1987 Bmw 528: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
1 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1987 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 1 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings | 1 |
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 1 |
1995: 1
Pattern summary
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings leads the component reports. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 485654 · 1995-06-26 (June 26, 1995)
FUEL LINE LEAK PRIOR TO RECALL (94V-066) *SKD
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 485654 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
86V151000 · Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch
Reported: 1986-11-10 (November 10, 1986)
BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH COULD OVERHEAT, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO MELTING OF PLASTIC INTERNAL PARTS IN AREA OF ELECTRICAL CONTACTS.
Consequence: CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: SWITCH PLUNGER COULD JAM, RENDERING BRAKE LIGHTS EITHER INOPERATIVE OR CONTINUOUSLY ILLIMINATED, REGARDLESS OF BRAKE PEDAL OPERATION.
Remedy: REPLACE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WITH REVISED SWITCH WITH INCREASED ELECTRICAL LOAD CAPACITY.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
1 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-09-30.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 133.3%ODI 10188102 · 120,000 miTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 528. WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACTIVATE THE HEADLIGHTS, AND THEY BEGAN BLINKING ,AND THE CONTACT SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. HE LIFTED THE HOOD, AND ATTEMPTED TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLE, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED, BUT BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IWAS 121,000 , AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.*AK | 120.0%ODI 10970148 · 124,000 miTL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2000 BMW 528. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT CAUGHT FIRE AND FLAMES AND SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT AREA. THE HOOD ALSO INDEPENDENTLY OPENED AND REVEALED FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 215.4%ODI 738190WHILE GETTING ROUTINE SERVICE CHECK THE SEVICE REPRESENTATIVE REPORTED THE CAR HAD RUN HOT. I HAD NOTICED NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS, HOWEVER THEY SUGGESTED A WATER PUMP REPLACEMENT. I TEST DROVE THE CAR AND IT BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SUGGESTED THE THERMOSTAT BE REPLACED FIRST. IT HAS BEEN ONE MONTH AND I HAVE NOT HAD ANY TEMPATURE PROBLEMS. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:Radiator Assembly | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 215.4%ODI 738190WHILE GETTING ROUTINE SERVICE CHECK THE SEVICE REPRESENTATIVE REPORTED THE CAR HAD RUN HOT. I HAD NOTICED NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS, HOWEVER THEY SUGGESTED A WATER PUMP REPLACEMENT. I TEST DROVE THE CAR AND IT BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SUGGESTED THE THERMOSTAT BE REPLACED FIRST. IT HAS BEEN ONE MONTH AND I HAVE NOT HAD ANY TEMPATURE PROBLEMS. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 17.7%ODI 806467THE ABS BRAKES FAILED TO OPERATE WHEN APPLIED UPON SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A TURN, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO GO DOWN A 6 TO 8 FOOT HILL, HITTING A TREE AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 120.0%ODI 735834BMW STATES IT IS NORMAL OPERATION TO GET A ROCK STUCK IN THE BRAKE. HOWEVER, THEY ALSO STATED TO GET USE TO IT BECAUSE IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN BECAUSE IT HAPPENS ON THIS CAR ALL THE TIME. *AK |
| Steering | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 17.7%ODI 10745657 · 48,000 miI BOUGHT THE 1997 BMW 528I OFF LEASE. IT WAS MY SECOND BMW. THE PRIOR BMW HAD VIRTUALLY NO PROBLEMS. I GUESS THE SECOND ONE HAD TO MAKE UP FOR THE FIRST ONE. IF I ONLY HAD A NICKLE FOR EVERY TIME I WISHED I HADN'T TRADED FOR THE SECOND ONE. 1. THE FIRST PROBLEM OCCURRED IMMEDIATELY, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A BMW DEALERSHIP. THIS WAS TO HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF. WHENEVER I DROVE THE CAR I HAD TO KEEP ONE EYE ON THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE AT ALL TIMES (IT WOULD HEAT UP VERY FAST). THE BMW DEALERS… | 114.3% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Tires | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 17.7%ODI 706351IN JUST 32,000 MILES WE ARE NOW HAVING TO REPLACE ANOTHER SET OF TIRES. THE FIRST 2 WENT AT JUST 11.000 MILES AND EVERY 11,000 MILES LATER. IS THIS STANDARD? BMW SAYS YES! *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 2256015 ) | 114.3% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Air Bags | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 17.7%ODI 806467THE ABS BRAKES FAILED TO OPERATE WHEN APPLIED UPON SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A TURN, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO GO DOWN A 6 TO 8 FOOT HILL, HITTING A TREE AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
1999: 0 complaints · 2000: 3 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2000 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings |
|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.