2013 BMW 528I Engine Problems

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

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

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

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

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

My BMW suddenly started making a weird sound. I took it to BMW and they could not tell me exactly what happened. However they told me that a new engine was needed. I contacted headquarters and they referred me back to the local BMW. The Local BMW said that there's no way for them to know what caused the engine problem but they were recommending a new engine. I had no choice but to purchase a new engine, still to this day I have not idea why the engine failed. I strongly believe its something they are failing to admit is wrong with their engine that causes problems.

NHTSA ID

11433977

Incident

Sep 22, 2021

AT LEAST 7 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 YEARS I HAVE HAD A WEIRD ENGINE PROBLEM. AFTER PARK THE CAR FOR AWHILE IT FAILED TO START WITH NO REASON. AFTER ONE HOUR OF TRYING TO START, ENGINE START AS USUAL. CAR HAVE BEEN TEST BY THE DEALERSHIP FOR A WHOLE WEEK AND NO CODES OR FAILS HAVE BEEN DETECTED. MOST OF THESE FAILS HAVE HAPPEND AFTER PARK THE CAR, A COUPLE OF TIMES ENGINE STALLS WHILE DRIVING. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. AFTER BEEN EVALUATED FOR THE DEALERSHIP, CAR HAS FAILED TWICE. SAME AS ALWAYS IT STARTS AGAIN AFTER TRYING SEVERAL TIMES. LAPSE BETWEEN FAILS IS 3 TO 4 MONTHS APART. FAIL HAPPENS ONLY ON THE CITY SO FAR.

NHTSA ID

11389138

Incident

Jan 16, 2021

Mileage

55,000 mi

I CURRENTLY HAVE A 2013 528I BMW WITH LESS 90K MILES AND LESS THAN 8 YEARS OLD. I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I RECEIVED A DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION THAT ABRUPTLY STOPPED THE CAR. I GOT TO FIND OUT THAT THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY DONE. I CALLED BMW TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY RECALL ON THAT ISSUE, I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT MANY BMW OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND HAD TO GET THE ENGINE REPLACED. IF I WAS ON THE FREEWAY THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR TRAFFIC INCIDENT ACCIDENT,

NHTSA ID

11383392

Incident

Dec 4, 2020

Mileage

90,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY 2013 BMW 528I IN APRIL 2019 WITH ~65K MILES AT THE TIME. THE DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION INDICATOR CAME ON AND THE CAR WAS DRIVING SLUGGISH. PER BMWS REQUEST I DROVE IT TO BMW SERVICE CENTER. FAULT CODES F133B04 AND F133E10. THEY PERFORMED CALIBRATION, TESTED AND SENT ME ON MY WAY AND NO MORE WARNING DISPLAYED. JUNE 2020 LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR CAME ON. I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE (OIL CHANGE, CBS) AND INDICATOR WAS NO LONGER DISPLAYING. OCTOBER 2020 LOW OIL PRESSURE AND DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION INDICATORS COME ON WHILE DRIVING ON THE STREET. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME, BUT THE CAR COMPLETELY STOPS WHILE PARKING IN THE DRIVEWAY. I HAD IT TOWED TO BMW AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS TIMING CHAIN AND OIL PUMP CHAIN DRIVE, PLUS FAULTS WITH THE VANOS UNIT (FC 1C0102, 1C2002, 1C0301, 130F11, 130E11, 131401, 130308, 130304, 130108, 131501). TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER THEY WANT ME TO PAY $3,100+, BUT THAT IS NOT FIX IT. I STILL OWE $8K ON THE CAR AND NOW IT'S REQUIRING A ENGINE WORK THAT WILL POSSIBLY EXCEED WHAT I OWE ON THE CAR. MY CAR HAS 83K MILES ON IT AND SHOULD NOT BE INOPERABLE. THE TIMING CHAIN & OIL PUMP CHAIN DRIVE WAS KNOWN BEFORE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 2016, BUT WAS NOT DISCLOSED. ALL OF MY SERVICE HAS BEEN DONE AT BMW. BMW SERVICED MY CAR WHEN THE INDICATOR CAME ON IN 2019, YET DID NOT GO FURTHER TO FIX THE ISSUE THAT THEY KNEW EXISTED. BMW NEEDS TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND FIX MY CAR FOR FREE. THERE IS NO WAY THAT THE "ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE" WITH 83K MILES ON IT SHOULD BE LANDFILL BOUND. INSTEAD OF ISSUING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, BMW SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A RECALL DUE TO THIS BEING A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE CAR JUST STOPS AND LOCKS UP - NO WAY TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL TO AT LEAST MOVE IT SO THAT IT IS NOT A HAZARD. SOMEONE OR MANY PEOPLE COULD DIE IF A CAR DOES THIS ON THE HIGHWAY. BMW DO THE RIGHT THING.

NHTSA ID

11366118

Incident

Oct 12, 2020

Mileage

83,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING A MESSAGE OF DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION POPS UP ON THE IDRIVE SYSTEM. SPARK PLUGS HAVE BEEN CHANGED ALONG WITH REGULAR OIL CHANGES. HAPPENS OCCASIONALY THEN I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND LOCK THEN UNLOCK AND RESTART. SOMETIMES THE MESSAGE WILL POP BACK UP AND SOMETIMES IT DOES NOT.

NHTSA ID

11359896

Incident

Jun 16, 2020

Mileage

91,000 mi

DRIVING ALONG THE 8 FREEWAY, DRIVING STRAIGHT, BUT SLIGHTLY UPHILL, OUTSIDE SAN DIEGO, THE ENGINE DIED VERY SUDDENLY. WE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, AND THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO BMW OF EL CAJON, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER HAD FAILED, A PIECE OF PLASTIC HAD PLUGGED THE OIL PUMP, AND THE ENGINE LOST TIME, CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR HAS 89,190 MILES ON IT.

NHTSA ID

11341346

Incident

Mar 9, 2020

Mileage

89,120 mi

IISSUE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN WHICH I UNDERSTAND TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY BMW'S DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND I HAD A LOSS OF POWER ALONG WITH LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT.TOOK THE CAR THE A BMW DEALERSHIP FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AND THE RESULTS WERE THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED REPLACEMENT ALONG WITH CAM ADJUSTER SOLENOIDS AND PHASERS. ESTIMATED COST ALMOST $5K. CAR IS CURRENTLY SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY FOR THE PAST 40 DAYS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS IS/HAS HAPPENED TO MANY BMW OWNERS OF 2012-2015 CARS.

NHTSA ID

11340672

Incident

Jun 5, 2020

Mileage

137,800 mi

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. JUST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE 1 MONTH AGO AND THE DEALERSHIP IS ADVANTAGE BMW OF HOUSTON

NHTSA ID

11319772

Incident

Mar 30, 2020

Mileage

114,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY AND A DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION INDICATOR WAS DISPLAYED ON THE SCREEN. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL POWER AND I WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TOWED MY VEHICLE TO THE CLOSEST CERTIFIED REPAIR SHOP. AFTER THE REPAIR RAN THEIR DIAGNOSTIC TEST, THEY INFORMED ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE IT HAD SEIZED. THEY ALSO QUOTED ME AT $9,900 FOR A NEW ENGINE. MY CAR CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 111,000 MILES.

NHTSA ID

11280278

Incident

Oct 26, 2019

Mileage

111,000 mi