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. T…
2012 bmw 328i engine problems
moderate 52 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $3,100
What owners are reporting 10 most recent
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.
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
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.…
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…
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…
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 MAINTENANCE…
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?
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 v…
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.
Common questions
How serious is the engine problem on the 2012 bmw 328i?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 52 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $3,100 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the engine typically fail?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $3,100 for engine repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to engine?
No active recalls currently cover engine issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.