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2011 BMW 528I

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most 528I years

Owner complaints for the 2011 BMW 528I are substantially higher than 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

68 reports with mileage · 49 unknown

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.

  • Engine. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

32 reports
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Mileage unknown · Feb 28, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2011 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 dealer was made aware of…

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The contact owns a 2011 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 dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11574534

100,000 miles · Feb 1, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact stated while receiving an oil change by an independent mechanic at the residence, the mechanic became aware of bolt fragments in the oil pan. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair …

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The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact stated while receiving an oil change by an independent mechanic at the residence, the mechanic became aware of bolt fragments in the oil pan. The contact received a 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 made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.

NHTSA ODI #11569365

200,000 miles · Feb 1, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but th…

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The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and the VIN was included but parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was 200,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11569315

91,000 miles · Feb 1, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2011 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 mad…

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The contact owns a 2011 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 stated while stopped at a traffic signal, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the "Loss of Engine Power" warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he was unable to restart the vehicle and had the vehicle towed back to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11569265

74,000 miles · Jan 31, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH in a parking lot, the vehicle shutoff inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that two of the VANOS bolts were fractured, caus…

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The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH in a parking lot, the vehicle shutoff inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that two of the VANOS bolts were fractured, causing the engine to fail. The dealer determined that the bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later 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 made aware of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11569106

148,582 miles · Jan 18, 2024
Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

The contact owns a 2011 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 whil…

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The contact owns a 2011 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 stalled and made unusual sounds. The contact stated that the gear shifter failed to shift as intended and was seized in park(P). The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,582.

NHTSA ODI #11566331

Mileage unknown · Jan 5, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2011 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 made aw…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2011 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11563758

155,000 miles · Dec 14, 2023
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2011 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 dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Th…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2011 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 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. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The approximate failure mileage was 155,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11560073

115,000 miles · Jan 24, 2023
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact stated while her son was driving approximately 20 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that her son saw the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her son was afraid to drive the vehicle and had the ve…

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The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact stated while her son was driving approximately 20 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that her son saw the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her son was afraid to drive the vehicle and had the vehicle towed back to his parent's residence and then towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed and determined that the VANOS housing bolts and PVC cover needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V176000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 115,000. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired.

NHTSA ODI #11503440

Mileage unknown · Aug 6, 2018
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 528I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (BMW OF BAYSIDE, 266 E SHOE RD, GREAT NECK, NY 11023, 516-…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 528I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (BMW OF BAYSIDE, 266 E SHOE RD, GREAT NECK, NY 11023, 516-304-3700) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ODI #11118124

Official recalls

4

17V683000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (pcv)

Oct 30, 2017

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 & remedy

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 service at 1-800-525-7417.

16V832000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Nov 17, 2016

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2011 BMW 528i, 528xi, 535i, 535xi, 550i and 550xi vehicles manufactured March 1, 2010, through August 31, 2011. The affected vehicles may have received a replacement Sensor Cluster Unit (SCU) during a service visit. These SCUs have an acceleration sensor that may have been incorrectly programmed and, as a result, the SCU may not accurately determine if activation and deployment of the air bags, safety belt pre-tensioners and head restraints is necessary in the event of a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Depending on the severity of the crash, inadequate activation of the driver and/or passenger air bags, safety belt pre-tensioners and active head restraints may increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the SCU, free of charge. The recall began on December 16, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

16V746000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Oct 17, 2016

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 BMW X5 3.0si, X5 4.8i, X5 M, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i and X5 xDrive50i, 2008-2011 X6 x Drive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6 M, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 535i xDrive Gran Turismo, 535i Gran Turismo, 550i xDrive Gran Turismo and 550i Gran Turismo, 2011-2012 528i, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i and 550i xDrive and 2012 535i ActiveHybrid, 640i Convertible, 650i Convertible, 650i xDrive Convertible, 650i Coupe and 650i Coupe xDrive vehicles. The affected vehicles have in-tank fuel pumps that may have insufficiently crimped wire contacts.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The loose wires may cause the connector to melt, resulting in a fuel leak. Additionally, the fuel pump may stop working, possibly causing an engine stall and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

14V176000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine

Apr 10, 2014

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 128i Coupe, 128i Convertible, 328i Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 328i Coupe, 328i Convertible, 328i Sports Wagon and Z4 sDrive 30i, 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 135i Convertible, 335i Sedan, X5 xDrive 35i, and X6 xDrive 35i, 2011 335i xDrive Sedan, 335i Coupe, 335i Convertible, 528i Sedan, 535i Sedan, 535i xDrive Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, and X3 xDrive 35i, 2010 X3 xDrive 30i, and X5 xDrive 30i, 2012 640i Coupe, and 640i Convertible and 2010-2012 535i Gran Turismo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit can loosen over time and may possibly break.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the bolts loosen or break the engine may have reduced power or stall. An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four VANOS housing bolts for both VANOS units (intake and exhaust), free of charge. In addition, owners of approximately 170,172 model year 2010-2012 BMW vehicles equipped with inline 6 cylinder engines not covered by this recall, will receive an extended warranty to address this condition. The recall began on September 24, 2014. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417.

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.