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Exterior lightingPart report

1998 BMW 528I Exterior lighting Problems

Complaints
2about this part
Share
6%of 33 total for the year
Median mileage
124,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 2 complaints about the exterior lighting of the 1998 BMW 528I, 6% of the 33 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 124,000 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“The contact owns a 1998 Bmw 528I. While the engine was running, the contact smelled something burning. He discovered that the brake light for the window burned through the housing and fell into the trunk. The bulb landed by the fuel tank. No repairs have been made and the cause of the failure was unknown. Furthermore, the passenger and driver side handles failed to open the doors from inside the passenger compartment. The doors would only open from the outside. The failure mileage was 138,000 and current mileage was 166,000.”

NHTSA complaint #10205426, filed 2007-10, 138,000 miles

Exterior lighting: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
201623%
201523%
201447%
201345%
201211%
201133%
201046%
200914%
20083328%
200025%
199937%
199826%
199712%

Other parts of the 1998 BMW 528I

Air bags
6 complaints
Steering
4 complaints
Body and structure
4 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
4 complaints
Electrical system
3 complaints
Latches, locks and linkages
3 complaints
Vehicle speed control
3 complaints
Engine cooling
2 complaints
Brakes
1 complaints
Electronic stability control
1 complaints
Equipment
1 complaints
Fuel system
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 1998 BMW 528I

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology