Total Complaints
5 filings
BMW 535I · model year
1991 BMW 535I
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1991BMW535I carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1991 535I is air bags with 1 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 1991 535I. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
5
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010322ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
CONSUMER HAD REPLACED MOST OF ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM PARTS. EACH TIME THAT TAKES VEHICLE TO DEALER THEY WILL REPLACE A PART, AND PRESENTLY, VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE FIXED AGAIN.*AK
20000724ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED THE STARTER TO BURN UP, RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE LOOSING ALL POWER WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. NLM
20000426ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER A FEW TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. BUT PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. *AK
20000115POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
19990817AIR BAGS
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON BECAUSE OF A WIRE BURNING OUT. DEALER SAYS IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SHORTLY AFTER WIRE WAS REPLACED, THE WARNING LIGHT CAME BACK ON. DEALER SAID IT WAS THE CONTACT RING LOCKING TAB. *AK
Compare 1991BMW535I to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1991 BMW 535I have?▼
The 1991 BMW 535I has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 BMW 535I?▼
The most-complained component for the 1991 BMW 535I is AIR BAGS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1991 BMW 535I safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.