensation can/does enter the headlight assembly rendering the functionality of the headlight as suspect. Without proper lighting and condensation in front of the headlight which greatly impacts/effects the clarity and visibility of objects in the front of the car creating a safety issue. The cost to replace/repair these assemblies is excessive and is a widespread problem across multiple BMW models/years.

NHTSA complaint 11587192. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the BMW 535I

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2016 12 2 —
2015 23 0 —
2014 30 2 —
2012 54 1 —
2011 112 4 —
2010 58 1 —

Other 2013 BMW models

328I 257 X3 226 X5 149 528I 73 X1 SAV 64 528XI 56 335I 43 X1 38

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every BMW on this site — 257 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst