This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
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
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.
My car was having a whining noise and during the diagnosis it was found that the plastic guides within the engine block that keep the timing chain intact is bad. The technician also found that the guibo (aka universal joint) was cracked. From my research on the matter, I read that NHTSA had issued a letter pertaining to other make and model on faulty or poorly designed guibo. I presume that the affected models be investigated and coverage be extended to other lines of BMW. This is the directive from NHTSA I am referring to: Rcak-17V067-6564.pdf rcrit-17V067-9870.pdf my current mileage is only about 55,000 miles and maybe there were other owners who developed this fault within the standard or extended warranty for the product line that was outside this recall. Please investigate and take corrective action.
When driving the car on the highway, a drive train malfunction warning would appear frequently on the display panel. I took the car to valley BMW in modesto, ca, on November 2018. After on extensive diagnostic evaluation, they found nothing wrong with the vehicle. The only suggestion was to replace the car's battery. I took the car to batteries plus bulbs for a second opinion. They determined that the battery was still in good condition and did not need to be replaced. The drive train malfunction continued to appear when driving on highway. In a subsequent visit to the dealer, I again mentioned the issue with the drivetrain malfunction warning still apearing on the display panel. Our customer service agents, said they couldnt find anything wrong with the car, therefor, there was nothing they could do. On a trip to san francisco, we experienced a major engine break down. The car had completely shut down. Fortunatly, we had just exited the highway. We then had the car towed to petter pan BMW dealership and they concluded that indeed the engine had experienced a major breakdown, in their evaluation, they also noted the battery was in good condition. This completely contradicts the claim by valley BMW that the battery was the issue. Since then, I have found out that there is a class action lawsuit against BMW for a defective N20 engine which is the engine in my car. I also went as far as contacting the CEO of BMW northamerica reganding this deffective motor. As expect BMW refused to accept any responsability for the deffective engine. Once I brought up the class action lawsuit, BMW cut off all communications with me. My family and I are asking for your support in investigating BMW on this deffective motor and holding then accountable for such poor and negligent behavior, please help all affected customers with this terrible and devestating situation.
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.
- Raleigh, NC, USA
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My 2012 BMW 528I stalled twice 2 wks ago when I was slowing down at a traffic signal. The display showed either "drivetrain malfunction" or "transmission malfunction". immediately I turned on the hazard lights, slowly changed lanes slowly and come to a halt, by which the warning was gone and I drove home at less than 15 mph. The next morning the car seemed fine and I was able to drive it to a local mechanic, who advised a BMW service. I took the car to an authorized service center (asc) for verification and was directed to come back in few days; within that week it happened again. I went to another asc to have it fully diagnosed. It was determined that faulty guides in the timing-chain caused it. I had no idea it was design flaw until I read about it in online. The service manager also said they have seen it happen in many cars and sometimes under 30K miles and in few instances needing entire engine replacement for $15000. I see several customers with N20 and N26 engines having this issue same as with N63 engines. I contacted bmwusa and lodged a complaint about this for reimbursement referring to NHTSA tsb 110614, but was denied. I was told BMW knew of this issue and extended the warranty to 7Y/70K. I was not aware of this and mygarage on bmwusa is not showing it. I have received several marketing info on new BMW and leases instead. Class action lawsuits have been lodged in North America and deaths in ireland requiring a court order for mandatory recall. 1) williams, et al. V. BMW of North America llc, et al., case no. 2:17-cv-1156. 2) gelis, et al. V. bayerische motoren werke aktiengesellschaft, et al., case no. 2:17-cv-07386 3) www.strosbergco.com/class-actions/BMW reference: Invoice, BMW mygarage page, blog, NJ lawsuit etc. www.bmwblog.com/2013/09/29/BMW-recall-2012-14-models-N20-N26-enginewww.thejournal.ie/cars-sold-ireland-BMW-recall-4002999-may2018
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 down the 95 highway my car showed a fuel supply error then powered down and stoped and wouldn't restart. I had it towed to a hotel and the following morning it started while the tow truck loaded it to take to the dealer. I had a full tank of gas at the time. I could have been killed with my kids. Towed it to BMW and all they told me was to replace my battery even though I had a perfectly good battery and the and everything requiring a battery worked like radio, lights etc. I bought a new battery from them and the tech drove the car for 30 miles. Within 2 hours after leaving the dealership my car did the same thing while exiting the highway and slowing down at a stop light. A diagram flashes on the console and then a message about the fuel supply. I was assisted by calling 911 to get my kids and I to safety and my car out the way. There is a recall on the fuel module or pump for my year and make but BMW claims my VIN is not included. This is dangerous, people can get killed if the cars are stalling while in motion.
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.
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 528I. While driving at a low rate of speed, the drive train malfunction warning indicator illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the highway and shut off the vehicle. The vehicle would not restart. The contact had the vehicle towed to an unknown BMW dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine failed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
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.
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.
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 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.
My 528xi was being driven at high speed when engine bucked and seized. Managed while this was happening to get to emergency area. Car died, no neutral/ towed to dealer 12/31/18. Computer showed with no warning low oil pressure followed immediately by drive chain failure. Had to fight to get engine replaced with remanufactured engine and ask for turbo to be replaced. 6/22/19 cr died again would not start, jumped started drove to dealer and dies again. Told need D new battery. 6/30/19 car once again stopped dead on major road, no warning. Now they say I need a new fuel pump.
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.
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.
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.
Last week I was on the NJ turnpike when all of a sudden my car stall and lost power, I barley got off the turnpike when the car came to a completely stop. No warning messages or noises just stopped. Fortunately no accident occurred due to this but could have been an ugly one. The car would not start and was towed to the BMW dealer. The car was inspected, oil was clean, no water damage, however they tell me I need a new engine (13K) has the engine seized without telling me what caused it.the car has 83K miles. I've been a BMW owner for 19 years. I now have mixed feelings about BMW and the way I feel now I will nevery buy another BMW as I'm not getting the attention I thin I deserve. Any advice is greatly appreicated!
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.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Aurora, IL, USA