The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while the daughter was driving approximately 60 mph the vehicle suddenly began to lose automotive power and stalled. During the incident, the warning message "battery discharge and start engine had displayed. After replacing the battery the engine eventually was restarted but the next day the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The cause of the engine failure was not explained. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 75,000.
2013 BMW 328i complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2013 record →
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact stated the vehicle was overheating. The contact stated that the high engine temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was undrivable. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 124,000.
2013 BMW 328I X Drive. A drive train warning light came on at approx 11300 miles. After dealer inspection the timing chain guides may have caused/or the chain my be loose and is now dropping metal into the engine oil. Repair requires a new engine. Inspection also revealed a waste gate control malfunction on the turbo. Repair new turbo.
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owned a 2013 BMW 328i. The contact stated that after her boyfriend parked the vehicle, it caught fire. No injury was sustained and no medical attention was received. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and sent an engineer to inspect the vehicle. The engineer concluded that there was thermal damage to the engine compartment; however, the PCV valve heater did not display signs of electrical or thermal activity which excluded the failure from NHTSA Campaign Number 22V119 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and the origin of the incident, but the exact cause remained undetermined. The manufacturer offered the contact a credit toward the purchase of another vehicle. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 22V119 (Engine and Engine Cooling) associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
I filled tank up with gas and developed a gas leak with strong gas odor and gas dripping onto the roadway. My safety was put at risk because gasoline was dripping past my hot exhaust piping which has the potential to catch on fire. My independent service center has confirmed this issue. The manufacturer has denied that their is a systemic failure that could result in a gasoline fire. There were no warning lamps or messages indicating a problem.
Passenger door lock failed and does not allow the door to be opened in an emergency. The door is designed to be unlocked by the first pull of the door handle then unlatched with the second pull of the handle, however after the first handle pull the lock immediately locks again preventing the second pull from unlatching the door. The system would be available for inspection. This problem has been reproduced and confirmed by manufacturer's dealer, but has not been inspected The electric door lock actuator had failed about a year ago, but still allowed the door lock to be used manually without any disruption to being able to open the door.
I started smelling burning oil from my engine and brought it to the mechanic. He confirmed that my car has a valve cover leak and a electrical issue. The Car dies after being left off for more then 12 hours. The car miss fire and have ruff idle. Warning lights power train came on after I had the miss fire. Had P0171 and 02 sensor code.
The transfer case crack while driving at a 35 mph street thank god it didn't happen in the highway how do I know I herd a grinding noise and stop look under car and oil was driping got home jack it up and Sure enough I saw a hole in the transfer case
I recently had my car serviced and the oil changed over the summer, so there were no warning indicators or service issues prior to this incident. I left for work and had no indications of any problems. I drove for about 10-15 minutes when a warning notification popped up stating engine oil pressure low. A few seconds later, the check engine light came on with a notification there was a "drivetrain malfunction". The car started to decrease speed significantly and I pulled over as soon as I could. I turned the car off and waited a couple minutes, then tried to turn it on. The car power/battery was still working properly, but the engine did not start. I had the car towed to the dealership that I use. I was notified that the drivetrain malfunction is due to "timing chain components failure" and the cost is approximately $16,000. I have taken care of any previous recalls and there are no open recalls that exist currently. In 2014, the same situation occurred, in the same car, where I also received a "drivetrain malfunction" and check engine light. During this time my vehicle also stopped working while I was driving it. Both of these incidents happened very quickly, and I am EXTREMELY lucky that no one was injured in either situation. This issue is extremely unsafe and clearly has not been fixed by the required recalls so far. I urge you to look into this further.
The thermostat is not closing so the engine stays cold. I checked with my mechanic and he says it is a faulty thermostat. BMW owners retort this issue a lot. Only 75k miles on my car
My front axle support has extensively rusted, even though the vehicle is only approximately nine (9) years old. During installation of my Winter tires, a dealership technician found this component rusted through on the passenger side of the vehicle. The technician described this as severe damage to the suspension system, that is not repaired, could result in an accident. I have had the component replaced by my independent BMW specialist. The cost of this repair to me was approximately $1,900.00. I have retained the component and it is available for inspection. I believe that the protective coating applied to the component did not provide adequate protection from road salt and water, allowing it to rust. Much of this component is covered by underbody cladding, hiding it from view.
I was told by couple shops the my timing chain as a problem. Car will not start.....stalled out on a major intersection while my son was driving.... the car just stop working had to get it towed back to the house another expense...the car has been parked for four months and still paying the car note ..I see a drivetrains malfunction on the display... Please help me and keep my son safe.. BMW the ultimate driving machine plz make the safest driving machine.
We were in a small fender bender and the air bag in this BMW F30 deployed - with some kind of powder and material coming out and BURNING the driver. Burns all over legs and on sensitive areas, burned all the way through his pants. The driver was lucky to have escaped with their life. These were confirmed to be Takata air bags and we found out today 9/21/21 about a recall on the same air bags. The vehicle was unsafe during sale and serviced not even a a week before the fender bender - we serviced it AT BMW and they did not recall or fully check the vehicle. These faulty air bags were ignored negligently. BMW does NOT want to repair the fault air bags because there is no official recall. We ask you add more models or assist us to this recall. A driver was injured and this continues to put drivers at risk.
930A1B Permanent Front passenger seat occupancy detection malfunction 930A1C Permanent Front passenger seat occupancy detection malfunction 930AC9 Intermittent Front passenger seat occupancy detection malfunction Theres a recall out for it but my vehicles vin wasn't included. Its been killing people Yes problem was diagnosed by vehicle tech at an auto repair shop No it has not but I am trying to make an appointment since I'm not sure what to do. No, no warnings, just one day a message popped up saying there was an issue with the passenger restraint system and it started to ding. it did that for about 50000 miles then it stopped dinging, but still dings when seat is empty so you have to plug the seat belt in. Its very expensive to fix and have heard of it breaking again after being fixed. Therefore I haven't fixed it but I recently had a recall on my Toyota and ended up seeing the recall on the model of my car for that exact issue.
The contact's mother owned a 2013 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving 5 mph and approaching a traffic light when another vehicle impacted the rear driver side door.The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated she sustained a mild concussion, has neck, back, and shoulder pains, and stated she had numbness on the left leg and left arm. The contact was taken by an ambulance to the emergency room to seek medical attention. The contact stated that the other vehicle had a 10 and 4-year-old and were also transported by ambulance to the emergency room to seek medical attention for their unknown inquires. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The insurance company deemed the vehicle total loss. The vehicle was towed to towing lot first and then to unknown location chosen by the insurance company. The contact called the local dealer and was made them aware of the failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 63,373.
Car stalled while driving on highway due to drivetrain error code. Once stopped, oil pressure loss light came up. No warning lights prior to issue presenting itself at highway speeds. Initial technician belief is timing belt guide failure per other similar reports.
When driving, get this error message on the screen when no passenger is sitting in the passenger seat - Passenger restraint system: Malfunction. Continue wearing safety belt. Seems like a big safety issue.
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving 5 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact also stated that the vehicle would not shift gears correctly. The contact stated that the ignition start malfunction warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328i. The contact stated that at start-up there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed but not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the Vin was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 101,947. This recalls affected vehicles are all F30 models with N26 engine produced from Feb 2012-May 2013. Contact's car is a F30 with N26 engine produced May 01, 2013.
Always get the message: right break light. I have changed the lightbulb several times and the break light fails to work. Sometimes it works and sometimes it stops working. I believe this is common problem based on you tube videos and postings on the internet. How can it be fixed?
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the drive train malfunction warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with the timing chain needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 117,500.
TIMING CHAIN GUIDE FAILURE. COULD'VE BEEN PREVENTED HAD WE BEEN PROPERLY NOTIFIED THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND THAT THIS PART HAD BEEN RE-ENGINEERED IN 2013 DUE TO KNOWN FAILURE. LIMITED WARRANTY LETTER SENT 12/2017 DID NOT ADEQUATELY INFORM US OF THE NEED TO HAVE THIS PART CHECKED AND REPLACED. IN FACT LETTER STATES "THIS IS NOT A NOTICE OF A RECALL OR SERVICE ACTION." DRIVING FROM LONG BEACH CA TO PHOENIX AZ ON 3/5/21. 90 MILES OUTSIDE OF PHOENIX, ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOR "LOW OIL PRESSURE". PULLED OVER, RAN OIL LEVEL CHECK AND IT READ "FULL". SEEMED ODD. DROVE ON FURTHER, 20 MINS LATER, SAME MESSAGE CAME ON, PULLED OFF INTERSTATE AND AGAIN RAN OIL LEVEL CHECK, READ FULL. THOUGHT MAYBE IT'S JUST A FAULTY SENSOR AND COULD HAVE IT FIXED WHEN WE ARRIVE TO PHOENIX. NEXT DAY, BROUGHT THE CAR TO CHAPMAN BMW IN PHOENIX AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A CRACKED OIL FILTER HOUSING. WHEN ASKED, "HOW MUCH OIL WAS IT LOW, AND WHY DID THE OIL LEVEL COME UP FULL IF THERE WAS A LOW PRESSURE?" THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. ONLY THEN DID THEY FIND THE BROKEN PART IN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TIMING CHAIN. THIS FAILED PART ALSO RESULTED IN HAVING TO HAVE OTHER PARTS REPLACED, INCLUDING THE OIL PUMP, DUE TO WORN PLASTIC SHAVINGS RUN THROUGH THE SYSTEM. THIS/THESE ARE ADDRESSED IN THE GELIS, ET AL. V. BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT AND BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC, CIVIL ACTION NO. 2:17-CV-07386 SETTLEMENT. WE HAD JUST PASSED 100K MILES A FEW DAYS BEFORE LE
THE CAR IS A 2013 BMW 328I SEDAN. THE PROBLEM HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR WAS IN PARK. I HAD A PASSENGER GET IN THE CAR AND A WARNING APPEARS SAYING "PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION". I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE ISSUE WAS THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT SENSOR. THERE ARE KNOWN RECALLS FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE FOR MULTIPLE MODELS OF BMW FOR A WIDE RANGE OF YEARS. HOWEVER, THEY SAID MY VIN WASN'T COVERED.
TL* THE CONTACT'S SISTER OWNS A 2013 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT START-UP, THERE WAS A HEAVY WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT'S SISTER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO ARROWHEAD BMW (19250 N, AZ-101 LOOP, GLENDALE, AZ 85308) WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL LINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THEY INFORMED HER THAT HER VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 71,000.
THE LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING CAME ON WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY ASKING ME TO PULL OVER AND DON'T DRIVE THE CAR ANYMORE. TOOK CAR TO INDEPENDENT BMW REPAIR SHOP THAT RECENTLY CHANGED MY OIL WHO FOUND OIL PRESSURE FAULTS BUT NO DEFINITE FAILURES BUT SUSPECT AN OIL PUMP TIMING CHAIN ISSUE THAT IS COMMON WITH BMW 4 CYLINDER TURBO ENGINES THAT LEADS TO ENGINE FAILURE. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME HE RECENTLY REPAIRED 4 CARS THAT SUFFERED ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO THIS ISSUE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER NEXT DOOR TO FURTHER DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. HE MADE FURTHER TESTS AT MY EXPENSE AND VERIFIED THERE IS SLACK IN THE TIMING CHAIN. DEALER SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR AS IT MAY LEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE. I WAS QUOTED $871 TO FURTHER DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE AND IF THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED REPLACEMENT THE REPAIR WOULD COST AN ADDITION $5400 . MY CAR IS WORTH BETWEEN 7.5K AND 9K THERE'S A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM (SEE WWW.TIMINGCHAINMODULESETTLEMENT.COM) BMW KNOWS THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH THE TIMING BELT IN THIS MODELS THAT MAY LEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE BUT THE SETTLEMENT LIMITS THE MILEAGE TO 100K. UNFORTUNATELY MY CAR HAS GREATER THAN 100K MILES SO I CANNOT PARTICIPATE ON THIS CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. BUT WHY SHOULD I BEAR THE COST OF FIXING SOMETHING I HAVE NO CONTROL OF THAT LEADS TO ENGINE FAILURE BECAUSE I AM OUT OF WARRANTY? THIS IS POOR DESIGN ON THE PART OF THE MANUFACTURER THAT LEADS TO ENGINE FAILURE AND NEEDS TO BE PART OF A RECALL.
AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS I DROVE ONTO A HIGHWAY. AS THE VEHICLE APPROACHED SPEEDS OVER 65 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME "NOTCHY" ALMOST AS IF IT WAS JUMPING FROM 15-20 DEGREES BUT NOT SMOOTH. IT BECAME INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE AND CHANGE LANES. IT SEEMED ALMOST LIKE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND NOT MECHANICAL. ONCE I EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND WENT BELOW 40MPH THE STEERING RETURNED BACK TO NORMAL SMOOTH OPERATION.
PURCHASED THE CAR THIS MONTH AND ALREADY MAKING TIMING CHAIN NOISE I WENT TO INSPECT IT AND THE CHAIN IS REALLY LOOSE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST TIP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OIL HAD ENTERED THE TURBO CHARGER CAUSING THE FAILURE. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY EMISSION CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 166EA05 (ENGINE N26) TO REPLACE THE TURBO CHARGER OIL SUPPLY LINES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 62,000.*DT
TAIL LIGHT CARRIER BURNED. I HAD CHANGED TAIL LIGHT BULBS SEVERAL TIMES. BUT THEY KEEP BURNING OUT. I EVEN GOT A TICKET FOR BROKEN TAIL LIGHT. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THE CAR AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A DEFECT AND RECALLED/REPAIRED.
WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN COLUMBUS, OHIO WHEN AN ERROR APPEARED ON MY SCREEN FOR POWERTRAIN MALFUNCTION, PLEASE CONTINUE TO DRIVE MODERATELY. SMOKE CAME FROM MY EXHAUST WHEN GOING OVER 50 MPH SO I PULLED OVER. TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. ERROR MESSAGE WENT AWAY. DROVE 20 MPH HOME ON SIDE ROAD. NO SMOKE APPEARED. STARTED MY CAR THIS MORNING AND OVER HUGE SMOKE CLOUDS (NOT EVAPORATING) APPEARED. CALLED KELLY BMW TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.
INTERMITTENT ISSUE WHERE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WON'T UNLOCK FROM THE INTERIOR USING THE DOOR HANDLE. DOOR WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL IT'S UNLOCKED. DOOR CAN BE UNLOCKED USING THE ELECTRIC CENTRAL LOCKING, AND THEN OPENED USING THE HANDLE.
PREMATURE TIMING CHAIN FALIURE, HAD BMW LOOK AT IT AND SAID IT SEEMED FINE AND WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO KNOW UNLESS THEY OPEN THE MOTOR $500 TO CHECK? A FEW WEEKS LATER TIMING CHAIN BROKE AT 82,000 MILES.
MY CAR IS A 2013 AND WAS PURCHASED IN 2016; WITH MILAGE AT 78,700. ON A COLD START, A HUGE CLOUD OF WHITE SMOKE COMES OUT OF THE RIGHT EXHAUST PIPE. I TOOK IT TO BMW FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE. I WAS TOLD IT IS A TURBO FEED LINE AND IF THAT IS NOT IT THEN IT IS THE TURBO CHARGER ENGINE AS A WHOLE. I WAS QUOTE $5000 FOR THE FULL REPAIR ON A CAR. I FOUND A RECALL FOR THE SAME ISSUE ON THE SAME MODEL OF CAR, AND I SPOKE WITH BMW ABOUT IT. THE RECALL IS FOR THE N26 ENGINE AND NOT THE N20 ENGINE WHICH IS ON MY CAR, EVEN IF IT IS THE SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE TURBO CHARGER. THE RECALL NEEDS TO COVER ALL ENGINE STYLES FROM THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL BECAUSE THEY ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. MY VIN WAS NOT ACCEPTED AND I WAS DENIED SERVICE HELP. PLEASE I WOULD LIKE TOO ATTACHED TO THIS VEHICLE VIN TO A RECALL FOR A TURBO CHARGER FAILURE. THE RECALL WAS FOR 8 YEARS/ 80,000 MILES AND MY CAR MEETS THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
AFTER ABOUT 75K MILES, THE ENGINE HAS STARTED TO MAKE A "WHINING" NOISE AT AROUND 3-4 THOUSAND RPM. DIAGNOSED AS A TIMING CHAIN TENSION ISSUE THAT MANY SIMILAR CARS WITH THIS ENGINE (N20) HAVE. THIS APPARENT DEFECT SEEMS TO BE QUITE COMMON AMONG OWNERS OF CARS WITH THIS ENGINE. CURRENT COURSE OF ACTION IS TO SPEND $4K IN LABOR AND PARTS TO PROACTIVE REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AND PLASTIC GUIDES, OR NOT DO ANYTHING. THE LATTER WOULD SURELY RESULT IN ENGINE FAILURE AND REQUIRE REPLACEMENT (ROUGHLY $20K).
I BOUGHT THE 2013 BMW 328XI BRAND NEW IN 2012. LAST YEAR, I SPENT $2,000 REPLACING THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AFTER MY CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. WHEN I WAS GOING IN FOR A ROUTINE INSPECTION, MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE COST IS VERY EXPENSIVE. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A PREVALENT ISSUE WITH BMW OWNERS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE N20/N26 ENGINE. I EVEN FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A PENDING CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT CLAIMING THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BMW USED WAS KNOWINGLY DEFECTIVE! AS OF NOW, MY CAR IS WORTH ABOUT $10,000 AND THE COST TO FIX THIS ISSUE IS ALMOST HALF THE VALUE OF THE CAR. I HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE TIMING CHAIN REPAIRED YET. *TR
LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER COMES THROUGH CEILING OF PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHEN IT RAINS. SEAT BELT WARNING INDICATOR SOUNDS CONTINUOUSLY PROBABLY DUE TO SHORT. ONCE THE CAR DRIES OUT, THE INDICATOR STOPS SOUNDING. THIS OCCURS BOTH STATIONARY AND WHILE DRIVING. *TR
ELECTRICAL ISSUES ,BRAKE LIGHTS , PARKING LIGHT , OIL LIGHTS , AND ETC , PURCHASED SEVERAL LIGHT HAD THEM INSTALLED , CONSTANTLY BLOWING OUT AND OTHER LIGHT CUTTING ON AND OFF . SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE HAS BEEN HAPPENING OVER A YEAR NOW OFF AND ON . NOW SURE IF THE RECALL IN 2015 WAS TAKING CARE . 2ND COMPLAINT FILED .
BRAKE LIGHT , , FLUID LIGHT , PARKING LIGHT ETC . KEEPS COMING ON , LIGHTS KEEP BLOWING OUT WHEN FIXED . SEEMS TO BE AN ELECTRIC ISSUE FROM THE LAST RECALL
WAS DRIVING MY BMW 328I ON A HIGHWAY WHEN A 'CHECK OIL' LIGHT CAME ON. A FEW MINUTES LATER, A 'DRIVETRAIN FAILURE' LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE NEXT EXIT AND WITHIN 3 MINUTES THE ENGINE FAILED. I WAS ABLE TO COAST OVER TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST BMW DEALERSHIP. THEY CHECKED OUT THE VEHICLE AND SAID THERE WERE 'METAL FRAGMENTS' IN THE OIL, BUT COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHAT CAUSED THAT WITHOUT DISASSEMBLING THE ENGINE. THEY SAID THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR THE CAR WOULD BE TO SPEND $15,000 TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT HUNDREDS OF BMW OWNERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES, AND THE CAUSE WAS A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. I HAD MY CAR SERVICED JUST 5 WEEKS EARLIER AT MY LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP, AND THEY EITHER DIDN'T CHECK THE TIMING CHAIN OR DIDN'T NOTICE IT WAS CLOSE TO FAILURE. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY BEFORE MY ENGINE STALLED, OR I COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED IN HIGH-SPEED TRAFFIC. SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, BMW SHOULD REPAIR THE DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN IN ALL THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, AND IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY OWNERS ABOUT THE DANGER.
THE RIGHT DRIVERS SIDE TURN SIGNAL WAS BLINKING AT TWICE THE NORMAL RATE WHILE DRIVING.THE WAS ALSO A WARNING LIGHT THAT CAME ON OCCASIONALLY WHEN STARTING THE CAR. I TOOK IT IN TO OUR MECHANIC WHO SPECIALIZES IN GERMAN MADE CARS AND HE FOUND THAT THE WIRING TO THE LIGHT BULB SOCKET WAS MELTED. HE SUGGESTED WE LOOK FOR A RECALL BECAUSE HE THOUGHT IT WAS SUCH A SAFETY HAZARD BUT THERE IS NONE LISTED.
POWER STEERING FAILURE RESULTED IN SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY BMW BUT MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALL OR SERVICE NOTICE. UPON RESEARCH, THIS IS A COMMON SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE CRASH AND INJURY. BMW HAS ADMITTED ISSUES WITH BOLTS THAT SUPPORT THE POWER STEERING FAILING, WHICH CAN DAMAGE AND BREAK THE POWER STEERING. YET THERE IS NO RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED. I HAVE LINKED THE NHTSA SERVICE BULLETIN: HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2019/MC-10153729-9999.PDF
LAST FEB, MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON MID-DRIVE, I LOST POWER, ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A STRANGE NOISE HIGH-PITCHED NOISE, ETC. I GET IT TOWED TO P&W BMW IN N. OAKLAND (PITTSBURGH, PA). ALL THAT WEEK, 2 OR 3 TESTS & INSPECTIONS TO TROUBLESHOOT EACH COSTING ABOUT $160/EA AND I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALLED PART THAT WAS REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. LATER, I LEARNED THAT THE TOTAL ESTIMATE IS ABOUT $6300. THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDE BROKE INSIDE THE ENGINE WHICH DAMAGED THE TIMING CHAIN, GUIDES, OIL PUMP AND OIL PUMP MODULE. I'M STICKER SHOCKED PRIMARILY BC IT'S A BMW WITH 84K MILES (2013 328I XDRIVE) AND I KEEP THE OIL CHANGES ON POINT. UPON RECEIVING A SUMMARY FROM THE SERVICE TECH VIA TEXT, I SEE THE RECALL IS ON A TURBOCHARGER OIL SUPPLY LINE (CAR HAS A TURBO ENGINE). I GOOGLE IT AND IN ABT 10MINS, I LEARN THAT WHEN IT FAILS, THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDE FAILS INSIDE THE ENGINE WHICH DAMAGES THE .... (SEE ABOVE). IN ADDITION, THERE ARE COMPLAINTS GALORE WITH A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN TOW OVER THIS ISSUE AS HUNDREDS HAVE COME FORWARD OVER HAVING TO FORK TO OUT ANYWHERE FROM $4500-$15000 TO REPLACE ENGINES (OR ENGINE PARTS) WITH LESS THAN 90K MILES ON THEM (IN MOST CASES I'VE READ AND I'VE READ ABOUT 50) SINCE 2012 (SOURCE: HTTPS://TOPCLASSACTIONS.COM/LAWSUIT-SETTLEMENTS/LAWSUIT-NEWS/826357-BMW-CLASS-ACTION-SEEKS-FIX-ENGINE-CHAIN-DEFECT/COMMENT-PAGE-2). A FEDERAL JUDGE MADE A PARTIAL RULING AS EARLY AS OCT 2018 AS I'M SURE YOU ARE AWARE. I SPOKE TO THE MANAGER AND THIS IS ALL NEWS TO HIM.
NOTED LOUD WHIRLING/WHINY SOUND FROM ENGINE. BROUGHT TO MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD TIMING/OIL MECHANISM IS MALFUNCTIONING. IF DRIVEN FURTHER ENGINE MIGHT SEIZE. VALVE COVER WAS REMOVED AND TIMING CHAIN FOUND WITH UNACCEPTABLE SLACK. UPON INVESTIGATION I DISCOVERED BMW NA SENT LETTERS ON EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR MY CAR. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED SUCH LETTER. CONTACTED BMWNA AND THEY DENY COVERAGE BECAUSE THE CAR WAS NOT REPAIRED AT A DEALER. I HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING IT HAS TO BE. ALSO AT 34000 MILES WITH PROVEN MAINTENANCE RECORD WAY AHEAD OF ANY MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE PUBLISHED BY BMW I SHOULD HAVE HAVE TO REPAIR TIMING MECHANISM AT A COST OT $2800. WHAT IS MORE SCARY IS THAT THE ENGINE MIGHT HAVE FAILED ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR. PLEASE LOOK INTO N20/26 ENGINE FAILURE RATES AS BMW IS OBVIOUSLY NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE DANGER "BUILT IN" IN THEIR FXX GENERATION CARS.
TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITION. HAD TO REPLACE ENTIRE ENGINE WITH USED ENGINE
SMELLING FUEL WHEN I FILL MY TANK AND ALSO NOTICED FUEL ON THE GROUND IF PARKED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. TOOK MY CAR IN AND THEY STATED THE FUEL TANK HAS A HAIRLINE CRACK AND BMW HAS SINCE REINFORCED THE PART. SEEMS LIKE THEY KNOW IT IS PRONE TO CRACKING AND HAVE MADE THE FIX BUT NOT ISSUED A RECALL
THE CAR NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES ON IT. THE STEERING WHEEL HAS INCREASINGLY DETERIORATED, BECOMING VERY SLOPPY AND EVENTUALLY LED TO A KNOCK IN THE STEERING WHEEL RACK. IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED IN HUNDREDS OF ONLINE CHATS, VIDEOS AND FORUMS, THAT BMW HAS BEEN CHANGING THE ENTIRE RACK. THEY HAVE RECENTLY RELEASED A KIT WITH AND UPGRADED BUSHING TO REPAIR THE RACK, THUS ACKNOWLEDGING A COMMON ISSUE DUE TO A FAILING THRUST ARM BUSHING. THE ORIGINAL BUSHING IS PLASTIC AND SMOOTH, THE NEW BUSHING IS METAL AND RIGID.
THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM SENSOR DINGS REALLY LOUD WHEN A PASSAGE OR OBJECT IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE SENSORS IN THE SEAT THAT TELL THE AIR BAG TO BE ON OR OFF IS MESSED UP.
FAILURE OF ELECTRICAL ASSIST POWER STEERING (EPS) WHILE VEHICLE STATIONARY - 2013 BMW 328I, 89,500 MILES UPON STARTUP, WHILE TURNING STEERING WHELL TOMOVE CAR, STEERING SYSTEM EMITTED WHINING NOISE, BANGS AND THUMPS, THEN HIGH PITCHED WHINE. ALL POWER STEERING WAS LOST, AND CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO BMW DEALER. DIAGNOSIS WAS MECHANICAL FAILURE OF BOLTS HOLDING POWER STEERING BOX TO THE STEERING RACK, THUS CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH COMPONENTS. DAMAGE REQUIRED ENTIRE STEERING SYSTEM TO BE REPLACED AT $5K+ COST. CAUSE, AS DIAGNOSED BY BMW DEALER: EXTENSIVE CORROSION OF ALUMINUM BOLTS HOLDING COMPONENTS TOGETHER CAUSED BOOT FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT COMPONENT DAMAGE. NHTSA ISSUE: UNSAFE COMPONENT DESIGN, AS BOLT FAILURE AT HIGH SPEED COULD CAUSE CATASTOPHIC ACCIDENT. REMEDIES: 1) NHTSA REQUIRE GENERAL RECALL OF ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES FOR BOLT CHECKING AND REPLACEMENT IF CORROSION PRESENT. 2) NHTSA REQUIRE BMW TO PROVIDE TYPE 316 STAINLESS STEEL FASTENERS WITH SUITABLE DIS-SIMILAR METALS PROTECTION WHERE SAFETY-CRITICAL COMPONENTS EXPOSED TO ROADWAY SALT EXPOSURE. 3) IF THE ABOVE IS NOT WARRANTED DUE TO SMALL NUMBER OF AFFECTED VEHICLES, NHTSA REQUIRE BMW TO ISSUE SERVICE NOTICE FOR ALL AFFECTED VIN NUMBERS TO CHECK CONDITION OF STEERING BOX MOUNTING BOLTS AS PART OF STANDARD INTERVAL MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE. ATTACHMENTS: PICTURES OF TWO AFFECTED UNITS: MY 2013 328I CORODED POWER STEERING UNIT, AND A SIMILAR ON FROM A 2012 328I, DOWNLOADED FROM ENTHUSIAST FORUM ON INTERNET, SUGGESTING A PATTE
FRONT/DRIVER DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK FROM TIME TO TIME WHEN I PULL THE HANDLE
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NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2013 BMW 328i → · Every 328i year → · How the figures are calculated →