BMW 528xi Complaints (2012)
54 consumer complaints on file.
- #11433864September 21, 2021FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Car begin to stall on traffic, drivetrain malfunction light appeared..Took it to BMW DEALER My Fuel Pump replace with new EKP module- Which is the same recall that BMW issued in 2017 which included the Model/year vehicle that i have.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11428672August 11, 2021POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
in 2020 the engine started malfunctioning at 76,000 miles. I took it into the BMW dealership to get it inspected and they stated that it was a valve issue and charged replacement. After replacement, the engine lit would come on and I called the representative. He stated that it would need time to reset so I continued driving it. Eventually the light did not come on for some time. A year later in 2021 after driving to work the engine started to stall on my way to work on the highway. I since taken it back to BMW stating that it was less than 10,000 miles since the repair and I'm having engine troubles again. After talking to the BMW service representative, they stated that I will need a new engine because it is now blown. The engine only has 84,000 miles on it and I requested root cause analysis on the engine. After reviewing online, I discovered that this engine is mounted on multiple platforms BMW sold and is known to have issues since 2017 and a lawsuit in 2020, the same year I took my car to the BMW dealership for repairs. They neglected to inform me of the issue with the engine when I first took the car in and put my car back on the road with a faulty engine. Gross negligence by BMW.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11407066April 8, 2021ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 528XI. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 80 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT-OFF. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT MESSAGE READ "DO NOT STOP VEHICLE, MAYBE UNABLE TO RESTART; CHARGING ERROR" WAS DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE SERPENTINE BELT TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 127,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11405598March 30, 2021AIR BAGS, SEATS
PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. LIGHT WILL NOT GO OUT. DEALERSHIP BMW OF STERLING IN STERLING VA SAYS PASSENGER SENSOR MAT HAS TO BE REPLACED AS AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11388234January 14, 2021UNKNOWN OR OTHER
SO I BOUGHT A BMW, THEN A LOT OF CONDENSATION AND WATER GOT INTO A HEADLIGHT AND IT MESSED UP THE WIRES AND MY TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING. ORDERED A NEW ONE AND THE SAME THING STARTED HAPPENING, I GOT ANOTHER ONE AND THE LIGHT ISN'T WORKING AGAIN. IVE HAD MULTIPLE MECHANICS, BMW, ETC LOOK AT MY CAR. COME TO FIND OUT THE WAY THE CAR WAS BUILT, VIBRATION OFF THE ROAD OFTEN CREATES CRACKS OR MICRO FISSURES, THAT MAKE MOISTURE GET INTO A HEADLIGHT AND PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED NUMEROUS TIMES. I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO CONTINUE BUYING NEW HEADLIGHTS IF THIS A MANUFACTURE PROBLEM. ESPECIALLY IN THIS PANDEMIC. PEOPLE WILL RATHER NOT USE THEIR TURN SIGNALS AND MESS THEIR CONNECTORS UP THEN REPLACE IT AND I DON'T BLAME THEM. THESE NEED RECALLED. MOISTURE DOESN'T GET OUT UNTIL YOU TAKE OFF THE HEADLIGHT AND YOU NEED TO TAKE OFF THE BUMPER TO REMOVE THE HEADLIGHT.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11375692November 21, 2020ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
DRIVING DOWN THE STREET WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN CAR SAYS DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION I WAS STOPPED AT THE LIGHT ON A ONE WAY STREET ON 11/20/2020 WHEN THE CAR JUST DIED NO WARNING JUST SHUT OFF WOULDN'T START COULDN'T PUT IT IN NEUTRAL BLOCKED TRAFFIC FOR ABOUT 90 MINUTES BEFORE I COULD GET A TOW TRUCK TO REMOVE MY CAR. I HAVE A 2012 BMW 528XI WITH ABOUT 90K + MILES ON IT I WAS SO SCARED BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE HAPPENS TO ME ON THE HIGHWAY OR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND I WOULD NO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET OUT OF HARMS WAY.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11361300September 26, 2020EXTERIOR LIGHTING
SUDDENLY THE CAR HEADLIGHT, TAILLIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE STOPPED WORKING IN MIDDLE OF NIGHT. ONLY THE RIGHT INDICATOR WORKS NOW. ITS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE. I COULD HAVE HAD A MAJOR ACCIDENT IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. I THINK BMW HAD THIS ISSUE WITH SOME OF 3 SERIES MODELS.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11354780September 13, 2020ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
WHEN TURNING MY CAR ON AND WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MY CAR DISPLAYED A DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION ERROR. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL BMW DEALER ON AUGUST 3, 2020 FOR SERVICE AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE CAR WITH A COMPUTER ERROR. THEY MADE A REPAIR TO THE COMPUTER AND TOLD ME IT WAS FIXED. THIS COST $350. ON AUGUST 7, I DROVE FROM MARYLAND TO SOUTH CAROLINA AND RECEIVED THE SAME DRIVETRAIN ERROR MESSAGE AND THE OIL SERVICE LIGHT WARNING CAME ON. WE HAD TO ADD A QUART OF OIL AND DRIVE SLOWLY PER THE DRIVETRAIN ERROR MESSAGE. AS SOON AS I RETURNED TO MARYLAND, I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO BMW OF ANNAPOLIS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE FRONT END OF THE ENGINE WAS GONE AND THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO REBUILD THE MOTOR INCLUDING NEW TIMING CHAINS, CHAIN TENSIONER, CHAIN GUIDES, AND EXHAUST VANOS UNIT (A $6000 REPAIR). THE CAR ONLY HAD 72,000 MILES AND I HAD NEVER MISSED A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. BMW NORTH AMERICA OFFERED TO PAY HALF OF $6000 AFTER BEING CONTACTED BY BMW OF ANNAPOLIS. HOWEVER, I THOUGHT THAT BMW NORTH AMERICA SHOULD HAVE PAID THE ENTIRE AMOUNT BECAUSE THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 2012 BMW 528I AND I COULD HAVE HAD A MAJOR ACCIDENT. IN ADDITION, THIS CAR HAS HAD 2 PRIOR MAJOR RECALLS. I SENT BMW NORTH AMERICA A FORMAL COMPLAINT, BUT THEY STILL ONLY PAID $3000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11351466August 26, 2020SERVICE BRAKES, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
WARNING FOR CHASSIS STABILIZATION IS ON, I ENCOUNTERED NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCELERATE AND HAD THE CAR TOWED. I WAS ON A MAIN ROAD AND I GOT REAR ENDED IMMEDIATELY AFTER I WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE AND I HAD MY HAZARD LIGHTS FLASHING
- Crash:
- Yes
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 1
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11340527July 20, 2020ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
MY 2012 528XI HAS 117K MILES ON IT. WHILE I WAS ON A LONG ROAD TRIP, DRIVING ON I-95 AT 1AM ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, WITHOUT ANY WEIRD ENGINE NOISES OR ANYTHING OUT OF THE NORM, THE CAR DISPLAYED A WARNING MESSAGE THAT SAID "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION" IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY WARNING "ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LOW" WARNING. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND THE CAR TOLD ME TO PULL OVER SAFELY. LUCKILY, THERE WAS A NICE BIG SHOULDER AND THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC AROUND, SO I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY COAST TO A STOP. HAD THE CAR TOWED 100 MILES TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, AND HE SAID THERE WAS NO OIL PRESSURE, SO THERE WAS TOO MUCH FRICTION DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION, WHICH SEIZED THE CAMSHAFT AND CAUSED JUMPED TIMING. I'VE HAD A LOT OF "VERY UNUSUAL" (MECHANIC'S WORDS) ISSUES WITH THIS CAR, OF COURSE ALL OUT OF WARRANTY. AND NOW THE ENGINE IS COMPLETELY FRIED. I CAN SPEND ANOTHER $11K TO PUT A BRAND NEW ENGINE IN THERE, BUT THE CAR ITSELF ISN'T WORTH $11K ANYMORE. LOTS OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. HASN'T BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA BUT CAN FIND IT ON BMW ENTHUSIAST FORUMS (LIKE BIMMERFEST DOT COM).
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11331548June 29, 2020ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
VEHICLE MESSAGED ME WHILE DRIVING THAT OIL PRESSURE WAS LOW. STOPPED, AND RESTARTED WITH NO ISSUES. INVESTIGATED ONLINE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE HAD A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING GUIDES BECOMING BRITTLE AND DISINTEGRATING SENDING PARTS INTO THE SPROCKETS AND THE OIL SENSORS. ALSO CHAIN MAKES A WHINING NOISE IF AFFECTED. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDES WERE DIAGNOSED AS BEING THE PROBLEM. OUT OF EXTENDED WARRANTY (7YR/70K) BY ONE YEAR AND 5K MILES. BMW KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO VOLUNTARILY RECALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. COULD RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11330703June 24, 2020ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
I BOUGHT A CERTIFIED BMW AND HAD CONTINUOUS ISSUES WITH MY ENGINE, CONSTANTLY REFILLING THE OIL, EVEN AFTER SERVICE. AFTER TAKING THIS TO THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND THERE WEREN'T ANY ISSUES. ALL OF THIS FINALLY CAME TO A HEAD-ON SUNDAY, 6/21/2020 WHEN MY CAR FINALLY CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. AFTER TOWING, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A TIMING CHAIN ISSUE AND WOULD COST ME $7,400 WHICH WOULDN'T NECESSARILY REMEDY THE ISSUE, I HEARD THIS COULD REACH TOWARDS 15-20K. I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE AFTER HAVING ONLY DRIVEN THIS CAR ON AVG 8K/YEAR AND HAVING ROUGHLY 84K MILES IN TOTAL. MY EXPERIENCE WITH BMW HAS SINCE BEEN PAINFUL TO SAY THE LEAST SINCE. I'VE HAD THIS TOWED TWICE IN 2 DAYS, BEEN GIVEN AN ULTIMATUM ON EITHER FIXING THE VEHICLE OR BUYING A NEW ONE - WHEN ASKING FOR A LOANER, I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED CONTACT ENTERPRISE AND RESERVE ONE ON MY OWN. I'VE OWNED MULTIPLE GERMAN CARS AND NEVER HAD TO DEAL WITH THIS LEVEL OF UNPROFESSIONALISM. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11330521June 24, 2020ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 528XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY AND LOSS MOTIVE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE GLOBAL IMPORTS BMW LOCATED AT 500 INTERSTATE N PKWY, ATLANTA, GA 30339, (800) 294-1853, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE SERVICE DIRECTOR OF THE SAME DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 155,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11322939May 1, 2020ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
I HAD ISSUES WITH MY CAR WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR CHECK, THEY MENTIONED MY TIMING CHAIN AND ENGINE HAS SOME ISSUES AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED WITH AN ESTIMATE OF $14000 WHILE THE CAR LOAN I HAD ON IT WAS $12000. THIS IS RIDICULOUS AS WE ALREADY KNOW BMW 2012 MODELS HAVE ENGINE ISSUES.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11319080March 23, 2020ENGINE
MY 2012 BMW 528 XI ENGINE N20 JUST GRENADED ITSELF DUE TO THE ISSUE IN THIS LINK BELOW AND NOTICED YOU HAD A CLASS ACTION SUIT THAT LET BMW COVER CUSTOMERS UPTO 7YR/70K MILES. I HAD TO SHELL OUT 7000 FOR REPLACEMENT ENGINE. MINE FAILED JUST OVER 70K MILES AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER CUSTOMERS IN THE SAME BOAT BASED ON WHAT I AM READING IN THE FORUMS. IS THERE ANOTHER CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT THAT COULD BE FILED TO COVER THESE CUSTOMERS SO THAT BMW EXTENDS WARRANTY TO 10YR /120K FOR THESE FAULTY ENGINES. BMW ENGINE CHAIN DEFECTS CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IS WILLIAMS, ET AL. V. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA LLC, ET AL., CASE NO. 2:17-CV-11567, IN THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY. HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NEWS/2017/BMW-N20-N26-ENGINE-LAWSUIT-BLAMES-TIMING-CHAINS.SHTML
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11311318February 25, 2020ENGINE
WITH ONLY 76K MILES WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WITH NO WARNING DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION COMES ON CAR STOPS. BROUGHT TO BMW AND WAS TOLD OIL WAS DARK WITH PIECES OF SHRED METAL AND ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACE FOR OVER $10,000. WAS SO CONFUSED DUE TO HAVING A OIL CHANGE LESS THEN 1 MONTH AGO. NOW CALL IS SITTING BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE ENGINE AND STILL OWE MONEY ON CAR WHICH NO ONE WILL TAKE DUE TO IT NOT DRIVING.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11307662February 7, 2020ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON AND NOW THE CAR TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET UP TO ANY DECENT SPEED. PROBABLY 0-35 IN ABOUT 10 SECONDS. I WAS ADVISED BY A SERVICE CENTER THAT TIMING CHAIN FAILURE IS IMMINENT AND I WOULD NEED TO PAY $8000 TO REPLACE THE MOTOR ON A CAR FOR WHICH I OWED $11000, THAT AT THE TIME WAS ONLY WORTH ABOUT $4000. AS OF TODAY, IT'S WORTH ABOUT $800 WITH A $3800 BALANCE ON THE NOTE. OVERPRICED SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND COSTLY REPAIRS WERE ALL PERFORMED AS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11282327November 25, 2019AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER, AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 528XI. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION MESSAGE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BMW OF BELLEVUE (LOCATED AT 13617 NORTHUP WAY, BELLEVUE, WA 98005, (425) 243-5201), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11258583September 27, 2019ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
MY 2012 BMW 528 XDRIVE SUDDENLY GOT A WARNING LOW OIL PRESSURE FOLLOWS BY DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION, AND SLOWS DOWN-WENT ON NEUTRAL AND STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. ALL THAT HAPPENED WITHIN LESS THAN A MINUTE. I GOT IT TOWED TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDE HAS BROKEN APART, TIMING CHAIN CAME OFF, JUMPED TIME, STARVED ENGINE FOR OIL & CONTAMINATED ENGINE AND WILL REQUIRE A WHOLE NEW ENGINE REPLACE WHICH WILL COST AROUND $13756.56 +LABOR+TAX MY TOTAL WAS $ 16456. I FOUND OUT I AM NOT ALONE AND THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH BMW OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL. I ALSO CALLED THE BMW NORTH AMERICA THEY TOLD ME THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS ONLY UP TO 70,000 MILES AND THEY CAN NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, MY CAR FAILS AT 105K MILES. I THINK BMW MUST STAND BEHIND THERE PRODUCT. WE CAN NOT BUY AN EXPENSIVE CAR LIKE BMW WITH AN ENGINE LIFE IS LESS THAN 8YRS.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11255319September 13, 2019ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 528XI. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL WINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BMW OF CATONSVILLE (6700 BALTIMORE NATIONAL PIKE, BALTIMORE, MD 21228, (844) 221-1352) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED PARTIAL ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 61,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0