1995 BMW 530i

Routine

Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seats. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seats2
000
Wheels › Hub1
000
Electrical System › Ignition › Anti-theft › Control Module1
000
Air Bags1
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System98V178000
Filed Aug 4, 1998340,000 vehiclesBayerische Motoren Werke

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF A COOLANT SYSTEM COMPONENT, SUCH AS A THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, OR FAN BELT, CAN RESULT IN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED COOLANT TEMPERATURE AND SYSTEM PRESSURE. IF THE INDICATIONS OF A CRITICAL OVERHEATING CONDITION IS NOT NOTICED BY THE DRIVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT DAMAGE TO, OR FAILURE OF, A COOLANT SYSTEM COMPONENT COULD OCCUR.

Risk. IF A CRACK WERE TO FORM OR A SEAM WERE TO SEPARATE IN THE HEATER CORE END PIECE, HOT COOLANT COULD SUDDENLY BE EXPELLED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY TO A VEHICLE OCCUPANT.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW DESIGN RADIATOR CAP TO CONTROL PRESSURE AND PROVIDE GREATER COOLANT OVERFLOW IN THE EVENT OF OVERHEATING.

Vehicle Speed Control97V131000
Filed Aug 19, 1997410,000 vehiclesBayerische Motoren Werke

Defect. THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THROTTLE CABLES ARE ATTACHED TO THE SAME THROTTLE VALVE ACTUATING LEVER AT THE THROTTLE HOUSING. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE PLASTIC BUSHING ON EITHER CABLE COULD BREAK DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES COUPLED WITH VIBRATION. IF THE BUSHING BREAKS, THE OUTER CABLE HOUSING CAN SEPARATE FROM THE BUSHING. IN THIS CASE, DURING APPLICATION OF THE THROTTLE PEDAL WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL BEING ENGAGED, THE OUTER TUBE COULD CATCH ON THE EDGE OF THE BROKEN BUSHING.

Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE VALVE TO REMAIN PARTIALLY OPEN. IT HIS WERE TO OCCUR, THE CAR MIGHT NOT DECELERATE AS EXPECTED INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SPRING STEEL CLIP ON THE OUTER TUBE OF EACH CABLE IN THE AREA OF THE ADJUSTING SCREW AND PLASTIC BUSHING. THE CLIP IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE OUTER TUBE FROM DISLODGING FROM THE BUSHING.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags
Filed Oct 27, 2014119,000 milesNY

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT DEFECTIVE. CONFIRMED BY DEALER VOLUNTARY RECALL NOTED BY BMW OF NORTH AMERICA BUT WILL NOT GIVE VIN NUMBERS AFFECTED. STATE VEHICLE NOT AFFECTED BUT DEALER DOES ADMIT THESE SENSOR WERE CHANGED UNDER WARRANTY. REQUESTING EXACT VIN NUMBERS AFFECTED I CANNOT GET ANSWERS NOW REQUESTING FROM YOU. NOTE BMW OF NORTH AMERICA SITER INFORMATION ON RECALL HTTP:/WWW.BMWUSA.COM/STANDARD/CONTENT/CONTACTUS/VOLUNTARYRECALL.ASPX. *TR

Wheels › Hub
Filed Sep 4, 2005CA

AFTER WASHING MY CAR I LOST A HUB CAP WHILE DRIVING. MY CAR WAS HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING UP TO 50 MPH. I WOULD HAVE TO PUT IT IN 4TH GEAR FOR IT TO KICK BACK INTO A GOOD SPEED. IT WAS A HOT DAY AND I PULLED INTO A GAS STATION TO GET A DRINK. LIKE NORMAL, I ROLLED UP MY WINDOWS. BUT DID NOT CLOSE MY SUNROOF. I TRIED TO PROCEED TO GET OUT OF MY CAR BUT COULD NOT. MY WINDOWS WERE LOCKED IN THE UP POSITION, THE DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN AND THE CAR WOULD NOT GET ANY POWER WHEN I TRIED TO TURN THE KEY IN THE IGNIGESTION, LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO STAND UP AND ASK SOMEBODY WALKING BY TO STICK MY KEY IN THE KEY LOCK ON MY DOOR TO LET ME OUT. I COULD NOT START MY CAR AFTER IT BEING PARKED FOR A 1/2 HOUR. COMES TO FIND OUT IT IS THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. AND THE LAST THING THAT OCCOURED TO ME WHILE I HAVE HAD MY CAR IS THAT I RAN OUT OF GAS WHEN THE COMPUTER SCREEN STATED I HAD 3 MILES BEFORE I RAN OUT OF GAS. *JB

Electrical System › Ignition › Anti-theft › Control Module
Filed Apr 27, 2005148,785 milesFL

(1) WHILE STANDING OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE THE DOORS WERE LOCKED INADVERTANTLY WHILE TRYING TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE LOCK, WHIHC ENGAGED THE ANTI-THEFT DEVICE. ALL THE DOORS TO THE VEHICLE BESIDES THE THE DRIVERS SIDE WAS CLOSED. ONCE COMPLETELY ENTERING THE VEHICLE, THE DOOR WAS CLOSED AND THE CAR REFUSED TO TURN OVER, THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT LET DOWN THE SUNROOF WOULD NOT OPEN. I HAD THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND COULD NOT ACCOMPLISH ANY OF THESE TASK. THE DASH BOARD WAS SHOWING A STRONG LIGHT SO IT WAS NOT THE BATTERY. I CALLED A WRECKER SERVICE TO ATTEMPT TO ASSITST WITH MY REMOVAL FROM THE CAR, AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO UNLUCK THE DOOR WHICH IS SECURED BY A DOUBLE LOCK LATCH WHICH WILL NOT LET YOU OPEN THE DOOR ONCE THE ANTI-THEFT DEVICE IS ENGAGED. THE WRECKER SERVICE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO TRY TO FORCE THE WINDOW DOWN INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO (1) BREAK THE WINDOW OR TWO ATTEMPT TO BY-PASS OR RESET THE UNIT MYSELF. THEY SLIPPED SOMETHING THROUGH A CRACK IN THE WINDOW AND I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE BACK SEAT AND UN-HOOK THE BATTERY WHICH IS LOCATED THERE AND REMOVE THE FUSE FROM THE DEVICE. AFTER 10 MINUTES IT RESET ITSELF AND I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AND ROLL THE WIDOW DOWN. ONCE THE WINDOWS WERE DOWN I HAD TO USE THE KEY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, BY UNLOCKING IT FROMT HE OUTSIDE. AFTER I RETURNED HOME THAT NIGHT I DID A SEARCH AS TO WHAT THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE AND LOCATED A RECALL FOR A SIMILAR PROBLEM FOR A SIMILAR VEHICLE. THAT NUMBER IS 94V219000. MY CAR IS A 1995 BM

Seats
Filed Nov 11, 2000CA

FRONT SEATS ROCK ON THE RAILS. *AK

Seats
Filed Feb 8, 2000CO

SEAT RAILS CAUSE SEAT TO ROCK. *AK

5 of 5 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2004
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20251400Routine
202413600Routine
20232100Routine
20228300Routine
202117700Routine
202010510Routine
201915100Routine
201825200Routine
201718100Routine
20110100Routine
20100100Routine
20090100Routine
20080100Routine
200773230Routine
200684340Routine
200558010Routine
20041290210High concern
200346260Do not drive
200229430Do not drive
200125400Do not drive
20000100Do not drive
1995 — this page5200Routine
19949300Routine
19930100Routine
19920100Routine
19910100Routine
19900100Routine

Compare every 530i 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: Aug 4, 1998. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.