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Body and structurePart report

1998 BMW 528I Body and structure Problems

Complaints
4about this part
Share
12%of 33 total for the year
Median mileage
73,160miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the body and structure of the 1998 BMW 528I, 12% of the 33 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 73,160 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 front driver side inside plastic door handle snapped. This caused the consumer to roll the window down to use the outside door handle to exit the vehicle. The dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. Bmw considered the problem to be an integral part/trim and did not honor the warranty. The driver door squeaked upon opening and closing and there was a squeak coming from the right side of the vehicle that would go up to 35 MPH in which the dealer could not duplicate the problem.”

NHTSA complaint #10065194, filed 2004-05, 8,321 miles

“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

Body and structure: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
201612%
201558%
201412%
201311%
201233%
201122%
201012%
200914%
200811%
199949%
1998412%
199737%

Other parts of the 1998 BMW 528I

Air bags
6 complaints
Steering
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
Exterior lighting
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 27, 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