Model year guide

2011 BMW 528i

Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2011 BMW 528i is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 271 on record.

2011 BMW 528i — representative photo
Representative photo · via Wikimedia Commons

2011 BMW 528i at a glance

Safety recalls4
Owner complaints198
Overall safety5 / 5 ★
Combined25 mpg
Typical price$11,129

Included: that car's specs and build sheet, model-year recall campaigns and a fair price.

2011 BMW 528i recalls 4

Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (pcv) NHTSA Campaign #17V683000 · 30/10/2017

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.

Fix: 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.

Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control Module-inactive NHTSA Campaign #16V832000 · 17/11/2016

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2011 BMW 528i, 528xi, 535i, 535xi, 550i and 550xi vehicles manufactured March 1, 2010, through August 31, 2011. The affected vehicles may have received a replacement Sensor Cluster Unit (SCU) during a service visit. These SCUs have an acceleration sensor that may have been incorrectly programmed and, as a result, the SCU may not accurately determine if …

Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the SCU, free of charge. The recall began on December 16, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump NHTSA Campaign #16V746000 · 17/10/2016

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 BMW X5 3.0si, X5 4.8i, X5 M, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i and X5 xDrive50i, 2008-2011 X6 x Drive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6 M, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 535i xDrive Gran Turismo, 535i Gran Turismo, 550i xDrive Gran Turismo and 550i Gran Turismo, 2011-2012 528i, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i and 550i xDrive and 2012 535i ActiveHybrid, 640i …

Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine NHTSA Campaign #14V176000 · 10/04/2014

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 128i Coupe, 128i Convertible, 328i Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 328i Coupe, 328i Convertible, 328i Sports Wagon and Z4 sDrive 30i, 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 135i Convertible, 335i Sedan, X5 xDrive 35i, and X6 xDrive 35i, 2011 335i xDrive Sedan, 335i Coupe, 335i Convertible, 528i Sedan, 535i Sedan, 535i xDrive Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, and X3 xDrive 35i, …

Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four VANOS housing bolts for both VANOS units (intake and exhaust), free of charge. In addition, owners of approximately 170,172 model year 2010-2012 BMW vehicles equipped with inline 6 cylinder engines not covered by this recall, will receive an…

Source: U.S. NHTSA, checked 4 Nov 2026. A campaign covers the model year; to see whether a particular car still needs the repair, check its VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer.

2011 BMW 528i common problems

The most-reported problem areas across all 198 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Engine
Listen for knocks or ticking, check for leaks and blue/white exhaust smoke, and make sure it doesn't overheat. No check-engine light should be on.
Engine And Engine Cooling
Check coolant level and color, look for leaks, and confirm the engine reaches normal temperature without overheating.
Power Train
Drive through every gear: watch for slipping, hard or delayed shifts, and shudder. Check for transmission/driveline leaks and noises.
Tires
Check tread depth, the DOT age date, and that all four tires match with even wear. Look for bulges or cracks.
Steering
Steering should be tight and centered — no play, clunks or wandering. Test at low and highway speed; listen for power-steering whine.
Fuel/propulsion System
Check for fuel or battery warnings, hard starts and stalling. On a hybrid/EV, confirm charging and range behave normally.

2011 BMW 528i safety ratings

Overall★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side crash★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Frontal — driver★★★★★
Frontal — passenger★★★★★
Side — front seat★★★★★
Side — rear seat★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★

Rollover risk: 9.3% — NHTSA's estimated chance of rollover in a single-vehicle crash (dynamic test: no tip).

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), tested as the 2011 BMW 528 I 4 DR RWD. Ratings can differ by body style and drivetrain.

2011 BMW 528i MPG & running costs

Combined25 mpg
City21 mpg
Highway31 mpg
Est. annual fuel cost$3,300
EPA size classMidsize Cars
TransmissionAutomatic (S8)
Passenger volume102 cu ft
Cargo volume14 cu ft
5-yr fuel cost vs average new car$4,500 more

Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov.

What's a 2011 BMW 528i worth?

Low
$6,995
Typical price
$11,129
High
$14,999

From 6 comparable 2011 BMW 528i listings.

Estimated 5-year cost to own

A rough guide to what running a 2011 BMW 528i costs over five years and 75,000 miles.

Fuel (5 yrs)$16,500
Depreciation (5 yrs)$7,400
Total$23,900
Per mile$0.32

How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. Depreciation compares today's typical asking price for this model year ($11,129) with the same model 3 model-years older ($6,688), from CarLogs listing data. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.

Investigations & service bulletins

Manufacturer service bulletins 402

Technical notes the manufacturer sent to dealers about known issues and fixes. Useful to mention to a mechanic — they are not recalls and repairs may not be covered. Showing the 10 most recent of 402.

This bulletin outlines the Customer Care Package program that has been designed exclusively for BMWvehicles with the N63 engine. Vehicles with the N63 high performance engine are engineered with EfficientDynamics that provides fueleconomy without compromising…

Bulletin B110614 · Engine · Mar 2025

Vehicle has the air bag warning lamp on after a body shop has made repairs. There is a fault code stored in the air bag control module ACSM3: 930A5B airbag sensor, door, front left: open circuit 30A65 airbag sensor, door, front right: open circuit

Bulletin B650425 · Air Bags, Structure · Feb 2025

Only fuel nozzles with the recommended “specified” diameter for diesel engine passenger vehicles can beinserted into the filler neck. Most fuel stations have their diesel fuel pumps fitted with this recommendeddiameter fuel nozzle. However, if the vehicle’s fi…

Bulletin B131110 · Fuel/propulsion System · Sep 2024

The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.

Bulletin B510819 · Electrical System, Visibility · Jan 2024

The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle “di…

Bulletin B611305 · Electrical System · Jan 2024

Engine will crank but not start. There is no communication with the integrated fuel module (TFE) whendiagnosing with ISTA. The following two fault codes will be stored in the DME: 032B43 - Low fuel pressure system, electric fuel pump: pressure value too low CD…

Bulletin B160623 · Engine And Engine Cooling, Fuel System, Gasoline · Dec 2023

Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicle’s equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. Additio…

Bulletin B653423 · Electrical System, Equipment · Nov 2023

Various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (ADCAM system) can lead to customer complaints.

Bulletin B660523 · Vehicle Speed Control, Forward Collision Avoidance, Lane Departure · Oct 2023

The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) warning light comes on while driving. The following DSC fault codes for the wheel speed sensors are stored: 480712 and/or 480715 and/or 480718 and/or 48071B They cannot be cleared, even though the wheel speed sensors work co…

Bulletin B340914 · Wheels · Jun 2023

After programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes repeatedly fails.

Bulletin B651523 · Electrical System · May 2023

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, listed for the 528I RWD. Model-year data, not specific to one car.

About the BMW 528i

The BMW 5 Series is an executive car manufactured and marketed by BMW since 1972. It is the successor to the BMW New Class sedans and is currently in its eighth generation. The car is sold as either a sedan or, since 1991, a station wagon. A 5-door fastback was sold between 2009 and 2017. Each successive generation has been given an internal G-code designation since 2017. Previously, a F-code designation was used between 2010 and 2016, while an E-code designation was used between 1972 and 2010. These are used to distinguish each model and generation from each other.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Describes the model line in general, not this model year specifically.

2011 BMW 528i trims & engines on record

Engines
3.0L 6-cyl 230 hp

2011 BMW 528i vehicles on record

Other BMW 528i model years

2011 BMW 528i — frequently asked questions

Does the 2011 BMW 528i have any safety recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2011 BMW 528i. Whether an individual car still needs a recall repair depends on its VIN — check it on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer. Recall repairs are done at no charge.

What are the most common problems with the 2011 BMW 528i?

Across all 198 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are engine, engine and engine cooling, power train.

What is the 2011 BMW 528i safety rating?

NHTSA gives the 2011 BMW 528i an overall crash-test rating of 5 out of 5 stars (frontal 4★, side 5★, rollover 5★).

What gas mileage does the 2011 BMW 528i get?

The 2011 BMW 528i has a U.S. EPA estimate of 25 mpg combined (21 city / 31 highway).

How much is a 2011 BMW 528i worth?

Comparable 2011 BMW 528i listings run roughly $6,995–$14,999, typically around $11,129 (from 6 vehicles).

Sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, crash tests), U.S. EPA (fuel economy). Vehicle data only — CarLogs never shows owner information.