Most common 2011 BMW 535xi problems
Share of the 35 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
BMW 535xi complaints by model year
Best 535xi years: 2010, 2012. Years to avoid: 2008, 2011. Compare all years →
What 2011 BMW 535xi owners say
Wheels & tires
I purchased a 2011 BMW 535i xdrive vehicle with Goodyear Eagle ls runflats 245/40 r19. The car has only 19,000 miles and from the day that I purchased it (in feb 2011), I have had to replace the front tires 8 times and recently the rear tires 2 times. A total of 10 tire replacements. Some replacements were due to bubbles on sidewalls. The others were due what appeared to be cuts on the inside/outside sidewalls. I have spoken to many BMW owners of similar vehicle and everyone is running into the same problem. Goodyear initially was replacing my tires at no charge becasue they tire damage always was within tire warranty window until last year when they changed their road hazzard warranty policy and no longer cover the expense. These are very expensive tires. Something has to be done about these tires.....
I bought this 2011 model BMW 535ix in March 2011, and it came with Goodyear Eagle ls/2 rof tires. The front tire started to develop a bubble on the side wall and lose air pressure. A few days later a crack was found on the rear tire. The vehicle has only been on the road for 6,000 miles when the issue occurred. The worse thing yet is that even though the tires are under road hazard warranty, all tires that come with this car are in national backorder which means consumer has no way to get the same OEM tire. This tire/wheel set shall be recalled by BMW as it appears to be design flaw on BMW's side according numerous online complaints and BMW forums. The same tire is used by many other different car makers and there is no problem with them.
Transmission & drivetrain
While driving drive train light comes on, made appointment and was informed that the left cv joint boot was torn and leaking. Had it fixed on October 2016, paid over $1700. In September 2017 drive train light comes on again, was informed that the left and the right cv joint boots were torn/leaking had it repaired and this time it cost $4094. Noticed that there was a recall for the rear cv joint and want to know if the front should be included in the recall.
After bringing my car to BMW of buena park to take care of a couple of recalls, a couple of miles after I get on the freeway at about 60 MPH the car lost power and I heard the emergency sound on my dashboard, the emergency light came on and a message on my screen saying ' drive moderately, maximum drive train output not available' the car did not stop but lost lots of power
Engine & cooling
I was driving 60 MPH when the engine seized. The rpms fell to 0 and the steering wheel became very stiff. I pulled on the side of the road tried to start the car, nothing happened and I had to call the tow truck. None of the lights came on. Everything looked fine and very misterious. After the mechanics disassembled the engine they said that apparently cylinder number six seized. At the time when this happened, the oil was at he max level, as well as antifreeze, the temperature was normal. My mechanic assumes that it seized because of loss of pressure, which is weird because as I was told there are 2 pressure sensors in this type of engine (n55). This is very frustrating and pricey repair, which ran over $7,000. My car has 90K miles and I've been taking very good care of it. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 BMW 535xi. After the vehicle had been parked for three weeks, it failed to start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (erhard BMW bloomfield, 1845 s telegraph rd, bloomfield hills, mi 48302, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the vanose housing bolt fractured inside the engine. The dealer indicated that the engine assembly needed to be replaced. The manufacturer stated that an unknown recall repair was completed in 2016 by BMW of ann arbor (501 auto mall dr, ann arbor, mi 48103, [phone]) and provided no solution other than advising that the part be replaced. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 BMW 535xi a good car?
Based on 35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 535xi rates use caution: 1.9× as many complaints as a typical year of the 535xi at the same age. It is one of the 535xi years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 BMW 535xi?
The wheels & tires — 14 complaints, 40% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (7) and engine & cooling (6).
How many recalls does the 2011 BMW 535xi have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2011 BMW 535xi. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the BMW 535xi?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2008 and 2011. See the full BMW 535xi years comparison.
At what mileage do 2011 BMW 535xi problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 19,000 miles; 62% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.