1998 BMW 528I problems
The 1998 BMW 528I has 39 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (15%) concerns air bags. Next are steering (10%) and body & structure (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 39 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 15% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 2 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 1 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 97,000 miles 24 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 1 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 1 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 1 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 3 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 6 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 5 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 2 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Of the 24 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 96,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 2 complaints mention a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 1 injury reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1998 ranks 12th most-complained-about out of 13 model years of the BMW 528I with enough data (11 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Consumer states while traveling 35 MPH without any indication resulting in a vehicle crash. Upon impact, side air bags deployed, blowing door panel off, and causing injury to passenger's ribs.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 BMW 528I. While the engine was running, the contact smelled something burning. He discovered that the brake light for the window burned through the housing and fell into the trunk. The bulb landed by the fuel tank. No repairs have been made and the cause of the failure was unknown. Furthermore, the passenger and driver side handles failed to open the doors from inside the passenger compartment. The doors would only open from the outside.
The steering wheel intermittently moves up and down on its own while driving. In addition, the brake lights stay on constantly and the air bag indicator light on the dash comes on intermittently.
98 528I, airbag light flashed and remained illuminated. Repair made by BMW dealer as per TSB 61-2000. Defective wiring harness. Repair bypassed original configuration. Dealer and BMW n/a declined to cover repair although acknowledging defect in the wiring harness. Stated that there hasn't been a recall even though they have clearly identified a defect in the harness as outlined in the service bulletin 61-20-00 from 2003.