2016 BMW 528I electrical system problems

33 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2016 BMW 528I — 56% of all complaints for this model year.

Electrical System complaints

56%

share of all complaints

85,000 mi

median reported mileage

0 / 3

crash / fire reports

What owners report

“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…”
filed Jan 27, 2026
“My coolant line overheated. From the leaking water pump and pcv that exploded all over my engine causing it to overheat and now how has not turned back on. Ive been without a car for months and when I seen the recall and reached out to the dealer expressing my situation they said they would get…”
filed Nov 2, 2025

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
B510819 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 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…
B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 11, 2024
After programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes repeatedly fails.
B651523 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2023