2008 BMW 528i engine problems

The 2008 BMW 528i has 37 engine complaints filed with NHTSA — 20% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

Engine complaints

20%

Share of year

Crash-involved

Related recalls

Engine complaints by year

528i engine complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

17V683000EngineOctober 30, 2017 · 740,561 units

Defect

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.

Consequence

An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.

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. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

What owners report

“I WAS DRIVING IN THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY BMW STARTED SHAKING AND WHEN I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE AND OPENED MY HOOD THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE.”
Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · September 25, 2019 · fire

Common questions

How many engine complaints does the 2008 BMW 528i have?

NHTSA has 37 complaints about the 2008 BMW 528i engine — 20% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2008 BMW 528i engine?

Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for this model year is tied to the engine: 17V683000.

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.