2010 Bmw 528i problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine And Engine Cooling (16) · Engine (11) · Power Train (8)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Bmw 528i model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
42 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (2)
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (Pcv) 2017-10-30 · campaign 17V683000 · 740,561 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2011 128i and 2007-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Risk: An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notification by the end of October 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Exterior Lighting:tail Lights 2013-09-11 · campaign 13V407000 · 134,100 vehicles
Defect: BMW is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2010 528i, 535i, 550i, and M5 passenger cars manufactured from March 1, 2007, through December 31, 2009. Over time, increased resistance at the taillight electrical contact points may cause damage to the ground terminal and housing of the connector resulting in an intermittent or permanent loss of functionality of one or more rear lamp functions (tail, brake, turn-signal, reverse).
Risk: Intermittent light operation reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear lamp bulb carriers free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
Service bulletins (62)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls 2024-01-16 · B510819 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
Electrical System 2024-01-11 · B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 ã¢ââdischarged batteryã¢ââ complaints.
Fuel System, Gasoline 2023-12-20 · B160623 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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, rec
Equipment 2023-11-22 · B653423 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
customers may state that the alarm system (dwa) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. depending on the vehicleã¢ââs equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. additionally, the red anti-theft alarm led in
Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar 2021-04-01 · B340414 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
diagnosis of compound brake system complaints in m vehicles: 1. visible cracks are caused by high thermal stresses during rapid heating and cooling of the brake discs. braking from high speed with cold brake components (less than 212 degrees f) increases the likelihood of cracks to form.
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility 2020-10-01 · B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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
Showing the 6 most recent of 62 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2025-12-22 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 145,000 mi“the contact owns a 2010 bmw 528i. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign: 23v707000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the repair failed to prevent a failure. the contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormally loud rattling sound coming from under the hood. the check engine warni…”
2025-07-21 · Electrical System“insulation on wiring is deteriorated leading to possible fire and or shorting out of electrical system…”
2025-04-21 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 124,000 mi“the contact owns a 2010 bmw 528i. the contact stated while making a left turn and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. the brake and transmission warning lights illuminated. a dealer was contacted. the contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle, and then attempted to restart the vehicle; howe…”
2025-03-05 · Engine“they lied to me made me buy a bad car and then didn't even give me a license plate of anything they stole my money …”
2024-11-21 · Engine“i brought the car into bmw manhattan after receiving the recall letter. they have refused to perfom the correction based on the fact that i had to replace the engine dues to a engine defect that cracked the number 6 cylinder in the original engine. i am confident bmw has the abilty to check the engine number and see that it requires the recall. …”
2024-11-01 · Fuel/Propulsion System“the car smells like gas by the rear wheels. in speaking with other owners of this vehicle this is a defective flaw in the vehicle it is a known problem in this vehicle and there has been no recall. this is a serious concern as gasoline is highly flammable. i have had to spend thousands of dollars fixing problems with this car and i cannot afford to…”
2024-06-24 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 178,000 mi“the contact owns a 2010 bmw 528i. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 23v707000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable am…”
2024-06-06 · Unknown Or Other“n/a complaint is that no remedy is available 8 months after recall issued. currently this particular car is still drivable, but suffers oil leaks from this lack of repair. no local dealer or repair shops can fix ahead of the recall because they cannot get the repair bolts either. eight months is a ridiculous amount of time to wait for a manufac…”
2024-04-02 · Fuel System, Gasoline“the contact owns a 2010 bmw 528i. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and flashed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that fuel was leaking form the engine. the contact was unaware of what part needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manuf…”
2024-01-24 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 160,000 mi“the contact owns a 2010 bmw 528i. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 23v707000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the contact stated that while driving at an undi…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.