1999 BMW 528I

BOUGHT A NEW CAR IN 1999: 1999 BMW 528I AT ABOUT 75,500 MILES, THE ABS MODULE (BOSCH 5.7) FAILED. *** BRAKE DOES NOT RESPOND FOR A FEW SECOND THEN ABS LIGHT IS ON *** - CONTACTED A FEW OTHER 1999 AND 2000 BWM E39 OWNERS, THEY ALL HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE ABS MODULE. - SENT THE CAR TO A BMW DEALER AT STERLING, VA. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THE ABS MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1000+. - DEALER CONFIRMED THAT BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTIVE ABS MODULE, ABS BRAKE DOES NOT WORK. - CONTACTED BMW NORTHERN AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE. NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE A 1999 BMW 528IT WAGON. UNTIL A MONTH AGO MY HUSBAND HAD A 1994 BMW 318IC. ALL FOUR HEADLIGHT LENSES IN THESE CARS BECAME QUITE FILMY, AND HAVE BEEN FOR SOME TIME, WHICH I BELIEVE TO BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD, AS IT DIMINISHED THE ABILITY TO SEE AT NIGHT. THESE CARS WERE NOT ANTIQUES, AND THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT SHOULD HOLD UP FOR A MINIMUM OF 10-15 YEARS, IN MY OPINION. WILL YOU PLEASE MAKE BMW DO SOMETHING TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION AT THE COMPANY'S EXPENSE, NOT THE OWNER'S? I HAVE A 1989 VOLVO, AND ITS LENSES ARE STILL FINE, SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN ALL CARS.*AK

ASC CONTROL UNIT FAILED. THIS RESULTED IN FAILURE OF ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND TRACTION CONTROL AND SPEEDOMETER ON MY 1999 BMW 528I. BMW HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT ON THIS ISSUE FOR 5 SERIES CARS 9/98 TO 9/00 (MINE WAS BUILT 10/98). BULLETIN INFO: VS-23/WEINTUCH BAUGRUPPE/GROUP:32 32 01 00 (646) . THE REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS CODE IS RA 24 52 515/ 34 52 516. AFTER UNIT FAILED, I WAS INVOLVED IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION IN WHICH I HAD TO BRAKE HEAVILY AND ALL FOUR WHEELS LOCKED UP. THERE IS A LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLE OWNERS CURRENTLY REPORTING THIS SAME PROBLEM ON A NUMBER OF BMW BULLETIN BOARDS (WWW.ROADFLY.COM). IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT APPARENTLY BMW IS AWARE OF BUT NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I UNDERSTAND THAT MY CAR IS NOT IN WARRANTY BUT I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. EVENTUALLY, THERE WILL BE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT FROM THIS KNOWN PART FAILURE. I HAVE ALSO HEARD THAT A NUMBER OF BMW DEALERS ARE STOCKING UP HIGHER THAN USUAL INVENTORIES OF THIS PART, APPARENTLY IN ANTICIPATION OF LARGE SCALE FAILURES OF THE ASC CONTROL UNIT (PART34-52-6-756-343). MY NEXT CAR WILL NOT BE A BMW, THEY DON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR CARS. THINK & READ BEFORE YOU BUY BMW! IT'S EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR.LC *NM

MY ASC AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, LOST SPEEDOMETER. TOOK TO BMW MECHANIC WHO READ CODES AND IT READ REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR. REPLACED SENSOR AND SPEEDOMETER DID NOT WORK. CONTINUED WITH MECHANIC ON LOOKING FOR SOLUTION AND HE CONCLUDED AFTER TALKING TO OTHER BMW MECHANICS AND GOING OVER THE SYMPTOMS THAT IT IS THE ABS CONTROLLER THAT FAILED. SO I HAVE NO ABS OR TRACTION CONTROL OF SPEEDOMETER UNTIL I CAN FIX THIS. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. *JB

ABS CONTROLLER FAILURE THAT LED TO DISABLING OF ABS SYSTEM, STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM AND SPEEDOMETER. MULTIPLE BMW OWNER RESOURCE WEB SITES (BIMMERFEST, ROADFLY, ETC.) HAVE THREADED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND REFLECT THE OWNERS' DISATISFACTION WITH BMW'S LACK OF RESPONSE. THEY COMPLAIN OF CONTROLLER UNIT FAILING, GETTING REPLACED, AND FAILING AGAIN. A NUMBER OF LOCAL MECHANICS HAVE CONFIRMED SEEING THE PROBLEM AND HAVE SUGGESTED SEEKING OUT SOMEONE WHO WILL REBUILD THE CONTROLLER UNIT TO PREVENT FUTURE FAILURE.

SAFETY SYSTEM FAILURE - ABS AND ANTI-SKID CONTROL MODULE. THIS APPARENTLY IS A CHRONIC FAILURE FOR BMW 5 SERIES CARS FROM THE 1997 TO 2002 MODEL YEARS THAT OCCURS AT APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES. THE ABS AND ASC LIGHTS BOTH LIGHT AND WITHIN A SHORT TIME AFTER THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER STOP WORKING. NO ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND NON-WORKING SKID CONTROL, PLUS NOT KNOWING YOUR SPEED IS UNSAFE AND COSTS OVER $1000 TO FIX. *JB

I BOUGHT A 1999 BMW 528I NEW. I BROUGHT THE CAR REGULARLY INTO SERVICE BASED UPON THEIR PRESCRIBED SERVICE PROGRAM FOR THIS CAR. AT 49,600 MILES ON THE CAR AND EXACTLY 5 YEARS OLD, THE TRANSMISSIONS ON THIS CAR FAILED. BMW REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION UNDER THE WARRANTY. IN DECEMBER 2004, WITH 64,205 MILES I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND COMPLAINED ABOUT A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE VENTS AFTER CAR IS WARMED UP. AT 64,605 MILES, CAR BREAKS DOWN ON ROAD AND IS TOWED INTO THE BMW DEALERSHIP AND THE DIAGNOSIS IS THAT A NEW MOTOR IS NEEDED. THIS CAR HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE MOTOR AS A RESULT OF FAILURE OF THE OIL PUMP TO LUBRICATE THE ENGINE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BASICALLY BLAMED THE SITUATION ON US AND NOT THE FAILURE OF THIS BMW ENGINE THAT WAS MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO THEIR MAINTENANCE STANDARDS. THERE IS REAL PROBLEM WITH BMW ENGINES AND BASED UPON MY RESEARCH IT RELATES TO BOLTS ON THE OIL PUMP LOOSENING FROM THE CAR'S VIBRATION THEREBY NOT ALLOWING OIL TO BE PUMP INTO THE ENGINE. ALSO, MY REAR DOOR DOES NOT OPEN ANYMORE. A REAL SAFETY ISSUE WHEN YOU HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT. *NM