Total Complaints
5 filings
BMW 535I · model year
1991 BMW 535I
5 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports 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). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 1991 535I. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1991 BMW 535I; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.