2003 BMW 530I Electrical System Problems

THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE ON 9/4/18, AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE INSIDE THE ENGINE BAY. CAR WAS DRIVEN SEVERAL MILES TO A STORE. THE PASSENGERS WERE EXITING THE CAR WHEN THEY SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. THEN THEY NOTICED SMOKE AND FLAMES EXTENDING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THE FIRE STARTED IN THE PASSENGER SIDE AND WAS EXTINGUISHED BEFORE THE DRIVERS SIDE ALSO CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE INSULATION ON PASSENGER SIDE WIRING HARNESS IS COMPLETELY BURNT, AND NUMEROUS OTHER ITEMS INCLUDING THE FIBERGLASS BODY. THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 215000 MILES ON IT, AND WAS WELL MAINTAINED. NO RECENT REPAIRS HAD BEEN MADE TO THE ENGINE. NO SMELLS OF GASOLINE, OIL, OR PLASTIC BURNING WERE EVIDENT BEFORE THE MOMENT THE FIRE STARTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNKNOWN TO US AT THIS TIME.

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 BMW 530I, WHILE I WAS DRIVING I USED THE VOLUME CONTROL ON THE STEERING WHEEL TO TURN THE RADIO DOWN, AFTER DEPRESSING THE BUTTON IMMEDIATELY I SMELLED AND RECOGNIZED THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. I PULLED OVER, AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES I TURNED THE IGNITION AND PROCEEDED TO INSPECT THE CAR. THE VOLUME CONTROLS DID NOT WORK ANY MORE ALONG WITH THE HORN DOES NOT BLOW ANYMORE. ACTUALLY WHEN I DEPRESS THE HORN IT MAKES THE STEERING WHEEL RISE UP AND DOWN. THE AIRBAG LIGHT FLICKERS OFF AND ON. MY RADIO WORKS SPORADICALLY. I CALLED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AND ASKED ABOUT ANY RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE AFTER SEEING A POSTING ONLINE ABOUT AIRBAG MALFUNCTIONING. THIS SEEMED TO FIT MY SITUATION HOWEVER THE GENTLEMEN WHO TOOK MY CALLED SAID THERE WAS NO RECALLS ON THIS MODEL..... THIS WAS...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY FAILED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED YET THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE AND FOUND THAT A CABLE AND WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CABLE AND BATTERY WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY FAILED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED AT THAT TIME BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED AND DISCOVERED THAT THE BATTERY CABLES WERE FAULTY. THE BATTERY AND BATTERY CABLES WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

I HAVE A 2003 530I BMW WITH 100K MILES ON IT THE HEATED SEAT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE HAS BURNED THOUGHT THE SEAT, THIS WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE 7 SERIES SEATS (WHICH ARE THE SAME SEATS AND THEY WERE RECALLED.) THE ISSUE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLES. THERE WAS A VERY STRONG BURNING SMELL, RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND IT IS VERY COMMON WITH THIS MODEL. I ALSO HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS A VERY WELL KNOWN SAFETY CONCERN THAT THE PIXELS GO OUT ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND THE MID. ALSO THE BACK DOORS HAVE A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM WHERE WATER POOLS IN THE BACK SEAT. *TR

PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT OWNERSHIP OF VEHICLE WITH PLASTIC PARTS AND WIRING OF VEHICLE, A 2003 BMW 530I. WIRING TO BRAKE LIGHTS WHICH WERE REPAIRED EARLY ON UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 97,000 MILES. MOST OF THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE 50,000 MILE MARK. I DRIVE 20,000 MILES PER YEAR TO AND FROM WORK. ANOTHER PROBLEM INCLUDED THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DROPPING ACCELERATION TO JUST A FEW MILES PER HOUR. WITH MY PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, I MADE IT UP A HILL AND PULLED OVER. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE AND RESTARTING, MY VEHICLE PERFORMED NORMALLY. THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE UNDERWIRE HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND PRESENTED A SAFETY ISSUE. THE COST OF THIS SERVICE WAS AROUND TWO-THOUSAND DOLLARS. I'VE YET TO DO THE SERVICE AND HAVE PUT MANY THOUSANDS OF MILES ON THE VEHICLE SINCE. THE CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS WERE FOUND...

WHILE DRIVING AIR CONDITIONER SMELLED OF A STRONG ODOR COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, AND SMOKE STARTED TO COME THE FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, AND IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK