2016 BMW 535I Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 535I years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 9th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 BMW 535I. That ranks 9th out of 11 535I model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (7 complaints, 58%), typically at around 36,000 miles. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 12owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 BMW 535I problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 7 | 58% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 17% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 17% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 8% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 8% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 8% | 19,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 8% | 36,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 BMW 535I recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2017 BMW 640i, 640i xDrive, 650i, 650i xDrive, M6, 535i, 535i xDrive, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, M4, X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, i3, i8, Rolls-Royce Dawn, Mini Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Cooper All4, Cooper S All4, Mini 4-Door Cooper, Cooper S, Mini 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works and 2016 BMW 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i, 550i xDrive, M5 and 535d vehicles. The affected vehicles have seat- mounted side air bag inflator initiators that may fail to ignite during a crash.
Risk: If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Child seat; seats:mid/rear assembly
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2016 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 535d xDrive, M5, 550i, 550i xDrive, and 535d sedans. The affected vehicles have an inboard lower anchor for child restraints on the left rear seat that may have been bent downwards, preventing the child seat from fully engaging both lower anchors. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
Risk: If the child seat is not properly attached to the lower anchors, it can increase the child's risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair the inboard lower anchor on the left rear seat, free of charge. The recall began on December 28, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Passenger restraint system malfunction, available for inspection. Passenger side air bag will not work if in an accident Problem has been confirmed by dealer Warning lamp appeared approximately 4-5 weeks ago, prior to that no symptoms. Just happened all of a sudden.
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 535I. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the message that the engine was overheating was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was left overnight in a hotel parking lot. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure recurred. The…
1 .Panoramic sunroof curtain has been repaired twice at the dealer and now it broke for the third time 2. the controls to the panoramic sunroof do not work at all 3.Passenger restrain system malfunction
Passenger restrain malfunction
The passenger air bag signal flashes on and off even when someone is seating on the passenger seat.
Other BMW 535I years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 535I | 0 | 1 |
| 2016 | 12 | 2 |
| 2015 535I | 23 | 0 |
| 2014 535I | 30 | 2 |
| 2013 535I | 39 | 1 |
| 2012 535I | 54 | 1 |
| 2011 535I | 112 | 4 |
| 2010 535I | 58 | 1 |
| 2009 535I | 71 | 1 |
| 2008 535I | 74 | 1 |
| 1995 535I | 0 | 1 |
See all BMW 535I problems by year, every BMW model, or the BMW VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 BMW 535I?
Owners most often report air bags, seat belts, unknown or other problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 7 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 BMW 535I?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 BMW 535I a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 535I model years, the 2016 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.