2010 BMW 528XI Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2010 BMW 528XI, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- 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.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH AGO MY ENTIRE SET OF RIGHT REAR LIGHTS WENT OUT ON MY CAR. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I TOOK TO AAA AND THEY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG BUT GOT LIGHTS WORKING, THEY THOUGHT JUST LOOSE WIRES. A WEEK OR SO AGO STOPPED WORKING AGAIN. TOOK BACK TO AAA AND THEY SAID IT HAD TO BE THE WHOLE BOARD FOR LIGHTS AND TO TAKE TO DEALER. I THEN READ ONLINE THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR MY YEAR/MODEL OF CAR FOR REAR TAIL LIGHTS. NOW MY LEFT TAILLIGHT IS ENTIRELY NOT WORKING. MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL SO I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS WHICH I DON'T THINK IS RIGHT AS CLEARLY THIS IS A LARGER ISSUE. PLEASE HELP. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 528XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG AND SAFETY BELT WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT PASSENGERS SEAT INDICATOR LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS EMPTY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 165,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .