2013 BMW 528I problems
Owners have filed 119 complaints about the 2013 BMW 528I with NHTSA. Engine accounts for 31.1% of them — the clear leader, ahead of air bags at 14.3%.
Complaints119
Crashes3
Fires1
Injuries7
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Engine 31.1% · 37
Air bags 14.3% · 17
Electrical system 11.8% · 14
Power train 10.9% · 13
Engine and engine cooling 9.2% · 11
Unknown or other 5.0% · 6
Seat belts 3.4% · 4
Steering 3.4% · 4
Severity
Of those complaints, 3 describe a crash, 1 describe a fire and 7 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 6 model years of the BMW 528I in this data, 2013 draws comparatively few complaints; 2008 is the outlier year.
Filings are rising — 38 in the last three years against 29 in the three before. For a vehicle this age that usually points to a wear-related failure owners are hitting now.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 86,500 miles.
In owners' own words
While driving a message of drivetrain malfunction pops up on the idrive system. Spark plugs have been changed along with regular oil changes. Happens occasionaly then I shut the car off and lock then unlock and restart. Sometimes the message will pop back up and sometimes it does not. Engine · reported at 91,000 miles
The electrical connector of the engine coolanta pump could become damaged. Small drops of liquid from the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system could drip down onto the electrical connector of the pump. Engine
118,000 Miles had to replace both front drive axles and turbo charger. No recourse to BMW ? My last 2000 BMW 528 went 450,000 miles and never had these problems. Engine · reported at 118,000 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…