The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighNHTSA·13V407000·Announced 2013-09-11

BMW Recalls 2008-2010 Models for Taillight Electrical Contact Issues

BMW is recalling 2008-2010 528i, 535i, 550i, and M5 vehicles because increased electrical resistance may cause rear lamp failure, reducing visibility to other drivers.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall addresses a defect that increases the risk of a crash due to reduced visibility, but the source text does not report any specific injuries or fatalities, fitting the 'High' severity criteria for risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported.

Plain-English summary

BMW of North America, LLC is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2010 528i, 535i, 550i, and M5 passenger cars. These vehicles were manufactured between March 1, 2007, and December 31, 2009. The recall involves approximately 134,100 vehicles.

Over time, increased resistance at the taillight electrical contact points may cause damage to the ground terminal and housing of the connector. This damage can result in an intermittent or permanent loss of functionality for one or more rear lamp functions, including tail, brake, turn-signal, and reverse lights. Intermittent light operation reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions, which increases the risk of a crash.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear lamp bulb carriers free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email [email protected]. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or visit www.safercar.gov.

The recalled product

Product
BMW 535I, 550I, 528I, M5
Brand
BMW
Manufacturer
BMW of North America, LLC
Category
Vehicle — Passenger Car
Hazard
Affected units
134,100

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (4)

  • 535I
  • 550I
  • 528I
  • M5

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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