1998 BMW 5 Series problems

“DRIVING ON ENTRANCE RAMP TO THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 10MPH AND SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE HOOD. PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED COOLANT SYSTEM AND FOUND THAT THE NECK HAD BROKEN OFF THE RADIATOR(COMMON PROBLEM WITH E39) ALLOWING COOLANT TO SPRAY INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS TRAVELLING SLOWLY AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER RAPIDLY BEFORE CAR OVERHEATED. COULD HAVE CAUSED A DANGEROUS SITUATION IF IT HAD OCCURED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. CAR WAS TOWED TO MECHANIC, WHO REPLACED OLD RADIATOR WITH AN AFTERMARKET BRAND THAT IS MORE ROBUST THAN BMW RAD. I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE USING A BMW RADIATOR DUE TO THEIR CHEAP AND FLAWED DESIGN.”

“While stopped (engine still running) at a gas station, the driver side airbag and driver side side curtain airbag both went off. The battery disconnect feature was also triggered. Very lucky I wasn't driving when this occurred.”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BMW 528I. WHILE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING, THE CONTACT SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. HE DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT FOR THE WINDOW BURNED THROUGH THE HOUSING AND FELL INTO THE TRUNK. THE BULB LANDED BY THE FUEL TANK. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AND THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. FURTHERMORE, THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE HANDLES FAILED TO OPEN THE DOORS FROM INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE DOORS WOULD ONLY OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 166,000.”

“MY 1998 BMW 5-SERIES 528I STARTED ACCELERATING ON IT'S OWN WHEN I WAS DRIVING, AND I HAD TO KEEP MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND ALMOST RAN A FEW RED LIGHTS. WHEN I PARKED MY CAR I HAD TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL TO TURN IT OFF AND I TRIED STARTING IT AGAIN (WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE) AND IT ACCELERATED W/OUT BEING IN DRIVE. NOW MY CAR JERKS EVERY TIME I'M DRIVING SLOW AND IT FEELS LIKE IT'S NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY ANY MORE. *TR”

“TWO MAJOR COMPLAINTS: 1. TRANSMISSION OF THE CAR BROKE DOWN COMPLETELY WITHIN 82,000 MILES. I HAD TO SPEND A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. 2. POWER STEERING OF THE CAR HAD EXPERIENCED LEAK SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. STILL AFTER SO MANY YEARS THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY RECTIFIED DESPITE THE FACT THAT I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER. 3. AFTER I GAVE MY CAR TO THE ANN ARBOR BMW DEALER, ONCE THEY REPLACED SOME UNRELATED MECHANICAL COMPONENTS THAT COST ME OVER $600. HOWEVER, AFTER PAYING THE MONEY WHEN I SHOWED THAT THE PROBLEM DID NOT SOLVE, THE MECHANICS ADDED SOME BRAKE FLUID AND THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY DISAPPEARED. THE DEALER DID NOT REIMBURSE THE MONEY FOR INAPPROPRIATELY CHANGING UNNECESSARY COMPONENTS. AGAIN AFTER A FEW MONTHS WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK WHEN THE PROBLEM RESURFACED DUE TO LOW BRAKE FLUID.R. AFTER I DROVE THE CAR OUT OF DEALERS PREMISE, THE ENGINE STARTED GETTING HEATED UP. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK AND LEFT IT WITH THE DEALER WHO CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY ASKING ME TO PAY ABOUT $250 TO CHANGE THE THERMOCOUPLE, WHICH I AUTHORIZED. HOWEVER, AFTER SEVERAL HOURS THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL GETTING…”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BMW 528I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLE INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WOULD FALL OFF IN HER HAND. THE FAILURE OCCURRED A TOTAL OF EIGHT TIMES AND PREVENTED HER FROM EXITING THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THE FAILURE HERSELF ON SEVEN OCCASIONS BECAUSE IT WOULD COST $249 TO REPAIR IT AT A DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000.”