2011 BMW 5 Series Problems

What owners report

Complaints on this model year cluster heavily around the first few thousand miles: owners describe a steady pull to the right and, on cars with the sport package and 19-inch run-flat tires, repeated sidewall bubbles. Later-mileage reports are more scattered — transmission hesitation from a stop, fuel-system warnings and stalling, and occasional electrical or cooling faults — but the early steering and tire themes dominate the sample.

1. 1
   Tires

   Sidewall bubbles on 19-inch run-flat tires

   • 24 complaints (30%)
   • median 3,000 mi at 0.7 yrs old (22 state mileage)
   • filed 2011–2012

   Owners of cars with the sport package and 19-inch run-flat tires report bulges or bubbles appearing in the sidewalls, often after minor road imperfections such as small potholes or manhole covers. Complaints describe repeated replacements within the first several thousand miles, tires going out of stock, and dealers either replacing the tire or declining to say whether it is safe to keep driving on it. Reported at very low mileage, commonly under about 10,000 miles and sometimes within a few hundred miles of new.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Inspect all four sidewalls carefully for bulges, especially on 19-inch sport-package cars, and ask how many tires have been replaced. Consider whether the wheel-and-tire setup suits the roads you drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2011 Bmw 550xi has goodyear eagle ls 2 run flats, 245/40. I took delivery of the car in june 2011 and have had repeated bubbles on the front tires. Four tires have been replaced to date. I have never had an issue with tires for the last 20 years. The Bmw dealer is not able to say whether it is dangerous to drive on tires with bubbles.”

   NHTSA complaint #10437460, filed 2011-11, 3,200 miles

   “Last april I purchased a Bmw 550ix. In march of this year while on the freeway I developed a flat tire. I was able to run the vehicle 40 miles to my home with the tire flat but had to flatbed the vehicle to my car repair store to replace the tire. That tire had a bubbled sidewall at the time of the flat although I cannot say that the bubbled sidewall was where the tire failed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10455993, filed 2012-04, 13,000 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Vehicle pulls to the right / steering drift

   • 14 complaints (17%)
   • median 75 mi at 0.0 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • filed 2010–2011

   Owners describe the car wanting to drift right on its own, requiring constant left correction to hold a lane, and say it was present from the first miles after delivery. Complaints mention repeated alignments, tire and strut-tower swaps, software updates and, in some cases, steering-column or valve-block replacement, with owners reporting the pull returning afterward. Several say the dealer acknowledged the symptom but had no remedy at the time. Mostly reported within the first few thousand miles, often within days of delivery, and described as constant rather than intermittent.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Drive the car on a straight, level road at highway speed with hands light on the wheel and see whether it tracks right. Ask for alignment printouts and any steering software or component repairs already performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Bmw 2011 535i - vehicle pulls to right immediately after letting hand of steering wheel. I purchased the vehicle on 12/31/2011 new and it has been in the shop since 1/2/11. It was released to me today with the problem not being fixed. Issue is a safety issue as it can pull vehicle into lane with out driver turning wheel.”

   NHTSA complaint #10374690, filed 2011-01, 1,874 miles

   “Car pulls to the right. Does not steer linear. It is hard to determine where the car is going with this pull. It drives like this all the time. It is especially difficult in wet weather. It has been like this since I purchased it new. The dealer has tried rotating tires and rotating strut towers, but no resolve. The dealer told me it's a steering software problem in which they have no fix for.”

   NHTSA complaint #10354009, filed 2010-09, 75 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Hesitation or delayed acceleration from a stop

   • 10 complaints (12%)
   • median 65 mi at 0.8 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2011

   Owners describe a lag when pulling away from a stop, followed by the car surging forward once more throttle is applied, and some report harsh downshifts or a bump felt when slowing. Complaints say dealers called the behavior normal, reset adaptation values or suggested sport mode, and in several cases no repair was made. Reported from very low mileage, often under about 1,500 miles, and described as repeatable every time the car is driven.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test several starts from a standstill, including a turn into traffic, and note whether the car responds promptly or hesitates and then surges. Ask whether any transmission software updates have been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After purchasing a new 2011 Bmw 528i (vehicle) I noticed an acceleration lag starting out from a dead stop. It has become a safety concern, especially when trying to turn onto a street from a stop sign. It crawls into the roadway when moderate pressure is applied to the gas pedal. If oncoming traffic is close this results in having to stomp on the gas pedal causing the car to jerk ahead at an unexpected rate of speed. I have had a few close calls because of this issue. Took car to dealer. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10418347, filed 2011-08, 1,200 miles

   “Bmw 528i throttle lag/tip in/delayed acceleration from a standing stop;constant problem;have been told by Bmw dealer that this is normal.it is very annoying and am fearful it could lead to safety issue.this is a brand new 2011 model with less than 500 miles on odometer.”

   NHTSA complaint #10419477, filed 2011-08, 65 miles
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Engine stall with fuel-system and engine warnings

   • 6 complaints (7%)
   • median 2,984 mi at 0.1 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2010–2023

   Complaints describe the engine cutting out or losing power while driving, with fuel-pump or engine malfunction messages on the dash, sometimes accompanied by shaking and a loss of steering assist. Owners report fuel sensors and high- and low-pressure fuel pumps being replaced, and one later report describes a timing chain failure diagnosed after a stall. Reported at low mileage in most cases, typically within the first few thousand miles, with a few reports at 40,000 miles or more.

   Recall 10V331000Recall 23V7070003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for service history on fuel pumps, the in-tank fuel module and the fuel level sensor, and check that the fuel gauge reads and moves correctly through a fill. Note any stored engine or fuel-pressure fault codes during a pre-purchase scan.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The first time it happened, my wife drove our 2011 Bmw 535i to work and the fuel gauge was reading half tank. It's only approx. 20 miles to work round trip to our house but when she came back home the fuel gauge was almost empty and flashing warning light fuel refill is showing. I drove the car for the past few days and I noticed that the fuel gauge indicator seemed to be staying all the time at half tank reading. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10353634, filed 2010-09, 1,320 miles

   “I bought a 2011 Bmw 535i 3 weeks ago. Upon driving on local streets, the car stopped abruptly from 30mph to 0mph. My car has under 2000 miles on it. Stuck in the middle of an intersection, with fuel pump malfunction , and engine malfunction on the onboard dash. I hit my head on the steering wheel when this occurred. I was also carrying a 5 gallon square container of water that was capped and sealed in the trunk. During the abrupt stop of the car, about 1/2 a gallon of water spilled into the trunk. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10346220, filed 2010-07, 1,900 miles

Buying note. Ask for the full service history and verify open recalls by VIN before purchase, since several of the common complaints here are covered by recall or bulletin work. A careful test drive at highway speed plus a sidewall inspection and a fault-code scan will surface most of what owners report.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.