2008 BMW 5 Series ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING

After purchasing this vehicle from my aunt and uncle my one headlight when bad after purchasing the headlights I replaced both the right and left one while removing the old headlights the insulation from the wires just crumbles off casuing a short bc the wires are zip tied several times together and causes my lights to flicker or not work at all while the the car keeps notifying me that there is an issue never couple seconds

Station wagon lift gate has severe wiring failures between the lift gate and body. This problem is well known throught the blog community. Broken wires cause failures, and electrical danger, to the rear lighting system that includes brake, running, back up, and turn signals. Also effected is the rear wiper, defroster, and operation access to open and close the lift gate. Tailgate failure would prohibit emergency opening and access to spare tire and fuses. I have already spent $3,000 on one harness replacement (dealer) and am looking at another $3,000 to repair (dealer) more wiring that will restore the brake/running lights on one side (failed state inpection). The internal lighting diagnostics did NOT indicate any lighting problems or warning. Broken wires could also cause failures to some or all of the entire electrical system. Very dangerous.

The wiring in my headlight assembly is crumbling and the headlight is shorting out. The coating on the wiring is trash. I own a 08 Bmw550i. BMW should be ashamed. Thanks [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT, SO I AUTOMATICALLY ASSUMED THAT THE BULL WAS BLOWN. WENT AND BOUGHT $100 BULL THAT CONTROLS THE HIGH BEAM AND THE LOW BEAMS, REPLACE THE BULB, AND THE HEADLIGHT STILL DOESN'T WORK. TOOK THE BALL BACK AND GOT ANOTHER BULB, AND THE HEADLIGHT STILL DOESN'T WORK. AS I WAS REPLACING THE BULB I NOTICED BARE WIRES SHOWING, ON MULTIPLE WIRES, AS FAR AS I COULD SEE. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE , AS IT COULD CAUSE MY CAR TO CATCH FIRE.

ALL OF THE INTERNAL HEADLIGHT WIRING INSULATION ON BOTH HEADLIGHTS IS CRUMBLING OFF WHICH IS EXPOSING THE COPPER WIRE, CAUSING SPARKS AND SHORTING OUT. I HAVE PERFORMED MUCH ONLINE RESEARCH AND APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BY BMW. CURRENTLY IT'S A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S UNPREDICTABLE WHEN HEADLIGHTS WILL SHORT OUT WHILE DRIVING, LOSING SIGHT OF THE ROAD AND POSSIBLY INCREASING RISK OF ACCIDENT.

HEADLIGHT WIRING INSIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY IS DETERIORATING BADLY. THE PROTECTIVE COATING IS CRACKING AND FLAKING OFF LEAVING THE EXPOSED COPPER CORE WHICH IN TURN SHORTS OUT THE LIGHTS. POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD AS WELL.

WIRING INSIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES FLAKING OFF LEAVING BARE WIRES.

WIRES INSIDE HEADLIGHTS HAVE INSULATION CRUMBLING OFF. FIRE RISK. SO MANY BMW'S HAVE THIS PROBLEM. A CLEAR ISSUE THAT BMW KNOWS ABOUT.

I ORDERED NEW LIGHT BULBS TO CHANGE OUT MY HALO ANGEL BULB LIGHTS (RUNNING PARKING LAMPS) .WHICH SAID THEY WERE OUT ON MY SCREEN INSIDE OF THE BMW . WHEN I TWISTED OFF THE HOUSING CAP IN THE BACK ,THE WIRING INSIDE OF MY HEADLIGHT HOUSING WHICH TURNS ON MY PARKING LIGHTS LEFT AND RIGHT IS TOTALLY DEGRADED AND FLAKED OFF ,THE COPPER CABLES WERE TOUCHING EVERYWHERE .I READ THIS IS BECAUSE GERMANY USE BIODEGRADABLE MATERIAL BUT THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS FIRE HAZARD FOR DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAYS AND ROAD IN FLORIDA . WE AS 5 SERIES OWNERS FOR THESE YEARS NEED A RECALL OF NEW HARNESS WITH BETTER WIRING .EVEN IF YOU BUY A NEW HOUSING IT WILL DO THE SAME THING IN 4 YEARS GUARANTEED . YOU WOULD HAVE TO FIND SOME ONE TO REWIRE IT WITH THE SAME CABLES FORD USES SO IT CAN LAST 20+ YEARS . PLEASE FIX. *TR

MY 2008 BMW 535I HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AND I TOOK IT TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC TO CHANGE THE HEADLIGHT BULB, HE TOOK OUT THE HEADLIGHT AND SHOWN TO ME THE WIRING IN BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAVE FLAKED OFF AND HAD PRESENTED A FIRE HAZARD SITUATION WHICH CAUSED THE FUSE THE BLEW. I RESEARCHED THE BMW FORUMS AND FOUND LOTS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE, HENCE, IT IS NOT AN OUTLIER. I CONTACTED BMW USA AND THEY REFUSED TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. I WAS TOLD BY THEM THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT THE VEHICLE MILEAGE WAS PAST THE HEADLIGHT WIRING SHOULD NOT GO BAD IN 8 YEARS AND THEY WERE RUDE AND TOLD ME THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR IT. I ALSO LEARNT THAT MOST OF THESE HEADLIGHT WIRES IN THE E60 FLAKED OFF WITHIN 50K MILES AND ARE NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL A SHORT OR BLOWN BULB. HELLA (THE MANUFACTURER OF THE HEADLIGHT) SAID IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM SINCE THE MAKE THE HEADLIGHTS TO BMW SPECIFICATIONS.

THE VEHICLE IS MADE WITH INFERIOR WIRE COATING THAT CAN AND I'M SURE HAS RESULTED IN FIRES. NOT TO MENTION THE FEATURES OF THE LIGHTS CAN AND WILL STOP WORKING UNEXPECTEDLY. THIS ALSO CAUSES SHORTS IN THE WIRING OF THE SWITCH IN THE DASH I BELIEVE AND POSSIBLE BATTERY DRAIN LEAVING PEOPLE STRANDED OR EVEN HAVING CAR DIE WHILE IN MOTION. BMW HAD MY CAR FOR 3 WEEKS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ALL THEIR OTHER FAULTY ISSUES - THEY FINALLY HAD THEIR HEAD FOREMAN TAKE THE CAR HOME WITH HIM AND GO OVER IT WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB. HE FIXED MOST OF THE ISSUES. THEY HAD SENT ME HOME WITH MY CAR 3 OR 4 TIMES TELLING ME MY ISSUES WERE RESOLVED ONLY FOR THE CAR TO STALL, SMELL LIKE BURNING RUBBER OR JUST NOT START. THEY WERE ALSO AWARE OF THE FAULTY WIRING BUT DID NOT LIST IT AS AN ITEM OF EMINENT CONCERN - HOWEVER AFTER TAKING CAR TO ANOTHER MECHANIC FOR A BLOWN BULB A MONTH LATER THEY EXPRESSED TO ME THE EXTREME FIRE HAZARD THE VEHICLE WIRING POSED AND THAT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE (OR PROBLEMATIC DESIGN RATHER) OF BMW THEY WERE NOT AT LIBERTY TO DELVE INTO SUCH MATTERS. BMW IS THE UTMOST MORALLY REPREHENSIBLE AUTO MAKER I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED FROM START TO FINISH. MY LIGHTS WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING AND I WAS ALMOST HIT BY A DRIVER IN A LARGE ESCALADE AROUND DUSK A WEEK AGO. WHAT'S WORSE IS WHEN I TOOK VEHICLE TO BMW I WAS ALSO HAVING THEM FIX THE TAIL LIGHT RECALL THAT IS PRONE TO CAUSE FIRES. I HAVE NEVER MET MORE INCOMPETENT PEOPLE. YOU DO NOT GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

JUST BOUGHT A USED 2008 528I (E60) W/94K MILES, IN OTHERWISE PERFECT CONDITION. WENT TO CHANGE THE ANGEL EYES FROM DRAB YELLOW TO LUX LED'S. NOTICED BARE WIRES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BULB CONNECTORS, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CAR. TRIED TO USE ELECTRICAL TAPE, JUST MADE MORE BARE WIRE. THE MORE I TOUCHED THE WIRES, THE MORE INSULATION FLAKED OFF, ALMOST LIKE A POWDER. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. CAN'T POSSIBLY BE SAFE. DEFINITELY A FIRE HAZARD. NEIGHBOR BROUGHT OVER A BOTTLE OF LIQUID TAPE, AND I RE-COATED ALL THE BARE WIRE I COULD SEE, MAKING SURE EACH WIRE WAS SEPARATED SO A SHORT WOULD NOT OCCUR. THAT IS A GOOD TEMPORARY FIX. WILL HAVE TO STAY ON TOP OF THIS PROBLEM, SINCE MOST, IF NOT ALL, OF THE HEADLIGHT WIRING IS MADE WITH BAD, QUICKLY DEGRADING WIRE INSULATION. A REAL DISAPPOINTMENT IN OTHERWISE GOOD GERMAN QUALITY AND ENGINEERING. I GUESS THE SOURCE PROCURER AT THE FACTORY SAVED BMW SOME BIG BUCKS ON THAT WIRE!! THIS IS DEFINITELY A NHTSA SAFETY RECALL ISSUE. TORT LAWYERS SHOULD HAVE A FIELD DAY ON THIS ONE. PHOTOS OF THIS PROBLEM ARE AVAILABLE AT: HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFORUMS.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?2132684-HEADLIGHT-WIRE-JACKETS-JUST-FLAKE-OFF

I RECENTLY STARTED EXPERIENCING FUSES BLOWING ON MY RIGHT FRONT HEAD LIGHT UNITS. ERRORS WOULD INDICATE IT WAS THE 'RIGHT DAYLIGHT PARKING UNIT' AND THEN WOULD CLEAR OR STAY CONSTANT. WHEN IT WAS CONSTANT, IT WAS DUE TO A BLOWN FUSE. IT TURNS OUT WHEN I HAD A BMW CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN LOOK AT THE ISSUE HE SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO THE WIRING INSIDE THE FRONT HEAD LIGHT. THE WIRING HAD INSULATION THAT WAS STARTING TO FLAKE OFF ALLOWING CONTACT OF THE TWO WIRES GOING TO THE BULB AND WAS EVEN APPARENT ON OTHER WIRES WITHIN THE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY. IF I HIT A BUMP OR WENT OVER RUMBLE STRIPS THESE WIRES COULD TOUCH AND SHORT CAUSING THE FUSE TO BLOW AND/OR ERROR MESSAGE. AFTER 3 FUSES AND BUYING AN UNNECESSARY SET OF H8 BULBS, THE TECHNICIAN FIXED THE WIRING WITH SOME ELECTRICAL TAPE BUT SUGGESTED THAT A FILE A COMPLAINT HERE SINCE THERE IS NO OPEN RECALL FOR THIS COMMON ISSUE. HE ALSO TOLD ME THIS PROBLEM WITH WIRE INSULATION FALLING OFF WAS VERY COMMON ON BMW'S THAT WERE 5-7 YEARS OLD. I COULD SEE BURN MARKS ON THE WIRE AN INSTALLATION FROM WHERE THE SHORT OCCURRED AND WAS SHOCKED THAT ALL THE WIRING WITHIN THE HEAD LAMP ON BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT FRONT SHOWED THESE FLAKING AND CRACKING. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE AT SEVERAL BMW FORUMS I FOUND MANY SIMILAR ISSUES AND IMAGES ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE ONES MY TECHNICIAN TOOK. I WOULD LIKE A RECALL TO BE ISSUED BY BMW TO REPLACE THE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLIES OR INTERNAL WIRING WITH WIRES THAT HAVE A BETTER/PROPER INSULATOR THAT DOESN'T FLAKE OFF. I'VE NOT HAD THE BACK LIGHTS CHECKED, BUT FOUND THAT THIS IS COMMON ON MOST IF NOT ALL BMW LIGHT ASSEMBLIES FRONT/BACK FOR A FEW ONLINE RESEARCH QUERIES. ALSO WHERE CAN I SEND THE DIGITAL PICTURES MY TECHNICIAN TOOK OF THE WIRING?

INSULATION COVERING HEADLIGHT WIRING CRACKS OFF LEAVING LARGE AMOUNTS OF BARE AREAS. THIS RESULTED IN ELECTRICAL SHORTS, DRAINING BATTERY, ERRATIC ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BEHAVIOR, BLOWN HEADLIGHT BULBS, AND AN INTERMITTENT BURNING SMELL IN MY CAR.

PERMANENT LOSS OF FUNCTIONALITY OF REAR LAMP FUNCTIONS TAIL, BRAKE, TURN-SIGNAL, REVERSE.

HEADLIGHTS: WIRE INSULATION ON HEAD LIGHT CANNON PLUGS IS RETRACTING FROM WIRES. THIS COULD CAUSE AN SYSTEM ELECTRICAL PROBLEM OR FIRE. *TR

THE INSULATION OF THE WIRING INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY IS CRUMBLING AND POSES A FIRE HAZARD AS THE WIRES HAVE LOST THEIR INSULATION AND CAN GET IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER. *TR

E61 WAGON, REAR HATCH: I DISCOVERED FAILURES OF MULTIPLE WIRES IN THE TAILGATE/REAR WINDOW WIRING HARNESSES. THROUGH RESEARCH ONLINE I HAVE FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE OVER SEVERAL MODEL YEARS - SEARCH FOR BMW E61 TAILGATE WIRING PROBLEMS. THE FAILURES ARE CAUSED BY A POOR DESIGN WHERE THE WIRES ENTERING THE HINGE GUIDES (4) FOR THE GLASS AND TAILGATE ARE REPEATEDLY FLEXED AT A SHARP ANGLE UNTIL THE INSULATION, THEN THE COPPER WIRE BREAKS. SAFETY ISSUES - POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT LEADING TO FIRES (HIGHEST LOAD IS FOR REAR DEFROSTER); LIGHTING FAILURES (REAR HIGH BRAKE LIGHT, LICENSE PLATE LAMPS AND OTHERS); REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO LOSS OF WIPER/WASHER/DEFROSTER; REAR GLASS LATCH OPENING WHILE UNDERWAY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN LOSS OF CARGO OR INGRESS OF EXHAUST FUMES. THIS IS NOT AN EASILY REPAIRED PROBLEM. IT WOULD BE BEYOND THE CAPABILITIES OF ALL BUT A SKILLED MECHANIC WITH PROPER TOOLS. I DISCOVERED IT WHEN THE REMOTE LOCK/UNLOCK USING THE KEY FOBS FAILED. AS I INVESTIGATED I FOUND THE BROKEN WIRE, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHERS WITH BROKEN INSULATION, SOME WITH BROKEN COPPER STRANDS. *TR

MY REAR RIGHT BULB HOUSING HAS MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING MY CAR TO NOT HAVE A REAR RIGHT TURN SIGNAL, REAR RIGHT BRAKE SIGNAL AND RIGHT SIDE BACK UP LIGHT. *TR

THE REAR RAIL LIGHT WARNING STARTED FLASHING INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN REAR TAIL LIGHT PERMANENTLY FAILED. INSPECTION OF REAR TAIL LIGHT SHOWED MELTING OF PLASTIC AROUND GROUND WIRE CONNECTION TO LIGHTING ASSEMBLY AND DAMAGE TO BOTH LIGHT ASSEMBLY AND THE WIRING. QUICK INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN BMWS DUE TO INADEQUATE CAPACITY OF GROUND WIRING. *TR

MALFUNCTION OF LEFT HEADLIGHT. DEALER INSPECTION REVEALED"HEADLIGHT WIRES LEADING TO BULB SOCKET HAVE CORROSION ON THEM AND CASING AROUND THE WIRES IS COMING OFF". THERE WAS A RECENT VEHICLE SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS MODEL CAR FOR SIMILAR ISSUES WITH REAR LAMP BULB CARRIER: RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. 13V-407 POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH MALFUNCTION OF HEADLIGHTS LEADING TO DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS OR CRASH CAN OCCUR ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT OR IN BAD/INCLEMENT WEATHER. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE RIGHT TAILLIGHT HAS MALFUNCTIONED COMPLETELY (BRAKE LIGHTS AND RIGHT TURN SIGNAL). THE ISSUE IS WELL KNOWN TO BMW DEALERSHIPS HOWEVER THEY CLAIM IT'S NOT COVERED UNDER CPO (CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED) WARRANTY AND MY MODEL IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE TAIL LIGHT CONNECTOR IS MELTED DUE TO FAULTY TAIL LIGHT GROUNDING. BMW HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE (SOME MODELS) BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I WILL EVER GET NOTIFIED. *TR

MY REAR LEFT BULB HOUSING HAS MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING MY CAR TO NOT HAVE A REAR LEFT TURN SIGNAL, REAR LEFT BREAK SIGNAL OR LEFT SIDE BACK UP LIGHT. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE REAR TAIL LIGHT (BACK UP AND TURN SIGNAL) WIRE HARNESS CONNECTOR MELTED. PER NTBSB AND WEB SEARCH, NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVE HAD EXACT SAME PROBLEM. DASH INDICATED THAT FIRST TAIL LIGHT FAILED, THEN BACK UP LIGHT FAILED. INSPECTION SHOWED MELTED WIRE CONNECTOR. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. WAS NEARLY COLLIDED WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN.

ON OR ABOUT 25 MAY 2013, I STARTED HEARING A INTERMITTENT BEEPING SOUND INSIDE THE CAR, HOWEVER THERE WAS NO WARNING ON THE DASH BOARD SCREEN THEREFORE IT WAS HARD TO TRACE THE PROBLEM. THE INTERMITTENT BEEPING WOULD START AND STOP, WHILE DRIVING MAKING ME VERY NERVOUS BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. THE BEEPING SOUND CHANGED TO SOUND OF SOMETHING TRYING TO RESET ITSELF LIKE A RESET PATTERN. NEXT ON 6 APR 2013, WHILE INSIDE A PARKING I THOUGHT I SEEN MY RIGHT TAIL LIGHT BLINK ON & OFF. THEN ON 8 APR 2013, I NOTICE MY RIGHT TAIL WAS OUT, SO I PURCHASED AND INSTALLED A NEW TAIL BULB BUT IT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. AFTER RESEARCHING, I FOUND IT WAS LED PROBLEM AND COULD ONLY BE FIXED BY A BMW SHOP. THE BMW MANUAL SUGGESTED TAKING THE CAR TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP, ON 16 APR 2013 I TOOK THE CAR TO I.G. BURTON THAT'S WHEN THEIR INSPECTION FOUND " RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT IS OUT ( FOUND THAT GROUND WIRE IS BURNT AND BULB HOLDER IS BURNT) RECOMMEND REPLACING BULB HOLDER AND GROUND WIRE. IT COST ME $374.48 TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED. *TR