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BMW 528I fire or smoke problems

70 of the 833 owner complaints about the BMW 528I describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 2008 model year.

owner complaints
70
worst model year
2008
typical mileage
102,000
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below

By model year

What owners say

Filed Sep 11, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · 110,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2014 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust and there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The message "Engine Temperature High" was displayed. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the recall repairs were performed at a previous engine oil service. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Filed Aug 26, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · 141,000 miles · MS · fire

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while idling, there was smoke emerging from under the hood, and the contact discovered that the electrical connection for the water pump caught fire. No warning light illuminated. The contact extinguished the fire using a fire extinguisher. No injury was reported, and no police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the water pump and other damaged components needed replacement. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The dealer submitted a claim to the manufacturer, but the manufacturer denied coverage because the water pump was previously replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had not directly contacted the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.

Filed Jun 18, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · CA

car was brought in for a recall could erupt fire from engine and electrical brought car to bmw 8/2025 have checked list when brought in car was in perfect condition per bmw .pick up car checked engine light was on brought back immediately manager took to shop and cleared light immediately came back on i called them then i drive screen was saying low coolant oil low drivetrain overheating oil leaks burning smell coolant smell etc called bmw na service manager etc waited for appointment 1/26 bmw had for 8 days only to say it had nothing to do with recall car now has no power excessive smoke smell undriveable been in garage for 3 months if ran would catch on fire 🔥

Filed Feb 6, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · 120,000 miles · AZ · fire

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while his vehicle was parked, the coolant pump connector caught on fire, which was connected to a after market Coolant pump. The failure experienced was a localized electrical fire that originated at the coolant pump connector and aftermarket coolant pump while the vehicle was parked. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) but was told by the dealer they could not repair the recall due to the vehicle having an aftermarket coolant pump. The contact stated he originally replaced the coolant pump with an aftermarket one due to a failure, as advised in the recall notice. The vehicle was occupied during the failure. There was grey smoke coming from the engine and inside the vehicle, with flames that were coming from the hood and under the engine. The fire originated specifically within the coolant pump assembly and its associated electrical connector, with the thermal damage concentrated in that area before spreading. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

Filed Jan 27, 2026 · Body, Electrical · CA · fire

On January 29, 2020, while driving my 2016 BMW 5 Series under normal operating conditions, the engine compartment caught fire without warning. Smoke and flames originated from the engine bay while the vehicle was in motion. I was forced to pull over and exit the vehicle immediately. The fire spread rapidly, and the vehicle was declared a total loss. At the time, both my insurance carrier and BMW representatives inspected the vehicle, but no definitive cause was identified. In January 2026, I received notification that this same vehicle is subject to BMW Safety Recall Campaign No. 24V‑608, which states that liquid from the positive crankcase ventilation system can drip onto the water pump electrical connector, potentially causing a short circuit and, in rare cases, an engine fire. This recall describes the same failure event that destroyed my vehicle, which occurred before any recall remedy was available.

Filed Nov 4, 2025 · Engine · TX · fire

On the morning of November 2, 2025, around 10:30, I had drove up to the church, parked my car. What I thought was an overheated engine. I decided to go inside the church and deal with what I thought was an overheated engine. About 12-25 minutes later, while inside the church, I got new that a Black BMW was on fire. Someone had already called the fire department and police. The engine is totally destroyed, and beyond repair. It is more likely than not the faulty water pump is the causation of the fire. I had no previous maintenance issues with the car. I had not received any notification of a recall, nor was I aware prior to November 2, 2025.

Filed Aug 28, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · 80,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that after driving approximately 2 hours or more, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle and entering the cabin of the vehicle. The contact would pull over to a safe location and park for approximately an hour before continuing to drive. The failure was persistent and recurred after driving for approximately 2 hours or more. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump. The mechanic replaced the ignition coils twice. The contact stated that one coil was replaced the first time, and the entire four ignition coils were replaced the second time however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer related the failure to the recall; however, the part was not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Filed Jun 2, 2025 · Electrical, Fuel system · AZ

Hello my name is [XXX] and I am (was) the owner of a 2013 BMW 528i VIN [XXX] . It was a secondary vehicle for me for until I sustained an injury and it being my primary vehicle. I took it through emissions, updated the registration, and I noticed smoke coming from under the hood. I had driven it without a problem then in Juneit did not run at all. At that time there was a recall on the computer system and supposedly it needed a new key programmed to start. That was a 700 expense out of pocket and the car still did not even turn over. I authorized replacing the battery that was another 600, and still the car would not start or run.At this point they were just guessing at what was wrong and going though the process of elimination to try to rectify what was wrong with the car. They did not offer me any kind of courtesy vehicle or even rental discount so I was renting a car while they were trying to figure out what was wrong with the car. I am a small business owner of a non-profit company Modern Day Ministries, LLC that provides assistance to at risk youth and single mothers with disabilities and funding my own organization without loans or assistance. After three months of renting a car, the dealership at 7455 W. Orchid Lane Chandler, Arizona 85226 who had my vehicle only wanted me to keep paying for parts, which for BMW are extremely costly but could not guarantee the car was working. At that time it was known there was a recall on the fuel pump leaking, destroying the electrical system and causing smoking from under the hood or system malfunction, which in my case it fried the electrical system and the car had to be reprogrammed but I had to pay for the new key. I had incurred over 1500.00 in car repairs and another 3000 for renting a car for over 3 months waiting for a remedy. The dealership manager Shane Ohanran I had conversations with failed to take any kind of responsibility for any repairs. I am asking 5000 for out of pocket costs incurred INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FO

Filed Jun 2, 2025 · Electrical · CA · fire

Electrical water pump cause car to catch fire. Car was on fire.

Filed May 19, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · 80,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2016 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while his partner was driving at undisclosed speeds, there was smoke coming from the engine and entering the cabin through the vents while the heater was activated. There was an abnormal burning odor entering the cabin. The contact also observed the burning odor while driving the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Related recalls

Electrical system: wiring: connectors/plugs/receptaclesReported August 13, 2024 · 720,796 vehicles affected
What is wrong
BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, 2015-2016 428xi vehicles. An improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit.
Risk
An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the water pump and plug connector as necessary, and install a protective shield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.

Recall number 24V608000 · Recall details

Questions about the BMW 528I fire or smoke

Which BMW 528I years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2008 (12 complaints), 2015 (12 complaints) and 2016 (11 complaints).

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