The 1998 BMW 528ia has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 3,800 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the visibility. Last updated July 5, 2026.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE SEALING MATERIAL OF THE SWITCH CAN DEVELOP LEAKS AND ALLOW WATER ENTRY.
THIS CONDITION CAN EVENTUALLY RESULT IN AN INCORRECT INDICATION OF THE TRANSMISSION GEAR POSITION, WHICH COULD ALSO CAUSE THE CAR NOT TO START, OR ALLOW IT TO START IN A DRIVE GEAR, SUCH AS 'DRIVE' OR 'REVERSE.'
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION GEAR POSITION SWITCH.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Left front wheel bearing failed at 50,000 miles”
“The right mirror automatically tips down when the car is in reserve to aid in seeing the curb - the mirror has malfunctioned on numerous occasions by not readjusting to the correct position - the dealer has attempted on at least 15 separate occasions to fix this problem with the mirrors memory -…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1998 BMW 528ia as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.