2012 Bmw 5 SERIES: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
10 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
40,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2012 model year. Data snapshot: . 9 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 10 complaints (30.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine operation | 1 | 10.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 3 |
| Power Train | 3 |
| Tires | 2 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 2 |
| Air Bags | 1 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 |
Engine: 3; Power Train: 3; Tires: 2; Visibility/Wiper: 2; Air Bags: 1; Unknown Or Other: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 3 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 3 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 2 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 3; 50,000 to 74,999: 2; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
2012: 1; 2013: 2; 2014: 2; 2016: 1; 2017: 1; 2018: 1; 2019: 2
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10482194 · 2012-10-25 (October 25, 2012)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 550IX EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR EAGLE P245/40/R19. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH AN ALERT ON HIS DASHBOARD ILLUMINATED INSTRUCTING HIM THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN MORE THAN 50 MILES AS THE TIRE WAS GOING FLAT. THIRTY MILES LATER THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE HAD DEVELOPED A BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL, WHICH CAUSED THE TIRE TO SHRED. THE VEHICLE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE VEHICLE WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE TIRES…
Owner-reported narrative. 10,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10482194 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10520720 · 2013-06-19 (June 19, 2013)
THREE TIRE BUBBLES, FIRST AT 11,000 MILES, TWO MORE AT 12,000. ORIGINAL TIRES ON BMW 535XI SPORT. "GOODYEAR EAGLE LS-2 RUNONFLAT" 245/40R19 BMW QUICKLY REPLACED FOUR TIRES WITH MICHELIN, AT PRORATED COST, SO THEY KNOW THE PROBLEM. TIRES MUST BE RECALLED FOR SAFETY!!!!!!!!! *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 11,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10520720 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10534315 · 2013-08-08 (August 8, 2013)
BMW 550XI, NORMAL DRIVING, TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR CAME ON, CAR BECAME UNSTABLE. PARKED VEHICLE AND OBSERVED LARGE BUBBLE IN FRONT RIGHT TIRE SIDEWALL HAD SPLIT, CAUSING RAPID DEFLATION. NO ROAD HAZARDS WERE INVOLVED, MECHANIC STATES THAT THESE TIRES GET SIDEWALL BUBBLES ALL THE TIME. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 7,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10534315 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10604762 · 2014-06-20 (June 20, 2014)
MY CAR WAS PARKED DURING A HAIL STORM. DURING THE STORM, THE BACK WINDSHIELD SHATTERED INTO A THOUSAND PIECES. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE HAIL STORM! IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE WINDSHIELDS ARE MADE OF SAFETY GLASS, THAT IS DESIGNED TO ABSORB ANY IMPACT, CRACK, AND STAY IN 1 PIECE. HOWEVER, QUITE THE OPPOSITE HAPPENED (I HAVE PICTURES), WHERE THE ENTIRE BACK GLASS BASICALLY EXPLODED AND GLASS PIECES WENT FLYING EVERYWHERE. THERE WERE EVEN PIECES OF GLASS ON THE FRONT FLOOR BOARD AND DASHBOARD. THIS MUST…
Owner-reported narrative. 27,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10604762 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10619156 · 2014-08-05 (August 5, 2014)
MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS MOVE ON THEIR OWN, THEY TURN ON AND OFF AS THEY PLEASE. BROUGHT THE CAR IN TWICE SO FAR AND BMW SERVICE CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 47,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10619156 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10895472 · 2016-08-12 (August 12, 2016)
I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 65 MPH ON A HIGHWAY UPHILL, ENGINE COMPLETELY STALLED, NO POWER, GOT A MESSAGE "DRIVE-TRAIN MALFUNCTION, NO MAXIMUM OUTPUT, DRIVE MODERATELY". I WAS SURROUNDED BY CARS/SEMI TRUCKS, VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. MANAGED TO PULL OVER ON THE SHOULD. COULD NOT RESTART CAR, GOT A MESSAGE "AUTOMATIC START/STOP DEACTIVATED: ENGINE WILL NOT START AUTOMATICALLY. PRESS THE START/STOP BUTTON TO START THE ENGINE." ABOUT 30 MINS AFTER ENGINE STALLED, I FINALLY RESTARTED THE CAR. CONTINUED TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY FOR ABOUT 10 MILES @ 60-65…
Owner-reported narrative. 58,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10895472 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10993684 · 2017-06-07 (June 7, 2017)
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 5-SERIES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V020000 (AIR BAGS) AND 17V138000 (POWER TRAIN). THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE DEALER, BMW OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, AND WAS INFORMED THAT PARTS WERE ORDERED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V020000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, VIN TOOL CONFIRMS REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTUR…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10993684 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11080146 · 2018-03-19 (March 19, 2018)
I HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN ON THIS VEHICLE. I DO BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. CAR FAILS WITH VERY LITTLE WARNING WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN. IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF MAINTENANCE BUT OF A SPECIFIC MANUFACTURING FAULT. HOW WOULD ONE KNOW OF A DEFECT UNTIL SOMETHING GOES WRONG. THEN THE MANUFACTURER DOESN'T TAKE BLAME. MANUFACTURER KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT DID NOT LET OWNERS KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING. BMW HAS SINCE REDESIGNED THE ENGINE BUT WHAT ABOUT THE EXISTING CARS WITH THE ISSUE?
Owner-reported narrative. 98,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11080146 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.