Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 BMW 535i owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 BMW 535i. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH, when warning message of "engine hot and drive moderately" was illuminated on the instructional panel. The contact was able to park on the side of the road and then saw smoke exiting the front passenger side of the hood. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with a bottle of water she had in hand. No fire or police report was filed. The contact was currently waiting to have the vehicle towed to her residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired as of yet. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of failure. The failure mileage was 138,000.
While driving, the car stopped accelerating and a transmission malfunction warning came up on. The fan on the engine also came on very loud and there was lots of exhausted coming out. I drove slowly to a shop. Once at the shop they stated they could not get the car to shift into gear. They did diagnostics on it and said it was a shift module that needed replaced, I had it replaced and it did not fix the problem. They then said it needed a reset that could only be done at the BMW dealership. BMW performed the reset and that did not fix the problem. BMW diagnosed that the transmission pump was out and a $9K transmission needed to be replaced. The car continues to not be drivable, not stay in gear. It has also started spitting out milky substance from the exhaust like the coolant is leaking into engine. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 BMW 535i. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, smoke emitted from the outside rear of the vehicle and the engine coolant warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The technician informed the contact that the rear passenger's side tail light wires had failed and were completely burned. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign id numbers: 13V407000 (exterior lighting) and 12e029000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in either of the recalls. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Engine malfunction-driving with reduced power notice. Have previously been told that "service engine" light and shaking and stalling during acceleration was due to ignition coils. I have had those replaced and after replacing those the water pump failed and left me stranded on interstate....vehicle shut down while driving 70 MPH. Was able to coast to safety. Now engine malfunction. From looking at recall information it appears that I should have been notified to issues with water pump and replacement but was never contacted. BMW should be held accountable to customer who paid for service that was obviously not the real issue.
Driving if freeway 65 MPH, all the sudden car stalled lost power I drove it off the freeway the steering wheel was very hard to turn, try to startup the car did not start called aaa for tow truck after 15 min I start the car, start fined and no problem, to BMW USA made appointment with BMW dealer 4 days later was available for service, the day before my appointment, after dropped my daughter the car stalled in middle of the street cause bad traffic called tow truck again waited after 15 min started everything was fined but I tow it to BMW dealer to check it. Idrive should fuel pump once flashed. This is very dangerous .
BMW clearly states that this vehicle had a recall on the fuel injectors and related components and when the recall was completed it states that a emblem to mark completed is placed under the hood. Although, this is not on my vehicle nor does it show being completed on any type of information. BMW is very secretive about all issues on the vehicles that they manufacturer. In fact, most all BMW dealerships service departments do their very best too make you pay for non issues and will not repair what is really found to be the issue. If needed, I can give you at least two that I am very familiar with about this matter.
The electric water pump failed. The system did not show any visible warning on the dashboard at time of failure even though the ECU registered a failure code internally when it detected that the pump had stopped working (as compared to mileage/timestamps from diagnostic codes at the time of failure). Some time later suddenly the system displayed an engine overheat warning and lost power in the middle of the road. Driving at about 35-40mph on a local highway.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 BMW 5351. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The contact was informed of a misfire cylinder # 2. The vehicle was not repaired. An unknown dealer was contacted and stated the vehicle was not subjected to a recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
While driving at 45 MPH, yellow warning light indicating the car was overheating came on. A few seconds later the light turned red and indicated to stop the vehicle and shut the engine off. Vehicle lost all power and I came to a stop. It was towed to the shop and I was informed that the water pump and thermostat needed to be replaced adding that it was a common failure in the BMW. Vehicle had recently been serviced at BMW dealer.
Currently having issues with a wastegate rattle on turbos. Rough engine idle. Having multiple misfires, and stuck open fuel injectors. Causing tailpipes to excessively smoke (white color) while going into limp mode could not go past 20mph and surging. Issues happen when stationary and while driving. Had to get vehicle towed home. 'fuel injector recall 16e-a01 'hpfp recall- could not find number 'turbo recall- could not find number
Engine complaints in other 535i years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2008 BMW 535i?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2008 BMW 535i, 36% of the model year's 74 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2008 BMW 535i engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2008 BMW 535i, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 BMW 535i engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.