2013 BMW 328I Powertrain (other) Problems

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The drivetrain and passenger’s side air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 25 MPH and the vehicle was shaking erratically. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 174,775.

NHTSA ID

11753235

Incident

Jul 28, 2026

Mileage

174,775 mi

2013 BMW 328i, N20 engine. Timing chain guide assembly and oil pump drive chain failed catastrophically. Vehicle is available for inspection, however the authorized BMW dealership has already made clear they will accept no responsibility, and I would bear the expense of towing it two hours to their facility. The failure is a known issue with a class action case, but BMW took no responsibility, and falsified information stating the vehicle showed no signs of an issue when I brought my vehicle in for inspection. Eighteen months before failure, steam came from the engine compartment on a humid day, later connected to the water pump electrical connector recall. Following this, the vehicle ran consistently hotter than normal and lost noticeable power. Twelve months before failure, an intermittent oil pressure warning began triggering under load at highway speeds, particularly on inclines above 70mph. I brought the vehicle to Sandia BMW in Albuquerque, NM and reported all symptoms when I was contacted by them for the recall. The service advisor falsely claimed elevated operating temperature was optimal, suspected a faulty sensor, and returned the vehicle without offering further diagnosis or making me aware of the impending issue, all classic signs of the engine faults. Eight weeks later, the oil pressure light activated on a highway, followed immediately by a drivetrain malfunction warning, a violent grinding sound, and complete loss of power. The vehicle was towed and has not restarted since. I contacted BMW of North America's recall line. A case was opened and an advocate stated BMW would accept no responsibility because the class action was closed and I'mpast 70K miles. I raised the dealership's direct culpability. The advocate stated a dealership representative would contact me. No call was ever received. This failure is consistent with BMW Service Bulletin SI B11 03 17. A engine safety recall is warranted regardless of age to protect the public.

NHTSA ID

11723979

Incident

Dec 15, 2025

UNKNOWN/ my car came up with an engine code . Trouble accelerating, tends to runs hot ( drive train malfunction

NHTSA ID

11631050

Incident

Nov 4, 2024

Engine Timing Chain and Oil pump drive chain modules failed. I found this from BMW website that Defect Code: SI B11 03 17: For this vehicle the timing chain and the oil pump drive chain modules (N20, N26 engines) limited Warranty for in defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 7 years / 70000 miles as determined from the original in-service date. This coverage is subject to the same vehicle eligibility requirements, limitations, and exclusions that apply to the BMW New vehicle limited warranty for passenger cars and light trucks. for eligible vehicles that are beyond this 7/70 coverage, please refer to SI B11 02 21 for additional coverage that may also apply. I filed a case directly with BMW of NA - they told me get it towed to BMW dealership and get it diagnosed, I followed the instructions and got it diagnosed. BMW dealership confirmed the main cause was the Timing chain broke and engine seized. but BMW declined to do anything about it. please see the link by BMW below: [XXX] $ INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11621686

Incident

Oct 1, 2024

CRASHNo FIRENo INJURIES0 DEATHS0 Driving to work and the engine oil pressure warning came up and the car began to decelerate and once completely stopped the power train malfunction warning popped up was told it’s the timing chain which has been common problem with this model

NHTSA ID

11621417

Incident

Jul 1, 2024

I was driving and my car began to lose power and Drivetrain Malfunction appeared on the screen. I had to pull over to a side street and turn the car off. I turned it back on but it was very sluggish and moved very slow. Once I parked it I turned it off and tried to start it back up but it wouldn’t turn over. I contacted BMW and they said they couldn’t do anything. I need a new engine and timing chain, fuel pump and oil pan.

NHTSA ID

11618370

Incident

Jun 3, 2024

Timing chain guides broke while driving, so timing chain jumped a tooth and now car will not start because incorrect timing Car has only 92,000 miles

NHTSA ID

11518384

Incident

Apr 1, 2023

I checked the car history report for this car, it said that it had all of the scheduled maintenance. I have not driven this car hard, I used the best gas I could. I had this car for only 4 months - I took it in to Carmax to get checked out about 2 weeks after I got it back in October. They ran tests, and told me everything was fine that "it could've been a loose fuel cap". 3 months later, well before even an oil change was required - my car gave me the same error message only now it would turn off everytime I put it in drive. If this happened on the road I definitely could've been killed. This car showed 0 signs of any type of malfunction and did not give me any indication that anything was wrong. Fast forward to taking it to the Mins Auto (BMW recommended) they informed me that this car did not in fact seem it had regular oil changes contrasting what was in the carafe report. the timing chain seems to be the culprit and now I'm stuck with a $10,000 bill on a car before it's first oil change, on top of the dealership (carmax) not being helpful at all - when I did everything right with this car. When MinsAuto ran tests they found so many errors - I don't understand, neither can they - understand how Carmax could miss any of these. I was also told by them that because this happens EXTREMELY frequently on these 3-series models, they are pretty familiar with the process and it takes exactly 24 hours to remove the engine, the pistons and take these things apart. so I think this should be investigated and taken seriously. Thank you

NHTSA ID

11512781

Incident

Feb 28, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000.

NHTSA ID

11476907

Incident

Aug 1, 2022

Mileage

172,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11456773

Incident

Mar 11, 2022

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.

NHTSA ID

11456692

Incident

Mar 10, 2022

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.

NHTSA ID

11425496

Incident

Jul 19, 2021

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.

NHTSA ID

11361512

Incident

Sep 27, 2020

Mileage

109,500 mi

TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITION. HAD TO REPLACE ENTIRE ENGINE WITH USED ENGINE

NHTSA ID

11300015

Incident

Dec 21, 2018

Mileage

75,000 mi

DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON STATING TO DRIVE MODERATELY. MAXIMUM DRIVETRAIN OUTPUT NOT AVAILABLE. CONSULT SERVICE CENTER. THE CODES WAS CDA904 NO MESSAGE (STATUS TRAILER 0X2E4) RECEIVER ENGINE ECU TRANSMITTER TRAILER. 130F20 EXHAUST CAMSHAFT OFFSET ANGEL TO CRANKSHAFT OUTSIDE TOLERANCE; 120408 BOOST PRESSURE CONTROL, CUT OFF PRESSURE RISE BLOCK AFTER PAYING $180.00 FOR DIAGNOSTIC I WAS TOLD TODAY THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN/ GUILD. REPLACE OIL PUMP CHAIN MODULE AND REPLACE THE VALVE COVER. THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDE IS BROKEN. THIS IS CRAZY MY CAR HAS 88000 MILES AND IS NOT PAID FOR. THE COST TO GET THIS REPAIRED IS APPROXMIATELY $6,000. THERE IS A CURRENT CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. BMW KNOWS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO DO A RECALL. THE PLAINTIFFS TAKE ISSUE WITH TWO SPECIFIC DEFECTS IN THE ENGINE'S CHAINS. THE FIRST DEFECT AFFECTS THE PRIMARY CHAIN, ALSO KNOWN AS THE TIMING CHAIN, WHICH COORDINATES THE ACTION OF THE CRANKSHAFT, CAMSHAFTS, AND CYLINDER VALVES. ACCORDING TO THE PLAINTIFFS, THE PLASTIC GUIDE ASSEMBLY FOR THE PRIMARY CHAIN IS MADE OF A DEFECTIVE POLYCARBONATE MATERIAL THAT BECOMES BRITTLE AND BREAKS APART, CREATING DEBRIS THAT LODGES IN THE CRANKSHAFT DRIVE SPROCKETS. THE DEBRIS CAN CAUSE THE PRIMARY CHAIN TO SKIP, LETTING THE CAMSHAFTS AND CRANKSHAFT FALL OUT OF SYNC AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING OR DESTROYING THE ENGINE. THE SECOND DEFECT AFFECTS THE SECONDARY CHAIN, WHICH CONNECTS THE OIL PUMP AND BALANCE SHAFT ASSEMBLY TO THE CRANKSHAFT. THE MATERIALS IN THIS ASSEMBLY CAN'T STAND UP TO HIGH-RESISTANCE WEAR, THE PLAINTIFFS SAY. THIS DEFECT CAUSES THE CHAIN TO ELONGATE PREMATURELY, SLIP, AND DAMAGE THE CHAIN SPROCKET. *JS

NHTSA ID

11270915

Incident

Oct 19, 2019

Mileage

88,000 mi

WORRIED ABOUT BMW TIMING CHAIN IN THE N20 ENGINE. I'VE HEARD SO MANY STORY OF ENGINES GETTING BLOWN AND NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. MY SON DRIVES TO SCHOOL AND I'M WORRIED HE'S GONNA GET STRANDED. HE'S ONLY 16 I WANT HIM TO BE IN A SAFE VEHICLE. BMW NEEDS TO DO A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING BLOWN ENGINES WITH THE CAR NOT EVEN BEING CLOSE TO BEING PAID OFF.

NHTSA ID

11256148

Incident

Sep 16, 2019

Mileage

80,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 328I. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE OIL PUMP AND DRIVETRAIN WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY JERKED AND STALLED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE BREAST, BUT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CONTACT WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND WAS NOT ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO RALLYE BMW (1 BRUSH HOLLOW RD, WESTBURY, NY 11590, (516) 393-0000) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE OIL PUMP AND DRIVETRAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE REPAIR FEES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11102686

Incident

Jun 14, 2018

Mileage

67,000 mi

ON 2016 I WAS DRIVING ON A VERY BUSY PARKWAY IN THE AFTERNOON AT ABOUT 45 MPH (WHICH IS A LEGAL SPEED LIMIT) WHEN MY CAR STARTED SHUDDERING, SHAKING AND SLOWING DOWN AND A MESSAGE CAME ON SAYING "DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION." I IMMEDIATELY CALLED MY HUSBAND WHO TOLD ME TO PULL OVER AND SHUT OFF THE CAR FOR 5 MINUTES. HE MANAGED TO CALM ME DOWN. WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR, THE CAR COULD NOT START I WAS VERY SCARED THE CAR WAS TOW TO BMW AND THEY STATE IT WAS RHE STARTER THAT WHEN BAD. I HAD RETURN THE CARE SEVERAL TIME TO BMW FOR THE SAME NOISE I WAS TOLD THE HAVE A TECH FROM THE HEAD QUARTER CAME OUT AND THE CAR IS PERFECTLY FINE .THE SAME HING HAPPEN 2 YEAR LATER AND I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY DURING THE INCIDENT. BMW SERVICE TOLD ME THE ENGINE FAIL AND I NEED A NEW ENGINE WHICH WOULD COST ME $10,000 WE WERE READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS AND PRIMARILY THEY ARE ABOUT THE DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION - IT HAS A FAULTY PLASTIC PART, WHICH SINCE 2015 WAS REPLACED BY A METAL PART. I WAS DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY AND I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED O). WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR BMW OR NHTSA TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM - A DEATH OR FEW? THERE IS NO WAY A 5 YEAR OLD CAR ENGINE SHOULD HAVE FAIL WITH JUST 70,000 MILES.

NHTSA ID

11102346

Incident

Jun 14, 2018

Mileage

70,000 mi

ARRIVED AT HOME, TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM HOOD AND SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING. OPENED THE HOOD, AND SAW THAT THE SMOKE WAS DUE TO OIL DRIPPING ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO DEALER DUE TO RISK OF FIRE. VIDEO IS AVAILABLE IF NEEDED; PLEASE CONTACT ME.

NHTSA ID

11074690

Incident

Feb 23, 2018

Mileage

53,000 mi

I HAVE HAD TWO DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION MESSAGES SINCE BUYING THE CAR FOUR MONTHS AGO. THE FIRST MESSAGE CAUSED MY CAR TO STALL, AND I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE POLICE, IN ST.LOUIS. THIS SECOND TIME I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP (IN TACOMA WA) WHERE IT IS CURRENTLY. I AM WORKING WITH THE DEALERSHIP TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. MY CAR IS STILL UNDER CPO WARRANTY AND I AM CONCERNED THAT BMW WILL NOT BE WILLING TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM, OR GIVE ME A VEHICLE OF THE SAME VALUE. I HAVE PAID OVER 26,000 FOR THIS VEHICLE AND AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE VALUE OF MY INVESTMENT. BOTH INCIDENTS OF THE ERROR MESSAGE OCCURRING, I WAS LOCATED ON THE HIGHWAY. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN AUGUST. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED YESTERDAY, OCTOBER 19TH, 2016. "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION, MAXIMUM OUTPUT NOT AVAILABLE, CONSULT SERVICE CENTER".

NHTSA ID

10917316

Incident

Oct 19, 2016

Mileage

56,800 mi

I HAD A POWERTRAIN MALFUNCTION LIGHT COME UP THE FIRST WEEKEND AFTER I LEASED THE CAR, WITH BARELY 250 MILES ON THE ODOMETER! REPAIRS WERE DONE AT A BMW AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER, THE CAR NOW HAS 6000 MILES, AND THE ISSUE IS BACK! THIS IS THE 2ND TIME WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS THIS CAR HAS HAD POWERTRAIN WARNINGS POP UP. ITS CHRISTMAS DAY, AND I HAVE A BRAND NEW CAR (BARELY 6MONTHS OLD THAT IS), YET I CANNOT DRIVE IT. THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON FOR A BRAND NEW LUXURY CAR TO BREAKDOWN TWICE FOR THE SAME REASONS WITHIN 6 MONTHS. I GOT LUCKY THE CAR DID NOT SHUTDOWN ON ME AND I WAS CLOSE TO HOME SO I COULD LIMP BACK HOME AND HAVE IT TOWED. I HAVE HEARD OF OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND THEIR CAR SHUTTING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY. BMW IS SELLING A SUB STANDARD, UNTESTED PRODUCT, THAT IS POTENTIALLY UNSAFE. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10557205

Incident

Dec 24, 2013

Mileage

6,120 mi

DRIVETRAIN MALFUCTION WARNING LIGHT. THE CAR IS LESS THEN 2 MONTHS OLD UNDER MOSTLY LOCAL DRIVING CONDITION IN ECO OR COMFORT MODE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10549024

Incident

Oct 21, 2013

Mileage

980 mi

I STARTED THE CAR AND REVERSED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, THEN PROCEEDED TO A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION WITHOUT STOP LIGHT. I ACCELERATED TO MERGE WITHF TRAFFIC AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY POWER WAS CUT DRAMATICALLY AND THE CAR DISPLAYED A DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION ERROR. THIS PREVENTED ME FROM ACCELERATING AT THE CORRECT SPEED AND ALMOST CREATED AN ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLES BEHIND ME. I THEN HAD TO PICK MY CHILD UP SCHOOL AND THE CAR CONTINUES TO BEHAVE POORLY. *TT

NHTSA ID

10537991

Incident

Aug 29, 2013

Mileage

90 mi