2016 BMW 528I: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 59 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine and engine cooling (36% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 2 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Aug 2024
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 59 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2016 BMW 528i. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under an unknown recall, and after the recall repair, while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal oil-burning odor entering the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local Midas, where it was discovered that oil was leaking onto the engine. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,400.”Owner report · Engine · Dec 2025
“My driver headlight is constantly getting moisture trapped in it. It's been replaced twice and the seals were checked, but it keeps happening and shorting out my headlight. It's $4000 to fix. Just had it replaced 1.5 weeks ago and it's broken already. I took it to bmw the moment I noticed the moisture was back and they told me it was fine. This is a widespread problem and they are not fixing their product”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Aug 2025
“Coolant pump failure engine failure also caused fire in engine bay. Insurance inspector. Pre shop inspection. No light were on prior to explosion.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Aug 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“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.”Owner report · Engine · Jul 2025
“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.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2025
“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.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2025
“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.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jun 2025
“My coolant line overheated. From the leaking water pump and pcv that exploded all over my engine causing it to overheat and now how has not turned back on. Ive been without a car for months and when I seen the recall and reached out to the dealer expressing my situation they said they would get back to me and have not called or emailed or even responded in months.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2025
“Due to the nature of the car potentially catching on fire and a remedy still not being available I am concerned about my safety and of those around me since the car is used to be operated daily for commuting to work.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Apr 2025
“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.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2025
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 2 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 4 campaigns
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, MINI Hardtop 4 Door Cooper, Mini Hardtop 4 Door Cooper S, MINI Cooper Clubman, and Cooper S Clubman, 2017 Rolls-Royce Ghost, and 2016 528i vehicles. The vehicle-sensitive locking mechanism of the seat belt Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) for the driver's seat may not lock as designed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 3, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2016 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 535d xDrive, M5, 550i, 550i xDrive, and 535d sedans. The affected vehicles have an inboard lower anchor for child restraints on the left rear seat that may have been bent downwards, preventing the child seat from fully engaging both lower anchors. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair the inboard lower anchor on the left rear seat, free of charge. The recall began on December 28, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2017 BMW 640i, 640i xDrive, 650i, 650i xDrive, M6, 535i, 535i xDrive, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, M4, X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, i3, i8, Rolls-Royce Dawn, Mini Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Cooper All4, Cooper S All4, Mini 4-Door Cooper, Cooper S, Mini 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works and 2016 BMW 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i, 550i xDrive, M5 and 535d vehicles. The affected vehicles have seat- mounted side air bag inflator initiators that may fail to ignite during a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, 2015-2016 428xi vehicles. An improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the water pump and plug connector as necessary, and install a protective shield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2016 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact 528I by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2016 BMW 528I reliable?
NHTSA has 59 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 2016 BMW 528I. The most complained-about area is engine and engine cooling (36% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2016 BMW 528I problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 77,000 miles or less.
Does the 2016 BMW 528I have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning seat belts:front:retractor. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.