2013 Bmw 528i problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (24) · Power Train (11) · Engine And Engine Cooling (10)
🧭 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
52 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (4)
Electrical System:wiring:connectors/Plugs/Receptacles 2024-08-13 · campaign 24V608000 · 720,796 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, 2015-2016 428xi vehicles. An improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit.
Risk: An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the water pump and plug connector as necessary, and install a protective shield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Exterior Lighting 2015-03-31 · campaign 15V188000 · 13,443 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2013 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i, 550i xDrive, and ActiveHybrid 5 vehicles. The rear reflex reflectors may not reflect enough light. As such, the vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: The vehicle may be less visible to other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear reflex reflectors, free of charge. The recall began July 28, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum:hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings 2014-10-07 · campaign 14V627000 · 8,988 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014 BMW 328i xDrive Sports Wagon, 2012-2014 BMW 320i Sedan, 328i Sedan, 320i xDrive Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 2012-2013 BMW 528i Sedan, 528i xDrive Sedan, 2013-2014 BMW X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i Sports Activity Vehicle, 2013-2014 BMW X3 xDrive28i Sports Activity Vehicle, 2012-2014 BMW Z4 sDrive28i Roadster, and 2014 BMW 428i Coupe, and 428i xDrive Coupe. Due to insufficient lubrication, the vacuum pump that supplies brake power as
Risk: A failure of the brake vacuum pump results in a reduction in braking power that could increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will install a locking ring in the camshaft to retain the camshaft seal disk in the proper location, free of charge. The recall began on December 2, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum:hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings 2013-09-26 · campaign 13V454000 · 76,191 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 320i, 328i, 320i xDrive, and 328i xDrive sedans; model year 2014 328i xDrive Sports Wagons; model year 2012-2013 528i and 528i xDrive sedans, model year 2013-2014 X1 sDrive28i and X1 xDrive28i vehicles and model year 2012-2014 Z4 sDrive28i roadsters. Due to insufficient lubrication, the vacuum pump that supplies brake power assistance may fail.
Risk: A failure of the brake vacuum pump results in a reduction in braking power that could increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will modify the vehicles to prevent insufficient vacuum pump lubrication, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 31, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
Service bulletins (386)
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
Wheels 2023-06-01 · B340914 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the dynamic stability control (dsc) warning light comes on while driving. the following dsc fault codes for the wheel speed sensors are stored: 480712 and/or 480715 and/or 480718 and/or 48071b they cannot be cleared, even though the wheel speed sensors work correctly and no problem can be found
Electrical System 2023-05-01 · B651523 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
after programming the head unit (hu-h2), activating the fsc (german word freischaltcode) enabling codes repeatedly fails.
Showing the 6 most recent of 386 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2025-09-13 · Engine“on [xxx], century west bmw in north hollywood, ca performed recall 20e-a01 b120921 (dme reprogram/connector update) on my 2013 bmw 528i. within 30 minutes of leaving the dealership, the car displayed a red “engine overheating – stop immediately” warning while i was in a crowded intersection with my child in the vehicle. this created an immediate da…”
2025-08-14 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 107,000 mi“the contact owns a 2013 bmw 528i. the contact stated that after driving and parking the vehicle, the contact smelled an abnormal burning odor. the contact stated the burning odor occurred frequently. the contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased. the contact was aware of nhtsa campaign number: 24v60800…”
2025-06-02 · Unknown Or Other“hello my name is [xxx] and i am (was) the owner of a 2013 bmw 528i vin [xxx] . it was a secondary vehicle for me for until i sustained an injury and it being my primary vehicle. i took it through emissions, updated the registration, and i noticed smoke coming from under the hood. i had driven it without a problem then in juneit did not run at all.…”
2025-04-22 · Unknown Or Other“unrepaired recall. no remedy available for over 8 months, with manufacturer acknowledging that there could a vehicle fire in some cases.…”
2025-02-18 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 87,000 mi“the contact owns a 2013 bmw 528i. the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. there was no warning light illuminated. the contact was able to restart the vehicle. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system). th…”
2025-01-02 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 60,000 mi“the contact owns a 2013 bmw 528i. the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine and entering the cabin through the vents. the engine warning light was illuminated. there were unknown messages displayed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the head gasket needed to b…”
2024-12-26 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 108,000 mi“the contact owns a 2013 bmw 528i. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 24v608000(engine and engine cooling, electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated while driving 60 mph, the contact noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. there was no warning light illumin…”
2024-12-04 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 98,000 mi“the contact owns a 2013 bmw 528i. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the contact stated that the engine…”
2024-11-13 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 127,000 mi“the contact owns a 2013 bmw 528i. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the local dealer was not contacted. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall…”
2024-10-25 · Engine“the electrical connector of the engine coolanta pump could become damaged. small drops of liquid from the positive crankcase ventilation (pcv) system could drip down onto the electrical connector of the pump.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.