RoadVitals

2012 BMW 650I Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Jan 4, 2023
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
60%
of 20 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2012 BMW 650I submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Engine
Filed Jan 4, 2023

While at complete stop engine shut off with no warning lights on dash board. BMW dealer related they do not know what is wrong with engine.

NHTSA ID
11500126
Incident
Dec 5, 2022
Engine
Filed Oct 20, 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 650I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, AN ABNORMAL ODOR APPEARED INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED BLACK EXHAUST COMING FROM THE TAILPIPE. THE CONTACT THAT THAT THE OIL TUBE WAS REFILLED EVERY 80 TO 100 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BMW OF BAYSIDE (24721 NORTHERN BLVD, DOUGLASTON, NY 11362) DIAGNOSED, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE THEN WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS STILL PENDING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V161000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.

NHTSA ID
11365320
Incident
Mar 6, 2019
Mileage
30,000 mi
Engine
Filed May 17, 2020

AT APPROXIMATELY 120,000 MILES MY ENGINE OIL PUMP WENT OUT CAUSING MY CAR TO STALL WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT 70 MILES PER HOUR. THE BMW DEALERSHIP SAID TO ME THAT EVEN THOUGH MY CAR MEETS THE MILES SPECIFICATIONS THE ENGINE OIL HAS METAL PIECES IN IT THEREFORE THEY WILL NOT COVER A NEW WARRANTY UNDER THEIR LEMON LAW. BMW NEW THAT THIS ENGINE WAS A TROUBLED ENGINE FROM THE FIRST DAT THIS CAR WAS BUILT AND NOW BMW IS NOT STANDING BEHIND THES VEHICLES

NHTSA ID
11324905
Incident
Jan 3, 2020
Mileage
120,000 mi
Engine
Filed Feb 21, 2020

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR ON HIGHWAY 20 WEST MY ENGINE LOSS ALL POWER MAKING MY CAR SLOW COMPLETELY DOWN. I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND I HAD TO MOVE OVER TWO LANES TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. ONCE MY CAR STOPPED THE CAR PUT ITS SELF IN PARK AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO SELECT ANY GEAR. COME TO FIND OUT THE TURBO CHARGER WEN OUT IN MY CAR CAUSING THE CAR TO ACT IN THIS UN SAFE MANNER. THIS IS A REALL SAFETY ISSUE THAT BMW HAS ON THESE PARTICULAR ENGINES. THIS MATTER NEEDS O BE ADDRESSED WITH MY CAR PLEASE

NHTSA ID
11310650
Incident
Jan 31, 2020
Mileage
102,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 2, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 650I. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, SEVERAL COMPONENTS IN THE ENGINE LEAKED, INCLUDING THE OIL. ALSO, THE CHECK OIL INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BMW OF RIVERSIDE (3060 ADAMS ST, RIVERSIDE, CA 92504, (951) 373-5000) AND BMW OF MURRIETA (41430 AUTO MALL PKWY, MURRIETA, CA 92562, (951) 200-5491). BOTH DEALERS INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT ALL REPAIRS WOULD BE HER RESPONSIBILITY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED AND PROVIDED THE SAME INFORMATION AS THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137,857.

NHTSA ID
11228955
Incident
Apr 30, 2019
Mileage
137,857 mi
AirbagsEngine
Filed Jun 18, 2019

A WARNING LIGHT FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AIRBAG IS ON. BMW WANTS TO CHARGE ME $1500 TO REPLACE THE FAULTY AIRBAG. HOW CAN IT BE DAMAGED IF IT'S NEVER BEEN USED? HOW IS THIS REPAIR MY RESPONSIBILITY? ADDITIONALLY, THIS BMW BURNS OIL. IT SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH ALL 8 CYLINDER MODELS AS THEY AGE. I HAVE TO ADD A QUART OF OIL EVERY 300 MILES OR SO AND THE CAR BLOWS BLACK SMOKE VIA THE EXHAUST. I'VE SPENT $1300 TO REPAIR IT, BUT IT DIDN'T REPAIR THE ISSUE. NOW I'M BEING TOLD IT'S A $10,000 REPAIR. HOW IS A PROBLEM THAT'S SYSTEMATIC WITH SO MANY 8 CYLINDER BMWS MY RESPONSIBILITY?

NHTSA ID
11220935
Incident
Jan 1, 2019
Mileage
70,000 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 5, 2019

CAR BURNS OIL AND SMELLS OF ENGINE COOLANT DURING OPERATION AND WHILE AT IDLE.

NHTSA ID
11184323
Incident
Feb 26, 2019
Mileage
37,500 mi
EngineFuel system
Filed Jun 14, 2018

A FEW MONTHS AGO THE VEHICLE STARTED TO DISPLAY "DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION" ON THE SCREEN WHILE SHAKING WITH A HORRIBLE ODOR OF FUEL. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD ALL OF THE FUEL INJECTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED! WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A $100K+ VEHICLE BARELY OUT OF WARRANTY. AFTER BATTLING WITH THE DEALER I WAS TOLD BMW HAS AGREED TO FIX THE PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN I WENT TO PICKUP THE CAR I WAS GIVEN AN INVOICE FOR ALMOST $500 FOR A DEDUCTIBLE! FAST FORWARD TO 06/06/2018, DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND AT A BUSY INTERSECTION I STARTED TO SMELL FUEL AGAIN AND I GOT A "FUEL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION" DISPLAYED ON THE SCREEN AND THE CAR DIED AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT NOW THE VEHICLE NEEDS AN IN TANK FUEL PUMP REPLACED! NOT A FEW MONTHS AFTER HAVING ALL THE FUEL INJECTORS REPAIRED. THE COST OF REPLACING THE FUEL PUMP OVER $1900 BUT WITH A DISCOUNT IT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $1550.00 (WHO KNOWS WHAT THE COST WILL BE WHEN I GO TO PICK IT UP). AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS YEAR AND MODEL VEHICLE IS UNDER A RECALL FROM BMW FOR ALL THE SAME EXACT PROBLEMS AND SYMPTOMS I'M HAVING WITH THE FUEL PUMP. HOWEVER, THEY CLAIM THAT MY VIN IS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL AND THEY WILL NOT ASSIST IN ANY WAY. THIS IS A LOW MILLAGE CAR THAT IS WELL MAINTAINED AT ALL TIMES. I THINK ITS TIME BMW EXPANDED THE RECALL ON THE FUEL PUMP ISSUE FOR THIS VEHICLE AND CORRECTED THE PROBLEM THEIR DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING HAS CREATED BEFORE THEIR NEGLEGANCE COSTS SOMEONE THEIR LIFE WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPS ON THE HIGHWAY OR A BUSY INTERSECTION. IT'S TIME YOU DID THE RIGHT THING BMW NORTH AMERICA. I HAVE CONTACTED MY ATTORNEY AND WE WILL BE SENDING NOTICES TO OTHER BMW OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM TO JOIN A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT. I CAN BE REACHED AT [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID
11101836
Incident
Jun 6, 2018
Mileage
67,000 mi
Engine
Filed May 26, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 650I. WHILE GRADUALLY ACCELERATING, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (BMW OF EASTERN NORTH) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRIC AUXILIARY WATER PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V161000 (ENGINE). THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT LOCATE THE RECALL, BUT WOULD CONSIDER REIMBURSEMENT IF THEY FOUND THE INFORMATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,100.

NHTSA ID
10991753
Incident
May 21, 2017
Mileage
68,100 mi
EngineOther / unspecified
Filed Dec 2, 2015

BMW 650 N63 ENGINE ISSUES AKA DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION (DTM) ERROR HAS BEEN A VERY COMMON ISSUE IN THESE CARS. IF YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH PEOPLE WITH BRAND NEW CARS WITH LESS THAN 100 MILES HAVE THESE ISSUES AS WELL. LONG STORY SHORT BMW, NA OFFERED TO BUY BACK MY CAR AFTER SPENDING MORE THAN 5 WEEKS IN THE SHOP FOR 2ND REPAIR. FIRST REPAIR WAS THE RECALL , BMW OFFERED AS THE "CUSTOMER CARE PACKAGE" . I PURCHASED IT CPO (CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED) W/ 26,000 MILES., I WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE OFFER SINCE THEY DEDUCTED MILEAGE USED. DTM OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 29,000 MILES AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 4 MONTHS. OF COURSE THE BMW DISMISSED IT SINCE THE DTM RESOLVED AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR. IT USUALLY OCCURS RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING HIGH SPEEDS ABOVE 60 MPH ON THE FREEWAY THE CAR SHAKES, RATTLES, DECELERATES AND IS UNRESPONSIVE WHEN STEPPING ON THE GAS. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE IN NEW 650I W/ N63 ENGINES PLEASE CHECK YOUTUBE, BMW FORUMS AND CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS FILED 9/2015 AGAINS BMW, NA. THE VEHICLE WAS GETTING ALL THE PARTS REPLACE FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH. THE CAR WAS FINE FOR 2 MONTHS THAN IT OCCURRED AGAIN AND SINCE THEY DID NOT WANT TO EXTEND MY WARRANTY I DECIDED TO REQUEST A BUY BACK. OTHER ISSUES: EXCESSIVE ENGINE OIL BURNING, BACK PASSENGER WINDOWS NOT ROLLING UP COMPLETELY REAR WHEAL CRACKING. DTM STILL OCCURRED AFTER THESE PARTS WERE REPLACED IN THE CAR FOR THE 2ND REPAIR: -CATALYTIC CONVERTOR (SINCE THEY DISCOVERED BOTH CATALYTIC CONVERTERS WHERE COMING APART), ALL 8 SPARK PLUGS , 32 VALVE GUIDE SEALS. I HOPE THIS WAS OF USE FOR SOMEONE WHO FEELS HELPLESS AND HAVE TO SETTLE WHATEVER BMW, NA IS OFFERING. STILL ENTERTAINING THE THOUGHT OF FILING A SEPARATE CLAIM FROM THE "BUY BACK" OFFERED BY BMW. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE WHICH MAY LEAD TO A FATALITY DUE SUDDEN DECELERATION WHEN DRIVING IN HIGH SPEEDS.

NHTSA ID
10808085
Incident
Dec 1, 2014
Mileage
29,000 mi
Engine
Filed Aug 17, 2015

VEHICLE ENGINE (N63) LOSES POWER WHILE IN OPERATION AND GOES INTO A DRIVETRAIN FAILURE MODE REDUCING ENGING POWER SUBSTANTIALLY. THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM IN THE CAR. BMW IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND HAS TAKEN THE CAR IN TO REPAIR IT 3 TIMES. THEY RECENLY PERFORMED A CUSTOMER CARE PROGRAM TO REMEDIATE THE PROBLEM. BUT IT OCCURRED AGIAN SHORTLY AFTER THET ATTEMPT. BMW MADE A RULING TODAY, THAT THEY WILL NOT BUYBACK MY CAR NOR OFFER ANY OTHER REMEDY. I SPECIFICALLY WANT THE NHTSA TO MAKE AN OFFICIAL RECALL OF THIS ENGINE AS IT IS NOT REPAIRED AFTER WIDESPREAD FAILURES FOR THIS SPECIFIC ENGINE.

NHTSA ID
10749268
Incident
Jun 30, 2014
Mileage
23,000 mi
Body & structureEngineSeat belts
Filed Oct 25, 2014

TL-THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 650I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SAFETY SEAT BELTS FAILED TO RETRACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE SEAT BELTS BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE CONVERTIBLE TOP FAILED TO OPERATE AND THE SENSOR WAS REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE OVER 25 MPH AND THE INJECTORS FOR THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED TWICE PREVIOUSLY. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE BATTERY FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000. DJR

NHTSA ID
10649902
Incident
Oct 1, 2012
Mileage
1,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .