Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2008 BMW 535xi, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system26
- Engine16
- Fuel/propulsion system13
- Air bags13
- Exterior lighting11
- Power train8
- Seat belts6
- Seats5
- Engine and engine cooling4
- Structure3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 6 2008 535xi vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 3 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 11.8–12.8 L/100 km (about 18–20 mpg US), CO₂ 271–294 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 535xi · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 13.8 | 9.4 | 11.8 |
| 535xi · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 14.2 | 9.5 | 12.1 |
| 535xi Touring · Station wagon: Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 14.4 | 9.7 | 12.3 |
| 535xi Touring · Station wagon: Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 15.1 | 10.1 | 12.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2008 BMW 535xi.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What BMW told its dealers about the 2008 BMW 535xi: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10249437 | The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. |
| 10249027 | The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle discharged battery complaints. |
| 10247567 | Engine will crank but not start. There is no communication with the integrated fuel module (TFE) whendiagnosing with ISTA. The following two fault codes will be stored in the DME: 032B43 - Low fuel pressure system, electric fuel pump: pressure value too low CDA594 - Message (- 0x33E) missing, receiver DME, transmitter TFE |
| 10245422 | Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicles equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. Additionally, the red anti-theft alarm LED in the interior mirror does not briefly flash every 2 seconds, indicating the alarm is armed. |
| 10182619 | Discharged Battery Energy Diagnosis Must Be Performed: The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle "discharged battery" complaints. In order to properly repair the vehicle the first time in the workshop, it is very important that the diagnostic test plans are performed to completion, with all results taken into consideration. Without performing the energy diagnosis test plan, the root caus |
| 10057568 | BMW: ON SOME VEHICLES, WHEN STARTING, LOW BEAM, WITH 0552 OPTION, WOULD BRIEFLY FLASHES, DUE TO A FAULTY LED MAIN LIGHT MODULE THAT NEEDS REPLACING. MODEL 2008-14 F01, F02, F06, F07, F10, F12, F13, F25. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)