We bought it in july, put 17000 miles on it, and the fuel pump has had various issues three times causing the engine to die. We called the dealer today and he was very apologetic and gave us a x5 to drive for now, and is getting us a brand new 535xi via lemon law

is this an isolated incident?

what kind of gas were you using?


Good luck, hope the new one won't let you down!

is this an isolated incident?

what kind of gas were you using?


Good luck, hope the new one won't let you down!What do you mean by isolated? It happened 3 seperate times, the 3rd time on the way home from the dealer after it was "repaired".

We only use premium.

What do you mean by isolated? It happened 3 seperate times, the 3rd time on the way home from the dealer after it was "repaired".

We only use premium.


I meant to ask whether you are the only one that this happened to or this is something that happens to 535s :)

and yea, I can't even imagine how bad this must suck, hang in there!

I just had my fuel pump replaced in my 08 535i a couple of weeks ago. The car was having difficulty during cold starts....it cranked for over 2 seconds before finally starting. After the dealer replaced the fuel pump, all was good. Lately, I've been having symptoms of a similar nature. It's not taking as long to turn over on cold starts, but it seems like it's not instantaneous either. I'll probably go a few more weeks to see what happens....I may have to bring it back....

I have had my fuel pump replaced too. And my tail lights. Not just bulbs, but the whole system went out. They told me that this is a common problem with the new '08 tail lights. They tried to replaces the bulbs, and they still wouldn't work. Now I am taking it in for a bad brake sensor.

is this an isolated incident?

what kind of gas were you using?


Good luck, hope the new one won't let you down!

The type of fuel used doesn't matter. Although I only use premium for performance reasons, the manual clearly states that 87 can be used on this car.

The high-pressure fuel pump issue is not yet resolved. It's a very big deal. I've done maybe 10+ pump replacements and the rest of the techs have probably changed close to as many. BMW has developed a test procedure within their equipment that is supposed to be able to determine if the pump is failing/has failed, but it simply doesn't work reliably. BMW is now rejecting warranty claims submitted by dealerships for HPP replacement if that replacement wasn't specifically authorized through the test procedure...even if the new pump fixed the problem! I am generally pretty understanding about manufacturing issues or supplier issues with regard to component failure. It happens to all manufacturers across the board. It's all about how the manufacturer deals with these issues. Right now the focus seems to be on trying to convince dealers that there is nothing wrong with the pumps, or on trying to delay an avalanche of replacements rather than on fixing the cars. I'm glad the OP brought a buy-back situation to BMW over his 5. Sometimes that's what it takes...

I have a 2008 535i. My fuel pump went out last month. My active steering control panel went out last week and had to be replaced

Perfect! You shouldn't have any issues for a long, long time. The SZL (steering column electronics component just in front of the steering wheel) is also an issue...though it won't leave you stranded by itself. Once it's replaced and the vehicle software updated, you're good to go. The active steering control unit is a different animal and in my experience rarely fails. The SZL is responsible for a lot of information directly relevant to the function of 'active steering', and when the SZL fails it almost always causes the check control message, "Active Steering Malfunction!".
If the HPP and SZL were replaced at one visit, you really should be trouble-free for quite some time (for a BMW anyways).
Enjoy!

The fuel pump issue started over a year ago. I picked up one of the first 08's as a replacement for a 2006 325 that ate an engine at 12,000 miles. We had the car a week before it left her and took a month to fix waiting for parts. Amazing that it is still an issue.