Total Complaints
4 filings
BMW 528IA · model year
1997 BMW 528IA
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997BMW528IA 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, 0 fires, 0 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 1997 528IA is engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control with 1 filings, followed by power train:driveline:driveshaft (1) and power train:automatic transmission (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 1997 528IA. 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
0
Fires
0
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20160211AIR BAGS
I BACKED UP MY CAR IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE AND WHEN I PUT IT IN PARK THE DRIVER DOOR AIRBAG DEPLOYED KNOCKING ME OVER , BRUISING MY LEFT ARM AND I STILL HAVE RINGING IN MY EARS.
Mileage: 144,000
20050912POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING DURING WET CONDITIONS, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD SUDDENLY SHIFT FROM "DRIVE" TO "S" WITHOUT ANY OPERATOR INTERVENTION. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE CAR ABRUPTLY SLOWED TO ABOUT 25 MPH AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND THAT SPEED. I WISH TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED CHANGE IN GEAR SELECTION WOULD TAKE PLACE WITHOUT ANY OPERATOR INTERVENTION WHICH RESULTED IN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT VISTA BMW IN COCONUT CREEK, FL ON 9/07/05 AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE GEAR SELECTOR SWITCH AND THE DEFECTIVE PART WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $583.25. *JB
Mileage: 98,790
20010918ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING TO AN INTERSECTION, THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL POWER, DEALER THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY, BUT VEHICLE STARTED AGAIN, IT WAS THE OXYGEN SENSOR THAT CAUSED THE STALLING.*AK CONSUMER STATES THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT VEHICLE STALLED, ALSO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THERE WAS A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING, AS A RESULT OF PROBLEM WITH DRIVESHAFT.*JB
20010918POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING TO AN INTERSECTION, THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL POWER, DEALER THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY, BUT VEHICLE STARTED AGAIN, IT WAS THE OXYGEN SENSOR THAT CAUSED THE STALLING.*AK CONSUMER STATES THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT VEHICLE STALLED, ALSO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THERE WAS A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING, AS A RESULT OF PROBLEM WITH DRIVESHAFT.*JB
Compare 1997BMW528IA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 BMW 528IA have?▼
The 1997 BMW 528IA has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 BMW 528IA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 BMW 528IA is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1997 BMW 528IA 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.