Avoid 2011 F10's because they are the first model year for this car. We see the most complaints coming from 2011 F10 owners.

2013's and up is your best bet

Common issues with the 535:

Increase battery drain issue (affects all models)
Possible Fuel pump related issues
Pulling to the right issue (mostly 2011 problem)

Other than that the 535 seems to be a pretty solid car. You don't hear too many people complain about major repairs here.

Alan

 

2011 535i search throttle lag or tip in delay ..... BMW refused to fix mine ...... So dumped the car ....

 

Search on injectors as well.

 

I have a 06' M6 but was looking to tone it down to a more acceptable 'family' car but still want to have a car that might somewhat satisfy my driving thrill.

Be aware that on the 5-series the sport suspension options varied each year from 2011-2013. 2011 and 2012 had dynamic/adjustable damper and anti-roll options (I think, I don't have one of these). 2013 added the passive/nonadjustable M-sport (704) suspension option, and also had the optional Dynamic Handling Package (adjustable dampers and antiroll bars).

If the suspension feel is a high priority for you, that may dictate which model year you go for.

 

Yes, for MY '13 the Dynamic Damper Control was a individual option with the M Sport package which I have on my car.

 

You will get lots of replies from people who have some issues - its the nature of a forum like this. Overall, I think they are good cars. The most pervasive issue, in my view, is that the run-flats are hard and are prone to causing rim deterioration or bending when you hit a modest pothole. The other issue most people complain about is turbo lag, although if you want performance, the engine is very tuneable and performance tunes from Dinan to Burger provide improved results... that are very noticeable. Go for a 2012 or up and watch for real adjustable dampers as an option.

 

Run flats dont cause the rims to bend. Low profile tires do.

Turbo lag ? Peak torque (or very near) at 1200 RPM's.

The dampers are adjustable in all yearsw DHP.

Dont buy the car w/o DHP if you do any type of spirited driving or you will be disappointed.

 

550 mileage is a concern? Here's my mileage from a recent round trip from Boulder to Beaver Creek (yay ski season).

Is that poor mileage?

Sent from BimmerApp mobile app

 

550 mileage is a concern? Here's my mileage from a recent round trip from Boulder to Beaver Creek (yay ski season).
View attachment 413045

Is that poor mileage?

Sent from BimmerApp mobile app

Thats pretty impressive I might expand my search maybe a little bit. I have always been tempted to consider 550. Thanks for sharing

 

Really appreciate everyone's comments. Based on everyone's responses, I think ill probably look for a 2012 or earlier 535i or 550 to fit my budget. I think all cars have some little problems as long as its not something major and hopefully covered by the warranty

 

No doubt that city driving is going to drive the mileage down on a 550, but I've taken four trips that were mostly highway but a little city driving and got 27.4 on every one of the trips.

I do not agree that the car has turbo lag. What it has is transmission hiccups and a simple throttle delay under certain conditions. On the 550 it is only from a dead stop for about the first 50 feet while it decides whether it wants to start in second gear or jump down to first. The 2014 528 loaner I recently had did not have this problem.

 

In reference to issues with run flat tires. The ride quality can be unbearable, but Bridgestone has a Potenza 960 A/S and a 970 A/S that use the same side wall technology. I am thrilled with how well my new RFT's ride. Bumps in the road are unnoticeable. Thankfully there now is a RFT solution for our plight. We love the quickness of the 535i sedan, but there is a wonderful burst of power from our 550i GT. Both are enjoyable in their own right. Best of luck. The F10 is an executive sedan, and is quite a large machine. You should drive both power plants.

 

I intend to purchase a 2011 535 at some point next year...every time I do a little research on this forum everyone is suggesting to go with a 2012 and up. My goal is to stay under 40K out the door so a 2012 is almost not an option unless I go with a 528...it seems that I can get a 2012 or even 2013 528 in the same range as what some of the 2011 535s are going for so I'm almost tempted to get a later model 528 with fewer miles and more remaining warranty.....but anyway, I'm assuming that if I went with a certified 2011 purchased from a BMW dealership that all of these common issues would have likely been fixed right?

 

Not necessarily ..... BMW dealer and escalating to BMWNA refused to update software to fix my maddening throttle delay issue ...... it was unsafe leaving like a sitting duck pulling into traffic

 

I started reading this forum years ago when I was considering buying a 2011 535i. I ended up buying a 328i convertible which sadly resulted in a BMW buyback. I often wonder if I bought the first year F10 if I would have had the same results. When I needed a replacement for the convertible, I decided to take chance, shift gears and go for the more luxurious and practical 535i.

I ordered my car and got a January 2012 production date. After reading the horror stories from others, this seems to be about the time period that BMW corrected many of the first year bugs in the F10. Luckily, I have not experienced any of the pulling to the right, hesitation, drivetrain malfunctions or numerous other complaints repeated over and over here “knock on wood”. The only service visits I have had was to replace the battery (which failed prematurely), install a new run-flat tire (which was destroyed by a giant hole in the highway) and an oil change.

My advice, like others here, would be to stay away from an F10 prior to the 2012 model year, especially if it is being sold by an independent dealer, not a CPO or looks too good to be true.

I average 19.8 mpg in the city in normal driving. On one highway trip, I averaged 32.2 mpg at 69 mph average speed over 356 miles in ECO Pro mode. I thought that was impressive for a car this size with two adults and a fully loaded trunk.

 

I have a 2011 550 with 47,500 miles and the only problem I had was the drive train malfunction, which they fixed under warranty. I must be an exception because I haven't had any issues. I did change out the run flats to regular tires and have a spare in the trunk. I also put lowering springs on but not due to the ride quality but due to the fact the car looked to high for me.