2007 BMW 525I Electrical System Problems

I purchased said automobile from my neighbor for my son to drive. I figured it was a good car to buy because it was serviced by Hendrick BMW (Charlotte, NC) only and regularly. BMW's also have a reputation for being safe as well as reputable so this also weighed into my decision. Fast forward 18 months. The passenger rear brake bulb went out. We replaced the bulb, it worked for a short time, then went out. We replaced the bulb again. This time it didnt work. About a week later the front passenger side head light went out, then the other side. We took it to Hendrick BMW for repair. Hendrick has told us the car wiring basically needs to be replaced due to the protective coat wearing off and corroding the bare wire underneath. The headlights/ brake light will also need to be replaced due to the corrosion blowing...

HEADLIGHT WIRING INSULATION ROT LEAD TO FAILED HIGH AND LOW BEAMS ON DRIVER SIDE AND INTERMITTENT FAILURES OF BOTH BEAMS ON PASSENGER SIDE. SEE PHOTO FOR EXAMPOLE OF DISINTEGRATED WIRING ON DRIVER HIGH BEAM WIRING HARNESS. ONLY KNOWN OPTION IS TO BUY A COMPLETE NEW HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY ($1250+ PER SIDE) OR ATTEMPT DIY. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL-KNOWN AND HAS LONG BEEN REPORTED BY OTHER BMW E60 (5 SERIES 2004-2010) OWNERS AT BIMMERFEST.COM AND 5SRIEST.NET. SEE THESE URLS FOR MORE INFORMATION: HTTPS://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=798640 HTTPS://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=883000 HTTPS://5SERIES.NET/FORUMS/E60-E61-PARTS-ACCESSORIES-MODS-22/OPENING-UP-E60-HEADLIGHTS-138473/

2007 BMW 525I. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE RECALLED POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE CONNECTION. *AS *JS

MY BMW DRIVERS SEAT GET SO HOT IT FEELS LIKE IT'S ABOUT TO CATCH FIRE ( I DON'T HAVE HEATED SEATS } SOMETIMES IN MOTION SOMETIME AFTER I SHUT TI OFF

WENT TO REPLACE MY FRONT HEADLAMP BULBS AFTER HEADLAMP FAILURE WHILE OPERATING MY VEHICLE AT NIGHT, ON A WINDING ROAD, IN RURAL TEXAS. MECHANIC PULLED THE "SEALED" HOUSING, AND DISCOVERED THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE WIRES IN THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY HAD FAULTY INSULATION. THE INSULATION HAD "FLAKED" OFF TO THE POINT THAT MANY OF THE WIRES WERE EXPOSED, CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT, AND FAILURE OF THE HEADLAMP. RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ON MANY FORUMS, AND IT IS A COMMON OCCURRRENCE. REPLACEMENT COSTS OF EACH HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY IS APPROX $1500. THE USE OF SUBPAR INSULATION APPEARS TO BE THE CAUSE OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE.

WHEN I REALIZED A LIGHTBULB IN MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT I BOUGHT THE BULB ONLINE READY TO REPLACE IT. I REALIZED WHEN REPLACING THAT THE WIRES CONNECTING TO THE HEADLIGHTS ARE COMPLETELY FLAKED OFF. SO I WANTED MONEY ON A NEW BULB BECAUSE IT WON'T LIGHT UP REGARDLESS. NOW THIS NOT ONLY CAUSES THE BULB TO NOT WORK BUT IT MESSES WITH THE LIGHTS IN THE WHOLE SIDE OF THE HEADLIGHT. MY ENTIRE LEFT HEADLIGHT TWEAKS. SOMETIMES JUS ONE PARKING LIGHT IS OUT, THEN IT'S THE HIGH BEAM THAT DOESN'T WORK, THEN IT'S THE LOW BEAM. SOMETIMES WHEN I HAVE LOW BEAMS ON THE LEFT HEADLIGHT HAS ITS HIGH BEAMS ON BY ITSELF. ALL THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE I TRIED TO CHANGE A BULB AND THE WIRINGS JUS FLAKED OFF AS SOON AS THEY MOVED OR BENDED A BIT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE MY HEADLIGHT WON'T WORK SOMETIMES AND THAT...

WE WOULD LIKE THE NHTSA TO BE AWARE THAT MYSELF AND A FEW COLLEAGUES OWN BMW AND HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE. BMW HAS PURPOSELY BUILT THESE VEHICLES TO FAIL AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD WHEN A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY WE BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS SPECIFICALLY WITH THE SEALS AROUND ALL ALL WINDOWS INCLUDING WINDSHIELD AND REAR WINDOW AS WELL AS THE SEALS AROUND THE TRUNK, HOWEVER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUNK BMW KEEPS A MAIN COMPONENT BOARD UNDERNEATH THE SPARE TIRE , ONCE THE SEALS BEGIN TO FAIL IT CAUSES WATER AND MOISTURE TO GAIN ACCESS TO THIS COMPARTMENT AND CAUSE THE BOARD TO IGNITE AND CATCH FIRE AND CAUSE CAR TO GO CRAZY WITH ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION, WHY PLACE A MAIN COMPONENT IN THIS LOCATION WITH 10 FEET OF EXTRA WIRE AND NO DRAIN, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT ALL BMW'S OF THE SAME...

BOUGHT THE CAR IN AUG STARTED USING THE SEAT WARMER ABOUT DECEMBER OF 2014. HERE AND THERE UPON USING I'D SMELL SOMETHING BURNING SO I WOULD TURN IT OFF! BUT NOT ALL THE TIME WHEN USING THE WARMER DID I SMELL BURNING! LATE MARCH MY HUSBAND NOTICED A BURN HOLE ON MY DRIERS SEAT, I INSTANTLY REMEMBERED THE BURNING SMELL WHEN SOMETIMES USING THE SEAT HEATER! I'M LUCKY I WAS NOT BURNED BUT MY DRIVER SEAT IS RUINED AND I'M NOW AFRAID TO USE THE HEATERS, EVER! *TR

THE WIRES IN THE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY ARE BRITTLE AND BREAK UPON JUST TOUCHING THEM. CAUSING DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS TO FAIL AS WIRES ARE BARE AND TOUCHING EACH OTHER. THIS IS ALSO A FIRE HAZARD. *TR

THE CAR BEEPS EVERY FEW MILES AND A WARNING LIGHT SHOWS IT NEED AN OIL CHANGE, I HAD JUST GOTTEN A CHANGE, SO THEY CHANGED IT AGAIN, THE NEXT DAY THE BELLS STARTED RINGING AGAIN. ALSO THE GEAR SHIFTER WENT OUT. IT IS STILL RINGING.

TRUNK LOCKING FAILURE. UNABLE TO OPEN TRUNK WITH REMOTE CONTROL OR SWITCH INSIDE THE CAR. I WAS ONLY ABLE TO OPEN THE TRUNK WITH THE KEY OVER-RIDE FROM THE TRUNK. BMW USA CUSTOMER SERVICE DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE TO OPEN THE TRUNK. I HAD TO READ THE MANUAL TO BE ABLE TO OVER-RIDE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. ONCE I OPENED THE TRUNK THE TRUNK WOULD NOT CLOSE. AFTER EXTENSIVE INTERNET RESEARCH AND ELECTRICAL TROUBLE-SHOOTING, I FOUND BROKEN BROWN ELECTRICAL WIRE IN THE TRUNK HARNESS BOOT ABOVE THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. I FOUND SEVERAL CASES POSTED IN THE INTERNET. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BMW. BMW USA CUSTOMER RELATIONS WAS CONTACTED TO REPORT THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND A DESIGN FLOW BUT SHE DID NOT OFFER ANY INTEREST TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BMW TECHNICIANS / ENGINEERS TO INSPECT THE DESIGN FLOW AND PERHAPS THEY CAN PROVIDE A...

I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A CANYON AREA, AND WATER SPILLED OUT OF MY ICE CHEST INTO THE TRUNK BAY, WHERE THE SPARE TIRE IS STORED. APPARENTLY THE ENTIRE CARS COMPUTER AND WIRING IS UNDERNEATH THE SPARE TIRE. THE WATER FRIED MY TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR MODULE, WHICH CAUSED THE COMPUTER TO RESTART. WHEN IT RESTARTED, THE CAR SHOWED A CAR COMPUTER FAILURE. THE CAR HAS SAFETY FEATURES SUCH AS STABILITY CONTROL, AND MANY OTHER SAFETY MODULES CONNECTED TO THE COMPUTER. THE CARS COMPUTER, INSIDE LIGHTS, GAUGES, AND ALL MY SYSTEMS COMPLETELY RESTARTED EVERY 30-45 SECONDS, CAUSING THE CAR TO BE A DANGEROUS TOY. I HAD TO DRIVE DOWN THE MOUNTAIN WITHOUT ANY SAFETY FEATURES ON MY CAR TURNED ON, WHICH MADE IT HARD TO CONTROL. IT WAS VERY UNSTABLE DRIVING, ALL BECAUSE OF A TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR MODULE GOING OUT. I SPENT OVER $55K ON THIS VEHICLE, I DON'T THINK GETTING...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 525I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP. THERE WAS ALSO A VERY LOW POWER RESPONSE WHEN ACCELERATING. THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THEY DETECTED FAILURE WITHIN THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AGAIN. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,000.