1999 BMW 528I problems
The 1999 BMW 528I has 59 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (22%) concerns brakes. Next are air bags (15%) and cruise control (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 59 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Brakes 22% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 6 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 8 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 85,000 miles 33 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 | 0 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 0 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 6 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 9 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 10 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 4 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 2 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 33 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 85,000 miles. For brakes specifically, the median reported mileage is about 76,000 miles (11 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 6 complaints mention a crash; 8 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1999 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 13 model years of the BMW 528I with enough data (31 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.
My car was hit (broad-sided at a perpendicular angle) by a 16 yo in an 1989 camaro. My BMW vehicle sustained major structural damage, including bending of the car-frame, blow-out of the driver's window (that landed on the passenger, lacerating his leg), and separation and rupture of the body side door panel assembly and door shell. I sustained blunt left shoulder injuries and bruising from impacting the pillar, and also back/leg injuries.
Wilmington north carolina police insurance fraud staged accident attempted murder. Officer [xxx] released a driver in the accident and filed a false accident report with caucasian males. Accident report wilmington north carolina online. [xxx] and [xxx] damage don't equal damages to my car.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 BMW 528I. While making a right turn, the driver's air bag deployed without warning or an impact. The contact sustained eye injuries that required medical attention. The contact was able to coast the vehicle over to the side of the road and called the BMW manufacturer. The vehicle was towed to an unknown BMW dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
The ABS controller failed intermittently causing both ABS and traction control system to be disabled, specially once the engine is wam, once it failed, restarting the car won't correct the situation. If the car sits over night, the ABS and traction works again for a while, depends on driving condition, if the car is taken into highway right away, the ABS might work for hours, if it goes into city driving, it could fail within minutes.
Safety system failure - ABS and anti-skid control module. This apparently is a chronic failure for BMW 5 series cars from the 1997 to 2002 model years that occurs at approximately 70,000 miles. The ABS and asc lights both light and within a short time after the speedometer and odometer stop working. No anti-lock brakes and non-working skid control, plus not knowing your speed is unsafe and costs over $1000 to fix.