2010 BMW 528I problems
The 2010 BMW 528I has 87 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (38%) concerns engine. Next are electrical system (13%) and air bags (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 87 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 38% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 2 and 5
- Injuries and deaths
- 1 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 99,000 miles 57 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 | 8 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 12 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 7 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 8 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 12 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 3 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 4 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 57 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 99,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 132,000 miles (20 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 2 complaints mention a crash; 5 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 2010 ranks 7th most-complained-about out of 13 model years of the BMW 528I with enough data (16 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
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.
Recall campaign no.: 17v683: pcv valve heater on january 22, 2018, while traveling westbound on the 10 freeway, my vehicle began to smell of burning plastic. I pulled over, turned my car off, got out of the vehicle to find out what it was. I opened the hood and observed smoke coming from the engine compartment which turned into fire burning the entire front end into the seating area of the car. The pcv valve heater melted causing the fire.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17v683000 (engine and engine cooling). Upon starting the vehicle, smoke entered the vehicle through the air vents. The contact called the dealer (towne BMW, 8215 main st, williamsville, ny 14221) three times, but had not received a return call. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer had not been contacted. The failure mileage was 180,000.
I received a displayed message there was a malfunction with the rear lamp. When checking the tail light assembly and wiring, I noticed the connector on the tail lamp assembly was melted (plastic) where the brown ground wire connected. The male/female connector parts got so hot that the plastic connector was melted where the ground wire connects. This was on the drivers side, but it is likely the passenger side would have the same problem.
My vehicle suddenly stops. I've already replace the sparkplugs, coils, & fuel filter, but the problem does not go away. The sudden stopping happens when I'm driving or when I'm idle at either a stop sign or a light. The vehicle sputters until it completely turns off from I'm idle and there is no warning for when I'm actually driving, it just stops.