BMW 528i Complaints (2008)

118 consumer complaints on file.

#11688501September 19, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11640016January 31, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11625751November 17, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
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 my wiring harness is aftermarket bc he says he can't see bmw sticker. It was a fire the car is damaged the sticker prolly melted along with the fuse box..I ask that bmw respect my vehicle that I just saved my $ to purchase 107,000 miles on it should hv never caught on fire..I need an inspector to go out and check my vehicle in person..Not guess and claim aftermarket parts. I'm not the only person this has happened to. Someone is gonna get killed bc of BMWs manufacturing company. This is serious.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11594190June 13, 2024
AIR BAGS
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11532679July 17, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11511061March 9, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11510795March 8, 2023
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11503271January 23, 2023
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11499026December 27, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11498156December 19, 2022
POWER TRAIN
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"
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11496248December 6, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495394November 29, 2022
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11487074September 29, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, POWER TRAIN
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 independent mechanic jumpstarted the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to her residence. The contact later received a recall notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine And Engine Cooling), which she associated with the failure. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11483288September 7, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464580May 13, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, POWER TRAIN, SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
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 Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). 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 but did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462091April 25, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11461380April 19, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11460480April 12, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11460098April 8, 2022
ENGINE
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11452821February 18, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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