BMW 530e

Where it stands out against its peers

• Air bags: more complaints than 97% of 2018 cars — 45% of its 78 complaints, where an ordinary 2018 car has 6%.
• Seat belts: more complaints than 97% of 2018 cars — 31% of its 78 complaints, where an ordinary 2018 car has 2%.
• Seats: more complaints than 97% of 2018 cars — 18% of its 78 complaints, where an ordinary 2018 car has 2%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

61% of 2021 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 4. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 18V465000

  A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.

  BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft sensor, free of charge. The recall began September 6, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

• 18V652000

  An electrical shock or a fire can increase the risk of injury or death.

  BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the charging cable, and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

• 19V684000

  The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.

  BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.

• 20V243000

  In the event of a crash of sufficient severity, deployment of the head air bag may be impaired and/or the igniter could separate from the inflator, increasing the risk of injury.

  BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left or right head air bag, free of charge. The recall began June 24, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

• 20V601000

  The debris could result in a short-circuit, increasing the risk of fire or injury.

  BMW will inspect and, if necessary, replace the battery module free of charge. The remedy is currently being developed. Until the remedy is completed, drivers are instructed to not charge their vehicles. Drivers are instructed to not drive in manual mode, sport mode, and to not use the shift paddles. Owners were notified of the safety risk October 23, 2020. The recall began November 24, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

• 21V096000

  If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

  BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Pedestrian alert sounds

  Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

BMW filed 51 bulletins about the 2023 530e.

• Electrical system: 15
• Equipment: 10
• Engine and engine cooling: 5
• Steering: 4
• Exterior lighting: 3
• Power train: 3
• Engine: 2
• Fuel system, gasoline: 2
• Structure: 2
• Visibility: 2
• Other: 3

• The high-voltage battery assemblys refrigerant circuit expansion valves limited warranty for defects in materials and/ or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from… · May 2025
• Windshield Cover Return · September 2024
• When the vehicle is started, a Check Control (CC) message such as "Battery not being charged, stopcarefully. Have the vehicle checked immediately at the nearest BMW service center" may appear. The… · September 2024
• No Bass or a cracking noise can be heard from the bass speakers. · July 2024
• At low outside temperatures (below 40 degrees F) and slow driving speeds (i.e. when parking, maneuvering)with a large steering angle, the front end can be slightly axially misaligned. · May 2024
• Quality improvements and robustness measures are to be implemented on the affected vehicles via thissoftware update. The software update improves functions in the following areas of the vehicle:… · May 2024
• In vehicles that are not mapped to a BMW ID, the manual time setting option is not selectable (greyed-out)in the System Settings menu. Time cannot be manually set in the vehicle. · May 2024
• The overhead reading lights are not bright enough on SP21 (Service Pack 2021) vehicles. · May 2024

43 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.