Most common 1999 BMW 528i problems
Share of the 46 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
BMW 528i complaints by model year
Best 528i years: 2009, 2015, 2014. Years to avoid: 2011, 2012, 2008, 2013. Compare all years →
What 1999 BMW 528i owners say
Brakes
I had been driving my 528i (BMW 1999) this past winter when I noticed the power brakes were no longer working. I had to depress the peddle with no assist, and while the car di eventually stop, it could have been unfortunate if my wife or daughter were faced with this condition suddenly. Power brake booster apparently went bad, water leaking in and freezing, fortunately no on e injured.
Asc control unit failed. This resulted in failure of anti-lock brakes and traction control and speedometer on my 1999 BMW 528i. BMW has a service bulletin out on this issue for 5 series cars 9/98 to 9/00 (mine was built 10/98). Bulletin info: vs-23/weintuch baugruppe/group:32 32 01 00 (646) dated 11/2000. The repair instructions code is ra 24 52 515/ 34 52 516. After unit failed, I was involved in an emergency situation in which I had to brake heavily and all four wheels locked up. However I managed to stop within 2 feet of the car that pulled in front of me. There is a large number of vehicle owners currently reporting this same problem on a number of BMW bulletin boards (www.roadfly.com). It is a safety issue that apparently BMW is aware of but not doing anything about it. I just spent $1006.37 today for the repair at crown BMW. …
Air bags
BMW just issued a Do Not Drive order for BMW 5 series cars from 2000 to 2006. Our car is a 1999 BMW 528I. According to your safety records, this car also has Takata air bags, but I see no indication these have been recalled. Since they are actually older than the 2000-2006 cars, shouldn't these 1999 Takata air bags be just as dangerous? What should I do about this? Thank you.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 BMW 528i. While making a right turn, the driver's air bag deployed without warning or an impact. The contact sustained eye injuries that required medical attention. The contact was able to coast the vehicle over to the side of the road and called the BMW manufacturer. The vehicle was towed to an unknown BMW dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
Speed control & acceleration
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 BMW 528i. The contact was attempting to park when the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward. She was unable to brake and crashed into tree. The contact was uninjured. The police were called but a police report was not filed. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic and the manufacturer was contacted where they advised her that an engineer would be out to investigate the vehicle. The engineer removed the black box from the vehicle and came to the conclusion that the failure was not mechanical. The vehicle was not repaired and was deemed as destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 171,900. The VIN was not available.
Common ABS asc+t electronic control unit failure disabled odometer, speedometer, cruise control, automatic door locks, and alarm disabled, anti-lock brakes disabled, and stability control disabled. The car can no longer be locked to keep out intruders, the odometer is disabled and an unknown amount of mileage is being added to the vehicle(also a violation of california vehicle code cvc), the anti-lock brakes and stability control will not work and the car is out right dangerous to drive in bad weather. BMW is aware of the ABS control module problems in these cars and has done nothing to rectify the situation except offer a very expensive replacement part with no upgrades to prevent future failures. My personal vehicle has had the module fail at only 94K miles. There are many others out there with the vary same complaint. …
1999 BMW 528i engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.8L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 BMW 528i a good car?
Based on 46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 528i rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the 528i at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 BMW 528i?
The brakes — 12 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock › control unit/module. Next are the air bags (9) and speed control & acceleration (7).
How many recalls does the 1999 BMW 528i have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1999 BMW 528i. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the BMW 528i?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2015 and 2014. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2011, 2012, 2008 and 2013. See the full BMW 528i years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 BMW 528i problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 84,000 miles; 0% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.