2013 BMW 528I Owner Complaints

On [XXX], Century West BMW in North Hollywood, CA performed recall 20E-A01 B120921 (DME reprogram/connector update) on my 2013 BMW 528i. Within 30 minutes of leaving the dealership, the car displayed a red “engine overheating – stop immediately” warning while I was in a crowded intersection with my child in the vehicle. This created an immediate danger to us and to surrounding traffic. Prior to the recall, the vehicle had no history of overheating. When I returned the next morning ([XXX]), the service advisor admitted they had no timestamp or documentation of the coolant bleed procedure. Instead of proving the recall was performed correctly, the dealership attempted to shift blame onto unrelated issues such as the thermostat or an oil leak, even sending me a video of the oil leak but providing no proof of proper recall completion or verification. This negligence placed me, my child, and the public at serious risk of injury and could have caused catastrophic engine damage. The fact that the vehicle overheated almost immediately after recall work indicates the recall was not properly completed or verified, and the car was returned to me in an unsafe condition. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11687089

Incident

Sep 12, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528I. The contact stated that after driving and parking the vehicle, the contact smelled an abnormal burning odor. The contact stated the burning odor occurred frequently. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased. The contact was aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The contact was unaware that the vehicle needed to be taken to an authorized BMW dealer for the recall repair. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact was referred to a BMW dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

NHTSA ID

11680731

Incident

Jun 21, 2024

Mileage

107,000 mi

Hello my name is [XXX] and I am (was) the owner of a 2013 BMW 528i VIN [XXX] . It was a secondary vehicle for me for until I sustained an injury and it being my primary vehicle. I took it through emissions, updated the registration, and I noticed smoke coming from under the hood. I had driven it without a problem then in Juneit did not run at all. At that time there was a recall on the computer system and supposedly it needed a new key programmed to start. That was a 700 expense out of pocket and the car still did not even turn over. I authorized replacing the battery that was another 600, and still the car would not start or run.At this point they were just guessing at what was wrong and going though the process of elimination to try to rectify what was wrong with the car. They did not offer me any kind of courtesy vehicle or even rental discount so I was renting a car while they were trying to figure out what was wrong with the car. I am a small business owner of a non-profit company Modern Day Ministries, LLC that provides assistance to at risk youth and single mothers with disabilities and funding my own organization without loans or assistance. After three months of renting a car, the dealership at 7455 W. Orchid Lane Chandler, Arizona 85226 who had my vehicle only wanted me to keep paying for parts, which for BMW are extremely costly but could not guarantee the car was working. At that time it was known there was a recall on the fuel pump leaking, destroying the electrical system and causing smoking from under the hood or system malfunction, which in my case it fried the electrical system and the car had to be reprogrammed but I had to pay for the new key. I had incurred over 1500.00 in car repairs and another 3000 for renting a car for over 3 months waiting for a remedy. The dealership manager Shane Ohanran I had conversations with failed to take any kind of responsibility for any repairs. I am asking 5000 for out of pocket costs incurred INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FO

NHTSA ID

11664465

Incident

Jun 2, 2025

Unrepaired recall. No remedy available for over 8 months, with manufacturer acknowledging that there could a vehicle fire in some cases.

NHTSA ID

11656015

Incident

Apr 22, 2025

Unknown

NHTSA ID

11644190

Incident

Feb 21, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the water pump and plug connector had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11643511

Incident

Feb 18, 2025

Mileage

87,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine and entering the cabin through the vents. The engine warning light was illuminated. There were unknown messages displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11633687

Incident

Oct 22, 2024

Mileage

60,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000(Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the contact noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11632469

Incident

Dec 19, 2024

Mileage

108,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); 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 contact stated that the engine overheated and there was white smoke coming from under the hood. The messages low coolant and engine overheating were displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road to allow the engine to cool down before continuing to drive. The contact stated that while checking the coolant level, the coolant level was in the normal range. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 98,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11628779

Incident

Aug 13, 2024

Mileage

98,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed the contact noticed a smoke-like smell coming from the vehicle with no warning light illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11625030

Incident

Nov 13, 2024

Mileage

127,000 mi

The electrical connector of the engine coolanta pump could become damaged. Small drops of liquid from the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system could drip down onto the electrical connector of the pump.

NHTSA ID

11621878

Incident

Aug 5, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); 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. Additionally, the contact stated that the headlights failed to illuminate while it was raining or while washing the vehicle. The indicators failed to operate while attempting to make a turn. The warning light indicating an electrical failure was illuminated. The failure was intermittent. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11621228

Incident

Aug 13, 2024

Mileage

119,000 mi

20k miles??? I haven't even driven 5k miles and according to my vehicle service rep at the dealership all tires are defective as the belt has shifted in them and it's like pulling teeth trying to rectify the issue between the distributor and manufacturer all 4 tires are bad as 1 had to be replaced and the remaining has been inspected by a certified dealer again, the front tires 245/35zr20 and the rear 275/30zr20

NHTSA ID

11619040

Incident

Oct 9, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); 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.

NHTSA ID

11612478

Incident

Aug 13, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 BMV 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with fuel pump failure. The contact was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the parts not being available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11611867

Incident

Aug 30, 2024

Mileage

96,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. 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 experienced the failure causing a screeching sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle was driving rough. The failure mileage was 125,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11582179

Incident

Dec 18, 2023

Mileage

125,000 mi

Recently, in the last 30 days multiple critical safety components of my BMW vehicle have malfunctioned without warning, posing significant risks to my safety and that of other road users 1. **Horn System Failure**: The horn system of my BMW has ceased to function across all driving conditions, including park, reverse, drive, and when the vehicle is stationary. This abrupt failure indicates a potential electrical and mechanical malfunction, as there have been NO accidents and airbag deployments. This is very alarming and confusing how does a the horn on my vehicle just STOP working. 2. **Risk to Safety**: The failure of the horn system poses a serious hazard in emergency situations where signaling warnings or alerts to other road users is crucial. This not only jeopardizes my safety but also endangers the safety of others on the road. 3. **Seatbelt Issues**: Additionally, the seatbelts in my vehicle are experiencing difficulty clicking and seem to have restraint issues. This further compromises passenger safety in the event of a collision or sudden braking. 4. **Steering Wheel Problems**: Furthermore, there are issues with the steering wheel, which may affect the vehicle's handling and control, posing additional safety risks while driving. **Confirmation and Inspections**: I have promptly consulted with East Bay BMW, located at 4350 Rosewood Dr., Pleasanton, CA, where Danny Martinez serves as the Service Advisor, reachable directly at 925-621-8236. Even after thorough examination, the service advisor expressed shock and confusion regarding the malfunction of the horn, recognizing its crucial role in ensuring driver and passenger safety. Additionally, I am aware of several recalls related to steering wheel issues in the 2013 BMW models. Given my reliance on this vehicle for transportation to and from college, I urgently seek assis

NHTSA ID

11572144

Incident

Jan 31, 2024

While driving in the toll of 130 my sunroof window busted out of nowhere. No 18 wheeler or big truck was in front that could have cause the glass to burst, when it happened it sounded like an explosion. Luckily my sunroof cover was closed shielding the inside of my vehicle otherwise it could’ve been bad for myself and my infants inside the car.

NHTSA ID

11569690

Incident

Feb 3, 2024

Horn stopped working and error code says airbag error

NHTSA ID

11550611

Incident

Oct 18, 2023

I AM 70 YEARS OLD, DRIVING IN A HIGH TRAFFIC AREA AND MY VEHICLE STOPPED! I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A TIMING CHAIN ISSUE AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR COST IS VERY EXPENSIVE. THERE WAS A LAWSUIT SETTLED ABOUT FAULY TIMING CHAINS IN 2021. MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED BY IT, NOT DUE TO MILEAGE BUT AGE. IT IS DANGEROUS FOR A CAR TO SUDDENLY STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC. I HAD TO CALL THE POLICE TO STAY BEHIND MY CAR WITH LIGHTS FLASHING SO IT WAS NOT HIT. LOUISIANA WAS UNDER AN EXTREME HEAT WARNING AT THIS TIME. THE CAR COULD NOT BE STARTED AND I HAD TO WAIT FOR A WREAKER, IN EXTREME HEAT. BMW DID NOT RECALL THESE VEHICLES NAMED IN THIS SUIT. NO ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. I TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES TO LARGER CITIES FOR HEALTHCARE. I AM THANKFUL THIS DID NOT HAPPEN ON AN INTERSTATE WITH SIX LANES. IN MY OPINION, RECALLS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SENT OUT TO OWNERS. IT PUTS DRIVERS AT RISK IN AREAS OF HIGH TRAFFIC.

NHTSA ID

11530219

Incident

Jun 28, 2023

The car is from 2013. BMW USA does not want to cover the warranty due to the defective turbo feed oil line, part that it was replacing and I never received information from BMW about it. A few days ago I called and they told me that the car was manufactured in 2012 and had its First service in December 2012 I do not apply for the 10-year or 120,000-mile warranty. Really???rs absurd. They should check this out. My car has been smoking for more than 2 years and I never knew about it. Please help with the warranty.

NHTSA ID

11516194

Incident

Apr 3, 2023

Upon purchasing the vehicle it was not serviced as supposed I have been calling only to be played around with this has been a nightmare I haven't made my 3rd payment and currently carless

NHTSA ID

11487466

Incident

Aug 4, 2022

Error Codes : 1. E11480 No Message (Alive Counter Safety 0xD7) Receiver Instrument Cluster Transmitter Airbag 2. E11482 Message (Alive Counter Safety 0xD7) Not Current Receiver Instrument Cluster Transmitter Airbag 3. B7F685 Under Voltage . 4. E114DB Instrument Panel: Demand Based Service Message, Message From CBS Subscriber (BBV) Missing 5. E114DC Instrument Panel: Demand Based Service Message, Message From CBS Subscriber (BBH) Missing 6. E11421 Message Demand Based Service Message From CBS User Has Failed DRIVETRAIN MALFUCTION when drive sport mode The Trunk always Open for no Reason when unlock the car.

NHTSA ID

11474654

Incident

Jun 14, 2022

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528i. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. Additionally, the odor of burning plastic was present inside the vehicle. The contact stated that smoke was coming from the engine compartment. The contact attached a diagnostic device to the vehicle and the reading indicated a heater malfunction. No further information was available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ID

11469123

Incident

Jun 1, 2022

Mileage

130,000 mi

Malfunction of the passenger restraint system. Warning indicator states system is not working properly.

NHTSA ID

11442711

Incident

Dec 4, 2021