2012 Bmw 328I - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2012 BMW 328I has received an impressive overall safety rating of 5 out of 5, making it a very safe vehicle. It excels in both front and side crash ratings, with a 4 out of 5 for the overall front crash rating and a perfect 5 out of 5 for the overall side crash rating. Additionally, it has top scores in rollover protection and side pole crash rating.

In terms of safety features, the BMW 328I comes equipped with standard electronic stability control, which enhances the vehicle's stability and helps prevent skidding or loss of control. However, it does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems.

Although this car has a high safety rating, it is worth noting that there have been 113 complaints and 8 recalls reported for the BMW 328I. These numbers indicate that while the car performs well in crash tests, there may be some issues reported by consumers that could potentially affect the overall ownership experience.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

113

Recall Count

8

Investigation Count

2

Safety Rating

5/5

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Safety Features

2012 BMW 328 I 4 DR RWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2012 BMW 328 I 4 DR RWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2012 BMW 328 I 4 DR RWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2012 BMW 328 I 4 DR RWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2011 Score 2012 Score 2015 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 4 4
Front Crash Driver Side Rating Not Rated 4 4
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated 5 5

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2011 Score 2012 Score 2015 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating Not Rated 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated 5 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated 5 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2011 Score 2012 Score 2015 Score
Rollover Rating 5 5 5
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5

Complaints for the 2012 Bmw 328I

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"as i was going down the highway may car lost power. i had to pull onto the shoulder and turned the car off. i then tried to start it but is would not start back up. i left it on the side of the highway for a few hours. went back and it started back up but it was in limp mode, so i drove it to a shop. this car gave me no problems until this point. the shop i took it to couldn't help me. so i took it to century bmw in greenville sc. they told me i needed a motor that was going to cost me $14,000 to fix. i asked them to put my motor back together ( the top part of the motor). they informed me it would cost me $600 to do so. i got my car back with the motor not put back like they got it. it has been sitting every since."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2021-02-10
Complaint:
"my 2012 bmw 328i (f30 with n20 engine) had the dreaded timing chain guide failure, which is a very common issue with the n20 engine. there has been a warranty extension- https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2017/mc-10142923-9999.pdf and class action settlement- https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2021/mc-10201140-9999.pdf for this. but these doesn't address the safety concern. there has been numerous reports of timing chain & guide failures happening everyday in the various forums. the broken guides can lead to sudden engine failure and a loss of power to the vehicles. if this happens on the highway, this could be life threatening for the passengers. i kindly request nhtsa to look into this problem and issue a recall."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2025-04-05
Complaint:
"bmw drivetrain malfunction. timing chain replacement kit. pump module with vanos units and solonoids"
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2022-07-11
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 bmw 328i. the contact stated while driving 40 mph, the vehicle stalled. the contact stated that the "contact bmw" and "stop driving" messages were displayed. the contact stated that the power brakes and power steering became inoperable whenever the vehicle stalled. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled at various speeds and became more frequent. the contact pulled off the roadway and was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. the contact stated that the vehicle started and shifted to limp mode. the contact disconnected the battery to reset the function on the vehicle. the contact stated that after one failure, the vehicle failed to start and was towed to his residence. the vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 96,000."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2022-07-05
Complaint:
"i hear a whining noise coming from the engine and sounds like the timing chain is getting ready to snap. this is a common problem in this type of engine, resulting in a damaged engine."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2023-03-04
Complaint:
"on 23 nov at approx 8:30 pm i was on i35n heading home in my 2012 bmw 328i. out of nowhere i get a low oil pressure light, followed immediately by the drivetrain malfunction light. i pulled over to the side of the road immediately for safety. i stopped the engine and sat for a couple of minutes to see if the error may have cleared, which it did not. i attempted to restart the engine and it would not start again. i had the vehicle towed to bmw. upon speaking to bmw today, i was told that the cause of failure was a timing chain malfunction/break which renders the engine inoperative. the cost of a replacement is approx 15k-17k i was told. at no time did i get any indication or warning that something was wrong with the car. the car had been running fine until this incident, now i'm without a car and have to make a tough decision because of it. i've owned this car since it was brand new and never had an issue with it until now."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2022-11-11
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2013 bmw 328i. the contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled with the check oil warning light illuminated. the low oil pressure and drive train message were displayed. the vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. the approximate failure mileage was 123,000."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2021-04-10
Complaint:
"n20 timing chain failure/broke. my daughter's safety was put at risk because the chain broke while she was driving on a 2 lane back road, causing the vehicle to go into limp mode. the car stopped suddenly, in the middle of the road. the problem has been confirmed at the bmw service center. we have since found out that this is a known problem that bmw north america is aware of, and several class action lawsuits have been filed. the "transmission malfunction warning" appeared on the dashboard within seconds before the timing chain failure."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2023-05-08
Complaint:
"the car is burning oil badly and making an annoying squeaking noise due to a valve cover gasket failure. i took the car to the bmw dealership for diagnosis and i’ve been told it’s a common problem with all bmw once they reach 50k miles and up. the mechanic said it’s because the part is made with a cheap plastic and it’s get worn easily by the heat . it’s cost up to 2000 dollars to fix, bmw should have a recall to resolve the issue."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2022-12-08
Complaint:
"bmw says this car has a defective timing chain module that will cause engine failure. i had to have my car towed because of this problem. the engine failed while i was on the highway."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2022-05-12

Recalls for the 2012 Bmw 328I

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain 2008-2013 128i and 135i convertibles, 128i, 135i, and m coupes, 2007-2010 x3 30si and x3 xdrive30i, 2013-2015 x1 sdrive28i, x1 xdrive28i and x1 xdrive35i, 2007-2013 328i, 328i xdrive, 335i, 335is, 335i xdrive and m3 coupes, 2006-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xdrive, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xdrive and m3, 2009-2011 335d, 2006-2012 325xi, 328i, 328xi and 328i xdrive, 2010-2011 x6 activehybrid, 2007-2013 328i, 335i, 335is, m3 coupes, x5 30si, x5 xdrive30i, x5 xdrive35i, x5 48i, x5 xdrive48i, x5 xdrive50i and x5 m, 2009-2013 x5 xdrive35d and 2008-2014 x6 xdrive35i, x6 xdrive50i and x6m vehicles equipped with non-desiccated driver frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (psan) that were used as interim remedy parts for previous takata recalls. these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature..."
Consequence:
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver air bag. On X5 and X6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > DRIVER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2020-01-15

BMW Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

BMW ranks 12 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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