BMW 535i
Owners filed 485 complaints across 16 model years of the BMW 535i. The 2011 drew the most (112).
Which BMW 535i years should you avoid?
No BMW 535i year stands out. Across the 7 model years old enough to judge, none drew twice the complaints of a typical year (about 58), and none shows an unusual share of fires, crashes or deaths for its age.
Better bets: among years old enough for a low count to mean something, the 2014 drew the fewest complaints without an unusual share of serious ones.
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
Every BMW 535i model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2016 | 12 | 2 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2015 | 23 | 0 | — | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2014 | 30 | 2 | — | 5 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2013 | 39 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2012 | 54 | 1 | 2 | — | Fuel/Propulsion System | Routine | |
| 2011 | 112 | 4 | 6 | 5 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2010 | 58 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Fuel/Propulsion System | Routine | |
| 2009 | 71 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Fuel/Propulsion System | Routine | |
| 2008 | 74 | 1 | 4 | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 1995 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 1994 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly | Routine | |
| 1993 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 1992 | 3 | 3 | — | 1 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System | Routine | |
| 1991 | 5 | 3 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 1990 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | Vehicle Speed Control | Routine |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.