BMW Power Train: Gear Position Indication (prndl)

BMW is recalling about 3,800 vehicles over a problem with the power train. This condition can eventually result in an incorrect indication of the transmission gear position, which could also cause the car not to start, or allow it to start in a drive gear, such as 'drive' or 'reverse.'.

Campaign
98V143000
Manufacturer
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
Reported
22 June 1998
Vehicles
3,800
Built between
Aug 1997 – Nov 1997
Models
1
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
28 December 1998
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between August 1997 and November 1997. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1998 BMW 528IABuilt August 1997 to November 1997

What the defect is

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The sealing material of the switch can develop leaks and allow water entry.

What could happen

This condition can eventually result in an incorrect indication of the transmission gear position, which could also cause the car not to start, or allow it to start in a drive gear, such as 'drive' or 'reverse.'

What gets fixed

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION GEAR POSITION SWITCH.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtAugust 1997 to November 1997
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA22 June 1998
  3. Owners notified28 December 1998

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 22 June 1998.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Official source

Recalling manufacturer
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Owner notification began december 28, 1998.OWNERS who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.ALSO contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand