BMW 535i Fuel System Problems

Fuel System complaints by model year

Which parts fail

• Delivery › Fuel pump
  6

Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  2723%
• 25k–50k
  98%
• 50k–75k
  2522%
• 75k–100k
  2219%
• 100k–150k
  3127%
• 150k+
  11%

What owners report

My 2013 BMW 535i (VIN [redacted] ) caught fire spontaneously while parked, turned off, and unoccupied on 11/18/2025 in Westbury, NY. A passerby saw smoke and called 911. Nassau County Police and the Westbury Fire Department responded. Firefighters informed me at the scene that the fire was mechanical in origin. The vehicle was completely off and had been parked for about 20 minutes. I was not in or near the car. The fire originated under the hood. This matches known fire patterns in BMW 5-series models from this generation involving electrical/engine components, even though my VIN shows no open recalls. The previous owner did not register the car, so any recall notices may not have reached them. The vehicle is a total loss.

While driving on the free way my brand new 535i had a drivetrain malfunction and the check engine light came on while losing power and slowing down all while shaking. Pushing the accelerator the car would not gain speed. When I called BMW they said to stop at the nearest BMW dealership which I did. After exiting the car would not shift out of first gear and refused to go faster than 20 miles an hour shaking the whole way to the dealer. They had my car for a week before saying they needed to replace the high pressure fuel pump then run more tests and that was 2 weeks ago. The fact that they would put someone back in that car is disturbing as though they do not care about their customers or families or even the other drivers around us as I was nearly rear-ended on the freeway.

The contact owns a 2012 BMW 535I. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled as the drivetrain malfunction warning message flashed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up after multiple attempts. The contact had a friend replace the battery; however, the failure persisted. The contact then had the vehicle towed to a dealer where they diagnosed the vehicle with a defective fuel pump. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V746000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) which she linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified and informed her that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2012 BMW 535I. The contact stated while driving approximately 50-55 MPH, the engine overheated and the vehicle shutoff. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was restarted. The contact continued to drive to her residence. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V746000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was due to the fuel pump and the water pump. The water pump and fuel pump were replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000. The VIN was not available.

My car suddenly shut off when I came to a stop at a red light while on a busy state route. The information cluster then began to read "Fuel supply" and "Battery Discharge" My car would not turn back on and still has not turned back on since and it's been over a month now. According to the OBD results, the fuel pump and injectors were somehow seized and therefore have caused the car to become inoperable. I was forced to spend over $1000 just to get my car out of the police tow yard and towed to my home because I could not afford the cost of the repairs needed. The NHSTA website states that there is a recall on both the fuel system and the electrical system for my exact vehicle, but according to my Vin search results, there are 0 recalls. That doesn't make sense. I had just got my new inspection done maybe a month prior to my car breaking down.

Been fixing an unknown issue due to fuel presure, loss of engine power and car gets extra hot but doesn't over heat, I have fixed the issue more on 2 different occasions. I didn't pass the smog text so that's when I was told to check for any recalls, now the issues returned with same problems and probably won't pass smog again. I have all recorded from all the years of maintenance and I'm very diligent on on time maintenance or if theirs is any kind of malfunction. I'm now addressing the situation to you as I believe that there's something wrong that's beyond my control. I've also encountered other people with same vehicle with similar issues.

I was told by BMW that the high pressure fuel pump for these vehicles are under warranty for 100,000 miles or 10 years. I just purchased the vehicle to not only drive from new jersey to New York and shut down. Since then it caused an accident and the used dealer is just ignoring everything. I was also told there's an electric water pump class action suit and also something with the trunk leaking. Now I do know that a vehicle is not supposed to be sold without recalls being stated and fixed. I'm already paid 10k for the car and then 1k for a starter . The vehicle is in the body shop having body repair due to the engine shutting down. If the engine shuts down it displays fuel pump malfunction and within 20-30 mins will start again. …

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 BMW 535i. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle while in traffic but it failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. On another occasion, the contact stated that the passenger rear side of the vehicle dropped closer to the road and was dragging while driving. The contact coasted over to the side of the road but did not notice what caused the failure. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the hydraulic detached and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to nalley BMW of decatur dealer, located at 1606 church st, decatur, ga 30033, [phone], for the stalling failure and it was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. …

Related recalls (1)