2011 Bmw 528I

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Below Average

Quick Summary

The 2011 Bmw 528I has 164 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 2.0x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (40% of all complaints), specifically: the vehicle has an acceleration problem and hesitates and pauses when starting from a stop or while in low speed conditions. it is dangerous to, for example, pull out in traffic when one does not know if your vehicle is going to accelerate properly. there is a definite lag and pause that is a prob. ⚠️ 1 fire report filed.

1 fire report 6 injuries

164

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

2.0x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

65 complaints

40%

• THE VEHICLE HAS AN ACCELERATION PROBLEM AND HESITATES AND PAUSES WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP OR WHILE IN LOW SPEED CONDITIONS. IT IS DANGEROUS TO, FOR EXAMPLE, PULL OUT IN TRAFFIC WHEN ONE DOES NOT KNOW IF YOUR VEHICLE IS GOING TO ACCELERATE PROPERLY. THERE IS A DEFINITE LAG AND PAUSE THAT IS A PROB
• FROM A COMPLETE STOP, WHEN ACCELERATING, THERE IS A LAG OR HESITATION BEFORE THE CAR TAKES OFF. WHEN IT DOES TAKE OFF, THERE IS A HARD JERK. IT MAKES IT VERY HARD TO GAUGE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND OTHER CARS WHEN IT LUNGES VERY QUICKLY. IF YOU'RE PULLING INTO TRAFFIC, AS IN MY CASE, IT CAN BE
• AFTER PURCHASING MY 2011 528I I NOTICED THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE SMOOTHLY FROM A STOP OR AFTER SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A TURN, IT ACTUALLY FELT LIKE IT WAS APPLYING THE BREAKS UNTIL YOU APPLIED CLOSE TO HALF THROTTLE THEN IT WOULD LURCH FORWARD. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALER AND RECEIVED A PATCH AND

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports

“THE VEHICLE HAS AN ACCELERATION PROBLEM AND HESITATES AND PAUSES WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP OR WHILE IN LOW SPEED CONDITIONS. IT IS DANGEROUS TO, FOR EXAMPLE, PULL OUT IN TRAFFIC WHEN ONE DOES NOT KNOW IF YOUR VEHICLE IS GOING TO ACCELERATE PROPERLY. THERE IS A DEFINITE LAG AND PAUSE THAT IS A PROB”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

25 complaints

15%

• WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP OR DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS (50-80MPH), THE VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY PULLS TO THE RIGHT. I'VE HAD ALIGNMENTS PERFORMED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE DEALER SAID IT'S WITHIN SPECIFICATION, AND THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT IT. AFTER MORE PERSISTENCE,
• FROM A COMPLETE STOP, WHEN ACCELERATING, THERE IS A LAG OR HESITATION BEFORE THE CAR TAKES OFF. WHEN IT DOES TAKE OFF, THERE IS A HARD JERK. IT MAKES IT VERY HARD TO GAUGE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND OTHER CARS WHEN IT LUNGES VERY QUICKLY. IF YOU'RE PULLING INTO TRAFFIC, AS IN MY CASE, IT CAN BE
• AFTER PURCHASING MY 2011 528I I NOTICED THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE SMOOTHLY FROM A STOP OR AFTER SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A TURN, IT ACTUALLY FELT LIKE IT WAS APPLYING THE BREAKS UNTIL YOU APPLIED CLOSE TO HALF THROTTLE THEN IT WOULD LURCH FORWARD. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALER AND RECEIVED A PATCH AND

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP OR DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS (50-80MPH), THE VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY PULLS TO THE RIGHT. I'VE HAD ALIGNMENTS PERFORMED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE DEALER SAID IT'S WITHIN SPECIFICATION, AND THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT IT. AFTER MORE PERSISTENCE, ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

24 complaints

15%

• THE VEHICLE HAS A SIGNIFICANT DELAY IN ACCELERATION THAT OCCURS PRIMARILY AFTER (I) THE VEHICLE HAS SLOWED DOWN TO A SPEED BETWEEN 18 MPH AND 24 MPH; (II) A FULL STOP (ALTHOUGH IT IS INTERMITTENT FOLLOWING A FULL STOP) AND (III) SUDDEN SURGES OF ACCELERATION. THE ACCELERATION DELAY IS MOST NOTICEA
• VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE AS I WAS PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION. THIS IS NORMAL FOR THIS CAR (THROTTLE DELAY). I USUALLY PLAN FOR THE POOR PERFORMANCE, HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC I PULLED OUT IN WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AMPLE TIME TO MERGE IN. NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED BUT IF I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO
• AS MY CAR WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, I FELT A QUICK JERK FORWARD AND THOUGHT I WAS REAR-ENDED. I LOOKED BACK AND THERE WASN'T A CAR. AS I PULLED INTO MY PARKING SPACE, I WAS SWITCHING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, THE CAR JERKED AGAIN, LIKE I WAS BEING REAR ENDED. IT FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS SKIPPING A GE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“THE VEHICLE HAS A SIGNIFICANT DELAY IN ACCELERATION THAT OCCURS PRIMARILY AFTER (I) THE VEHICLE HAS SLOWED DOWN TO A SPEED BETWEEN 18 MPH AND 24 MPH; (II) A FULL STOP (ALTHOUGH IT IS INTERMITTENT FOLLOWING A FULL STOP) AND (III) SUDDEN SURGES OF ACCELERATION. THE ACCELERATION DELAY IS MOST NOTICEA”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

10 complaints

• PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 528I BMW AND WITHIN MONTHS I HAD A COOLANT SIGNAL INDICATING LOW COOLANT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE COOLANT SIGNAL CAME ON EVERY SIX WEEKS, DESPITE HAVING IT TOPPED OFF AT DEALERSHIP. CAR HAD INADEQUATE POWER AND FELT LIKE IT DRAGGED. BMW SERVICE CENTER REPEATEDLY FAILED TO IDENTIFY
• ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING FROM UPLAND CA IN ROUTE TO LAS VEGAS NV USING HIGHWAY I15 FRWY. TIME WAS AROUND 700 AM THE TEMP OUTSIDE WAS APPRX 12 DEGREES.
• WE BOUGHT A 2011 BMW 528I WHILE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. WE STARTED TO HAVE ISSUES RIGHT AFTER THAT. PULLING RIGHT, ELECTRONICS FREEZING, CAN NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS WITH KEY FOB, CAN NOT GET OUT FROM CAR BECAUSE DOOR HANDLES DO NOT WORK TIME TO TIME AND OUR 2 YEAR OLD SON GOT LOCKED INSIDE(CAR LOCKED BY

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 528I BMW AND WITHIN MONTHS I HAD A COOLANT SIGNAL INDICATING LOW COOLANT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE COOLANT SIGNAL CAME ON EVERY SIX WEEKS, DESPITE HAVING IT TOPPED OFF AT DEALERSHIP. CAR HAD INADEQUATE POWER AND FELT LIKE IT DRAGGED. BMW SERVICE CENTER REPEATEDLY FAILED TO IDENTIFY”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

8 complaints

• THIS VEHICLE HAS A HESITATION OF THROTTLE ACCELERATION FROM IDLE AND SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS.PRESENTS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE FROM IDLE POSITION TO ACCELERATION. A 1-2 SECOND DELAY CONSISTENTLY HAPPENS. THE BMW DEALER REPORTED TO ME THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS SITUATION BUT DO NOT HAVE A SOLUTION YET. IF
• PRIOR TO ANY KNOWLEDGE OF A SAFETY RECALL ON MY CAR I REPORTED AN ABNORMAL SOUND COMING FROM MY ENGINE. I HAD CALLED BMW ROADSIDE ABOUT THE NOISE I HEARD. I ASKED FOR THEM TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. EVER SINCE THAT FIRST TIME OF ME HEARING A STRANGE NOISE THERE HAS BEEN 3 S
• ACCELERATION AFTER SLOWING DOWN HAS A VERY UNSAFE LAG THAT CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. DRIVER HAS TO DEPRESS THE PEDAL ALMOST TO FULL THROTTLE TO GET A RESPONSE THEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES UNSAFELY. DEALER CHECKED THE CAR FOR 5 DAYS AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. IT IS A SOFTWARE FAULT.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“THIS VEHICLE HAS A HESITATION OF THROTTLE ACCELERATION FROM IDLE AND SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS.PRESENTS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE FROM IDLE POSITION TO ACCELERATION. A 1-2 SECOND DELAY CONSISTENTLY HAPPENS. THE BMW DEALER REPORTED TO ME THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS SITUATION BUT DO NOT HAVE A SOLUTION YET. IF”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 164 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: THE VEHICLE HAS AN ACCELERATION PROBLEM AND HESITATES AND PAUSES WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP OR WHILE IN LOW SPEED CONDITIONS. IT IS DANGEROUS TO, FOR EXAMPLE, PULL OUT IN TRAFFIC WHEN ONE DOES NOT KNOW IF YOUR VEHICLE IS GOING TO ACCELERATE PROPERLY. THERE IS A DEFINITE LAG AND PAUSE THAT IS A PROB
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP OR DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS (50-80MPH), THE VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY PULLS TO THE RIGHT. I'VE HAD ALIGNMENTS PERFORMED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE DEALER SAID IT'S WITHIN SPECIFICATION, AND THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT IT. AFTER MORE PERSISTENCE,
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: THE VEHICLE HAS A SIGNIFICANT DELAY IN ACCELERATION THAT OCCURS PRIMARILY AFTER (I) THE VEHICLE HAS SLOWED DOWN TO A SPEED BETWEEN 18 MPH AND 24 MPH; (II) A FULL STOP (ALTHOUGH IT IS INTERMITTENT FOLLOWING A FULL STOP) AND (III) SUDDEN SURGES OF ACCELERATION. THE ACCELERATION DELAY IS MOST NOTICEA
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 528I BMW AND WITHIN MONTHS I HAD A COOLANT SIGNAL INDICATING LOW COOLANT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE COOLANT SIGNAL CAME ON EVERY SIX WEEKS, DESPITE HAVING IT TOPPED OFF AT DEALERSHIP. CAR HAD INADEQUATE POWER AND FELT LIKE IT DRAGGED. BMW SERVICE CENTER REPEATEDLY FAILED TO IDENTIFY
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)