The wiring in my headlight assembly is crumbling and the headlight is shorting out. The coating on the wiring is trash. I own a 08 Bmw550i. BMW should be ashamed. Thanks [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
2008 BMW 550I: headlights failing or too dim
5 of the 32 complaints about the 2008 BMW 550I describe headlights failing or too dim.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 16%
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Headlights failing or too dim by model year
- 20111
- 20085
- 20075
- 20061
What owners say
Frayed and disintegrating headlight wiring present throughout my headlamps. These are sealed enclosures for which there are no preventive maintenance items. This is a serious safety issue as the headlights may fail without warning, particularly in hot weather. These are non consumer replaceable parts and prohibitively expensive to replace and should not be failing after only 8 years of service.
Bought a 2008 bmw 550i and experienced headlight failure with the headlight fuse blowing repeatedly when I went to change the bulbs noticed that all the wires in the headlight were bare. Used liquid insulation to fix the issue however have seen numerous of this car catching fire from the issue after some research
I had a parking light go bad and while I was replacing it I noticed that the wiring inside the headlight assembly is no longer insulated. The insulation has become brittle and is flaking off. I removed the cover for the other headlight and the same thing has happened to that light. It would seem that these bare wires could cause a vehicle fire.
I recently started experiencing fuses blowing on my right front head light units. Errors would indicate it was the 'right daylight parking unit' and then would clear or stay constant. When it was constant, it was due to a blown fuse. It turns out when I had a bmw certified technician look at the issue he said that the problem was related to the wiring inside the front head light. The wiring had insulation that was starting to flake off allowing contact of the two wires going to the bulb and was even apparent on other wires within the head light assembly. If I hit a bump or went over rumble strips these wires could touch and short causing the fuse to blow and/or error message. After 3 fuses and buying an unnecessary set of h8 bulbs, the technician fixed the wiring with some electrical tape but suggested that a file a complaint here since there is no open recall for this common issue. He also told me this problem with wire insulation falling off was very common on bmw's that were 5-7 years old. I could see burn marks on the wire an installation from where the short occurred and was shocked that all the wiring within the head lamp on both the right and left front showed these flaking and cracking. After researching online at several bmw forums I found many similar issues and images almost identical to the ones my technician took. I would like a recall to be issued by bmw to replace the head light assemblies or internal wiring with wires that have a better/proper insulator that doesn't flake off. I've not had the back lights checked, but found that this is common on most if not all bmw light assemblies front/back for a few online research queries. Also where can I send the digital pictures my technician took of the wiring?
Service bulletins that may apply
- Bmw: on some vehicles, when starting, low beam, with 0552 option, would briefly flashes, due to a faulty...
- Delay in Automatic Driving Light Switching On/Off. When driving out of a tunnel or exiting underground...
- Bmw: procedure for determining and replacing incandescent and halogen light bulbs under warranty
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: tail lights
- What is wrong
- BMW is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2010 528i, 535i, 550i, and M5 passenger cars manufactured from March 1, 2007, through December 31, 2009. Over time, increased resistance at the taillight electrical contact points may cause damage to the ground terminal and housing of the connector resulting in an intermittent or permanent loss of functionality of one or more rear lamp functions (tail, brake, turn-signal, reverse).
- Risk
- Intermittent light operation reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear lamp bulb carriers free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1‑800‑525‑7417 or email BMW at [email protected].
Recall number 13V407000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2008 BMW 550I headlights
Is headlights failing or too dim a common problem on the 2008 BMW 550I?
5 of 32 owner complaints about the 2008 BMW 550I (16%) mention headlights failing or too dim. The model year with the most reports is 2007.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2008 BMW 550I?
There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
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