FaultScore report
Owners have filed 87 complaints about the 2010 BMW 528I with NHTSA between 2010 and 2025. The largest single group is the engine & cooling. Across this model's run it ranks 11 of 13 worst.
FaultScore 38/100
Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the BMW 528I.
How this is worked out87
Complaints
2
Crashes reported
5
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
99,000 mi
Median mileage at failure
Half of reported failures happened before this
4%
Failed under 36,000 miles
Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
1 crashes, 0 fires · median 68,000 mi
Median failure at 88,149 miles
Median failure at 98,629 miles
Median failure at 77,840 miles
0 crashes, 1 fires · median 120,000 mi
Median failure at 100,650 miles
Median failure at 68,000 miles
Median failure at 102,000 miles
Median failure at 98,629 miles
Median failure at 66,000 miles
1 crashes, 0 fires · median 7,200 mi
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
AIR BAGS
i was in a rear end crash accident my fault fast airbag didn’t deploy significant damage to my face car was totaled
NHTSA complaint #11518174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528i. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, she smelled a burning odor and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood and through the vent. The (!) malfunction indicator warning light illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would jerk intermittently while driving. The contact received recall notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V683000 (Engine And Engine Cooling), which she associated with the failure. The 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 failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11460753 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owned a 2010 BMW 528i. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH the vehicle started to shake and vibrate, additionally smoke began to issue from under the hood. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to safely pull of the highway and shut off the vehicle, the smoke emission increased and the vehicle caught fire. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire using water. The police were also on scene. The contact is not aware if any reports were written by police or fire department. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot due to being consumed completely by the fire. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.
NHTSA complaint #11460031 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)
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.
NHTSA complaint #11104656 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED WHO PUT THE FIRE OUT AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE TOW YARD. RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED FROM BMW, HOWEVER, NO INSTRUCTION PROVIDED ON HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT ON THIS LOSS. WAS INFORMED "REMEDY UNAVAILABLE".
NHTSA complaint #11064540 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
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. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED WHO PUT THE FIRE OUT AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE TOW YARD. RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED FROM BMW, HOWEVER, NO INSTRUCTION PROVIDED ON HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT ON THIS LOSS. WAS INFORMED "REMEDY UNAVAILABLE".
NHTSA complaint #11064540 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the repair failed to prevent a failure. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormally loud rattling sound coming from under the hood. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in Manual Mode, the vehicle independently shifted to neutral(N), the steering wheel became firm, and the transmission failed to shift out of neutral. In addition, the contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating with the accelerator pedal depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed back to the same local dealer on various occasions; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
NHTSA complaint #11706489 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
insulation on wiring is deteriorated leading to possible fire and or shorting out of electrical system
NHTSA complaint #11675067 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact stated while making a left turn and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The brake and transmission warning lights illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle, and then attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended and was towed back to the residence. The vehicle was next towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the camshaft and timing belt chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V707000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) and 22V119000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. 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 but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 124,000.
NHTSA complaint #11655886 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
They lied to me made me buy a bad car and then didn't even give me a license plate of anything they stole my money
NHTSA complaint #11646404 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
They lied to me made me buy a bad car and then didn't even give me a license plate of anything they stole my money
NHTSA complaint #11646404 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
I brought the car into BMW Manhattan after receiving the recall letter. They have refused to perfom the correction based on the fact that I had to replace the engine dues to a engine defect that cracked the number 6 cylinder in the original engine. I am confident BMW has the abilty to check the engine number and see that it requires the recall. They only stated it wasnt the original engine so they did not perform the work required by ther recall.
NHTSA complaint #11626683 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The car smells like gas by the rear wheels. In speaking with other owners of this vehicle this is a defective flaw in the vehicle it is a known problem in this vehicle and there has been no recall. This is a serious concern as gasoline is highly flammable. I have had to spend thousands of dollars fixing problems with this car and I cannot afford to fix this issue. This is a major concern. Please advise a fix ASAP
NHTSA complaint #11623122 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. 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 stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stall and jerked while coming to a stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11596148 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
N/A Complaint is that no remedy is available 8 months after recall issued. Currently this particular car is still drivable, but suffers oil leaks from this lack of repair. No local dealer or repair shops can fix ahead of the recall because they cannot get the repair bolts either. Eight months is a ridiculous amount of time to wait for a manufacture repair.
NHTSA complaint #11592868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and flashed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that fuel was leaking form the engine. The contact was unaware of what part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11580653 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and flashed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that fuel was leaking form the engine. The contact was unaware of what part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11580653 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) 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 contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the VANOS bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11567459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
When driving any acceleration will cause the car to shift from Drive to Neutral. This can happen under normal driving conditions and at any speed.
NHTSA complaint #11564873 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11562268 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to coast off the roadway. While at a stop, the vehicle stalled upon acceleration. Upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle started to shake. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was referred to the local dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (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. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
NHTSA complaint #11561894 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
Camshaft over retarded. Stalled while driving.
NHTSA complaint #11558203 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued driving at an unknown speed and then parked and had the vehicle towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that there was debris in the filter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 132,553. The contact stated when he took his wife’s car for an oil service at the BMW dealership he was told that there was a VANOS Unit recall much to his surprise. However the VANOS Unit recall did not include all 2010 528i BMW’s. The contact is requesting this vehicle to be included in the recall.
NHTSA complaint #11557434 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS
There seems to be a common problem with these vehicles according to similar complaints being discussed in forums. My steering wheel is malfunctioning and creating a safety concern. While driving straight my horn and electrical controls do not function. If I turn the steering wheel to one side then the horn and electrical components work. I am also afraid that the airbag may not function properly because of this.
NHTSA complaint #11551162 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
There seems to be a common problem with these vehicles according to similar complaints being discussed in forums. My steering wheel is malfunctioning and creating a safety concern. While driving straight my horn and electrical controls do not function. If I turn the steering wheel to one side then the horn and electrical components work. I am also afraid that the airbag may not function properly because of this.
NHTSA complaint #11551162 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
Bolts on the backside of the camshaft adjusters broke off and went into the engine.
NHTSA complaint #11538882 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS
i was in a rear end crash accident my fault fast airbag didn’t deploy significant damage to my face car was totaled
NHTSA complaint #11518174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
This recall notice received almost 8 months back. This recall concerns me. I didn’t have any accidents to report but it’s too bad no remedy was given by BMW.
NHTSA complaint #11497895 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that after she scheduled an appointment at the local dealer, she was later made aware that parts were not yet available. 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.
NHTSA complaint #11496606 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2010 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he attempted to operate the heater and noticed a fuel odor inside the vehicle. The contact then stated that smoke was coming from under the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that parts were not available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that he noticed a fuel odor throughout the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11496134 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
The "Secure from Rolling" alert pops up on screen and car is prevented from moving. Engine must be shut off and ignition turned back on to work. Gears/spring probably need replaced per error message.
NHTSA complaint #11493363 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.