2008 BMW 528I — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
181
Owner Complaints
2
Recalls
1
Service Bulletin
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2008 BMW 528I
The 2008 BMW 528I has received a total of 181 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 2 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV), EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS. 1 technical service bulletin have been issued by BMW of North America, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Electrical System (30 complaints), Exterior Lighting (30 complaints), and Engine (20 complaints).
Recalls for the 2008 BMW 528I
NHTSA has recorded 2 recalls for the 2008 BMW 528I, potentially affecting up to 874,661 vehicles.
Recall 17V683000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)
| 740,561 vehicles affected
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2011 128i and 2007-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Consequence: An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notification by the end of October 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer...
View full details →Recall 13V407000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
| 134,100 vehicles affected
Defect: BMW is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2010 528i, 535i, 550i, and M5 passenger cars manufactured from March 1, 2007, through December 31, 2009. Over time, increased resistance at the taillight electrical contact points may cause damage to the ground terminal and housing of the connector resulting in an intermittent or permanent loss of functionality of one or more...
Consequence: Intermittent light operation reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear lamp bulb carriers free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at [email protected].
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2008 BMW 528I
181 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2008 BMW 528I. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 30 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 20 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Power Train | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bagssensoroccupant Classification | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bagssensoroccupant Classificationfront Passenger | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systememission Controlcrankcase Pcv | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lightingheadlights | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Gasoline | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control Esc | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment Adaptivemobility | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lightingbrake Lights | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lightingturn Signal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts Rearotherbuckle Assembly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seatsfront Assemblyseat Heatercooler | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
The daylight lamps fall apart causing poor lighting at night and continuous alarms while driving. Also, impacting the quality of light and lack of lighting at night. The alarms are continuous and block ALL other alerts from the vehicle, including cruise control, temperature, overheating, engine, and other notices.
After purchasing this vehicle from my aunt and uncle my one headlight when bad after purchasing the headlights I replaced both the right and left one while removing the old headlights the insulation from the wires just crumbles off casuing a short bc the wires are zip tied several times together and causes my lights to flicker or not work at all while the the car keeps notifying me that there is an issue never couple seconds
After purchasing this vehicle from my aunt and uncle my one headlight when bad after purchasing the headlights I replaced both the right and left one while removing the old headlights the insulation from the wires just crumbles off casuing a short bc the wires are zip tied several times together and causes my lights to flicker or not work at all while the the car keeps notifying me that there is an issue never couple seconds
I bought a 2008 528i July 2024. Got Emissions & Tag at the end of August. Oct 5 2024. My car was on Fire. Drove the car 11 mins got out for a few mins got bk in crunk the car and a flame shot out of what I'm assuming is a fuse box on the driver side. The car had flames coming from under the steering wheel area in the dash. When we crunk the car we could smell wire burning at first. Then flames..The vehicle has an active recall that clearly says A Pcv heater valve will cause the vehicle to over heat and short circuit causing a fire. Wiring harness needs to be replaced by adding a fuse to keep this from happening. The car was having issues passing the emissions. It was throwing a code something to do with the crankcase positioner something to do with Emissions. The car started running rough and idling rough before the fire happened.I sent bmw pics and the fire report. The fire report states it was an electrical fire. I never looked under my hood bc I was afraid I'd get burned. Not sure if anything else was damaged under the hood.Bc my vehicle is 16years old Bmw will not even send an inspector out to the garage where the vehicle sits just a month after getting it on the road..They first said it had aftermarket lights on the right side of the car by looking at pics I sent. That is false it's not even a light bmw placed a reflector sticker cc when they made the vehicle it peeled off after the first wash. This same technician that doesn't know a light from a reflector then claimed my wiring harness is aftermarket bc he says he can't see bmw sticker. It was a fire the car is damaged the sticker prolly melted along with the fuse box..I ask that bmw respect my vehicle that I just saved my $ to purchase 107,000 miles on it should hv never caught on fire..I need an inspector to go out and check my vehicle in person..Not guess and claim aftermarket parts. I'm not the only person this has happened to. Someone is gonna get killed bc of BMWs manufacturing company. This is serious.
I bought a 2008 528i July 2024. Got Emissions & Tag at the end of August. Oct 5 2024. My car was on Fire. Drove the car 11 mins got out for a few mins got bk in crunk the car and a flame shot out of what I'm assuming is a fuse box on the driver side. The car had flames coming from under the steering wheel area in the dash. When we crunk the car we could smell wire burning at first. Then flames..The vehicle has an active recall that clearly says A Pcv heater valve will cause the vehicle to over heat and short circuit causing a fire. Wiring harness needs to be replaced by adding a fuse to keep this from happening. The car was having issues passing the emissions. It was throwing a code something to do with the crankcase positioner something to do with Emissions. The car started running rough and idling rough before the fire happened.I sent bmw pics and the fire report. The fire report states it was an electrical fire. I never looked under my hood bc I was afraid I'd get burned. Not sure if anything else was damaged under the hood.Bc my vehicle is 16years old Bmw will not even send an inspector out to the garage where the vehicle sits just a month after getting it on the road..They first said it had aftermarket lights on the right side of the car by looking at pics I sent. That is false it's not even a light bmw placed a reflector sticker cc when they made the vehicle it peeled off after the first wash. This same technician that doesn't know a light from a reflector then claimed my wiring harness is aftermarket bc he says he can't see bmw sticker. It was a fire the car is damaged the sticker prolly melted along with the fuse box..I ask that bmw respect my vehicle that I just saved my $ to purchase 107,000 miles on it should hv never caught on fire..I need an inspector to go out and check my vehicle in person..Not guess and claim aftermarket parts. I'm not the only person this has happened to. Someone is gonna get killed bc of BMWs manufacturing company. This is serious.
Safety Rating for the 2008 BMW 528I
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2008 BMW 528I in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2008 BMW 528I
BMW of North America, LLC has issued 1 technical service bulletin (TSBs) for the 2008 BMW 528I. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
110208 — ENGINE
"Power Reduction, FC 2A82 Intake VANOS and/or FC 2A87 Exhaust VANOS Camshaft Faults are Stored in DME. The ""Service Engine Soon"" (MIL) lamp is illuminated and engine power reduction is perceived. This situation can occur after driving for some time with the engine at full operating temperature. If the ignition...
NHTSA Investigations for the 2008 BMW 528I
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the BMW 528I
- 2007 BMW 528I — 1 complaint
- 2008 BMW 528I (current)
- 2009 BMW 528I — 33 complaints
- 2010 BMW 528I — 87 complaints
- 2011 BMW 528I — 164 complaints
- 2012 BMW 528I — 145 complaints
- 2013 BMW 528I — 119 complaints