Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of BMW 528 - part 1

On [xxx], century west BMW in north hollywood, CA performed recall 20e-a01 b120921 (dme reprogram/connector update) on my 2013 BMW 528i. Within 30 minutes of leaving the dealership, the car displayed a red “engine overheating – stop immediately” warning while I was in a crowded intersection with my child in the vehicle. This created an immediate danger to us and to surrounding traffic. Prior to the recall, the vehicle had no history of overheating. When I returned the next morning ([xxx]), the service advisor admitted they had no timestamp or documentation of the coolant bleed procedure. Instead of proving the recall was performed correctly, the dealership attempted to shift blame onto unrelated issues such as the thermostat or an oil leak, even sending me a video of the oil leak but providing no proof of proper recall completion or verification. This negligence placed me, my child, and the public at serious risk of injury and could have caused catastrophic engine damage. The fact that the vehicle overheated almost immediately after recall work indicates the recall was not properly completed or verified, and the car was returned to me in an unsafe condition. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2013 BMW 528 🔎.

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528i. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled over, and after several attempts, the vehicle restarted. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, and the message "drivetrain malfunction" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure started recently and had occurred several times. Additionally, the vehicle was vibrating intermittently and lost motive power. The contact stated that occasionally the vehicle failed to accelerate above 15 mph. The contact smelled the odor of gasoline inside the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

See all problems of the 2011 BMW 528 🔎.

My 2013 BMW 528i was serviced under recall 24v-608 (coolant pump electrical connector / dme). After the recall was marked complete, the car developed several serious failures: coolant pump / connector (recall item) – the dealer refused to replace the coolant pump even though the recall notice from the government includes both the pump and connector. Shortly after, the water pump failed completely, causing “high temperature” warnings and putting me at risk of sudden overheating and breakdown on the road. Dme (engine control unit) – this was supposedly updated during the recall, but it failed to detect existing problems. Before the recall, I was never warned about issues with the turbo or oil leaks. Immediately after the recall update, the car started misfiring and showing drivetrain malfunction. The recall did not prevent or detect the failures as promised. Valve cover gasket (oil leak) – after the recall, a severe valve cover oil leak appeared, causing lean air/fuel mixture, misfires, and risk of fire. Oil leaking onto engine components is a known safety hazard. The dealer admitted the gasket leak existed but refused to cover it. Turbocharger / wastegate – the dme flagged turbo wastegate actuator problems after the recall. The turbo cannot be ordered separately from the actuator, leading to very expensive repairs. Before the recall update, this issue was not visible, so I believe the recall software either failed to detect earlier or triggered worse conditions. Because of these combined failures, the car became unsafe to drive: misfires caused loss of power, overheating warnings increased risk of sudden engine shutdown, and the oil leak created a fire hazard. An independent mechanic later confirmed the water pump failure and valve cover gasket leak, which I had to repair at my own expense. I believe the recall defect (coolant pump connector / dme) caused or contributed to the damage of the water pump, gasket, and turbocharger. BMW and the dealer refused to rep.

This recall has been open for over a year, yet every BMW dealer I have contacted has refused to perform the repair, citing a lack of available parts. I have contacted multiple authorized BMW service centers during this time, and all have confirmed that they cannot complete the recall service because BMW has not supplied the necessary components. This situation has left my vehicle with a known safety defect for an unreasonably long period, creating ongoing safety concerns for me and my passengers. I believe this violates the spirit of federal recall requirements, which are intended to ensure timely and effective remedies for known safety defects.

See all problems of the 2015 BMW 528 🔎.

Coolant pump failure engine failure also caused fire in engine bay. Insurance inspector. Pre shop inspection. No light were on prior to explosion.

See all problems of the 2016 BMW 528 🔎.

Multiple critical BMW engine components are manufactured from plastic, including the oil pan, coolant expansion tank, valve cover, and turbo inlet pipe. These parts are prone to premature failure from normal heat & stress, as confirmed by independent mechanics. Failures can cause sudden loss of oil or coolant, persistent oil leaks, overheating, loss of power, and roadside breakdowns. The use of plastic for an oil pan is concerning. Plastic cannot withstand impacts with common road hazards such as tire fragments, etc. Striking a retread at highway speed could easily crack the pan, dump all engine oil, and lead to catastrophic engine seizure, endangering people. In my case (2016 BMW 528i), several plastic components have already failed, including the oil pan, turbo inlet pipe, coolant expansion tank, valve cover, and multiple coil packs. While BMW considers coil pack replacement a normal maintenance item, there are widespread complaints of premature failures. Most of the heat-related plastic failures occur above 70,000 miles. Despite several related breakdowns, the previous owner and I avoided dangerous situations. These failures are widely documented by other owners online and by independent mechanics, who often recommend aftermarket aluminum replacements for improved safety and reliability. BMW is aware of these issues but continues to use plastic for critical components--they recently lost a class-action lawsuit related to internal plastic engine parts that caused catastrophic engine damage, showing prior knowledge of the risks. These failures also create environmental hazards, as leaking plastic oil pans & valve covers contaminate roads and driveways. Because repairs are $$$, many consumers delay fixing the problems, increasing both safety and environmental risks. This design prioritizes cost savings over durability and safety. These parts should be made of metal to withstand normal use and protect drivers, passengers, and the public from unnecessary hazards.

During initial cold starts there is blue smoke billowing from the exhaust for approx 20 seconds. The odor is horrible.

Very often, when I change the gear to 'drive' or 'reverse' I get a message on the dashboard screen - "secure vehicle against rolling" and the car does not move unless I shift the auto gear lever several times or sometimes shut off the engine to get back to normal driving. Once when I was in such a situation, no matter what I do, the error message would not go away and I had to call the tow truck to get home. And when tow truck person brought the car home, the problem fixed itself!! I only have 81000 miles on this car. It is a very serious safety issue as far as I am concerned. Please help.

The contact owns a 2016 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and running, the contact became aware of an abnormal burning odor. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2016 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

While on [xxx] the car suddenly shows low engine oil. The car was driving from fremont, CA to los angeles on Friday [xxx]. Then, coming back to fremont, CA from la on sat. [xxx] it happened after [xxx] to [xxx] , warning light showed low engine oil. Stopped the car at safe place. Then, contacted the insurance to tow the car as well as my son to bring engine oil. After filled engine oil, then, warning light showed low coolant. Filled 3 gallons of water, but sooner later need to fill coolant again due to disappear. The car has been serviced by BMW fremont, CA on Nov 30, 2024 with 87751 odometer. At the time of engine break down, odometer is about ~91,500 miles. Less than 4,000 miles driving, engine oil is gone somewhere. Based on initial assessment by mechanic, it needs to replace the engine. The car will be towed on June 19, 25 to the shop to repair. It is serious issues of safety and need your attention. Thank you, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2014 BMW 528 🔎.

The contact owns a 2016 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. 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.

The contact owned a 2014 BMW 528i. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the electrical discharge warning light illuminated and the contact noticed fire coming from the rear end of the vehicle. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned as a total loss. The manufacturer was scheduled to perform an inspection of the vehicle. The contact was taken to the local medical center in a family member's vehicle. The contact sustained second-degree burns to his right ankle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. There was an open recall NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system), however the contact was unaware of the recall notification. The failure mileage was approximately 54,283.

The contact owns a 2016 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the electrical connector on the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the remedy parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528xi. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were 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 but was unable to confirm when parts would be available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The car shut down by itself while driving. It went from 30 miles/hour to complete stop in 20 feet. I could not put the car in neutral. Any attempts to restart the engine caused smoke to come out of the hood. I had the car towed to the dealer/service. Service told me the engine had seized and they will have to replace the engine which would cost me $26, 000.

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528i. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the vehicle had experienced coolant failure. The vehicle was repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); 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 74,860. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528xi. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were 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 had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. 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.

The contact owns a 2016 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); 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 contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2012 BMW 528xi. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The contact was informed that the recall repair had been performed. The contact stated that upon driving off the parking lot at the dealer and coming to a complete stop at the traffic light, the message "drive train malfunction - service to nearest BMW dealer as convenient" was displayed. Additionally, the vehicle was significantly sluggish and failed to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the failure could be related to the coolant pump, and the part was not covered under the recall; however, the recall remedy information stated that the dealer would inspect and replace the water pump and plug connector as necessary, and would install a protective shield, free of charge. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

See all problems of the 2012 BMW 528 🔎.

Concern- smoke coming out of back exhaust at start up cause - taylor BMW (dealership) - possible needs updated oil line, turbo may be leaking internally correction- dealership pulled faults to see if cat efficiency faults were present, saw none. Did verify smoke on startup. Doesn’t look like the turbo oil feed line has been changed (updated with check valve). There is some oil encrusted on the body of turbo. Would replace all lines since turbo removal is required for any of them; however once cat is off and if the chamber inside is wet with oil, at that point it would need a turbo as well as the lines. The above is the written diagnosis from dealership and I was quoted a price ranging from $2600- 4600- in 2016, NHTSA issued a notice for certain models/ years regarding the turbocharger feed lines (extending warranty for that part to 10 years / 120k miles). My 2016 was cpo and has only 84k (all maintenance performed by BMW) and I believe it should fall under eligible vehicles. I have reached out to BMW customer care, spoken with a case manager , all to no avail.

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528i. The contact stated that the message "oil pressure low - stop vehicle" was displayed while driving at various speeds. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v707000 (engine and engine cooling); and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the recall repair was performed. The contact stated that upon picking up the vehicle and driving 100 yards after the recall repair, the failure recurred. Additionally, the contact stated that the rpm was fluctuating, and the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound, and the vehicle was jerking. The contact drove back to the dealer, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); 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, there was smoke coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove to the residence and turned off the vehicle. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon scanning the vehicle with a scanner, the contact retrieved dtc: p0597. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was diagnosed or repaired. 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

They lied to me made me buy a bad car and then didn't even give me a license plate of anything they stole my money.

See all problems of the 2010 BMW 528 🔎.

The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. 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.

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that after driving approximately 2 hours or more, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle and entering the cabin of the vehicle. The contact would pull over to a safe location and park for approximately an hour before continuing to drive. The failure was persistent and recurred after driving for approximately 2 hours or more. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump. The mechanic replaced the ignition coils twice. The contact stated that one coil was replaced the first time, and the entire four ignition coils were replaced the second time however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer related the failure to the recall; however, the part was not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was inadvertently shaking and there was smoke coming from the engine. The contact was unable to confirm if a warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the remedy was not 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 and informed the contact that a second notice would be mailed when the part was available. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed, and the diagnostic test showed that the fuel rail system was defective and needed to be replaced. The contact had the vehicle repaired; however, several days later, the failure returned while traveling at highway speeds; the drivetrain maintenance message was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a defective fuel pump. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic, and it was discovered that the vehicle was leaking oil and the valve cover gasket needed to be repaired. The vehicle had received a valve cover gasket repair, but the failure persisted. In addition, the manufacturer was notified about the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact was informed by the manufacturer that issue was not related to the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The timing chain became stretched so that the valve timing with the pistons had been altered so that a valve face almost hit the top of a piston(one more tooth on the intake camshaft gear would have caused an impact between the piston top and a valve face causing the motor to stall and cease operation thereby causing the vehicle to lose power and possibly control). A timing chain should not stretch so as to cause a strike between a valve face and the top of a piston. Either the timing chain was of inferior quality or the automatic tensioner was inadequate to take up the slack as the chain wore.

The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v608000 (engine and engine cooling, electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 pars not available.