Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2000 BMW 528IA, most frequently naming the interior & seats, airbags and heating & air conditioning categories. 11 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 |
|---|---|---|
| May 2001 | 1 | 1 |
| Feb 2004 | 1 | 2 |
| Nov 2005 | 1 | 3 |
| Oct 2010 | 1 | 4 |
| Jan 2019 | 1 | 5 |
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 2000 BMW 528IA. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING OR AN IMPACT. AS A RESULT, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD FRACTURED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 234,040.
WHILE DRIVING I ACTIVATED THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT HEATER. AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO, I NOTICED A BURNING SMELL AND THEN STARTED TO FEEL A BURNING SENSATION IN MY LEFT SIDE BY MY PANT POCKET. I REACHED TOWARDS THE AREA AND THE LEATHER SEAT MATERIAL WAS EXTREMELY HOT AND APPEARED TO BE SCORCHING THE LEATHER SEAT MATERIAL. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATER AND WILL NOT USE IT AGAIN UNTIL IT IS REPAIRED. THIS SAME SCENARIO HAPPENED ALMOST FIVE YEARS AGO TO THE SAME VEHICLE. THE DEFECTIVE PART WAS REPLACED BY MY DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE PART APPARENTLY FAILS AFTER AN AVERAGE OF FIVE YEARS. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS ONE COULD GET BURNED WHILE DRIVING AND NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WHICH COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS CRASH OR FIRE. *TR
NOTICED A BURNING SMELL IN THE LAST FEW DAYS AND DETERMINED THAT IT IS ONLY THERE WHEN THE SEAT HEATER IS ON. THERE IS AN ODOR THAT CAN BEST BE DESCRIBED AS THE SMELL FROM AN OVERHEATED HAIR DRYER. IT IS OBVIOUS SOMETHING IN THE SEAT IS OVERHEATING AND COULD BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. I ALSO NOTICED VERY HOT AREAS ON THE SEAT NEAR THE LEFT SIDE WHERE MY LEFT REAR PANT POCKET WOULD REST. NHTSA CAMPAIGN #04V575000 ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE ON MODEL YEAR 2004 BMW 5 SERIES CARS, BUT MINE IS A 2000. *NM
YESTERDAY I PAID MY BMW DEALER $262.43 TO FIX A PROBLEM WHICH RESULTED DIRECTLY FROM A POOR ENGINEERING DESIGN. SPECIFICALLY, THE CHARGE WAS TO REPLACE THE SWITCH AND FRONT SEAT TRIM COVER WHICH HAD BROKEN, FOR THE FOURTH TIME, DURING NORMAL OPERATION (THE SWITCH SHORTED OUT, BECAME INOPERABLE, AND IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO ADJUST THE SEAT OR STEERING WHEEL FORE/AFT, UP/DOWN, ETC. ). APPARENTLY, BMW IS UNWILLING TO ADMIT TO POOR ENGINEERING DESIGN OF THESE PARTS, PREFERRING INSTEAD TO ATTRIBUTE BREAKAGE TO IMPROPER ENTRY/EXIT TECHNIQUE BY THE CUSTOMER. AFTER IT BROKE THE FIRST TIME, AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, MY SERVICE MANAGER WARNED ME THAT BMW IS RELUCTANT TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR MORE THAN ONCE, AND HE INSTRUCTED ME ON THE PROPER TECHNIQUE OF EXITING THE VEHICLE SO AS TO PRECLUDE A RECURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM. AFTER OVER SIXTY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AT SUCCESSFULLY ENTERING AND EXITING A VARIETY OF VEHICLES, WITHOUT EVER PREVIOUSLY BREAKING ANY PART OF A SEAT, I WAS OFFENDED THAT BMWS SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WAS TO ABROGATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAULTY ENGINEERING DESIGN AND TO BLAME ME FOR NOT KNOWING HOW TO GET OUT OF A CAR. THOSE OF US WITH BAD KNEES (THAT INCLUDES MY WIFE, ME, AND MANY PEOPLE MY AGE) SIMPLY ARE NOT ABLE TO CONSISTENTLY EXECUTE THE ACROBATICS NECESSARY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE WITHOUT PUTTING ANY PRESSURE ON THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE SEAT AND CONSEQUENTLY, I EXPECT THAT WE WILL, FROM TIME TO TIME, BREAK A SEAT WHICH IS DESIGNED TO BREAK DURING THE NORMAL OPERATION OF PUTTING WEIGHT ON THE EDGE - A CLEAR VIOLATION OF GOOD ENGINEERING DESIGN. *AK
CONSUMER IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH CRUISE CONTROL. HE CAN BE RIDING ALONG AND WANTS TO ACCELERATE A LITTLE WHILE IN CRUISE CONTROL, AND AFTER ACCELERATION, SPEED SOMETIMES DOES NOT RETURN TO ORIGINAL SPEED. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE SPEED MAY DROP FROM 3-10 MPH BELOW THE PRESENT SPEED, AND THEN SUDDENLY ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN BACK TO THE PRESET SPEED, THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *JB
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.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
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 pressure system, electric fuel pump: pressure value too low CDA594 - Message (- 0x33E) missing, receiver DME, transmitter TFE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT
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 (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. Additionally, the red anti-theft alarm LED in the interior mirror does not briefly flash every 2 seconds, indicating the alarm is armed.
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
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
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.