BMW 528i
Registered from 1997 to 2016.
About this model
The BMW 5 Series is an executive car manufactured and marketed by BMW since 1972. It is the successor to the BMW New Class sedans and is currently in its eighth generation. The car is sold as either a sedan or, since 1991, a station wagon. A 5-door fastback was sold between 2009 and 2017. Each successive generation has been given an internal G-code designation since 2017. Previously, a F-code designation was used between 2010 and 2016, while an E-code designation was used between 1972 and 2010. These are used to distinguish each model and generation from each other.
From the Wikipedia article BMW 5 Series, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it stands out against its peers
- Fuel/propulsion system: more complaints than 97% of 2012 cars — 26% of its 99 complaints, where an ordinary 2012 car has 7%.
- Engine and engine cooling: more complaints than 92% of 2012 cars — 5% of its 99 complaints, where an ordinary 2012 car has 2%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- ENGINE — 20 owners reported this
- FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 14 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — 8 owners reported this
- ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 4 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 3 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 3 owners reported this, 2 involving a fire
- FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE — 2 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 2 owners reported this
- SERVICE BRAKES — 2 owners reported this
- TIRES — 2 owners reported this
- VISIBILITY/WIPER — 2 owners reported this
- AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS — 1 owners reported this
- AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE — 1 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 1 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 1 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE — 1 owners reported this
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — 1 owners reported this
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN — 1 owners reported this
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 1 owners reported this
- FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 1 owners reported this
- FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 1 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN — 1 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS — 1 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 1 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN,TIRES — 1 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE — 1 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,WHEELS — 1 owners reported this
- SEAT BELTS — 1 owners reported this
- SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — 1 owners reported this
- STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,WHEELS — 1 owners reported this
- STEERING,ENGINE — 1 owners reported this
- STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE — 1 owners reported this
- STRUCTURE — 1 owners reported this
- VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 1 owners reported this
- WHEELS,ENGINE — 1 owners reported this
Crash test
| Overall | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal crash | ★★★★☆ |
| Side crash | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover | ★★★★★ |
| Stability control | Standard |
| Forward collision warning | Optional |
| Lane departure warning | Optional |
Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 241 hp · 1815 kg · 2970 mm wheelbase · 9.0 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.1 motorway · Sedan, 4-door |
| 2015 | 241 hp · 1815 kg · 2970 mm wheelbase · 9.0 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.4 motorway · Sedan, 4-door |
| 2014 | 241 hp · 1815 kg · 2970 mm wheelbase · 9.0 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.4 motorway · Sedan |
| 2013 | 241 hp · 1815 kg · 2970 mm wheelbase · 9.0 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.4 motorway · Sedan |
| 2012 | 241 hp · 1720 kg · 2970 mm wheelbase · 9.0 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.4 motorway · Sedan |
| 2011 | 255 hp · 1720 kg · 2970 mm wheelbase · 9.4 L/100km (EPA) · 11.2 L/100km city · 7.6 motorway · Sedan |
| 2010 | 230 hp · 1710 kg · 2900 mm wheelbase · 11.8 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 9.4 motorway · Sedan, 4-door |
| 2009 | 1540 kg · 2900 mm wheelbase · 11.8 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 9.4 motorway · Sedan, 4-door |
| 2008 | 1540 kg · 2900 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 13.1 L/100km city · 8.7 motorway · Sedan, 4-door |
| 2000 | 1690 kg · 2830 mm wheelbase · 12.4 L/100km (EPA) · 14.7 L/100km city · 9.8 motorway · Wagon, 4-door |
| 1999 | 1690 kg · 2830 mm wheelbase · 12.4 L/100km (EPA) · 14.7 L/100km city · 9.8 motorway · Wagon, 4-door |
| 1998 | 1565 kg · 2830 mm wheelbase · 12.4 L/100km (EPA) · 14.7 L/100km city · 9.8 motorway · Sedan, 4-door |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
32% of 2016 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.
13V454000
A failure of the brake vacuum pump results in a reduction in braking power that could increase the risk of a crash.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will modify the vehicles to prevent insufficient vacuum pump lubrication, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 31, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
14V627000
A failure of the brake vacuum pump results in a reduction in braking power that could increase the risk of a crash.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will install a locking ring in the camshaft to retain the camshaft seal disk in the proper location, free of charge. The recall began on December 2, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
15V188000
The vehicle may be less visible to other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear reflex reflectors, free of charge. The recall began July 28, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
15V718000
If the child seat is not properly attached to the lower anchors, it can increase the child's risk of injury in the event of a crash.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair the inboard lower anchor on the left rear seat, free of charge. The recall began on December 28, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
16V746000
The loose wires may cause the connector to melt, resulting in a fuel leak. Additionally, the fuel pump may stop working, possibly causing an engine stall and increase the risk of a crash.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
16V747000
In the event of a crash where heavy braking is applied, the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) may activate when the occupant is more forward in the seat, possibly increasing the risk of injury.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 3, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
16V914000
If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
24V527000
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury or death.
The driver's front air bag will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
1 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.
Regulator investigations
Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.
Loss of power assist braking
Preliminary evaluation, opened September 2013, closed October 2013.
Became recall 13V454000.
Windshield wiper inoperation
Investigation SQ, opened June 1998, closed September 1998.
What the maker told its dealers
Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.
BMW filed 208 bulletins about the 2016 528i.
- Equipment: 50
- Electrical system: 38
- Engine and engine cooling: 29
- Engine: 12
- Fuel system, gasoline: 12
- Equipment adaptive/mobility: 11
- Power train: 9
- Service brakes, hydraulic: 7
- Structure: 7
- Service brakes: 4
- Other: 29
- The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. · February 2024
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers… · February 2024
- Engine will crank but not start. There is no communication with the integrated fuel module (TFE) whendiagnosing with ISTA. The following two fault codes will be stored in the DME: 032B43 - Low fuel… · January 2024
- Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicleâÂÂs equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation… · December 2023
- Pressure control valve (pcv) extended ltd wty 15 years/150,000 miles · December 2023
- Diesel fuel injectors: ltd wty extension to 10 years/120,000 miles · December 2023
- The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) warning light comes on while driving. The following DSC fault codes for the wheel speed sensors are stored: 480712 and/or 480715 and/or 480718 and/or 48071B They… · July 2023
- After programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes repeatedly fails. · June 2023
200 more.
Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.