38 complaints reported

2008 BMW 5 Series ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
38
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jun 2013

FAILURE OF THE RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY DUE TO THE GROUNDING WIRE CONNECTOR (INSIDE THE 8 PIN CONNECTOR WHICH ATTACHES TO 8 PIN RECEIVER ON THE LIGHT) MELTING WHICH RENDERED THE BRAKE LIGHT, TURN SIGNAL, REVERSE LIGHT, AND LIGHTNING INOPERATIVE. ALSO RESULTED IN THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDING REPLACEMENT. AS CONNECTION WAS FAILING, THE GROUND CONNECTION WAS LIKELY INTERMITTENT LEADING TO LIGHTING MALFUNCTION WARNING INDICATIONS ON DASH AND INTERMITTENT OPERATION OF RIGHT REAR LIGHTS, DIMMED BRIGHTNESS OF RIGHT REAR LIGHTS. THE INTERMITTENT OPERATION/FAILURE REDUCES THE ABILITY TO WARN OTHER CARS/DRIVERS OF MY CAR'S INTENTIONS. COULD RESULT IN VEHICLE REAR END COLLISIONS. MY FAILURE MODE SEEMS VERY SIMILAR TO NHTSA 11V438000 RECALL FOR CERTAIN BMW 3 SERIES MODELS. PICTURES AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 BMW 528XI, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Apr 2013
May 2013

THE WARNING CAME ON THAT THE RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT MALFUNCTIONED. WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS THE WARNING WENT AWAY BUT THEN CAME BACK INTERMITTENTLY AND ALSO STATED THAT THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE LIGHT AND TURN SIGNAL HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THESE WARNINGS GO ON AND OFF SO MY HUSBAND PULLED THE HOUSING FOR THE LIGHT OUT AND DISCOVERED THE CONNECTOR PLUG AND HOUSING HAD MELTED BECAUSE THE BROWN WIRE WAS BURNT AND MELTED. SO HE WENT TO THE DEALER SHIP TO GET ANOTHER HOUSING UNIT AND NEW CONNECTOR TO FIX THE PROBLEM. AND A FEW MONTHS LATER THE OTHER SIDE HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND HE REPLACED IT AS WELL... NOW BOTH ARE BURNT AGAIN. I CALLED THE DEALER SHIP TO TAKE MY CAR IN FOR THIS ISSUE AND THEY WANT $140 TO LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NOT HEARD OF THIS ISSUE BEFORE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NOW THAT I LOOK ONLINE IT LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL HAVE THE SAME THING GOING ON. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. I FEEL LIKE THIS WILL KEEP HAPPENING SINCE BOTH HAVE BEEN REPLACED ALREADY AND IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN. SOMETHING IS WRONG. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 BMW 528I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Mar 2012
Mar 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 535XI. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND THE EXTERIOR BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATING THE PASSENGER'S SIDE BRAKE LIGHT WAS INOPERABLE. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION BOTH THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL AND PASSENGER'S SIDE EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHT FAILED TO OPERATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND A WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED AT THE SAME TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE ELECTRICAL CONTACT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 BMW 535XI, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Mar 2013
Feb 2013

LEFT TURN SIGNAL, BRAKE LIGHT & BACKUP LIGHT STOPPED WORKING. UPON INSPECTION, FOUND THAT THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR TO THE LEFT LIGHTING ASSEMBLY WAS DISCOLORED AND SLIGHTLY DISTORTED AT THE GROUND CONDUCTOR. AROUND HALF OF THE GROUND CONDUCTOR ON THE MATING PLUG OF THE LIGHTING ASSEMBLY HAD DETERIORATED AWAY. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 BMW 528XI, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jan 2013
Jan 2013

THE GROUND CONNECTION TO THE RIGHT REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLY FAILED. THIS RESULTED IN THE RIGHT REAR LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNAL NOT OPERATING. THE CONNECTOR TO THE WIRING HARNESS WAS MELTED AND THE TAB ON THE LAMP SOCKET HOUSING (WHERE THE CONNECTOR PLUGS IN) WAS DAMAGED. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 BMW 535XI, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Apr 2013
Nov 2012

I TURNED MY CAR ON AND IT INSTANTLY NOTIFIED ME THAT MY TAILLIGHT WAS OUT. THEN I STEPPED OUT AND TAPPED THE TAILLIGHT AND IT WENT BACK ON THEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY NOW THEY ARE SAYING THE CONNECTORS ARE BURNT AND THEY WANT ME TO PAY 200$ TO REPAIR SOMETHING THAT THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD OF CORRECTED AND PERFECTED THIS IS RIDICULOUS HOPE SOMEONE HELPS ME. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 BMW 528I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Nov 2012
Jun 2012 Fire

THE 8 PIN CONNECTOR TO THE RIGHT REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLY MELTED. TURN SIGNAL, BRAKE LIGHT STOPPED WORKING ONE WIRE SEEMS CORRODED. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 BMW 528I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Mar 2012
Jun 2012 Fire

THE GROUNDING WIRE IN THE CONNECTOR TO THE TAIL LIGHT BULB HOLDER MELTED AND MELTED PARTS OF THE CONNECTOR. THIS RESULTED IN NO SIGNAL, BRAKE AND RUNNING REAR LIGHTS. A RECALL HAS BEEN CALLED FOR BMW E46 3 SERIES FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO COVER THE 5 SERIES AS WELL. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 BMW 5 SERIES, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jan 2012
Apr 2012 Fire

THE 8 PIN CONNECTOR TO THE REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLY MELTED. TURN SIGNAL, BRAKE LIGHT STOPPED WORKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 BMW 528I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: May 2012
Mar 2012

THE WIRE HARNESS CONNECTOR TO THE RIGHT REAR LIGHTS BURNED AND MELTED OUT FOR NO REASON. THE FUSE DID NOT PROTECT THE WIRES CONNECTOR FROM BURNING. ALL THE REAR RIGHTS ARE NON OPERATIONAL. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 BMW 535XI, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Mar 2012
Mar 2012

WARNING CAME ON THAT THE RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT MALFUNCTIONED. WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS THE WARNING WENT AWAY BUT THEN CAME BACK INTERMITTENTLY AND ALSO STATED THAT THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE LIGHT AND TURN SIGNAL HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THESE WARNINGS WERE INTERMITTENT. ABOUT A WEEK LATER THE SIGNALS CAME ON EVERY TIME THE CAR WAS DRIVEN. I LOOKED AT THE LIGHTING HOUSING AND DISCOVERED THAT BOTH THE PLUG AND HOUSING HAD MELTED DUE TO A BROWN WIRE. I WILL BE TAKING THE CAR TO THE SHOP TOMORROW TO GET FIXED BUT IT SEEMS MORE DAMAGE COULD HAVE BEEN DONE UNLESS I DISCOVERED THE EXISTENCE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 BMW 528I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Mar 2012
Nov 2011

MY 2008 BMW 528 XI REAR PASSENGER LIGHTS GROUND WIRE BURNED UP ON 11/11/11 BEING REPLACE TODAY FOR $350 AT VOB BMW IN MARYLAND. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 BMW 528 XI, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Nov 2011
Oct 2011 Fire

GROUND WIRE FOR PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHT BURNED UP. GROUND WIRE, BOTH SIDES OF ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR, AND TAIL LIGHT BULB HOLDER ALL BURNED UP. PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT, TAIL LIGHT, TURN SIGNAL AND BACK UP LIGHT DO NOT FUNCTION AT ALL. IMPROPERLY RATED FUSE DID NOT BLOW BEFORE CIRCUIT BURNED UP AND MELTED. THIS CIRCUIT IS NOT DESIGNED CORRECTLY. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO MYSELF AND ANYONE DRIVING BEHIND ME. CAR MODEL IS A 2008 528XI. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 BMW 5 SERIES, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Nov 2011

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2008 BMW 5 Series has 38 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.