RoadVitals

2010 BMW 528XI

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
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Latest Mar 19, 2018
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains 10 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2010 BMW 528XI, most frequently naming the airbags, electrical and engine categories. 6 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Airbags325.0%
  • Electrical216.7%
  • Engine216.7%
  • Exterior lighting216.7%
  • Seat belts216.7%
  • Visibility18.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

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.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Engine
Filed Mar 19, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 528XI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE DEALER (FLEMINGTON BMW, 216 US HIGHWAY 202 31, FLEMINGTON, NJ 08822, (908) 788-2691) INDICATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD NEED TO WAIT TO RECEIVE A SECOND LETTER FROM THE MANUFACTURER, AND THAT PARTS MAY BECOME AVAILABLE IN THE SUMMER OF 2018. THE DEALER MADE NO MENTION OF INSPECTING THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE IF THE PART WOULD PREMATURELY FAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID
11080119
Incident
Dec 1, 2017
Engine
Filed Jan 14, 2018

ON 11/17/17 I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM MY WIFE WHO HAD A HORRIFYING EXPERIENCE DRIVING OUR BMW. SHE WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY 3 LANE HIGHWAY WHEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE ECCENTRIC SHAFT SENSOR FAILED CREATING A VERY LOUD SCARY SHRILL NOISE, NOT UNLIKE A SIREN. AT THE SAME TIME THE ENGINE RPM BEGAN SURGING CAUSING THE BRAKES TO LOSE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS GIVING A FEELING FOR THE DRIVER OF LACK OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND THE FEAR OF HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. I SPEAK WITH EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I MET MY WIFE AT A SHOPPING CENTER AND SWITCHED CARS WITH HER, AND CAREFULLY DRIVING THE DAMAGED CAR HOME. UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR, 2500 DOLLARS, PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE IS NOT A GOOD OPTION.

NHTSA ID
11062681
Incident
Nov 17, 1917
Mileage
79,883 mi
Electrical
Filed Nov 14, 2017

I WAS DRIVING 2010 BMW 528XI ON HIGHWAY @SPEED OF 65 MPH AND ELECTRIC SUPPLY DISCONNECTED IN THE CAR AND I LOST THE CONTROL. I COULD NOT CONTROL SPEED AND BRAKES. IT WAS A SERIOUS THREAT TO MY LIFE. FORTUNATELY, I LET CAR GO AND IT STOPPED BY ITSELF ON SHOULDER. I CALLED TO BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE BUT THEY MENTIONED THAT BMW CANNOT HELP IN THIS CASE AND JUST NOTED THE COMMENTS. I THINK THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN BMW 5 SERIES AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANY OF YOU EXPERIENCED SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ID
11046119
Incident
Nov 14, 2017
Mileage
96,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jul 7, 2017
Fire reported

I DROVE ACROSS TOWN TO MY PARENTS HOUSE AND WHEN I GOT THERE I TURNED THE CAR COMPLETELY OFF AND LOCKED IT. I VISITED WITH THEM FOR ROUGHLY 30 MINUTES BEFORE I HAD TO LEAVE AGAIN. I WAS APPROACHING MY CAR AND CLICKED THE UNLOCK BUTTON ON MY KEY FOB. ONCE THE CAR UNLOCKED I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I UNLOCKED TO HOOD TO RELEASE PRESSURE AND QUICKLY RAN TO GRAB A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. WHEN I CAME BACK TO THE CAR WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER I NOTICED FLAMES SHOOTING OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR. I PUT THOSE FLAMES OUT BUT AFTER TWO MINUTES MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED BY FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FINALLY ARRIVED TO THE SCENE AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. BY THE TIME THE FIRE WAS COMPLETELY PUT OUT MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. MY PARENTS HOUSE TOOK QUITE A BIT OF DAMAGE AS WELL FROM THE FLAMES SHOOTING OUT OF MY CAR.

NHTSA ID
11003663
Incident
Jul 3, 2017
Mileage
88,000 mi
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed May 23, 2017

I HAVE A WARNING LIGHT ON DURING DRIVING "PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM" MALFUNCTIONS". BMW STATES THERE IS A 10YR "WARRANTY" (RECALL) ON THIS ISSUE BUT MY VIN DOES FALL IN THE SERIES OF VIN'S . MY YEAR 2010 IS NOT COVERED, YET I HAVE THE SAME ISSUE MANY OTHERS HAVE AND I HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR SINCE THIS KILLS MY RESALE VALUE. BMW SHOULD HAVE TO REPLACE AND OR FIX ALL SAFETY ISSUE PERIOD.

NHTSA ID
10991107
Incident
Apr 3, 2017
Mileage
120,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Jan 25, 2017

2010 BMW 528 XI. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR ASSEMBLY AND WIPER RELAY FAILURE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE HAPPENED ONCE OR TWICE IN THE PAST, BUT LASTED ONLY A FEW MINUTES. THE CONSUMER HAD TO DRIVE 100 BLOCK IN THE RAIN, WITH NO WORKING WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THE COST TO REPLACE BOTH COMPONENTS WAS $1878.07. *JB

NHTSA ID
10947194
Incident
Nov 1, 2016
Airbags
Filed Jan 5, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 528XI. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED, WHICH INDICATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SYSTEM WAS FAULTY. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

NHTSA ID
10818017
Incident
Dec 30, 2015
Mileage
75,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 11, 2015

THE INSULATION COVERING THE WIRES GOING TO THE DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS (ANGEL EYES) BULBS HAS SPLIT AND CAUSED A SHORT OR AN ARC WHICH HAS VISIBLY BURNED AND MELTED THE PLASTIC CONNECTOR TO THE BULB AND CAUSED THE LIGHT TO MALFUNCTION AND PRODUCE WARNINGS INSIDE THE CAR. THIS SEEMS LIKE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. EVEN MORE SO BECAUSE POWER CONTINUES TO FLOW THROUGH THE WIRES AS EVIDENCED BY THE FACT THAT JIGGLING THE WIRES SOMETIMES MAKES THE BULB LIGHT UP. *TR

NHTSA ID
10682763
Incident
Feb 9, 2015
Mileage
48,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

B510819

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.

B611305

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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 important information for the dealer on how to handle “discharged battery” complaints.

B160623

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

B653423

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT

Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicle’s 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.

B611305

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

Discharged Battery Energy Diagnosis Must Be Performed: 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 important information for the dealer on how to handle "discharged battery" complaints. In order to properly repair the vehicle the first time in the workshop, it is very important that the diagnostic test plans are performed to completion, with all results taken into consideration. Without performing the energy diagnosis test plan, the root cause of the discharged battery cannot be identified. This increases the chances of a repeat repair.

SIB-63-11-14

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH

BMW: ON SOME VEHICLES, WHEN STARTING, LOW BEAM, WITH 0552 OPTION, WOULD BRIEFLY FLASHES, DUE TO A FAULTY LED MAIN LIGHT MODULE THAT NEEDS REPLACING. MODEL 2008-14 F01, F02, F06, F07, F10, F12, F13, F25. *PE

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.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

BMW 528XI by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2014111
2013551039.4
2012530039.2
2010Viewing100035.0
2009600
2008310033.2

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.