There are 14 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2006 BMW 5 Seriesin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
ALL WIRING WITHIN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY IS DETERIORATING AND EXPOSING THE BARE WIRING INTERNAL OF THE ASSEMBLY. THIS IS CAUSING ELECTRICAL SHORTING, ELECTRICAL FAULT CODES, AND OCCASIONAL PERIODS OF INOPERATIVE HEADLIGHTS WHILE DRIVING. THE WIRING ISSUE WAS FIRST NOTED BY MY MECHANIC AROUND FEBRUARY 2019. I HAVE FOUND THRU MY RESEARCH FOR REPAIRS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM.
I OWN A 2006 525I BMW WITH 69K MILES AND MY ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHTS WIRING INSIDE THE LIGHT, THE PROTECTIVE COATING ON ALL THE WIRES ARE ALL DETERIORATING AND GIVING ME A FAULT FOR THE APATIVE HEADLIGHT SYSTEM AND THEY ARE NOT WORKING.
WIRING INSULATION ON HEADLIGHTS IS DISINTEGRATING AND FALLING OFF WIRING CAUSING ELECTRICAL SHORTS AND LOSS OF LIGHTING
THE WIRING ITHIN THE XENON ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE 2006 BMW 530I HAS EXTREME WIRING INSULATION ROT. THE EXPOSED WIRING IS EXTENSIVE ON ALL WIRES WITHIN THE ASSEMBLY ON BOTH SIDES WITH MOST OF THE WIRES NOW BARE. THIS IS CREATING A SEVERE AND DANGEROUS SAFETY AND FIRE HAZARD. I WILL UPLOAD PHOTOS WHEN I DISASSEMBLE THE CAR HEADLIGHTS AGAIN. THE FIRE HAZARD WAS FOUND WHEN REPLACING AN ANGEL EYE HEADLAMP.
INTERNAL HEADLIGHT WIRING INSULATION FLAKING OFF EXPOSING COPPER WIRE CAUSING FAILURE OF PARKING AND DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND POSSIBLE FAILURE OF THE FRONT HEADLIGHT SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE RISK OF FIRE
UPON REPLACING A HEAD LIGHT BULB I NOTICE THAT THE HEADLIGHT WIRING INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING WAS EXPOSED AND THE INSULATION CRUMBLING TO THE TOUCH. MANY WIRES ARE EXPOSED WITHOUT INSULATION THUS CREATING A SHORT CIRCUIT POTENTIAL AND FIRE HAZARD, I HAVE RESEARCHED ABOUT THIS AND IT SEEMS IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BMWS, THERE ARE MANY OWNERS WITH THIS ISSUE. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS BEFORE SOMEONE CAR CATCHES FIRE AND\OR SOMEONE DIES, BMWNA DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE BASED ON ALL THE OWNERS COMPLAINTS AND THEIR NEGATIVE RESPONSE. *TR
I WAS REPLACING A PARKING (ANGEL EYE) BULB IN THE DRIVERS SIDE OF MY 2006 BMW 530I AND NOTICED THAT THE WIRING FOR THE PARKING AND HIGH BEAM BULB WAS SO BRITTLE THAT THE WAS FALLING OFF EXPOSING THE BARE WIRING AND I ALSO NOTED A SMELL OF BURNT PLASTIC. I CHECKED THE FORUMS AND OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME HEADLIGHTS 2004-2010 5 SERIES WERE REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE. BMW IS NOT OFFERING A TSB OR A RECALL FOR THIS. THE LIGHTS IN THIS CASE ARE THE BI-XENON ADAPTIVE LIGHTS. IT APPEARS THE HEAT CREATED BY THE HID UNIT IS CAUSING THE WIRES TO BECOME BRITTLE. I EMAILED BMW USA DIRECTLY AND I WAS JUST REFERRED TO A DEALER. FOR THE TIME BEING I HAVE WRAPPED THE WIRING IN ELECTRICAL TAPE UNTIL I CAN AFFORD TO REPLACE EACH UNIT. I AM AFRAID TO USE MY HIGH BEAMS BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO BLOW ANYMORE BULBS, SHORT OUT MY LIGHTING SYSTEM OR POSSIBLY EVEN START A FIRE. I HAVE CONSIDERED DOWNGRADING THE TYPE OF LIGHTING SYSTEM IN MY CAR BUT THAT WOULD ENTAIL HAVING TO REWIRE THE CAR AND REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER TO RECOGNIZE THE NEW TYPE OF LIGHTING. *TR
ALL HEADLIGHT WIRING SHIELDING HAS DETERIORATED IN THE UNIT CAUSING A SHORTAGE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE NOT ONLY DUE TO THE SHIELDING POSSIBLY CAUSING A FIRE, BUT ALSO AN ISSUE FOR SAFE DRIVING AS THE LIGHTS NO LONGER FUNCTION TO DOT REQUIREMENTS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 525I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 13V56400 (AIR BAG); HOWEVER, THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE AIR BAG WARNING AND REAR LIGHT MALFUNCTION INDICATOR WERE ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000. UPDATED 8/19/14*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER REPAIRED THE INTIAL RECALL. UPDATED 8/28/2014 *JS
THE MESSAGE OF "LEFT BACK-UP LIGHT MALFUNCTION" HAS BEEN COMES AND GOES SINCE THEN. IT IS THE EXACTLY PROBLEM DESCRIBED AS THE RECENT BMW RECALL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 535XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY SHORTED OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DECIDED TO REPLACE ALL THREE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS, REAR DRIVER SIDE REVERSE LIGHT AND BOTH TURN SIGNALS IN THE REAR. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOORS ON THE VEHICLE APPEAR TO CLOSE AND LATCHED AND INADVERTANTLY OPEN. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED OF RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V504000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES: DOORS: LATCH) BUT WAS INFORMED IT ONLY AFFECTED THE 2007 MODEL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000.
DO YOU HAVE ANY STUDIES INVOLVING THE BRIGHT HEAD LIGHTS AND ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY THESE HEADLIGHT?. *NM
I WAS DRIVING A NEW BMW M5 IN CHICAGO ON LOWER LAKE SHORE DRIVE (THE BRIDGE OVER THE CHICAGO RIVER.) AT APPROXIMATLY 30-35 MILES/HOUR THE CAR WAS NOT CONTROLLABLE AND THIS RESULTED IN TO A MAJOR CRASH WITH SIGNIFICANT INJURY, SEVERAL DEVICES WERE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY INCLUDING THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR-BAGS. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS AND DURING THIS TIME I DID NOT EXPERIENCE EVEN A MINOR ACCIDENT NOR DID I EVER RECEIVE A TICKET FOR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION. *JB
THE TAILLIGHTS OF BMWS (MADE IN ABOUT THE LAST THREE YEARS), SOME LEXUS (STARTING ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO) AND SOME CADILLACS (STARTING ABOUT A YEAR AGO) USE LEDS THAT ARE MODULATED ON AND OFF. THESE CAN BECOME A DISTRACTION AT NIGHT WHEN MOVING ONE'S EYES QUICKLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. IT CAN GIVE THE ILLUSION THAT THERE ARE MORE CARS ON THE HIGHWAY THAN THERE ARE.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026