IllustrationI BACKED UP MY CAR IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE AND WHEN I PUT IT IN PARK THE DRIVER DOOR AIRBAG DEPLOYED KNOCKING ME OVER , BRUISING MY LEFT ARM AND I STILL HAVE RINGING IN MY EARS.
1997 BMW 528IA
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 528IA years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
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: 2 of 3 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.
- Power Train. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
3 reportsON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING DURING WET CONDITIONS, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD SUDDENLY SHIFT FROM "DRIVE" TO "S" WITHOUT ANY OPERATOR INTERVENTION. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE CAR ABRUPTLY SLOWED TO ABOUT 25 MPH AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND THAT SPEED. I WISH TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED CHANGE IN …
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ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING DURING WET CONDITIONS, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD SUDDENLY SHIFT FROM "DRIVE" TO "S" WITHOUT ANY OPERATOR INTERVENTION. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE CAR ABRUPTLY SLOWED TO ABOUT 25 MPH AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND THAT SPEED. I WISH TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED CHANGE IN GEAR SELECTION WOULD TAKE PLACE WITHOUT ANY OPERATOR INTERVENTION WHICH RESULTED IN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT VISTA BMW IN COCONUT CREEK, FL ON 9/07/05 AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE GEAR SELECTOR SWITCH AND THE DEFECTIVE PART WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $583.25. *JB
VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING TO AN INTERSECTION, THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL POWER, DEALER THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY, BUT VEHICLE STARTED AGAIN, IT WAS THE OXYGEN SENSOR THAT CAUSED THE STALLING.*AK CONSUMER STATES THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT VEHICLE STALLED, ALSO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THERE …
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VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING TO AN INTERSECTION, THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL POWER, DEALER THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY, BUT VEHICLE STARTED AGAIN, IT WAS THE OXYGEN SENSOR THAT CAUSED THE STALLING.*AK CONSUMER STATES THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT VEHICLE STALLED, ALSO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THERE WAS A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING, AS A RESULT OF PROBLEM WITH DRIVESHAFT.*JB
Official recalls
0No 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.