2008 BMW 528i

Routine

Owners filed 118 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the exterior lighting. It has been recalled 2 times.

When it fails
020k40k60k90k120k200k
90,000 milesMedian miles at failure

86 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 90,000105,000 miles.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System22
030
Exterior Lighting17
030
Engine16
051
Fuel/Propulsion System12
000
Power Train11
000
Engine and Engine Cooling10
020
Air Bags9
101
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Crankcase (pcv)4
010
Air Bags › Sensor › Occupant Classification › Front Passenger4
000
Seats2
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Crankcase (pcv)17V683000
Filed Oct 30, 2017740,561 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

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.

Remedy. 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 Lights13V407000
Filed Sep 11, 2013134,100 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

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.

Remedy. 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 [email protected].

What owners reported

Newest filings
Exterior Lighting
Filed Sep 19, 2025FL

The daylight lamps fall apart causing poor lighting at night and continuous alarms while driving. Also, impacting the quality of light and lack of lighting at night. The alarms are continuous and block ALL other alerts from the vehicle, including cruise control, temperature, overheating, engine, and other notices.

Electrical System
Filed Jan 31, 2025OH

After purchasing this vehicle from my aunt and uncle my one headlight when bad after purchasing the headlights I replaced both the right and left one while removing the old headlights the insulation from the wires just crumbles off casuing a short bc the wires are zip tied several times together and causes my lights to flicker or not work at all while the the car keeps notifying me that there is an issue never couple seconds

Electrical SystemFire
Filed Nov 17, 2024GA

I bought a 2008 528i July 2024. Got Emissions & Tag at the end of August. Oct 5 2024. My car was on Fire. Drove the car 11 mins got out for a few mins got bk in crunk the car and a flame shot out of what I'm assuming is a fuse box on the driver side. The car had flames coming from under the steering wheel area in the dash. When we crunk the car we could smell wire burning at first. Then flames..The vehicle has an active recall that clearly says A Pcv heater valve will cause the vehicle to over heat and short circuit causing a fire. Wiring harness needs to be replaced by adding a fuse to keep this from happening. The car was having issues passing the emissions. It was throwing a code something to do with the crankcase positioner something to do with Emissions. The car started running rough and idling rough before the fire happened.I sent bmw pics and the fire report. The fire report states it was an electrical fire. I never looked under my hood bc I was afraid I'd get burned. Not sure if anything else was damaged under the hood.Bc my vehicle is 16years old Bmw will not even send an inspector out to the garage where the vehicle sits just a month after getting it on the road..They first said it had aftermarket lights on the right side of the car by looking at pics I sent. That is false it's not even a light bmw placed a reflector sticker cc when they made the vehicle it peeled off after the first wash. This same technician that doesn't know a light from a reflector then claimed

Air Bags
Filed Jun 13, 2024SC

My BMW i528 was parked on May 23, 2024, and the driver airbag deflated without being tampered with. The incident is on surveillance camera. Since the car was manufactured in 2008, the insurance company will not cover the cost of the incident because it was not the result of a collision. There was no light that came on prior to the incident. A diagnostic check was performed and there was no indication of a problem with the airbag.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Jul 17, 2023FL

My front left and right headlight assembly went out. Went to take a look to realize all the wiring inside the assembly was exposed and sparking. Come to find out this was a common issue in this year make and model. They are charging $2,500 per assembly for a factory issue that could start a fire. Needs taken care of ASAP

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Mar 9, 2023CA

For a while now, I had been smelling gas around the car. I had it smogged and it passed but the technician told me that it smelled as if it were running rich because he smelled gas. It did not make sense to me that it could be running rich because it would not have passed smog then. I went to the supermarket recently and as I came out, I saw a small puddle of liquid under the left rear seating area. I touched it and smelled it and it was gas. My car leaves a little puddle of gas wherever I park now. I just saw a video on YouTube called "My BMW 535i has a fuel leak." That has been the problem a lot of people are having with their biodegradable BMW plastics. In the video, the young man describes that the fuel filter starts leaking and he has to spend $190.00 in parts. I don't have that money to be throwing away right now. Please look into and help us out.

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Mar 8, 2023115,000 milesMD

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a burning plastic odor throughout the vehicle and a dark gray cloud of smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) indicating that the remedy was available; 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 local dealer was notified of the recall notification and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Jan 23, 2023AZ

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Dec 27, 2022107,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle in the morning, the vehicle hesitated, and revved up approximately three times. The contact stated that the vehicle operated as needed after driving approximately a half a mile. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and advised the contact to take the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Power Train
Filed Dec 19, 2022CA

Transmission system is not functioning properly. The shifter automatically shifts into "N" or "P" when shifting into "D" or "R". The instrument cluster displays "transmission malfunction". Check engine light comes on. The code is P17E1 "Ratio monitoring clutch "A"

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Dec 6, 2022CA

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Engine
Filed Nov 29, 2022NV

Been smelling burning plastic/or oil thru air vents. as if the pvc valve was melting per recall description on probles, it fits the description, the only thing that happened to the car recently is one of the windows regulator anti trap functions it says antitrap function window disabled, then slowly started noticing burning smell for the first 10 minutes of everyday drive, my safety and many others could be very compromised , as I live on a mobile home community, and these properties have a high risk of fire hazard, and the fumes I am smelling, also I dont wanna get caught in a vehicle fire anywhere, much less on traffic, freeway or cause an accidents because of disabled vehicle, - the list goes on . thanks For allowing me to make a complaint and bring awareness for many other owners

Electrical SystemFire
Filed Sep 29, 2022CA

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528i. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lunged forward and jerked significantly. The contact released the accelerator pedal and the failure stopped temporarily. The check engine warning light and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. The contact stated that whenever the failure occurred, she would veer to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle would restart on some occasions and would fail to restart on other occasions. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence where the battery was replaced. However, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic on two occasions. The independent mechanic replaced the battery and fuses. However, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, she smelled a strong burning odor and she noticed smoke in the rear of the vehicle. The contact veered to the side of the road, where she noticed flames on the rear driver's side of the vehicle where the gas tank was located. The contact immediately exited the vehicle. The contact also saw flames underneath the hood. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of fire extinguishers and the fire department. A fire department was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic. The inde

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Sep 7, 2022TN

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving, she noticed that smoke was coming from the hood of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the PCV valve needed to be replaced; however, the part to do the repair was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The failure mileage was unavailable. VIN tool confirms part not available.

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed May 13, 2022111,000 milesSC

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528i. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was overheating. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle however, the failure recurred and the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where the battery and spark plugs were replaced however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer several times. The solenoid and the PCV valve were replaced. The contact stated that the seat belt and driver's side headlight harness connector were replaced. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal to the floorboard and the vehicle surged. The contact stated that the gear shifter failed to shift into drive and there was smoke coming out from the hood of the vehicle. The check engine warning light and the warning message "Transmission Malfunction" illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Hendrick BMW Certified Pre-Owned South Charlotte (9029 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28273) where the gear shifter was replaced however, the failure persisted. The second dealer informed the contact that the transmission, the solenoid, and the mechatronics unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later received NHTSA Campa

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Apr 25, 2022TX

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Engine and Engine CoolingFire
Filed Apr 19, 202288,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528i. The contact stated there was an abnormal burning odor in the vehicle. The contact detected smoke in the vehicle. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling ). 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 repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000. (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Apr 12, 2022FL

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

EngineFire1 injured
Filed Apr 8, 2022210,000 milesOK

The contact owned a 2008 BMW 528I. The contact stated that after parking, the vehicle flames were suddenly present coming from under the hood. The contact attempted to extinguish the flames but was unsuccessful and the vehicle was destroyed along with a second vehicle parked nearby. The fire department and police were called to the scene and reports were taken. During the incident the contact suffered smoke inhalation which required medical treatment. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The contact later received a recall noticed for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 210,000.

Engine and Engine CoolingFire
Filed Feb 18, 2022148,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528i Sedan. The contact stated while driving approximately 35mph when the vehicle began to produce smoke from the engine compartment alongside an odor of burning plastic. The contact was able to pull over and have the vehicle towed to their residence, but was not taken to a local dealer. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with, NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) however the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.

20 of 118 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2008
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
201659440Routine
201565150Routine
201457350Routine
201373410Routine
201289430Routine
2011117410Routine
201065240Routine
200922210Routine
2008 — this page1182160Routine
20071100Routine
20012000Routine
200042140Routine
199946000Routine
199833010Routine
199741010Routine

Compare every 528i year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Oct 30, 2017. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.