I have had several problems. 1. 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. (see attached statement) they also replaced a gasket, oil filter housing. The oil filter housing was allowing oil to leak out from the engine 5.8. They performed removal and replacement of the oil filter housing gasket and washed down the engine of the oil residue. The incidents were diagnosed and replace accordingly on jan. 24. 2019. Just recently, about 5 days ago today, my car started making a weird loud noise like a garbage truck makes when it goes from stop to stop. It made that sound when driving, as well as when parked with the engine running. At the same time, I was no longer able to open my truck with neither the inside button or my keys. I took my car to a repair shop that was close by. The owner used to work for bmw service center as a mechanic before starting his own business. Strangely, the car did not make the sound in his presence although it was left running. I left his shop and was heading home when suddenly I got a red error message warning me that the engine had over heated and that I should drive slowly and/or pull over as over heating could cause the vehicle to catch on fire. The message also said the vehicle needed coolant. I purchase the coolant according to the manual, but the car overheated once again when I began to drive it. I allowed it to cool down and drove it home. I popped the hood after it cool down again and noticed a greasy/oily dark brown substance in coolant/radiator hole. From what I read, it's a blown head gasket. I only have 74963 miles on my 2011 535i bmw. All services are up to date. My next service isn't due for 4000 miles 03/2020 *as invalid VIN
The worst 2011 BMW 535I US 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.
- Tires18
- Engine7
- Wheels4
- Electrical3
- Fuel system3
- Transmission3
- Steering2
- Brakes1
- Lights1
- Suspension1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2011 BMW 535I US
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 2011 BMW 535I US 350
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
- The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) warning light comes on while driving
- After programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes...
- With the court's FINAL approval, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) has entered into a nationwide...
- For the eligible vehicles, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) is extending the limited warranty for the...
- According to the customer, the airbag warning light was on, but it may not be illuminated when the vehicle...
- The Headunit High (HU-H), also called NBT, began replacing the Car Information Computer (CIC) on certain...
What 2011 BMW 535I US owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
My bmw has about 75k miles on it. 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. This is very weird for a car that only has 75k miles on it. I haven't had any issues prior to this, car completely stalled while I was driving it, I thank god I was in the process of exiting off the highway, other wise I would've had a very fatal crash.
Car shows error of drivetrain malfunction and the car starts to shake.
There are wires on the engine that are cracking and was told by the bmw dealer that this can cause a fire.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 bmw 535i us. 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. The contact also mentioned that he heard a clicking noise coming from the wheels, but could not determine if it was the front or rear wheels. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall and informed the contact to call the federal safety agency to file a complaint. The approximate failure mileage was 94,712.
I purchased this car 2 months ago. Today my wife when out with my 14 and 4 years old daughters and the car lost power and shut down while driving at around 60 MPH in the highway. Thankfully they are ok. But the car had to be towed. It starts but dies within seconds no idea what the problem is but I found that lots of people have had the same problem.
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, il 60467 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. $60k car I cant drive.
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.
Contacted the local bmw dealership regarding the "faulty vanos bolts" they told me that my car is not affected by the faulty bolts week later car broke down due defective vanos bolt
Started engine, check engine light came on. This has happened about 6 times before in the last 2 years. Each time it was related to fuel cap/o2 sensor.
Compare the 2011 BMW 535I US
Other model years
2011
Questions about the 2011 BMW 535I US
Is the 2011 BMW 535I US reliable?
Owners have filed 36 complaints about the 2011 BMW 535I US, close to a typical 535I US model year.
What is the 2011 BMW 535I US year score?
The 2011 BMW 535I US scores 75 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the BMW 535I US: 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 2011 BMW 535I US?
Tires, with 18 complaints, typically around 2,300 miles. Next is engine (7).
How many recalls does the 2011 BMW 535I US have?
No recalls on record.
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