2012 Bmw 528I - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

"i was going about 40 mph when i heard like a popping noise coming from the front of the car, as soon as i heard the noise my car lost all its power, about 2 minutes after i noticed my car was leaving a cloud of white smoke from the exhaust."

"six months i started hearing a high pitch noise and it only got worse over the few months. two weeks ago (01/10/2020 and 01/17/2020), in the night around 8pm, my bmw 528i car stalled at a traffic light in culver city, califirnia. it flashed an error message on the display very briefly and it appeared to be "drive train malfunction". stalled in the middle of the street, my first reaction was to turn on the hazard lights and hope nobody hits me from the back, as i was not able to drive forward. before i could take my phone out and take a picture of the screen, the error screen vanished. i presumed the "error" would be saved in the system and shut the engine off, restarted and started to drive and proceed. at both these times there were cars behind me and i turned on the hazard light to warn the other drivers of my inability to drive. i took the car to two bmw service centers. one of the service managers said he cannot say what the issue is without doing a diagnosis, but the probable cause is something to do with tha oil-pump or the cam-shafts and related to timing. i took the car to another service center and here i left the car behind for a specific diagnosis. i was told the issue is related to timing chain and plastic parts that hold the chain in place, deteriorate over time. i was told that it is a common issue and it is my luck that the timing chain did not rip apart and cause an engine seizure, which would have cost me $15000 in repairs than what i was billed around $6000. incidentally, few months ago there were other plastic parts that hold the engine in place also deteriorate and it was shaking the car. i had replaced them at a certified mechanic. this had costed me another $2000 plus in repairs. i have maintained the car in good condition and never missed any service appointments. i have bills of all the services performed on the car."

"while driving my certified 2012 bmw 528i, which has an n20 engine, the "drivetrain malfunction, maximum output no longer available, drive moderately" warning light appeared on my dash and alerted me that there was a potential issue with my vehicle. prior to the alert signaling my attention, i was driving on a heavily trafficked highway with speed limits ranging from 35 mph to 60 mph. i drove approximately 20 minutes / 13 miles to my destination before the "drivetrain malfunction" indicator light alerted me. luckily, i was near a driveway to pull off into a parking lot when the warning light appeared. as soon as the warning light appeared my car immediately began to idle roughly, and my engine was not running at full capacity. i was only able to pull into a parking stall and moments following the "drivetrain malfunction" alert, an oil light also alerted me on my dash. my car is up to date on all required services. i have serviced my vehicle at my local bmw dealership. at all service appointments i requested current bulletins. my vehicle had no known problems, or warning indicators or alerts that i was made aware of. when i safely pulled off the road into a parking lot my car shut down completely, would not restart, and locked up. i was not able to put my car in neutral. my vehicle was towed to the bmw dealership where the dealership inspected the vehicle and alerts. the dealership diagnosed the vehicle and said that the timing and oil pump chain malfunctioned and the total cost estimate would be 13,651 + tax. after researching several online bulletins, bmw forums and news articles, the "drivetrain malfunction" has been an issue with other bmw customers, and bmw north america iswas aware of this issue and hazard. experiencing this malfunction could have posed a risk to my safety and the safety of my passenger since the vehicle completely shut down and locked up."

"tl* the contact owns a 2012 bmw 528i. the contact noticed that the vehicle was included in several technical service bulletins. he was concerned that bmw had several lawsuits regarding the timing belt. the manufacturer extended the warranties from 50,000 to 70,000 miles related to the timing chains, sprockets, oil pumps, tensioners, and guides. the contact was concerned that the manufacturer was not fully resolving the issue. the vehicle was currently at bmw of fairfax (8427 lee hwy, fairfax, va 22031, (800) 641-4873) for the timing chain. the contact stated that the timing chain was beginning to rub against other parts of the engine. the contact was concerned that the repair would cost $12,000 to $16,000 to replace the entire engine if the timing chain failed. the manufacturer stated that the contact's vehicle did not qualify for the extended warranty since it was already over 70,000 miles. the failure mileage was 83,000."

"i was driving my car on a road when a warning light came on. i parked the car home, since i was close to home. the same week i took the car to a bmw specialist because there was a noise coming from the engine. after $467.00 spent on labor, just to tell me i need a new engine. this car has 72k miles. this is a car that i only drove on weekends and not every weekend. the car is now parked in my garage because to repair it it will cost me $11k. i have heard this complaint from several bmw owners. the car still runs but the noise will no go away."

"tl* the contact owns a 2012 bmw 528i. while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle suddenly shut off and "drive train malfunction" displayed on the instrument panel. the vehicle was towed to the local dealer (bmw of dallas, 6200 lemmon ave, dallas, tx) where it was diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 80,000. the vin was unknown."

"tl* the contact owns a 2012 bmw 528i. while driving and making a left turn, the vehicle stalled on the side of the road and was not able to restart. the drive timing chain and oil warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was towed to united bmw cpo (located at 11458 alpharetta hwy, roswell, ga 30076, (678) 497-0818) where it was diagnosed, but the failure could not be duplicated. the contact stated that the vehicle remained at the dealer for nine months and was never repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not assist. the approximate failure mileage was 128,856. *dt *tr"

"i purchased my bmw 528 xi drive cpo in january 2015. in august 2018 my engine oil pressure light came on in the car and then the drive train malfunction light.i tried to run a self diagnostic on the car as this is a feature built in and the engine oil check would only go up to 15% and cut off. i took it into bmw of bloomfield for service mentioning this to them. they changed the oil and cleared the codes got the car back. fast forward to just a few weeks ago, i am driving on the highway and the engine oil pressure and drive train malfunction light come on and the car stops on me. i could have gotten killed. i had it towed to bmw and they check it and say that the engine is gone due to low pressure and repairs are 20,000 plus. remind you i barely drive the car as i work in ny and take the bus . i only drive the car on evenings and weekends. i contacted the corporate bmw of na offfice and they act like they don't care. advised me to talk to the service manager to see what could be done. based om what i have researched this seems to be a common issue with these types of cars as it is a defect in the engine. now i am not sure what to do but will be consulting an attorney."

"tl* the contact owns a 2012 bmw 528i. while driving various speeds, the contact heard abnormal noises underneath the hood and the power train warning indicator illuminated. bmw of greenwich and bmw of mamaroneck service (110 midland ave, port chester, ny 10573, (914) 881-3600) informed the contact that the vehicle was leaking oil and the timing chain and oil pan needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 60,000."

"last week my wife was on the freeway when all of a sudden the car stall and lost power, my wife was able to barley pull to the side of the fwy when the car completely stopped. no warning messages or noises just stopped. fortunately no accident occurred due to this but could have been an ugly one. the car wold not start and was towed to my house and was inspected by my mechanic. he found broken pieces of the timing guide and metal shavings inside the engine. i see that there was an extended warranty for this issue but it was only extended to 70k miles. i was not aware of this issues and specially not this big where i would endanger my family when the car would die while driving. i now have mixed feelings about bmw. i have a payment on a car that is well known and luxury all around that failed due to poor quality parts on the most important part of a car 'the engine'. please let me know my options and hopefully i don't get discouraged to ever buy another bmw."