There are 13 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2007 BMW 5 Seriesin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THE INSULATION WIRING DETERIORATED CAUSING THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT TO STOP WORKING WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY
WIRING IN HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES SHORTS OUT BECAUSE OF DEGRADED DEFECTIVE WIRING INSULATION. HEADLIGHTS CAN IMMEDIATELY FAIL WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED. *TR
THE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT - REPLACED BULBS AND STILL NOT WORKING. REMOVED THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND NOTICED EVERY WIRE WAS BARE WITH BARELY ANY COATING LEFT TO PROTECT THE WIRES- AT LEAST 15 WIRES. HEADLIGHT REPLACEMENT COST IS OVER $650.00.!! THIS IS AN ELECTRICAL HAZARD AND COULD CAUSE SHORTING OUT AND A DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATION IN THE LEAST.
INSULATION ON ELECTRICAL WIRING INSIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY IS CRUMBLING APART. THIS LETS BARE WIRE TOUCH EACH OTHER AND SHORTS OUT HEADLIGHT, LEADING TO MALFUNCTIONING / VERY UNPREDICTABLE AND DANGEROUS LIGHTING. OTHER DRIVERS MAY NOT SEE YOU COMING
ALL RUBBER TUBING HAS FALLEN OFF OF LIGHTS CREATING A MAJOR FIRE HAZARD.WIRING IS CURRENTLY DOWN TO COPPER, WITH MULTIPLE WIRES TOUCHING EACH OTHER WHICH HAS CAUSED MY LIGHTS TO NO LONGER WORK.
THE WIRES FOR THE PARKING LIGHTS ARE BRITTLE AND FRAYING APART
EXPERIENCE "HIGHBEAM MALFUNCTION" WARNING LIGHT. INSPECTED THE HEADLAMPS (E60 ADAPTIVE XENON PART # 6312710157). THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOW-BEAM HALOGEN MELTED THROUGH REFLECTOR. INSPECTED WIRING AND THE SHEATHING / JACKET WERE DISINTEGRATING CAUSING SHORT CIRCUITING. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, THIS IS A RESULT OF BMW'S USE OF BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS IN MID-200'S CARS. NOT ONLY IS THIS A FIRE HAZARD, THE ONLY REMEDY IS TO GET A NEW HEADLAMP SET (~$1300 EACH)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAD LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO REPLACED THE LIGHTS AND NOTICED THAT THE WIRES HAD FRAYED, PROMPTING THE CONTACT TO TAPE THE WIRES IN ORDER TO AVOID WIRE CONTACTS WHICH CAUSED SPARKS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.
MY HEADLIGHT WAS EMITTING SMOKE, UPON CLOSER INVESTIGATION I CAN SEE THE WIRES WERE RED HOT AND THE PLASTIC COATING WAS ON FIRE, NO APPARENT REASON IS KNOW FOR THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT. *TR
THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAD A HALO LIGHT THAT BURNT OUT. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND BOUGHT A REPLACEMENT BULB. WHEN I UNSCREWED THE LIGHT BULB, THE WIRING INSULATION FELL OFF AND EXPOSED ALL OF THE COPPER WIRING IN THE HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS. THEY DO NOT SELL A REPLACEMENT WIRING HARNESS AND NOW I'M REQUIRED TO BUY A NEW HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY FOR THE PASSENGERS SIDE WHICH COSTS APPROX $1700+ AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. DUE TO THE HIGH COSTS OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY, I'M NOT ABLE TO AFFORD IT AND NOW MY CAR WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION WHICH HAS PREVENTED ME FROM DRIVING IT. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT THE OTHER HEADLIGHT HAS THE SAME ISSUE FROM READING 100'S OF OTHER FORUM POSTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR VEHICLES. I'VE ATTEMPTED TO FIX THIS ISSUE MYSELF USING ELECTRICAL TAPE BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK FOR LONG. I'VE CONTACTED REPAIR SHOPS AND THEY WON'T TAKE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY APART DUE TO THE AGE OF IT. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN THE LIGHT BULB BURNT OUT. THIS ISSUE HAPPENED IN 2015 AND I DECIDED TO DRIVE WITH THE HALO LIGHT BULB BURNT OUT BUT THEN THE LOW BEAM BULB BURNT OUT. NOW MY CAR WON'T PASS INSPECTION TO CONTINUE DRIVING IT IN TEXAS.
MY HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES, MANUFACTURED BY HELLA FOR BMW, HAVE CRUMBLING AND DECAYING INSULATION ON THE INTERNAL WIRES. MANY OF THE WIRES ARE BARE, AND CAN CAUSE SHORT CIRCUITS AND FAILURES. ALL OF THE DOZENS OF INTERNAL HEADLIGHT WIRES ARE ROTTEN AND FAILING. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SUDDEN LIGHTING FAILURE AT NIGHT, AS WELL AS THE POSSIBILITY OF SHORT CIRCUIT, COMBUSTION AND FIRE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM ACROSS MANY BMW'S, AND HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY OWNERS TO SAFERCAR. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 550I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT WIRES WERE MELTED. THERE WAS ALSO AN INTERMITTENT TAIL LIGHT MALFUNCTION WARNING MESSAGE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE TAIL LIGHTS AND NOTICED THEY WERE ILLUMINATING PROPERLY. ADDITIONALLY, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE RESTRAINT WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
THE VEHICLE HEADLIGHT INTERNAL WIRING INSULATION IS FALLING APART, THUS LEAVING BARE WIRES EXPOSED.THIS IS A FAULTY DESIGN THAT COULD POSSIBLY LEAD TO A FIRE OR ACCIDENT DUE TO LOSS OF LIGHTS AT NIGHT. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. *TR
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