Brake light switch could overheat, eventually leading to melting of plastic internal parts in area of electrical contacts.
1982-1999 · 8 model years
BMW 528 Problems by year
Owners have filed 26 complaints about the BMW 528 across 8 model years, and it has 4 recalls. The 1997 has the most complaints once its age is allowed for (13), while 1988 has far fewer than a typical year. The most reported problem area is the engine & cooling, followed by the electrical system.
- Complaints
- 26
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 2
- Deaths
- 0
528 complaints by model year
Highlighted: the year with the most complaints for its age. Older vehicles have had more time to collect complaints - the Safety Index grade allows for that.
Most common 528 problems
BMW 528 recalls 4
On the involved vehicles, the self locking nuts that connect the lower steering column shaft to the flexible coupling may not have been sufficiently tightened. These nuts can come loose.
On some of the involved vehicles, the knurled nut, part of the rubber mount assembly which supports the differential, may have been cracked due to over-torquing of the final drive attaching bolt. This bolt may become loose, and continued operation may cause...
On the involved vehicles, under a combination of low temperature conditions and a warmed up engine, water vapor in the warm air from the crankcase housing may condense and freeze after a period of steady state driving causing ice build up around the throttle...
Covers1982 BMW 528
Latest 528 complaints
I bought the 1997 bmw 528i off lease. It was my second bmw. The prior bmw had virtually no problems. I guess the second one had to make up for the first one. If I only had a nickle for every time I wished I hadn't traded for the second one. 1. The first problem occurred immediately, the engine overheated and I had to have it towed to a bmw dealership. This was to happen several times over the next year and a half. Whenever I drove the car I had to keep one eye on the engine temperature at all times (it would heat...
Read the full complaint
up very fast). The bmw dealership mechanics couldn't solve the problem even though they charged me over $2,000. Well, that and a couple of boldface lies ended my relationship with that dealership. 2. The second problem occurred in roughly the same time frame. As I was driving along one day the steering wheel started moving in and out repetitively and wouldn't stop along with my seat (it had nothing to do with the memory switches in the door). This occurred several times also. 3. The radio (fm) and cd player quit immediately along with the sun roof... I am an engineer and I have managed to fix some of the problems myself but I am ashamed to relate my experience with the bmw dealerships here, as well as some other auto-repair facilities. Oh, I might add that none of my five children, who are all engineers or doctors, own a bmw and I'm sure none of their kids (15) will either.
RECALL FOR DEFECTIVE AIRBAGS. *TR
Tl*the contact owns a 1999 bmw 528. While traveling 55 mph the contact attempted to activate the headlights, and they began blinking ,and the contact smelled smoke coming from the inside of the vehicle. He lifted the hood, and attempted to disconnect the battery cable, but it was too late. The police department was notified, but by the time they arrived the vehicle was on fire. The current mileage iwas 121,000 , and failure mileage was 120,000.*Ak
Dt*: the contact stated while driving at no particular speed, the gear shift indicator down shifted into neutral. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection only. Updated 4/11/2006 - *nm
While driving at 65 mph vehicle stalled. Consumer pulled out of the road, opened the hood, and found many wires were melted due to engine reaching high temperatures. *Ak
Consumer stated after locking the driver side seat belt, the lap belt became unbolted from the floor board. Dealer and manufacturer had been contacted. Ts as of 12/21/2002 the defect has been repaired at no charge to consumer. *Jg *jb
Questions about the BMW 528
Which BMW 528 years have the most problems?
Which BMW 528 years have the fewest complaints?
What are the most common BMW 528 problems?
Across every model year, owners report problems with the engine & cooling (4), electrical system (3), airbags (3) most often.
How many recalls does the BMW 528 have?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls across all BMW 528 model years. Each year's page lists the recalls for that year; check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether the repair has been done.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data