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1997 BMW 528I

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1997 BMW 528I do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 46.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 19 of 41 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Suspension. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports

Power Train complaints

5 reports
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Mileage unknown · Oct 7, 2010
Electrical SystemPower Train

TWO THINGS SPECIFICALLY WHICH APPEARS TO BE A VERY WIDESPREAD ISSUE. FIRST, THE TRANSMISSION HAS LOST ITS REVERSE FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE GOES IN DRIVE WITHOUT A SINGLE PROBLEM AT ALL. THIS APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO A DEFECT IN THE DRUM ON THE VEHICLE. (A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH WILL SHOW YOU AND UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE HAVING TH…

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TWO THINGS SPECIFICALLY WHICH APPEARS TO BE A VERY WIDESPREAD ISSUE. FIRST, THE TRANSMISSION HAS LOST ITS REVERSE FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE GOES IN DRIVE WITHOUT A SINGLE PROBLEM AT ALL. THIS APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO A DEFECT IN THE DRUM ON THE VEHICLE. (A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH WILL SHOW YOU AND UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM) ALSO, THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT STAYS ON EVEN AFTER THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. THIS IS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE TRANSISTOR IN THE LCM (LIGHT CONTROL MODULE). MY LIGHT STAYED ON IN MY 97 BMW 528I AND CAUGHT FIRE, BURNING THE HEADLIGHT CAUSING A FIRE HAZARD. THE HEADLIGHT CAUGHT AFIRE BECAUSE THE LCM MODULE DIDN'T TURN THE LIGHTS OFF. ALSO,THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT FOR REVERSE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10359550

108,000 miles · Apr 12, 2010
Power Train

VEHICLE STARTED RANDOM SHIFT SELECTIONS AFTER RAIN OCCURS. DISPLAY OFTEN SHOWED INCORRECT GEAR SELECTION AND INCORRECT GEAR POSITION ON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. GEAR POSITION INDICATOR ON TRANSMISSION HAS DEGRADED SEALANT ALLOWING WATER INTO WIRING AND SWITCH CAUSING ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION AND INCORRECT INDICATIONS FROM TRANSMISS…

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VEHICLE STARTED RANDOM SHIFT SELECTIONS AFTER RAIN OCCURS. DISPLAY OFTEN SHOWED INCORRECT GEAR SELECTION AND INCORRECT GEAR POSITION ON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. GEAR POSITION INDICATOR ON TRANSMISSION HAS DEGRADED SEALANT ALLOWING WATER INTO WIRING AND SWITCH CAUSING ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION AND INCORRECT INDICATIONS FROM TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE SPEED CONTROL. HAS PROGRESSED NOW TO COMPLETE DEGRADATION OF ALL TRANSMISSION FUNCTION AND INDICATION REGARDLESS OF WEATHER CONDITIONS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10325000

157,059 miles · Sep 23, 2007
Power Train

I HAVE A 1997 BMW 528I WHEN IT RAINS MY TRANSMISSION SLIPS FROM GEAR TO GEAR. I FILED A COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM PREVIOUSLY. ON 8/3/07 I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM AND STATED THAT THE 1998 528I HAD A RECALL ON THE GEAR SELECTOR MODULE. THEY SAID THEY WOULD CHECK IT OUT AND LET ME KNOW. WHEN I WENT BA…

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I HAVE A 1997 BMW 528I WHEN IT RAINS MY TRANSMISSION SLIPS FROM GEAR TO GEAR. I FILED A COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM PREVIOUSLY. ON 8/3/07 I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM AND STATED THAT THE 1998 528I HAD A RECALL ON THE GEAR SELECTOR MODULE. THEY SAID THEY WOULD CHECK IT OUT AND LET ME KNOW. WHEN I WENT BACK FOR THE CAR THEY CHARGED ME A $124.00 DIAGNOSTIC CHARGE TO TELL ME WHAT I ALREADY KNEW. I ALREADY KNEW THE PROBLEM AND HAD STATED THAT. I WANTED TO KNOW IF MY CAR WAS COVERED UNDER THE RECALL! THEY SAID MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I REALLY DON'T CARE IF MY VIN IS COVERED! MY CAR IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE 1998 MODEL THAT HAS BEEN RECALLED! THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULD ORDER THE PART BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. I REFUSED. THE 1997 528I NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL! IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WHEN IT RAINS SINCE NOT ONLY ARE THE ROADS WET, BUT THE TRANSMISSION JUMPS FROM GEAR TO GEAR CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JERK AND ACCELERATE RANDOMLY. ALSO THE INDICATOR LIGHT DOES NOT KNOW WHAT GEAR YOU ARE IN AND GIVES FALSE INDICATION OF THE CORRECT GEAR. THIS CAN CONTINUE FOR AS LONG AS A WEEK UNTIL THE MODULE DRIES OUT! I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT THE ONLY 1997 528I THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM! *JB

NHTSA ODI #10203864

132,000 miles · Nov 12, 2006
Power Train

I HAVE A 1997 528I BMW. WHEN IT RAINS MY CAR SHIFTS FROM GEAR TO GEAR. I HAD TO HAVE HIGHWAY PATROL ESCORT ME TO THE NEXT TOWN DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR CHOSE S2 (SPORT 2ND GEAR) AS THE GEAR IT PREFERRED TO DRIVE IN. I WASN'T ABLE TO DRIVE ANY FASTER THAN 40 MPH UNTIL THE CAR DRIED OUT THE NEXT DAY…

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I HAVE A 1997 528I BMW. WHEN IT RAINS MY CAR SHIFTS FROM GEAR TO GEAR. I HAD TO HAVE HIGHWAY PATROL ESCORT ME TO THE NEXT TOWN DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR CHOSE S2 (SPORT 2ND GEAR) AS THE GEAR IT PREFERRED TO DRIVE IN. I WASN'T ABLE TO DRIVE ANY FASTER THAN 40 MPH UNTIL THE CAR DRIED OUT THE NEXT DAY! *NM

NHTSA ODI #10173232

92,900 miles · Jun 15, 2005
Power Train

I OWN A 1997 BMW 528I AND EVERYTIME IT RAINS THE GEAR SELECTION SWITCH MALFUNCTION CAUSING RANDOM GEAR SELECTION. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS A RECALL ON THE 1998 MODEL, WHICH USES THE SAME RECALLED PART.

NHTSA ODI #10125436

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.