1997 BMW 528i Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1997 BMW 528i. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 49 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the suspension. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 bmw 528i. The contact stated that he traveled over a road bump at an unknown speed when the vehicle released an abnormal noise. The contact inspected the vehicle and found that one of the struts failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact inquired of…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 bmw 528i equipped with nankang sport ns-1 (255/40/17) dot u8uy1264906 tires. The contact stated that while inspecting the rear tires, he noticed that there were bubbles located on the thread of the tires. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or…”
“After a few days of the car sitting in the drive way the steering locking mechanism was stuck. Finally managed to get it unlocked only to have it lock again while driving which is really scary. This has happened twice. I decided not to drive the car anymore and decided to get rid of it. *tr”
“Two things specifically which appears to be a very widespread issue. First, the transmission has lost its reverse function. The vehicle goes in drive without a single problem at all. This appears to be related to a defect in the drum on the vehicle. (a quick google search will show you and…”
“Two things specifically which appears to be a very widespread issue. First, the transmission has lost its reverse function. The vehicle goes in drive without a single problem at all. This appears to be related to a defect in the drum on the vehicle. (a quick google search will show you and…”
“Vehicle started random shift selections after rain occurs. Display often showed incorrect gear selection and incorrect gear position on automatic transmission. Gear position indicator on transmission has degraded sealant allowing water into wiring and switch causing electrical malfunction and…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1997 bmw 528i. While driving 60 mph, the contact heard a clunking noise and noticed smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle dropped to the ground and the steering wheel began to vibrate badly. He pulled to the side of the road and could not control the…”
“I have a 1997 bmw 528i when it rains my transmission slips from gear to gear. I filed a complaint about this problem previously. On 8/3/07 I took it to the dealership and told them the problem and stated that the 1998 528i had a recall on the gear selector module. They said they would check it out…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1997 BMW 528i as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.