2021 BMW 530e

Routine

Owners filed 1 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System1
010

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Back Over Prevention › Software21V096000
Filed Feb 19, 202113,858 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series Coupe, Convertible and Grand Coupe, 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le, 745Le xDrive, X5 xDrive45e, X3 xDrive30e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 740i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, M760i Drive, M760Li xDrive, 750Li xDrive Alpina, Alpina B7 xDrive, and 2021 4 Series Coupe 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive vehicles. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Risk. If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Electrical System › Propulsion System › Traction Battery20V601000
Filed Sep 30, 20204,509 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 530e iPerformance and X3 xDrive30e and MINI Cooper Countryman All4 SE, 2020 BMW i8, and 2021 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le xDrive and X5 xDrive45e vehicles. Debris may have entered one or more of the hybrid battery cells during their production.

Risk. The debris could result in a short-circuit, increasing the risk of fire or injury.

Remedy. BMW will inspect and, if necessary, replace the battery module free of charge. The remedy is currently being developed. Until the remedy is completed, drivers are instructed to not charge their vehicles. Drivers are instructed to not drive in manual mode, sport mode, and to not use the shift paddles. Owners were notified of the safety risk October 23, 2020. The recall began November 24, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical SystemFire
Filed Jul 9, 2024CA

My family was driving home on California [XXX] approaching [XXX]. Suddenly we saw heavy white smoke coming from our vehicle. Vehicles behind us had to almost stop as the smoke was very thick and covered all lanes. We pulled over and turned off the car. I started checking the control panel for any issues or alerts and found none. We never received any indication of issues in the control panel or dashboard. My husband got out of the car and inspected the tires which were all ok. He opened the hood and immediately saw flames from the center bottom of the hood. We all got out of the vehicle immediately and called 911. California Highway Patrol arrived and soon after Cal Fire arrived. Within 10 minutes my car was engulfed in flames and only the trunk area was sparred. I believe this was a malfunction or defect in the battery or electrical as we did not get any warning of engine issues or overheating. There have been several recalls on this model for battery defects which can lead to fire. My family's safety was put at risk as these batteries are highly combustible and could have exploded with us in the car. We had no warning whatsoever to immediately get out of the car and we were sitting there for at least 5-8 minutes trying to figure out what the issue was and who to call. I don't know at what point the car locked itself as the firemen had to use the jaws of life to open a door for the VIN. What if the car would have locked when we were still inside. I filed a claim with my insu

1 of 1 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2018
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20231000Routine
20223000Routine
2021 — this page1210Routine
20202300Routine
201912210Routine
201827400Routine
20170100Routine

Compare every 530e year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Feb 19, 2021. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.