2022 heralds the last of the seventh generation BMW 5 series luxury sedans, which include the 2022 BMW 530i. Generally highly regarded, the four-cylinder 530i, like many BMWs, features a German ZF transmission. Unfortunately, this component is the cause of problems for 2022 530i owners. Other NHTSA complaints relate to the sunroof exploding and faulty airbags.
Most Common Problems with the 2022 BMW 530i
The most common problems 2022 BMW 530i owners are reporting to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) relate to the transmission. Other faulty components mentioned in complaints are the airbags and glass sunroof.
There is also a recall that affects several 2022 BMW vehicles including the 530i. This involves the transmission manufactured by ZF Friedrichshafen, commonly known as Zahnradfabrik or simply ZF.
2022 BMW 530i Complaint Summary
Complaint Category
Number of Complaints
Unknown Or Other
2
2
Air Bags
1
1
Power Train
1
1
Transmission Problems
While driving at about 50-60 mph, the owner of a 2022 BMW 530i received two error messages, “Drivetrain Malfunction” and “Reduced Power.” Then the vehicle lost motive power causing the driver to veer to the side of the road. He was able to restart the car, but the failure reoccurred several times while driving to the dealer.
The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure, which recurred several more times. As a result, the owner had to have the vehicle towed to the dealer twice. Still not able to identify a cause, the dealer kept the car and undertook more diagnostic tests – still with no success. Needless to say, the vehicle was not repaired.
Another owner states in an NHTSA complaint that “My vehicle constantly jerks forward and the vehicle dashboard does not set off any alerts.” Aware that there is a transmission recall on 2022 530i vehicles, the complaint states that “my VIN number needs to be included.”
However, extraordinarily, only 4 BMW vehicles are included in the recall, and only 1 of these is a 2022 530i.
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Automatic Transmission Recall
On February 8, 2022, BMW of North America issued a safety recall report, NHTSA Campaign Number 22V070000. This states that on January 13, 2022, BMW was notified by its German transmission supplier (ZF Friedrichshafen) that certain transmissions might not have been assembled according to specifications. ZF noticed that all the required bolts needed to correctly assemble a mechatronics unit weren’t there. After investigation, they found that “due to a supplier control system error,” mechatronic units that may have been misassembled were nevertheless moved along in the production sequence.
In response to this information, BMW decided to conduct a voluntary recall. The most likely problem is that the lack of bolts could cause an internal leak. A less likely result could be “a rollaway condition” that may increase the risk of a crash and/or injury.
The recall report states that they were able to trace the bolts that may not have been included, and to identify potentially affected vehicles. Incredibly, the report states that only 4 (four) vehicles are affected. These are 1 (one) 4-door 2022 530i, 1 (one) 4-door 2022 330i, 1 (one) 2022 X3 xDrive30i, and 1 (one) 2022 X4 xDrive30i.
Authorized BMW dealers were instructed to replace the transmission mechatronics unit on affected vehicles free of charge. There is no indication in the report when the recall condition was corrected in production.
Airbag Problems
The owner of another 2022 530i describes in an NHTSA complaint what happened when the car crashed and the side airbags didn’t deploy.
“We were traveling through a traffic circle. The other car that was entering the circle failed to yield or even slow down, and hit my car.” He mentions that the rear passenger door also took a hit from the other car. He was driving, and was “thrown into the driver door” by the impact of the collision. This resulted in him injuring his hip. His son, who was in the back seat behind him, on the driver’s side, was pushed into the window and knocked unconscious. The side airbags didn’t open and there weren’t any warnings or alerts that indicated anything was wrong with the system.
The complaint states that when he reported the crash to his local dealership, they “sent me an article about side airbags.” But he doesn’t say what the article states.
In May 2019, BMW announced that its 5 and 7 series cars would be equipped with the next generation of “intelligent” airbag protection. Their press release states that the new system will automatically assess how severe impact is in a crash and choose between two inflation rates for the front airbags. Additionally, “every BMW comes standard with two front and front-side-impact airbags.” This intelligent safety system identifies whether the passenger seat is occupied. If it isn’t, the airbag on that side doesn’t deploy.
There is nothing in the press release that indicates why the “front-side-impact airbags” wouldn’t have opened during the crash described in this complaint.
Sunroof
Another owner tells how the glass sunroof suddenly exploded while driving. According to the complaint, there wasn’t any visible damage on the glass since the sunshade was open. The owner inspected the glass for any cracks or chips and there weren’t any.
At the time of the explosion, the outside temperature was about 35 degrees. The car was on a major highway with a smooth surface, and light traffic. “The explosion did not occur while going under an overpass, (and) there was no sound of any pebbles being pinged against the car.” The glass wasn’t laminated as it is in a windshield, and “glass chips flew inside the vehicle which is very dangerous.”
What to do if your 2022 BMW 530i is a lemon?
If you have had recurring problems with your 2022 BMW 530i that affect its value and your use of the vehicle, you might have bought a lemon. Of course, the concept of a “lemon” is entrenched in law, so the best thing to do is get advice from a lemon lawyer. Lemberg Law has negotiated many settlements for clients leading to buybacks, trade-ins, or replacement vehicles. Because they are lemon cases, BMW has to pay the legal fees.
If you’d like us to assess your problems free of charge, you can contact us by calling our Helpline or filling out a contact form.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
