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ProblemsByVin Index / 2012-BMW-328I / COMPLAINTS
Full complaint record · NHTSA

2012 BMW 328i owner complaints

143 complaints filed with NHTSA on this vehicle , including 1 reporting a crash, fire, injury, or fatality. Showing the 300 most recent — grouped by category for scanning.

engine 10 complaints shown

52 total in this category · moderate · avg repair $3,100 · see engine cluster analysis →
12/28/2017 71,978 mi ODI #11057144.0

In july 2017 while driving the car the cabin completely filled up with smoke and I inhaled a substantial amount , and smoke started coming out from the hood area. My mechanic inspected the vehicle and determined there was a manufacturer recall associated with the smoke filling the cabin. At no point did I receive any form of notice through the mail, email, or phone informing me of such a recall. The vehicle was delivered to towne BMW in williamsville, ny at the beginning of august 2017. After receiving the vehicle I was told the problem was fixed and the vehicle was 'safe to drive'. However on the drive home at night, the vehicle completely shut off on the highway at speed. I had no lights, no horn, no brakes, no power whatsoever. This apparently is what BMW considers 'safe'. I had to pay

12/21/2019 73,000 mi ODI #11290659.0

Stalled on busy express highway, almost resulting in crash. Towed to shop. Fuel pump was defective and it costed 729.86 dollars plus 140 dollars towing. This occurred at 60 MPH on express highway.

12/14/2020 67,000 mi ODI #11383451.0

Got a code for low pressure and then drive train malfunction took it to BMW and they told me I was covered by warranty but after they diagnosed the car they said I was not. It is a 2012 with only 67k miles and I was very upset with BMW. It is getting fixed at a local german shop right now and is going to be a lot of money

12/09/2019 81,000 mi ODI #11288059.0

Hello I own a BMW 328i with a n20 engine, while driving down the highway I got an alert come across my screen saying that the oil pressure low and to stop immediately or engine failure may occur. I don't have to tell anyone how scary it is to be driving down the highway and think that your timing chain may break off and you are still in the middle of the road ,but I stopped and turned the car off. After doing some research and getting the car diagnosed I ran into the timing chain guide and timing chain issue of failing on these cars way before they hit any high miles my car currently has 81k miles on it and this issue has immobilized my car to prevent further damage I will not drive that car, when talking to BMW about the issue they told me that they do know about the issue but will not fi

12/02/2014 38,000 mi ODI #10661584.0

Came out of the parking lot into a busy main road and engine suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. There was no indication before engine stopped. Tried to restart the engine (the car has keyless push button start) but did not start. When tried to restart, the dashboard message said something like "engine will not start". There was no indication before the problem occurred. I was on the busy highway in chicago area an hour before the incident. The car was serviced in maryland dealership two days before the incident and drove to chicago from maryland and the incident happened in chicago. The car was then towed to the nearest dealership in chicago and after two days they said the fuel pump broke/burned out and have to be replaced and will take 3-4 days to fix it. Note that the

12/01/2021 ODI #11442275.0

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 wit

11/27/2018 80,000 mi ODI #11154194.0

The vehicle suddenly stopped on the state highway and will not start again. The vehicle was serviced at the local dealership on 09/08/2018 on for major repairs including oil change and all required maintenance were up to date. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the dealer diagnosed the problem and reported that engine is jammed and need to be replaced. The dealer did all the maintenances and I have the invoices to document the recent repairs and maintenance. The car had a similar problem in the past, stopping suddenly on the highway. I think the BMW engine has problems and the dealer who did the last maintenance also did not do a good job. I request to take this issue with the BMW corporation and have them cover the damages.

11/23/2019 69,000 mi ODI #11281940.0

I just recently had to take my 2012 BMW 328i convertible in because of the engine was making a loud noise plus loss of hp. The technician informed me that the vanos solenoid bolts had broken off into the engine after doing more research into this I find that there was a recall on the vanos gear bolts. My question is do I pay for this repair?

11/19/2024 125,000 mi ODI #11626198.0

The contact owns a 2012 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump plug connector. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who confirmed the diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall

11/15/2019 90,830 mi ODI #11280287.0

I started my car and got a drivetrain malfunction warning. Drove it straight to the dealership where they told me my timing chain was stretched, which caused a vanos fault. They suggested replacing the timing chain and oil pump ($5500 repair). The car had 90k miles.

airbags 4 complaints shown

23 total in this category · severe · avg repair $1,100 · see airbags cluster analysis →
12/28/2018 40,000 mi ODI #11163894.0

Every so often I get an error message that says 'passenger restraint system malfunction'. I know this is a common error message for BMW vehicles & their owners. I have taken it to the dealership and been told that it could be repaired at my expenses...why?! When so many vehicles have the same issue and it's not user error...time for a recall! Come on!

12/15/2016 ODI #10935400.0

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 BMW 328i. The contact stated that the recall notice for NHTSA campaign number: 16v071000 (air bags) was received in february of 2016. After contacting the dealer and the manufacturer on multiple occasions, the contact was informed that the parts needed for the recall remedy were still not available and no estimated time for receiving the parts could be provided. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

12/05/2017 ODI #11052614.0

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v071000 (air bags). The parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer (stephens creek BMW, 4343 stevens creek blvd, santa clara, ca 95051, 800-298-1501) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

12/04/2019 85,000 mi ODI #11286803.0

Passenger seat mat sensor for airbag control is malfunctioning. The warning is showing that the system is not working properly and that a seat belt needs to be continued to be worn. Dealer price to fix this safety issue is approximately $1200.

electrical 3 complaints shown

17 total in this category · severe · avg repair $850 · see electrical cluster analysis →
12/20/2019 ODI #11290334.0

Passenger restraint malfunction error code comes off and on while in motion

12/02/2024 ODI #11628286.0

The contact owns a 2012 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

12/02/2024 ODI #11628283.0

The contact owns a vehicle 2012 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

powertrain 2 complaints shown

19 total in this category · severe · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain cluster analysis →
12/24/2013 8,000 mi ODI #10557134.0

Bought brand new 2012 328i. Within 2 months engine malfunction warning would show up and car would go into "limp mode" and barely drive able. Sometimes could be reset by turning off, then back on. Happened multiple times, and every time the dealer told me no one else was having this problem. They blamed the fuel injectors and replaced them multiple times. It was in the shop a total of 6 times for same "drive train malfunction" warning. I made them buy the car back from me, assuming it was a fluke with the car, because they continued to assure me that no one else was having this problem, anywhere, I bought a brand new 2013 328i. Within a month I had the same problem. Except this time it was worse. It couldn't be fixed by turning it off then back on. Every time it happened, 3 times now, it h

12/12/2020 74,054 mi ODI #11383126.0

While in motion on a county road, the service engine light came on and car started running very rough. Car was towed to the dealership. Whining noise coming from the timing chain. Worn crankshaft sprocket. Had to replace the timing chain and oil pump drive chain.

other 1 complaint shown

12/14/2024 Crash ODI #11630730.0

It’s sounds like it’s moving but it doesn’t.

Showing 300 of 143 total complaints. The full federal record is available at nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2012/BMW/328i#complaints.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaint database. Last synced 2026-06-14. Complaints are owner-submitted and unverified — the existence of a complaint is not proof of a defect, but a pattern of complaints around the same component is a signal worth weighing. Verify any specific filing at nhtsa.gov.
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