2010 BMW 528i Engine Problems

33 owners have reported engine & cooling problems with the 2010 BMW 528i to NHTSA — 51% of all 65 complaints for this model year. The typical failure happened around 133,000 miles. That ranks #8 of 13 528i model years for engine complaints (a typical year has 35). One related recall has been issued.

33complaints
133ktypical miles
1related recalls
0crashes
4fires
0injuries

Which parts fail

  • Exhaust system › Emission control › Crankcase (pcv)
    1

Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    00%
  • 25k–50k
    15%
  • 50k–75k
    15%
  • 75k–100k
    210%
  • 100k–150k
    1050%
  • 150k+
    630%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 BMW 528i owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528i. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, she smelled a burning odor and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood and through the vent. The (!) malfunction indicator warning light illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would jerk intermittently while driving. The contact received recall notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V683000 (Engine And Engine Cooling), which she associated with the failure. The dealer was not contacted. 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 vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

141,000 miles · Apr 2022 · fire

The contact owned a 2010 BMW 528i. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH the vehicle started to shake and vibrate, additionally smoke began to issue from under the hood. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to safely pull of the highway and shut off the vehicle, the smoke emission increased and the vehicle caught fire. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire using water. The police were also on scene. The contact is not aware if any reports were written by police or fire department. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot due to being consumed completely by the fire. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.

168,000 miles · Feb 2020 · fire

The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing rough starts and the failure persisted while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the motor mounts had collapsed and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the oil pan gasket was leaking and needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the fuel sending unit needed to be replaced due to a fuel leak. The parts were replaced; however, upon replacing the oil pan gasket, the dealer noticed fragments of vanos adjuster units bolts used to fasten the intake and exhaust camshaft inside the oil pan. The dealer informed the contact that the cylinder head cover needed to be taken apart to verify whether the motor mounts were fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000. …

132,000 miles · Jun 2022

The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact stated while making a left turn and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The brake and transmission warning lights illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle, and then attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended and was towed back to the residence. The vehicle was next towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the camshaft and timing belt chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V707000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) and 22V119000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. …

124,000 miles · Apr 2025

The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the repair failed to prevent a failure. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormally loud rattling sound coming from under the hood. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in Manual Mode, the vehicle independently shifted to neutral(N), the steering wheel became firm, and the transmission failed to shift out of neutral. In addition, the contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating with the accelerator pedal depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed back to the same local dealer on various occasions; however, the failure reoccurred. …

145,000 miles · Nov 2025

The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued driving at an unknown speed and then parked and had the vehicle towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that there was debris in the filter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 132,553. The contact stated when he took his wife's car for an oil service at the BMW dealership he was told that there was a VANOS Unit recall much to his surprise. However the VANOS Unit recall did not include all 2010 528i BMW's. …

133,000 miles · Dec 2022

The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he attempted to operate the heater and noticed a fuel odor inside the vehicle. The contact then stated that smoke was coming from under the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that parts were not available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that he noticed a fuel odor throughout the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

100,000 miles · Mar 2022

The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a fuel odor began to emit from the vehicle without warning. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that a grayish smoke had emitted from the rear valve cover. The contact then had the had the vehicle towed to the dealer and was informed that the PCV valve was normal; however, the valve cover gasket was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

170,000 miles · Apr 2022

The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to coast off the roadway. While at a stop, the vehicle stalled upon acceleration. Upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle started to shake. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was referred to the local dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) 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 made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

100,000 miles · Jun 2023

The contact owns a 2010 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal whistling sound was coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the RPM was fluctuating. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle started vibrating as if it was going to stall. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

90,000 miles · Jul 2022

Related recalls

Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control › Crankcase (pcv)

NHTSA recall 17V-683 · Oct 30, 2017 · 740,561 vehicles

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2011 128i and 2007-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notification by the end of October 2018.

Engine complaints in other 528i years

199719981999200020082009201020112012201320142015201632111351233664847344743
Engine complaints per model year, BMW 528i.

Frequently asked questions

How common are engine problems on the 2010 BMW 528i?

NHTSA has 33 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2010 BMW 528i, 51% of the model year's 65 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control › crankcase (pcv) (1 mentions).

Is there a recall for 2010 BMW 528i engine problems?

Yes — NHTSA recall 17V-683 (crankcase (pcv), Oct 30, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

At what mileage do 2010 BMW 528i engine problems start?

Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 133,000 miles.

Is it dangerous?

Owners linked 0 crashes, 4 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.

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.