Home · 2011 BMW 528i · Complaints

What 198 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 BMW 528i

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (198)Crash / fire / injury (9)Engine (36)Engine & cooling (36)Transmission & drivetrain (35)Tires (31)Fuel system (26)Steering (26)Electrical system (14)Speed control (9)Suspension (6)Airbags (5)

9 of 198 complaints match · Speed control · clear filters

Mar 29, 2021AirbagsSpeed controlEngine

I HAVE A F10 2011. I HAVE BEEN WAITING ON SOME REIMBURSEMENT FROM BMW SINCE 2017! NOW I CAN'T FIND ANY RECORD OF THEIR PROMISES M. I BOUGHT MY 528I IN 2015. REPLACES WATER PUMP TWICE, PULLY, TENCH-NOR, MORE THAN 5 TIMES, AND SOME BELTS. IT LAGGED ON THE FWY AND OTHER TIMES IT ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN. EVERY TIME I DROVE IT, IT SMELLED LIKE IT WAS ON FIRE. OH, LET'S NOT FORGET THE FAULTY CRANK SHAFT AND THE AIRBAG ARE BOTH BROKEN. AND NOW, SINCE 2018 IT SITS IN THE DRIVEWAY LOOKING BRAND NEW. STUCK PAYING MY NOTE @ $700. AND HAVE TO RENT FROM AVIS $1,000 A MONTH. THIS IS NOT FAIR. THE LAST TIME I HAVE HEARD FROM BMW NORTH WAS OVER A YEAR AGO.

NHTSA ODI 11405485

May 28, 2017Speed controlEngineFuel system

THE THROTTLE BODY OF THE 2011 MODEL OF THE BMW 528I HAS BEEN FAULTY SINCE DAY 1. THE CAR JERKS AT LOW RPM MAKING IT DANGEROUS DURING DRIVING SITUATIONS. THE SLOW RESPONSE TIME OF THE THROTTLE CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS. THERE IS ABOUT THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS THAT BMW RECEIVED OVER THE YEARS AND THEY STILL ARE NOT ISSUING A RECALL ON IT.

NHTSA ODI 10991998

Feb 13, 2015Speed control

THERE IS HESITATION OR DELAY WITH THIS VEHICLE UPON INITIAL ACCELERATION AND WHEN IT FINALLY DOES ACCELERATE IT ALMOST GIVES YOU WHIP LASH. THIS IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE YOU ARE AT INTERSECTION AND UNABLE TO PROCEED THROUGH IT INITIALLY AND THEN YOU ACCELERATE AT A SIGNIFICANT RATE. IT IS SO FRUSTRATING. AND I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR. I HOPE I DO NOT GET A NECK INJURY FROM TAKING OFF SO SUDDENLY AND I PRAY THAT WHEN I DO ACCELERATE, IT IS NOT INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10683169

Feb 10, 2015Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlEngine

THIS WAS THE 1ST OUT OF 3 TIMES MY VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. I WAS VERY NERVOUS,SCARED AND UPSET BEING THAT I HAD TOLD BMW THAT THE COOLANT WAS CONSTANTLY SHOWING ME LOW COOLANT LIGHT ALONG WITH POSSIBLE ENGINE DAMAGE. BUT THEY WOULD ALWAYS TRY TO ERASURE ME THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED.I FELT THAT ALL THE GENTLEMAN AT CARMAX CHUCKLED QUIETLY TO THEMSELVES AS I STOOD BEFORE THEM TIRELESSLY REQUESTING THAT THE SERVICE MANAGER LOOK AT THE CAR TO PROVE THAT I'M NOT A JOKE AND JUST BECAUSE I'M A GIRL DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T KNOW HOW CARS WORK. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10682674

Nov 19, 2013Transmission & drivetrainSpeed control

WHEN I PRESS THE ACCELERATOR TO START DRIVING, THERE IS A VERY DISTINCT AND UNCOMFORTABLE LAG OF ABOUT 2 SECONDS. THIS HAPPENED WHEN I WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN INTO A TWO-WAY DIVIDED ROAD FROM A RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX. THE VISIBILITY TO THE LEFT IS LIMITED TO ABOUT 200 FT DUE TO A CURVE IN THE DIVIDED ROAD. WHEN I START MOVING FROM THE STOP SIGN, I HAVE TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY TRAFFIC THAT MAY BE COMING AT SPEED BEHIND ME. THIS ACCELERATOR LAG MAKES FOR A SAFETY CONCERN. I IMAGINE THIS CAN ALSO BE A SAFETY CONCERN DURING MERGING INTO FREEWAYS WITH VERY SHORT ON RAMPS AND THE RAMP METER ON. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10552900

May 10, 2012Engine & coolingSpeed control

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 PROBLEM WHEN ACCELERATING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10457980

Nov 7, 2011Speed control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 5 SERIES. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE CONTACT APPROACHED A STOP SIGN AND DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO DRIVER ERROR. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. AN ENGINEER WAS SENT TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND PERFORMED SOFTWARE UPDATES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

NHTSA ODI 10434444

Aug 10, 2011SteeringSpeed control

THERE ARE TWO MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH MY 2011 528I AUGUST10 BUILD. THE FIRST IS THE PULLING TO THE RIGHT THAT THE CAR HAS HAD SINCE DAY ONE. I TOOK IT TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY WERE COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS TO THE PROBLEM. AFTER SOME PERSISTENCE THEY DECIDED TO CHECK THE CAR OUT. THE STRUTS WERE ROTATED AND SOFTWARE UPDATED AND NOW "DRIVES STRAIGHT". THE CAR DRIVES STRAIGHT FOR MAYBE 25 FEET BEFORE THE CAR STARTS TUGGING HARD RIGHT EVERYTIME. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING MORE THEY CAN DO AND IT IS ALL "WITHIN TOLERANCE". THIS IS A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE SERIOUSLY ADDRESSED. THE SECOND ISSUE IS THE INITIAL LAG IN ACCELERATION WHEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. WHEN AT A DEAD STOP OR CRUISING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, YOU HAVE TO FLOOR THE CAR TO FINALLY GET IT TO DECIDE WHICH GEAR TO START IN. THIS ACCELERATION LAG CAN BE A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND WHEN PULLING OUT IN TRAFFIC A COUPLE OF SECONDS CAN MEAN ALOT. I HOPE BMW ADDRESSES THESE ISSUES OR I WILL BE FORCED TO SELL MY CAR AND NEVER LOOK BACK. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10418466

Oct 5, 2010Speed control

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 528I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE WHENEVER HE ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT IT WAS NORMAL; HOWEVER, SHIFTING INTO SPORT MODE WOULD PREVENT THE FAILURE FROM OCCURRING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1575.

NHTSA ODI 10359360

Working with the data? Download all 198 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 28, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 BMW 528i verdict →