Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 33 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 BMW 528I, most frequently naming the airbags, interior & seats and body & structure categories. 19 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 1998 | 1 | 1 |
| Feb 1999 | 7 | 8 |
| Jun 2000 | 1 | 9 |
| Jul 2002 | 1 | 10 |
| Feb 2003 | 1 | 11 |
| Jul 2003 | 1 | 12 |
| Aug 2003 | 1 | 13 |
| Oct 2003 | 1 | 14 |
| Mar 2004 | 1 | 15 |
| May 2004 | 1 | 16 |
| Aug 2004 | 1 | 17 |
| Jun 2005 | 1 | 18 |
| Nov 2005 | 1 | 19 |
| Feb 2006 | 1 | 20 |
| Dec 2006 | 1 | 21 |
| Oct 2007 | 1 | 22 |
| Jan 2008 | 1 | 23 |
| May 2008 | 1 | 24 |
| Jan 2009 | 1 | 25 |
| Feb 2009 | 1 | 26 |
| Sep 2009 | 1 | 27 |
| Mar 2010 | 1 | 28 |
| Nov 2010 | 1 | 29 |
| Dec 2011 | 1 | 30 |
| Nov 2016 | 1 | 31 |
| Mar 2018 | 1 | 32 |
| Nov 2019 | 1 | 33 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BMW 528I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED FIVE YEARS AGO. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO USE A CODE READER TO DIAGNOSE THE DEFECT, BUT NO CODE WAS DISCOVERED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.
THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVER SEAT ONLY TILTS FORWARD AND BACKWARD A LITTLE AND THE OTHER SIDE STAYS STATIONARY. ALL OTHER SEAT FUNCTIONS WORK EXCEPT THAT.
-TAKATA -ABS MODULE MALFUNCTION DUE TO MODULE BEING FRIED BY EXCESSIVELY ENGINE HEAT -DSC SYSTEM FAILURE DUE TO POOR WIRING AND HEAT FROM POOR PLACEMENT IN ENGINE BAY THIS HAS CAUSED MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH DRIVE ABILITY AND SAFETY I'VE BEEN COMPLAINING FOR QUITE AWHILE THAT THE CAR HAS BEEN HAVING SAFETY ISSUES AND BMW IGNORES ME AND MY COMPLAINTS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BMW 528I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER ENGINE START UP, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSORS NEEDED TO BE RESET. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000.
THE WIRING HARNESS THAT ENTERS THE TRUNK LID THAT SUPPLIES THE LIGHTS FOR THE REAR LICENSE PLATE AND THE TRUNK LID RELEASE HAS FRAYED AT THE EXACT POINT WHERE THE HARNESS ENTERS THE TRUNK LID. THE WIRING COMES IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE SHARP EDGE AT THE OPENING IN THE TRUNK LID, AND SEVERAL OF THE WIRES HAVE BROKEN AT THIS POINT, RESULTING IN FAILURE OF THE LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS. IN ADDITION, THE DASHBOARD INDICATOR SHOWS THAT THE TRUNK LID IS OPEN EVEN THOUGH IT'S LOCKED. I PERFORMED AN INTERNET SEARCH AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SEVERAL BMW MODELS.
MY 1998 BMW 5-SERIES 528I STARTED ACCELERATING ON IT'S OWN WHEN I WAS DRIVING, AND I HAD TO KEEP MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND ALMOST RAN A FEW RED LIGHTS. WHEN I PARKED MY CAR I HAD TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL TO TURN IT OFF AND I TRIED STARTING IT AGAIN (WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE) AND IT ACCELERATED W/OUT BEING IN DRIVE. NOW MY CAR JERKS EVERY TIME I'M DRIVING SLOW AND IT FEELS LIKE IT'S NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY ANY MORE. *TR
NO REVERSE GEAR. THE REVERSE GEAR IN THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING. *TR
TWO MAJOR COMPLAINTS: 1. TRANSMISSION OF THE CAR BROKE DOWN COMPLETELY WITHIN 82,000 MILES. I HAD TO SPEND A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. 2. POWER STEERING OF THE CAR HAD EXPERIENCED LEAK SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. STILL AFTER SO MANY YEARS THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY RECTIFIED DESPITE THE FACT THAT I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER. 3. AFTER I GAVE MY CAR TO THE ANN ARBOR BMW DEALER, ONCE THEY REPLACED SOME UNRELATED MECHANICAL COMPONENTS THAT COST ME OVER $600. HOWEVER, AFTER PAYING THE MONEY WHEN I SHOWED THAT THE PROBLEM DID NOT SOLVE, THE MECHANICS ADDED SOME BRAKE FLUID AND THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY DISAPPEARED. THE DEALER DID NOT REIMBURSE THE MONEY FOR INAPPROPRIATELY CHANGING UNNECESSARY COMPONENTS. AGAIN AFTER A FEW MONTHS WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK WHEN THE PROBLEM RESURFACED DUE TO LOW BRAKE FLUID.R. AFTER I DROVE THE CAR OUT OF DEALERS PREMISE, THE ENGINE STARTED GETTING HEATED UP. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK AND LEFT IT WITH THE DEALER WHO CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY ASKING ME TO PAY ABOUT $250 TO CHANGE THE THERMOCOUPLE, WHICH I AUTHORIZED. HOWEVER, AFTER SEVERAL HOURS THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL GETTING HEATED UP AND DEMANDED AN OPEN AUTHORIZATION SO THAT THEY COULD OPEN UP THE ENGINE. WHEN I ASKED HIM HOW MUCH IT COULD COST ME, THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD COST UP TO $5000. THE DEALER HELD MY CAR FOR OVER 14 DAYS WITHOUT GIVING ME A TEMPORARY CAR OR VERIFYING WHETHER THE ENGINE WAS REALLY GETTING HEATED UP AFTER HE CHANGED THE THERMOCOUPLE. THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THE CAR IN THAT CONDITION. AFTER 14 DAYS, DESPITE WRITING TO BMW AMERICA AND THE DEALERS HEAD OFFICE, THE DEALER KEPT ON CLAIMING THAT I WOULD HAVE TO AUTHORIZE THEM FOR FURTHER WORK THAT MIGHT COST ME AT LEAST $1500. FINALLY, I DECIDED TO TAKE THE CAR FROM THE DEALER AND GIVE TO ANOTHER MECHANICS WHO FOUND OUT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. TILL NOW THE ENGINE DOES NOT HEAT UP. *TR
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
AIR BAGS
TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL-RELATED SHORT-TERM ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AND CONSEQUENTIAL REPAIRS This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B01 31 18 dated October 2018.
AIR BAGS
TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL-RELATED SHORT-TERM ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AND CONSEQUENTIAL REPAIRS This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B01 31 18 dated October 2018.
AIR BAGS; AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
TAKATA CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT. CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM. FRONT DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG MODULES.
EQUIPMENT
Radio / Navigation / Head Unit Identification Guide
AIR BAGS; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
For the above-referenced vehicles with driver?s side airbag modules, BMW of North America, LLC (?BMW NA?) will provide a Customer Support Program as outlined in the Takata Settlement Customer Support Program Overview attachment. This ?component-specific? customer support program applies only if there is a defect in materials or workmanship of the Takata driver?s side airbag module in a listed vehicle.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 59 | 4 | 1 | 66.7 |
| 2015 | 62 | 1 | 1 | 55.2 |
| 2014 | 56 | 3 | 1 | 58.9 |
| 2013 | 73 | 4 | 1 | 52.7 |
| 2012 | 89 | 4 | 1 | 54.6 |
| 2011 | 117 | 4 | 0 | 50.2 |
| 2010 | 65 | 2 | 0 | 49.6 |
| 2009 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 46.9 |
| 2008 | 118 | 2 | 0 | 51.7 |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 46.5 |
| 1999 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 40.3 |
| 1998Viewing | 33 | 0 | 0 | 35.5 |
| 1997 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 39.1 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1993 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.