104 of the
1,239 complaints filed about the BMW 528I
are about the fuel system —
8% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2012.
Vehicle: 2016 BMW 528i xDrive (VIN: [XXX]) Safety Issue / Defect Description: Strong, hazardous raw gasoline fumes began entering the passenger cabin and trunk area. On XXX, the vehicle was brought to an authorized dealership (BMW of Sterling) for diagnostic evaluation. The dealership's technician conducted a multi-point inspection and produced video evidence documenting fluid leaking from the top of the plastic fuel tank. The dealership issued Repair Order Quote #$4,824.92 to "REPLACE FUEL TANK DUE TO FUEL LEAK" and declared the vehicle unsafe. Despite diagnosing a structural fuel tank leak that allows raw gasoline and fumes to migrate into the cabin—presenting an immediate fire, explosion, and toxic vapor risk—BMW of North America and the dealership have refused warranty coverage or goodwill assistance, claiming the tank is "not leaking actively enough" under Service Bulletin SI B01 03 22 (NHTSA ID: MC-10212779-9999). An uncontained raw fuel leak on a plastic fuel tank is a critical safety defect that requires immediate investigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11753570 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle developed a strong, toxic odor of raw gasoline inside the passenger cabin and trunk area. The vehicle was brought to an authorized franchise, BMW of Sterling, where technicians performed a multi-point inspection. The technician confirmed that the factory plastic fuel tank assembly is structurally defective and leaking raw fuel from the top weld seams. The dealer provided an official invoice quoting $4,824.92 to replace the tank due to the fuel leak, noting it is an active hazard, but refused to cover the failure under BMW’s active 15-year/150,000-mile extended warranty for N20 plastic fuel tanks (SI B01 03 22). Driving a vehicle with raw fuel pooling on the exterior of the tank and migrating into the cabin creates an immediate fire hazard and health risk to occupants."
NHTSA complaint #11751663 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
car was brought in for a recall could erupt fire from engine and electrical brought car to bmw 8/2025 have checked list when brought in car was in perfect condition per bmw .pick up car checked engine light was on brought back immediately manager took to shop and cleared light immediately came back on i called them then i drive screen was saying low coolant oil low drivetrain overheating oil leaks burning smell coolant smell etc called bmw na service manager etc waited for appointment 1/26 bmw had for 8 days only to say it had nothing to do with recall car now has no power excessive smoke smell undriveable been in garage for 3 months if ran would catch on fire 🔥
NHTSA complaint #11745013 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled over, and after several attempts, the vehicle restarted. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, and the message "Drivetrain Malfunction" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure started recently and had occurred several times. Additionally, the vehicle was vibrating intermittently and lost motive power. The contact stated that occasionally the vehicle failed to accelerate above 15 MPH. The contact smelled the odor of gasoline inside the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
NHTSA complaint #11689537 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hello my name is [XXX] and I am (was) the owner of a 2013 BMW 528i VIN [XXX] . It was a secondary vehicle for me for until I sustained an injury and it being my primary vehicle. I took it through emissions, updated the registration, and I noticed smoke coming from under the hood. I had driven it without a problem then in Juneit did not run at all. At that time there was a recall on the computer system and supposedly it needed a new key programmed to start. That was a 700 expense out of pocket and the car still did not even turn over. I authorized replacing the battery that was another 600, and still the car would not start or run.At this point they were just guessing at what was wrong and going though the process of elimination to try to rectify what was wrong with the car. They did not offer me any kind of courtesy vehicle or even rental discount so I was renting a car while they were trying to figure out what was wrong with the car. I am a small business owner of a non-profit company Modern Day Ministries, LLC that provides assistance to at risk youth and single mothers with disabilities and funding my own organization without loans or assistance. After three months of renting a car, the dealership at 7455 W. Orchid Lane Chandler, Arizona 85226 who had my vehicle only wanted me to keep paying for parts, which for BMW are extremely costly but could not guarantee the car was working. At that time it was known there was a recall on the fuel pump leaking, destroying the electrical system and causing smoking from under the hood or system malfunction, which in my case it fried the electrical system and the car had to be reprogrammed but I had to pay for the new key. I had incurred over 1500.00 in car repairs and another 3000 for renting a car for over 3 months waiting for a remedy. The dealership manager Shane Ohanran I had conversations with failed to take any kind of responsibility for any repairs. I am asking 5000 for out of pocket costs incurred INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FO
NHTSA complaint #11664465 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Concern- smoke coming out of back exhaust at start up Cause - TAYLOR BMW (dealership) - possible needs updated oil line, turbo may be leaking internally Correction- dealership pulled faults to see if cat efficiency faults were present, saw none. Did verify smoke on startup. Doesn’t look like the turbo oil feed line has been changed (updated with check valve). There is some oil encrusted on the body of turbo. Would replace all lines since turbo removal is required for any of them; however once cat is off and if the chamber inside is wet with oil, at that point it would need a turbo as well as the lines. The above is the written diagnosis from dealership and I was quoted a price ranging from $2600- 4600- In 2016, NHTSA issued a notice for certain models/ years regarding the turbocharger feed lines (extending warranty for that part to 10 years / 120k miles). My 2016 was CPO and has only 84k (all maintenance performed by BMW) and I believe it should fall under eligible vehicles. I have reached out to BMW customer care, spoken with a case manager , all to no avail.
NHTSA complaint #11655918 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I had just purchased a car but a month ago I was driving to lunch and I was at a stop sign when the light turned green I started to go the car started shaking and smoke was coming out of the front under the hood I had just an oil change so I took it back to the oil change shop. They could not figure out why the engine blew and I had to take it to a different BMW shop where I have to purchase a rebuilt motor and pay for the repairs. I can request all records from the automotive shop if needed.
NHTSA complaint #11655338 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed, and the diagnostic test showed that the fuel rail system was defective and needed to be replaced. The contact had the vehicle repaired; however, several days later, the failure returned while traveling at highway speeds; the drivetrain maintenance message was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a defective fuel pump. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic, and it was discovered that the vehicle was leaking oil and the valve cover gasket needed to be repaired. The vehicle had received a valve cover gasket repair, but the failure persisted. In addition, the manufacturer was notified about the failure, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact was informed by the manufacturer that issue was not related to the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11648293 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Leak error messages that cannot be removed until recall issue with fluid leak is fixed. Leak is corroding engine fuel lines and can cause a fire Will driving. The remedy is taking to long to be deployed. Need assistance with this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11643709 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I started my bmw up one day after working 16 hours and white thick smoke came from the back tailpipe. Tok it to bmw and they said my car is leaking oil on to the turbo and I need to replace the pump, shocks, valves and others because of this leak. And the car started to issue a transmission fault code on the screen.
NHTSA complaint #11635215 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
The Check engine light is displayed, a drivetrain malfunction message is being displayed and the engine's power output has been reduced The issue is diagnosed as turbocharger wastegate valve actuator I would like for BMW to extend the limited warranty for this issue to 2014 BMW 528i
NHTSA complaint #11612260 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528i. The contact stated that upon acceleration from a stop or after the vehicle was parked, the engine delayed 10 to 15 seconds before accelerating as needed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to hesitate and then stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was placed on a diagnostic machine and produced codes: 11A002 and 118401 and diagnosed that the high-pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall and to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 135,700.
NHTSA complaint #11520972 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11511061 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Car engine caught on fire while driving today and stopped. No smoke or other issues prior. Worried this is related to the recall issued by BMW recently, however my car is not covered under the recall yet. The car is currently located in Vancouver Canada. It was purchased in Tulsa, OK
NHTSA complaint #11473963 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle was decelerating independently. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate properly and was jerking while driving. The contact pulled to the side of the road safely. The check engine and fuel warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was unable to restart and was towed to the local dealer and diagnosed with an electronic fuel pump control module failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 113,000.
NHTSA complaint #11472040 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
while driving on highway at 65 mph the vehicle electrical system began to go haywire and the power steering and brakes both stopped functioning making it impossible to control vehicle. I was nearly struck by several vehicles because of the suddenness of the shutdown. I was able to subsequently stop vehicle in the left lane without incident. Vehicle towed to BMW of Turnersville where diagnosis was faulty fuel pump !! Cost of repair $2,000..
NHTSA complaint #11464623 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.