What 62 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 BMW 528i

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.

NHTSA ODI 11637746

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, a RED message that “Engine Overheating” was displayed and to pull over to prevent engine damage. The contact immediately pulled to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon resuming driving, a yellow message advising to proceed with caution was displayed and the vehicle failed to exceed 15 MPH. The contact stated that upon approaching the residence, the initial RED message was displayed. The contact drove to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer the following day. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the failure was related to 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 manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11637271

My son was driving and stated that the car started to overheat and then decided to pull to the side of the road. He and his brother sat in the car for approximately 2-3 minutes and his girlfriend heard a crackling noise. I told them to check what the error message was on the display and how to check it. He stated The idrive said “engine compartment hot” so upon exiting the car and shutting the door, it began to smoke then burst into flames. He immediately called the fire dept that arrived in 7 minutes as the put the flames out. They stated right before they started to smell smoke or like the smell of a radiator leaking or the smell it makes. Noone was hurt just a little traumatized. I called BMW of Fayetteville in November but stated there is no remedy for it. I asked did I need to bring it on to be checked the BMW representative stated I will receive a letter when a remedy was available and at that time he stated there is nothing they can do without direction of how to proceed without a remedy or parts to do so. I have letters on each telling me of the recall and logging into Mybmw it states no remedy available. The fire dept stated he will have a report by 1/16/2025 and I have statements from my children in the car for now.

NHTSA ODI 11635553

I started my bmw up one day after working 16 hours and white thick smoke came from the back tailpipe. Tok it to bmw and they said my car is leaking oil on to the turbo and I need to replace the pump, shocks, valves and others because of this leak. And the car started to issue a transmission fault code on the screen.

NHTSA ODI 11635215

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. 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 the parts were not available. The vehicle was not 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 63,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11635273

My vehicle has had an open recall for the engine coolant system and the manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for your vehicle in a timely manner. As a result, the engine coolant system became damaged and my vehicle is no longer operable. This is my only means of transportation and is causing a serious hardship. I would like the manufacturer to offer an immediate solution.

NHTSA ODI 11634968

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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11634655

I am having the exact problem that recall 24V608 has described but BMW USA and dealership will not fix my issue under the recall. This issue had occurred [XXX]. and inspected by my independent service center and identified the issue as the recall. The water pump is running out of control after the engine is off. The water pump is leaking at electrical connector. However BMW has stated they do not have a remedy to the recall as of 1-3-25, 5 months after NHTSA put out the recall announcement. BMW USA. The remedy has stated that water pump and electronic to be replaced and a shield to be put in place. I am sure that the replacement water pump and Electronic is currently available, Just the shield may not be available. As NHTSA has issued this recall and has a potential of Fire. I believe BMW should as a minimum replace current faulty parts of the recall now. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11634246

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528i. The contact that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she noticed that an unusual amount of smoke would leak from under the hood. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery may need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the next day the contact noticed that the battery was depleted. The vehicle was towed to another local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however the failure remained present. The vehicle was diagnosed by the same local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11632390

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and after an hour was able to restart the vehicle. 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 not contacted; however, the vehicle was not 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 approximate failure mileage was 55,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11629340

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 dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11628839

My vehicle’s engine spews smoke after driving for ten minutes or more. In addition, a toxic odor comes into the cabin when the A/C is on. There are no visible oil or fluid leaks in the engine or the driveway where I park the car. It’s possible that the problem is due to the active recall described below. BMW has failed to find a solution in a timely manner to the following NHTSA recall: ENGINE COOLANT PUMP: The electrical connector of the engine coolant 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.

NHTSA ODI 11628698

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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11627350

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 dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made not aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11624208

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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11623402

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a significant amount of smoke coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pan gasket and other unknown parts were leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the oil pan gasket, the oil pan, and other unknown parts were leaking. The mechanic replaced the oil pan gasket; however, the failure persisted. The contact had noticed a strong oil odor coming from the vehicle. Additionally, 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 notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11622724

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. No further information was 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11622432

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.

NHTSA ODI 11621932

The contact owns a 2015 BMW. 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 parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11621532

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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11614084

I found out my 2015 BMW 528i has a recall on the Engine Coolant Pump, and it’s causing some serious issues. The pump can fail, leading to engine overheating, which could even result in a fire. The car’s performance has dropped, and there’s a risk the engine might shut down while driving. I’m stuck waiting for the parts to come in, which means the car’s out of commission for a while. On top of that, this recall is likely going to hurt the resale value, and I’ve had to figure out alternative transportation in the meantime.

NHTSA ODI 11611874

Timing chain module cracked

NHTSA ODI 11592045

I purchased the 2015 528i x-drive with 110k miles on it on 1/9/24. On 3/1/24 it broke down on the side of the road, just 7 weeks after purchase and had been driven a total of 978 miles since purchase. It had to be towed, and was taken to a BMW dealership. I was told that the engine bearing had failed and that the car would need a total and complete engine and turbo replacement if it was ever to be driven again. The car is totally inoperable.

NHTSA ODI 11588087

I am writing to bring to your attention a safety defect in the 2015 BMW 528i that needs to be investigated. The vehicle has a defect in the design of the occupant protection system, involving both the seatbelt and airbag systems. The battery in the 2015 BMW 528i is located in the trunk just interior and below the rear bumper. In a rear-end collision the battery may become disabled and relies on a capacitor for back up power. Per BMW specifications the capacitor only holds power for 150 seconds. In a resulting frontal impact, the airbags will not deploy if the battery power has been disrupted and the capacitor has also run out of power before the frontal impact reaches a threshold to deploy the airbags. A corresponding flaw in the occupant protection system is the adaptive load limiter disposal firing. Per BMW specifications, the adaptive load limiter had a disposal firing at 250 seconds after the initial load limiter is activated. This disposal firing allows for additional spool out of the seatbelt. This has catastrophic consequences when the front airbag has not deployed and the driver is released from the seatbelt due to the additional spool out and is allowed to come into contact with the steering wheel. Both the power defect and the adaptive load limiter defect impacts the safety performance as it relates to the passenger as well. This accident scenario was recently put to a jury in Alexander v. BMW of North America, LLC, 7:18-cv-03065-JD in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Spartanburg Division. In Alexander, the load limiter deployed at 18 ms, the power was disrupted at 120 ms, the adaptive load limiter then fired at 268 ms, and the capacitor lost power at 270 ms. The airbag was not able to be fired and the additional spool out allowed Ms. Alexander to strike the steering wheel. The jury returned a verdict for the Plaintiff and found that the system, including the airbag and seatbelt system, was defective.

NHTSA ODI 11511183

Driver side front door handle/actuator freezes in cold weather. Door will not open from inside or outside. This is a safety issue as it could trap a person inside. This seems to be a problem with the cables that connect the handles to the mechanism itself, not the actual door latch as it can be moved with fingers when the mechanism is frozen.

NHTSA ODI 11505100