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.
The worst 2005 BMW 530I problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags37
- Electrical10
- Seat belts8
- Brakes6
- Lights5
- Transmission4
- Body2
- Tires2
- Visibility2
- Acceleration1
- Engine1
- Steering1
- Wheels1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2005 BMW 530I
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
Bmw airbag light illumination
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 08v‑384 recall notification for further detailsdepending on seat configuration and vehicle geometry, the occupant detection mat can fatigue during use depending on the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit.specifically, over time, micro-cracks could develop in the side flanks of the mat causing a broken circuit.a brokencircuit can lead to the deactivation of the passenger air bag and the illumination of both the air bag warning light and the passenger air bag light.
EA08001
Bmw airbag light illumination
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 odi's information request letter, bmw provided 1,172 owner reports and 28,238 warranty claims.initial review of the data indicate that 280 non-duplicating owner reports and 13,051 non-duplicating warranty claims may be related the subject defect issue on the subject vehiclesthis preliminary evaluation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea08-001).
PE07045
Technical service bulletins for the 2005 BMW 530I 55
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few...
- Engine will crank but not start
- Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle
- Vehicle cannot be opened or closed using comfort access, engine start is not possible, and the vehicle may...
- Diagnosis of Compound Brake System Complaints in M Vehicles: 1. Visible cracks are caused by high thermal...
- Discharged Battery Energy Diagnosis Must Be Performed: The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been...
- Power Reduction FC2A82 Intake VANOS and/or FC2 A87 Exhaust VANOS Camshaft Fault: The "Service Engine Soon"...
- Navigation system: reporting missing or incorrect road map data
- Front passenger seat occupancy (OC3) mat for SRS: limited warranty extension to 15 years/unlimited miles
2005 BMW 530I fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | RWD | 17-18 | 26-27 | 20-21 |
What 2005 BMW 530I owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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.
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.
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 causing the airbags to be deactivated. Today, the airbag is still not working, and bmw has refused to fix the problem.
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.
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 the federal safety agency campaign number: 13v564000 (air bags) because the vehicle was previously repaired under the manufacturer's extended warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
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 reading differently. I have asked on several different occasions about the passenger restraint, the female sales advisor states I have to pay for this!
Pss. Restraint system shows in main screen. Seat belt shows in the front screen. Im concer of its actually functionality.
I have xenon adaptive headlights oem made by hella. The insulation on all of the wiring inside the headlight assembly is falling off. You cannot touch a wire without the insulation crumbling off the wiring. Now having numerous faults and hid light on drivers side is non functional due to wiring shorts.
The idrive, known as "ccc", unit used to work just fine. It control navigation, radio and vehicle's informations for owner. Once awhile the screen blink and go blank, and then sometime it work just fine. Now it just don't work anymore. The screen now blink continuously while driving. This is causing a major distraction for me behind the wheel especially at night. I started researching online and notice a lot of owners with this model also have the same problems. They replaced the ccc unit and update software information at the dealer and it fixed the issues. I called bmw momentum of houston about the ccc. The cost is $1,500.00 not including labor. I believe this grand defects is a manufacturing defects. Can you please investigate into this matter so that a recall can be issue.
Compare the 2005 BMW 530I
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Questions about the 2005 BMW 530I
Is the 2005 BMW 530I reliable?
Owners have filed 58 complaints about the 2005 BMW 530I, 2.2 times a typical 530I model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2005 BMW 530I year score?
The 2005 BMW 530I scores 46 out of 100 (below average). The score compares it with the other model years of the BMW 530I: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 BMW 530I?
Airbags, with 37 complaints, typically around 90,000 miles. Next is electrical (10).
How many recalls does the 2005 BMW 530I have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the BMW 530I have bad airbags?
The BMW 530I model years with the most airbags complaints are 2004 (49 complaints), 2005 (37 complaints) and 2006 (32 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2005 BMW 530I get?
Official estimates for the 2005 BMW 530I range from 20 to 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.0L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 17-18 city and 26-27 highway.
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