Total Complaints
4 filings
BMW 528 · model year
1999 BMW 528
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1999BMW528 carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1999 528 is latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch with 1 filings, followed by seat belts:front (1) and exterior lighting:headlights (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 1999 528. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20070417FireEXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 528. WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACTIVATE THE HEADLIGHTS, AND THEY BEGAN BLINKING ,AND THE CONTACT SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. HE LIFTED THE HOOD, AND ATTEMPTED TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLE, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED, BUT BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IWAS 121,000 , AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.*AK
Mileage: 120,000
20070417FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 528. WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACTIVATE THE HEADLIGHTS, AND THEY BEGAN BLINKING ,AND THE CONTACT SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. HE LIFTED THE HOOD, AND ATTEMPTED TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLE, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED, BUT BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IWAS 121,000 , AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.*AK
Mileage: 120,000
20021125SEAT BELTS:FRONT
CONSUMER STATED AFTER LOCKING THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT, THE LAP BELT BECAME UNBOLTED FROM THE FLOOR BOARD. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN CONTACTED. TS AS OF 12/21/2002 THE DEFECT HAS BEEN REPAIRED AT NO CHARGE TO CONSUMER. *JG *JB
20020103LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
WHILE OPENING DRIVER'S DOOR KNOB FELL OFF IN CONUSMER'S HAND. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND AND REPLACED KNOB. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
Compare 1999BMW528 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1999 BMW 528 have?▼
The 1999 BMW 528 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 BMW 528?▼
The most-complained component for the 1999 BMW 528 is LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT and EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS.
Is the 1999 BMW 528 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.