2013 BMW 328I Engine Problems
91 complaints about Engine
High Severity Issue
This component has been associated with crashes, fires, or deaths.
This Problem Across All Years
All Engine Complaints (91)
MY 2013 BMW 328 NON TURBO experienced an all of a sudden warning that the temperature was high even though the temp gauge did not show. Car was pulled over and towed to repair shop. Broken VANOS bolts were discovered and car made a load noise when run.
Dear NHTSA, I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious safety issue with my [Your BMW Model & Year]. My vehicle was recalled due to an issue with the engine coolant pump, which could lead to a short circuit and, in rare cases, a fire. •The recall was issued over a month ago, but BMW has not provided a solution or a repair date. •On March 26th, 2025, I visited an authorized BMW service center for an oil change and to address the recall, but they informed me that the necessary parts were not available and gave no timeline for the repair. •For the past three weeks, white smoke has been coming from the hood, and there is a noticeable burning smell. •I have a video documenting this issue. •My vehicle is in active use, and the problem is getting worse daily, increasing the risk of engine failure or fire. BMW’s delay in addressing this recall is putting my safety and the safety of others at risk. I request immediate action to ensure that BMW prioritizes this repair and prevents further damage to my vehicle. I would appreciate your urgent attention to this matter. Please let me know how I can proceed with this complaint. Best regards, Name: [XXX] Phone: [XXX] Vin Number : [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The vehicle's manufacturer (BMW) has failed to remedy a potentially lethal safety recall in a timely manner.
Car has been recalled since August for a fire risk and there is no ETA on any repairs
The contact owned a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact stated that upon parking the vehicle on the sidewalk in front of his driveway, it caught on fire. The vehicle was unoccupied during the fire. The origin of the fire was unknown. The location of the fire was the front engine compartment. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police department report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. There were no injuries. The contact also noted that no warning lights had been illuminated prior, and received notice of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) and believed the recall as probable cause for the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
Mileage: 150,000
UNKNOWN/ my car came up with an engine code . Trouble accelerating, tends to runs hot ( drive train malfunction
Unknown, Over time, this could lead to a short circuit and, in rare cases, a thermal event or a fire.
The contact owned a 2013 BMW 328i. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied in a friend's driveway when a pop was heard and the contact noticed that the vehicle was on fire. The contact stated that the engine compartment was engulfed in flames. The contact stated that a police officer who was riding through the neighborhood stopped and attempted to extinguish the fire, however, they were unsuccessful. The local fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. No injuries and no medical treatment was provided. The fire caused damage to the friend's garage and the window above the garage. In addition, the friend's vehicle, which was parked in the driveway next to the contact's vehicle, was damaged on the driver's side front bumper and headlight and the driver's side front tire. The vehicle remained at the fire location. The vehicle was deemed as a total loss by the insurance company. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was just purchased a month ago. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
Mileage: 133,000
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)
My name is [XXX] I have 2013 bmw 328i that has a safety recall Vin [XXX] CAMPAIGN ID: 24V608000 Engine coolant pump problem It’s been 4 months with no help from bmw .I contacted the dealer and they said there’s nothing they could do right now, but I believe its causing the part not to work anymore and it’s causing other problems that’s related to this issue. I will have to hire an attorney because there’s no remedy available and it’s causing we’re on my other parts of the car. Please if you can help or recommend what to do, I’d appreciate it. Thank you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
It’s been a few months with no remedy contacted the dealer and they said there’s nothing they could do right now, but I believe the connectors, causing the part not to work anymore and it’s causing other problems that’s related to this issue. I will have to hire an attorney because there’s no remedy available and it’s causing we’re on my other parts of the car. I believe this is caused other problems with the vehicle I don’t think the coolant pump is working. Is bmw going to fix related problems free of charge?that are caused from them not fixing it fast enough and causing other problems since the coolant pump has failed and bmw hasn’t offered anything or to fix the problems quick enough .
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.
Check engine light came on and car began to slow down on the expressway going 45 mph. My car now does not start and will not turn over. Before all of this happened my car was misfiring and a warning came up saying Engine Oil pressure Low. I just received an oil change a week prior. Now my car doesn't work and I cannot drive it at all. BMW said my timing Chain is broken and I have an oil leak. I will need a new engine. My mechanic said my entire engine needs to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly vibrated before losing motive power, after which the message "Drivetrain Malfunction" was displayed. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No other warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who observed that the guides for the timing chain were fractured, causing engine damage. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the Service Information Bulletin: 11-03-17. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Mileage: 90,000
There is a safety recall on my engine and it’s been out for 6 months and still no remedy and it’s causing problems with my car and safety .I would like bmw to pay for a loaner you’ll they fix the problem .
When starting a cold engine, a large toxic “plume of blue smoke” can be seen emitting from the exhaust tailpipe for approximately 10-30 seconds. I have been complaining about this to the BMW dealer in Boise Idaho since 2019. This issue is describe in SI B11 11 16 Warranties "N20 ENGINE OIL FEED LINE TO THE TURBOCHARGER: LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION TO 10 YEARS/120,000 MILES" - [XXX] My car is a 2013 Year BMW, F25 (X3 xDrive28i) (N20 Engine) Model, but BMW has excluded my VIN number from this warranty. I have the problem and my BMW meets the descriptions but the VIN number is excluded. As this model is identify as being problematic, the VIN numbers of all 2013 models should be included, not limited. Please help. Best, BMW 2013 328 ix owner. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
REDUCED ENGINE AND AIR CONDITIONING On hot days or long drives, the AC stops blowing air. I took to dealership and they said it had error FC 801228 and recommended 850W electric fan and program "as first step" at a cost of $2,505.85. I noticed on many online BMW sites, that many other people had this same issue on hot days, long drives and sometimes stop and go traffic. This happened twice prior to 2024, once in June 2024 (air temperature was 100 degrees, driving 65 MPH) and September 24 (air temperature was 72 degrees, driving 65 MPH). All drives were longer than 2 hours. Saw in the news today that BMW is issuing a new recall for the Engine Coolant Pump and connector. Seems as though these issues may be related? Per BMW SI B12 25 13 Engine Electrical Systems publication dated February 2014, this was a known issue in 3 series sedans and 4 series coupes produced from 07/2012 to 12/2013 and the recommended correction was installing the fan housing with 850W electric fan. It notes "The improved parts were introduced into production at the end of November 2013..." BMW SI B12 29 14 dated October 2014 seems to relate to the same issue for production dates 11/2013-06/2014 and recommends replacing fan housing with "improved parts". As an owner of a 2013 3 series sedan, this seems unconscionable that BMW, after becoming aware of this issue so soon after manufacture/sale, wouldn't correct the known issue in their vehicles. I contact BMW Customer Relations about this issue after it happened the first time, they couldn't find the document above in their system and offered no resolution.
The turbo charger electric waste gate actuator lever fell off the vehicle from rust. It disconnected at the two locations where it is installed. This caused an immediate loss of power at highway speeds. It is related to this issue where the the clip/link that holds the lever rusts off. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Timing chain broken, sas light on, drivetrain malfunction…
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact stated that upon the start of the vehicle, there was a white plume of smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The "Drivetrain Malfunction Drive Moderately" message was displayed. The contact also stated that after driving for a while, there was white smoke coming from the engine department. A local dealer was called about the failure and the contact was informed that the failure might be related to the turbo lines, the oil lines, or the head gasket. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
Mileage: 165,000
I bought the car new and since then, on four separate occasions with the engine running and the brake depressed, the engine begins to race at a high speed and on two of those conditions, the car lurched forward and I struck the vehicle in front of me. On the other two occasions, the car did not move forward but the engine was racing. BMW did their inspection on the vehicle and found nothing out of the ordinary but said when this happens again to place the car in neutral and turn off the engine, I'm concerned that when this happens again, I may be at a crosswalk and actually strike a pedestrian causing personal injury or worse. I honestly now feel uncomfortable driving the car as I deem it a safety issue and request assistance.
Timing chain in engine failed while the vehicle was going 70 MPH on a busy highway. Vehicle had 96,054 miles. “Low oil pressure” warning came on and immediately the engine lost compression and car had to be pulled over to side of the highway. The spot the car stalled was in a dangerous curve of the highway making the towing process dangerous. Vehicle does not switch into neutral when the engine isn’t on. Vehicle had to be dragged onto tow truck ruining the tires. Quoted the repairs at 6 different shops and they were all very familiar with this issue. All estimates for engine repair exceeded the value of the vehicle. Additional costs may have also been incurred as oil pump may have been damaged from timing chain failure. BMW never notified me of the timing chain issues and no dealership I had prior work at ever mentioned the issue.
BMW failed to inform customers about the class action lawsuit several years ago due to the premature failure of the primary and secondary timing chain assemblies for N20 & N26 engines. See SI B11 03 17. Owners of these vehicles were never notified of this documented and extremely hazardous problem. The government should make this a recall and not allowed it to just be an extended warranty that has since expired and was unknown to many owners. There are thousands of these vehicles on the road with this defective part that could suddenly cause the engine to cease working, resulting in an accident that could cause injury and death to many. If this chain fails while driving it is catastrophic to both the car and the people. A recall should be issued immediately.
The turbo valve outside of the turbo leaks back into the engine and creates a cloud of smoke at start up.They created a new one way valve to come out of turbo but it's not in the recall list. It's very expensive to fix you have to take the whole car apart. It's dangerous at startup I had a huge cloud of smoke and can cause an accident from cars not being able to see from all the smoke in the parking garage. My number is [XXX] [XXX] Email- [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The engine component caught fire spontaneously when car was pulled into a parking lot. There was no warning sign. It did not show any service required notice like it usually does on the dashboard for example if oil is low. There were no recalls pending on this vehicle. The fire was big enough that we had to call fire department to put out. It would have affected other vehicles if not put out. The vehicle was declared total loss after an inspection by insurance company. The car manufacturer (BMW) was contacted but not responded yet. It is available for detailed inquiry and inspection in a secure place.
Timing chain system failed. Inspection no longer possible due to being repaired in order to be used and not blow engine. Daughter driving on freeway to Phoenix, AZ in 115+ degree weather and left to sit on side of rode with no A/C until tow truck able to tow vehicle rest of way to Phoenix, AZ. Chandler BMW confirmed issue and repaired. Independent service provider in hometown informed me of every BMW owner having this issue a few months after repair. Discovered class action lawsuit from several years ago after research regarding this exact issue. Unknown of symptoms prior to failure, but vehicle has been very well maintained since purchase just about a year ago (2 trips to independent service provider in hometown and one trip to Chandler BMW mentioned above). Approximately 105,000 miles on vehicle at time of timing chain issue.
Timing chain tensioner failed clogging the oil pump with plastic which in turn starved the engine for oil. We got a low oil pressure light in the Interstate at 70MPH. 10 seconds later trying to pull across 3 lanes of traffic the engine seized. Luckily we were able to coast across the 3rd lane onto the side of the Interstate. With traffic flying by I had to get my family into an uber. I realize the class action suit ended but my car barely has 70k miles on it. I don't see how bmw could get away with this. There are many of their cars that are past the 10 year class action suit but under or at the 70k mile cut off like mine. The car is still at the dealership. It has been inspected and I have been informed that I'm not eligible for the repairs to be covered. The dealer wants 15 thousand dollars for a new engine to be installed on a 12 thousand dollar car. They have offered to sell me a USED engine with 135000 miles on it for 12,000 installed. Imagine the story this would be if one of my family members or myself had been hit on the Interstate trying to get into another vehicle.
the car engine is dead and the car is 90k miles on it, this shouldn't happened to a BMW car and its going to coast a lot of money to fix even more than what I payed for the car, that's really sad. the car just suddenly stoped working.
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
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
The timing chain went out. Warranty was extended to 70,000 miles or 7 years, but this is outside the range of many of the incidences, including mine. I'm getting multiple misfires and you can hear the timing belt when the engine starts, if it starts.
2013 bmw 328ix 82k miles timing chain guide broke blowing the engine. This should not be happening on a bmw. I do not have the money for this!
Timing chain failure after 75k miles, costing a lot of money in repairs after engine starvation
The contact owned a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked outside of a friend's home, her friend received a call from a neighbor that a vehicle outside the home had caught fire. The fire department was called and the fire was extinguished. A fire report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was completely destroyed but had yet to be towed. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle was a total loss. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
Mileage: 83,000
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving 40-45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The drivetrain malfunction message was displayed. The contact was able to pull into a driveway. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with a faulty oil pump which caused damage to the camshaft. The independent mechanic diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,360.
Mileage: 121,360
My timing chain is showing symptoms of failing, engine is backfiring while braking or pulling off, I know the was a recall for the N20 engine timing chains. That’s what I have
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact stated the vehicle was overheating. The contact stated that the high engine temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was undrivable. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 124,000.
Mileage: 124,000
2013 BMW 328I X Drive. A drive train warning light came on at approx 11300 miles. After dealer inspection the timing chain guides may have caused/or the chain my be loose and is now dropping metal into the engine oil. Repair requires a new engine. Inspection also revealed a waste gate control malfunction on the turbo. Repair new turbo.
I started smelling burning oil from my engine and brought it to the mechanic. He confirmed that my car has a valve cover leak and a electrical issue. The Car dies after being left off for more then 12 hours. The car miss fire and have ruff idle. Warning lights power train came on after I had the miss fire. Had P0171 and 02 sensor code.
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.
The thermostat is not closing so the engine stays cold. I checked with my mechanic and he says it is a faulty thermostat. BMW owners retort this issue a lot. Only 75k miles on my car
i was told by couple shops the my timing chain as a problem. Car will not start.....stalled out on a major intersection while my son was driving.... the car just stop working had to get it towed back to the house another expense...the car has been parked for four months and still paying the car note ..I see a drivetrains malfunction on the display... Please help me and keep my son safe.. BMW the ultimate driving machine plz make the safest driving machine.
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.
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving 5 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact also stated that the vehicle would not shift gears correctly. The contact stated that the ignition start malfunction warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.
Mileage: 121,000
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328i. The contact stated that at start-up there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed but not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the Vin was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 101,947. This recalls affected vehicles are all F30 models with N26 engine produced from Feb 2012-May 2013. Contact's car is a F30 with N26 engine produced May 01, 2013.
Mileage: 101,947
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the drive train malfunction warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with the timing chain needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 117,500.
Mileage: 117,500
TIMING CHAIN GUIDE FAILURE. COULD'VE BEEN PREVENTED HAD WE BEEN PROPERLY NOTIFIED THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND THAT THIS PART HAD BEEN RE-ENGINEERED IN 2013 DUE TO KNOWN FAILURE. LIMITED WARRANTY LETTER SENT 12/2017 DID NOT ADEQUATELY INFORM US OF THE NEED TO HAVE THIS PART CHECKED AND REPLACED. IN FACT LETTER STATES "THIS IS NOT A NOTICE OF A RECALL OR SERVICE ACTION." DRIVING FROM LONG BEACH CA TO PHOENIX AZ ON 3/5/21. 90 MILES OUTSIDE OF PHOENIX, ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOR "LOW OIL PRESSURE". PULLED OVER, RAN OIL LEVEL CHECK AND IT READ "FULL". SEEMED ODD. DROVE ON FURTHER, 20 MINS LATER, SAME MESSAGE CAME ON, PULLED OFF INTERSTATE AND AGAIN RAN OIL LEVEL CHECK, READ FULL. THOUGHT MAYBE IT'S JUST A FAULTY SENSOR AND COULD HAVE IT FIXED WHEN WE ARRIVE TO PHOENIX. NEXT DAY, BROUGHT THE CAR TO CHAPMAN BMW IN PHOENIX AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A CRACKED OIL FILTER HOUSING. WHEN ASKED, "HOW MUCH OIL WAS IT LOW, AND WHY DID THE OIL LEVEL COME UP FULL IF THERE WAS A LOW PRESSURE?" THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. ONLY THEN DID THEY FIND THE BROKEN PART IN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TIMING CHAIN. THIS FAILED PART ALSO RESULTED IN HAVING TO HAVE OTHER PARTS REPLACED, INCLUDING THE OIL PUMP, DUE TO WORN PLASTIC SHAVINGS RUN THROUGH THE SYSTEM. THIS/THESE ARE ADDRESSED IN THE GELIS, ET AL. V. BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT AND BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC, CIVIL ACTION NO. 2:17-CV-07386 SETTLEMENT. WE HAD JUST PASSED 100K MILES A FEW DAYS BEFORE LEAVING FOR OUR TRIP. HOWEVER, THIS COULD'VE BEEN AVOIDED HAD WE KNOWN THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO HAVE THESE PARTS PRE-EMPTIVELY REPLACED AT A SPECIFIC MILEAGE. ADDITIONAL PARTS/REPAIRS NEEDED DUE TO THIS PART FAILURE, WE ALSO INCURRED ADDITIONAL UNNECESSARY HOTEL, AIRFARE, AND TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES. ALL OF THIS COULD'VE BEEN AVOIDED IF BMW PROVIDED PROPER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
Mileage: 100,700
TL* THE CONTACT'S SISTER OWNS A 2013 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT START-UP, THERE WAS A HEAVY WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT'S SISTER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO ARROWHEAD BMW (19250 N, AZ-101 LOOP, GLENDALE, AZ 85308) WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL LINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THEY INFORMED HER THAT HER VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 71,000.
Mileage: 71,000
THE LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING CAME ON WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY ASKING ME TO PULL OVER AND DON'T DRIVE THE CAR ANYMORE. TOOK CAR TO INDEPENDENT BMW REPAIR SHOP THAT RECENTLY CHANGED MY OIL WHO FOUND OIL PRESSURE FAULTS BUT NO DEFINITE FAILURES BUT SUSPECT AN OIL PUMP TIMING CHAIN ISSUE THAT IS COMMON WITH BMW 4 CYLINDER TURBO ENGINES THAT LEADS TO ENGINE FAILURE. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME HE RECENTLY REPAIRED 4 CARS THAT SUFFERED ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO THIS ISSUE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER NEXT DOOR TO FURTHER DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. HE MADE FURTHER TESTS AT MY EXPENSE AND VERIFIED THERE IS SLACK IN THE TIMING CHAIN. DEALER SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR AS IT MAY LEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE. I WAS QUOTED $871 TO FURTHER DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE AND IF THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED REPLACEMENT THE REPAIR WOULD COST AN ADDITION $5400 . MY CAR IS WORTH BETWEEN 7.5K AND 9K THERE'S A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM (SEE WWW.TIMINGCHAINMODULESETTLEMENT.COM) BMW KNOWS THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH THE TIMING BELT IN THIS MODELS THAT MAY LEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE BUT THE SETTLEMENT LIMITS THE MILEAGE TO 100K. UNFORTUNATELY MY CAR HAS GREATER THAN 100K MILES SO I CANNOT PARTICIPATE ON THIS CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. BUT WHY SHOULD I BEAR THE COST OF FIXING SOMETHING I HAVE NO CONTROL OF THAT LEADS TO ENGINE FAILURE BECAUSE I AM OUT OF WARRANTY? THIS IS POOR DESIGN ON THE PART OF THE MANUFACTURER THAT LEADS TO ENGINE FAILURE AND NEEDS TO BE PART OF A RECALL.
Mileage: 10
PURCHASED THE CAR THIS MONTH AND ALREADY MAKING TIMING CHAIN NOISE I WENT TO INSPECT IT AND THE CHAIN IS REALLY LOOSE
Mileage: 86,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST TIP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OIL HAD ENTERED THE TURBO CHARGER CAUSING THE FAILURE. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY EMISSION CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 166EA05 (ENGINE N26) TO REPLACE THE TURBO CHARGER OIL SUPPLY LINES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 62,000.*DT
Mileage: 62,000
PREMATURE TIMING CHAIN FALIURE, HAD BMW LOOK AT IT AND SAID IT SEEMED FINE AND WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO KNOW UNLESS THEY OPEN THE MOTOR $500 TO CHECK? A FEW WEEKS LATER TIMING CHAIN BROKE AT 82,000 MILES.
Mileage: 82,000
MY CAR IS A 2013 AND WAS PURCHASED IN 2016; WITH MILAGE AT 78,700. ON A COLD START, A HUGE CLOUD OF WHITE SMOKE COMES OUT OF THE RIGHT EXHAUST PIPE. I TOOK IT TO BMW FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE. I WAS TOLD IT IS A TURBO FEED LINE AND IF THAT IS NOT IT THEN IT IS THE TURBO CHARGER ENGINE AS A WHOLE. I WAS QUOTE $5000 FOR THE FULL REPAIR ON A CAR. I FOUND A RECALL FOR THE SAME ISSUE ON THE SAME MODEL OF CAR, AND I SPOKE WITH BMW ABOUT IT. THE RECALL IS FOR THE N26 ENGINE AND NOT THE N20 ENGINE WHICH IS ON MY CAR, EVEN IF IT IS THE SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE TURBO CHARGER. THE RECALL NEEDS TO COVER ALL ENGINE STYLES FROM THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL BECAUSE THEY ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. MY VIN WAS NOT ACCEPTED AND I WAS DENIED SERVICE HELP. PLEASE I WOULD LIKE TOO ATTACHED TO THIS VEHICLE VIN TO A RECALL FOR A TURBO CHARGER FAILURE. THE RECALL WAS FOR 8 YEARS/ 80,000 MILES AND MY CAR MEETS THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
Mileage: 78,700
AFTER ABOUT 75K MILES, THE ENGINE HAS STARTED TO MAKE A "WHINING" NOISE AT AROUND 3-4 THOUSAND RPM. DIAGNOSED AS A TIMING CHAIN TENSION ISSUE THAT MANY SIMILAR CARS WITH THIS ENGINE (N20) HAVE. THIS APPARENT DEFECT SEEMS TO BE QUITE COMMON AMONG OWNERS OF CARS WITH THIS ENGINE. CURRENT COURSE OF ACTION IS TO SPEND $4K IN LABOR AND PARTS TO PROACTIVE REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AND PLASTIC GUIDES, OR NOT DO ANYTHING. THE LATTER WOULD SURELY RESULT IN ENGINE FAILURE AND REQUIRE REPLACEMENT (ROUGHLY $20K).
Mileage: 75,000
I BOUGHT THE 2013 BMW 328XI BRAND NEW IN 2012. LAST YEAR, I SPENT $2,000 REPLACING THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AFTER MY CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. WHEN I WAS GOING IN FOR A ROUTINE INSPECTION, MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE COST IS VERY EXPENSIVE. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A PREVALENT ISSUE WITH BMW OWNERS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE N20/N26 ENGINE. I EVEN FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A PENDING CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT CLAIMING THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BMW USED WAS KNOWINGLY DEFECTIVE! AS OF NOW, MY CAR IS WORTH ABOUT $10,000 AND THE COST TO FIX THIS ISSUE IS ALMOST HALF THE VALUE OF THE CAR. I HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE TIMING CHAIN REPAIRED YET. *TR
Mileage: 82,000
WAS DRIVING MY BMW 328I ON A HIGHWAY WHEN A 'CHECK OIL' LIGHT CAME ON. A FEW MINUTES LATER, A 'DRIVETRAIN FAILURE' LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE NEXT EXIT AND WITHIN 3 MINUTES THE ENGINE FAILED. I WAS ABLE TO COAST OVER TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST BMW DEALERSHIP. THEY CHECKED OUT THE VEHICLE AND SAID THERE WERE 'METAL FRAGMENTS' IN THE OIL, BUT COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHAT CAUSED THAT WITHOUT DISASSEMBLING THE ENGINE. THEY SAID THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR THE CAR WOULD BE TO SPEND $15,000 TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT HUNDREDS OF BMW OWNERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES, AND THE CAUSE WAS A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. I HAD MY CAR SERVICED JUST 5 WEEKS EARLIER AT MY LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP, AND THEY EITHER DIDN'T CHECK THE TIMING CHAIN OR DIDN'T NOTICE IT WAS CLOSE TO FAILURE. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY BEFORE MY ENGINE STALLED, OR I COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED IN HIGH-SPEED TRAFFIC. SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, BMW SHOULD REPAIR THE DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN IN ALL THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, AND IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY OWNERS ABOUT THE DANGER.
Mileage: 108,000
LAST FEB, MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON MID-DRIVE, I LOST POWER, ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A STRANGE NOISE HIGH-PITCHED NOISE, ETC. I GET IT TOWED TO P&W BMW IN N. OAKLAND (PITTSBURGH, PA). ALL THAT WEEK, 2 OR 3 TESTS & INSPECTIONS TO TROUBLESHOOT EACH COSTING ABOUT $160/EA AND I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALLED PART THAT WAS REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. LATER, I LEARNED THAT THE TOTAL ESTIMATE IS ABOUT $6300. THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDE BROKE INSIDE THE ENGINE WHICH DAMAGED THE TIMING CHAIN, GUIDES, OIL PUMP AND OIL PUMP MODULE. I'M STICKER SHOCKED PRIMARILY BC IT'S A BMW WITH 84K MILES (2013 328I XDRIVE) AND I KEEP THE OIL CHANGES ON POINT. UPON RECEIVING A SUMMARY FROM THE SERVICE TECH VIA TEXT, I SEE THE RECALL IS ON A TURBOCHARGER OIL SUPPLY LINE (CAR HAS A TURBO ENGINE). I GOOGLE IT AND IN ABT 10MINS, I LEARN THAT WHEN IT FAILS, THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDE FAILS INSIDE THE ENGINE WHICH DAMAGES THE .... (SEE ABOVE). IN ADDITION, THERE ARE COMPLAINTS GALORE WITH A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN TOW OVER THIS ISSUE AS HUNDREDS HAVE COME FORWARD OVER HAVING TO FORK TO OUT ANYWHERE FROM $4500-$15000 TO REPLACE ENGINES (OR ENGINE PARTS) WITH LESS THAN 90K MILES ON THEM (IN MOST CASES I'VE READ AND I'VE READ ABOUT 50) SINCE 2012 (SOURCE: HTTPS://TOPCLASSACTIONS.COM/LAWSUIT-SETTLEMENTS/LAWSUIT-NEWS/826357-BMW-CLASS-ACTION-SEEKS-FIX-ENGINE-CHAIN-DEFECT/COMMENT-PAGE-2). A FEDERAL JUDGE MADE A PARTIAL RULING AS EARLY AS OCT 2018 AS I'M SURE YOU ARE AWARE. I SPOKE TO THE MANAGER AND THIS IS ALL NEWS TO HIM.
Mileage: 83,000
NOTED LOUD WHIRLING/WHINY SOUND FROM ENGINE. BROUGHT TO MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD TIMING/OIL MECHANISM IS MALFUNCTIONING. IF DRIVEN FURTHER ENGINE MIGHT SEIZE. VALVE COVER WAS REMOVED AND TIMING CHAIN FOUND WITH UNACCEPTABLE SLACK. UPON INVESTIGATION I DISCOVERED BMW NA SENT LETTERS ON EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR MY CAR. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED SUCH LETTER. CONTACTED BMWNA AND THEY DENY COVERAGE BECAUSE THE CAR WAS NOT REPAIRED AT A DEALER. I HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING IT HAS TO BE. ALSO AT 34000 MILES WITH PROVEN MAINTENANCE RECORD WAY AHEAD OF ANY MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE PUBLISHED BY BMW I SHOULD HAVE HAVE TO REPAIR TIMING MECHANISM AT A COST OT $2800. WHAT IS MORE SCARY IS THAT THE ENGINE MIGHT HAVE FAILED ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR. PLEASE LOOK INTO N20/26 ENGINE FAILURE RATES AS BMW IS OBVIOUSLY NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE DANGER "BUILT IN" IN THEIR FXX GENERATION CARS.
Mileage: 34,000
DRIVING WHEN THE LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON DUE TO TIMING CHAIN GUIDES FAILING. IT WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AND GUIDES. THE TIMING CHAINS HAVE FAILED AND IS CLOGGING THE OIL PUMP PICK UP CAUSING THE LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THIS OCCURRED ON 11/14/2019 WITH 92,595 MILES.
Mileage: 92,595
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 328I. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CREVIER BMW (1500 AUTO MALL DR, SANTA ANA, CA 92705, (657) 213-3493) TO HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY REPAIR PERFORMED. THE DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE TURBO COOLANT LINE WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 37,986. *BF CONSUMER HAD A DEFECTIVE NVDL PRESSURE SWITCH WHICH CAUSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO GO ON.*JB
Mileage: 37,986
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
Mileage: 88,000
REPLACED AN ABOUT TO BLOW TIMING SHAFT AND TIMING BELT FOR A N26 F30 BMW 328I. WILL CAUSE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF ENGINE IN CASE ITS BLOWS UP. I HAD IT HAPPEN TO ME WHEN I HAD 74K MILES. BMW EXTENDED WARRANTY UNTIL 70K BUT SINCE MY INCIDENT HAPPENED AT 74K BMW REFUSED TO OFFER ANY HELP. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AS THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL USED TO MAKE THE TIMING CHAIN WAS BRITTLE AND WAS REPLACED IN 2015.
Mileage: 74,000
WITHOUT WARNING THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON, I STOPPED WITHIN 1/2 MILE. DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME THAT IT IS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE DUE TO A BROKEN PUMP CHAIN.
Mileage: 85,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. ALSO, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL BUMPING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED UPON STARTING. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, IT RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION; HOWEVER, THE SEAT BELT WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED BMW OF HENDERSON (261 AUTO MALL DR, HENDERSON, NV 89014, (702) 570-0278) AND BMW OF LAS VEGAS (6900 W SAHARA AVE, LAS VEGAS, NV 89117, (702) 570-0279) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.
Mileage: 39,000
CAM SHAFT AND CRANK SHAFT SENSORS HAVE FAILED CAUSING TIMING CHAIN TO FAIL. THE ENGINE IS NOT SALVAGEABLE
Mileage: 82,000
EXHAUST STARTED EMITTING WHITE SMOKE DURING A COLD START. TOOK IT IN TO SERVICE AND THE OIL SUPPLY LINE IS BAD AND SENDING OIL THROUGH THE EXHAUST. $1500 REPAIR. MEANWHILE A RECALL WAS ISSUED A FEW YEARS AGO FOR THIS VEHICLE BUT OUR VIN DOESN'T FALL UNDER IT. ???
Mileage: 70,000
WHINING OF THE ENGINE TIMING CHAIN. VISIBLE MARKS ON CHAIN AND ROUGH IDLE ON CAR AND HARD STARTS. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND CAUSE WAS TIMING CHAIN GUIDES BROKEN. SHINY MARKS CAN BE SEEN ON THE CHAIN. CAN BE HEARD WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, NAMELY WHEN THERE ISN'T MUCH WIND
Mileage: 59,000
PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN LATE MARCH. WE HAVE ALREADY HAD TO GO TO THE REPAIR SHOP MORE THAN 3 OCCASIONS. I BELIEVE THEY ARE USING FAULTY PIECES IN VEHICLES. WE SPENT 13K AND PUT DOWN 4K. NOW WORKING 2 MONTHS THE REPAIRS ARE COSTING CLOSE TO 5K IN 2 MONTHS. I UNDERSTAND BUYING USED VEHICLES AS MY FIRST CAR WAS USED. HOWEVER I HAVE HAD NO ISSUES IN 2 YEARS. I BELIEVE THIS PIECE WAS BROKEN AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO REPAIR THE ISSUES WITH THE CAR BASED ON COST.
I WAS DRIVING FROM WORK AND THE CAR JUST INSTANTLY SHUT OFF ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WOULDN'T GO INTO NEUTRAL. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE I SAW THAT IT'S A PROBLEM WHERE A LOT OF BMW OWNERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED. WHAT IF I GOT MY KIDS IN THE CAR THAT DAY
Mileage: 104,000
CAR INVOLVED IN REAR END COLLISION AND CAR CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED UP. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CAR WAS IN SLOW MOTION APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT WHEN HIT IN REAR . ROAD CONDITIONS SUNNY AND DRY. MY CAR WAS PUSHED INTO CAR IN FRONT CAUSING MORE DAMAGE. ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN ILLINOIS 159 IN GLEN CARBON,ILL.
Mileage: 48,000
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FWY. THE SYSTEM IN MY CAR ANOUNCED FOR ME TO STOP AS IT WAS DETECTING AN ERROR. I PULLED ASIDE TURN OFF THE ENGINE, WAITED SOME TIME, TURNED ENGINE BACK ON AND CAR WOULD NOT START. CALLED TOWING SERVICES AND TAKEN TO A MECHANIC. PER MECHANIC THE MOTOR ENGINE DIED. HAD NO CAR SINCE 12/20/2018. PLEASE ASSIST INCIDENT HAPPEN ON 12/20/2019 NEAR CERRITOS CALIFORNIA. 605 S FWY AROUND 6:30AM
Mileage: 72,000
A BURN SMELL IS COMING THRU THE VENT
VEHICLE BEGAN NOT RESPONDING TO GAS INPUT AND TURBO STARTED GOING OUT. DIAGNOSTIC APPEARED TO REVEAL WASTE GATE OPERATOR MALFUNCTION, BUT FURTHER ANALYSIS SHOWED COMPLETE TURBO REPLACEMENT REQUIRED. VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING HIGH PITCHED NOISE AT VARIOUS POINTS (IDLE AND ACCELERATION). LESS THAN 90K MILES ON VEHICLE.
Mileage: 80,000
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH, THE PLASTIC TIMING CHAIN GUIDES BREAK CAUSING THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE TO DROP AND TIMING CHAIN SNAPS AND LEAD TO SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION. THE ENGINE STOPS WORKING AND LOSES POWER WHILE MOVING WHICH IS DANGEROUS. BMW ISSUED A TSB FOR THIS ISSUE AS THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE FROM FACTORY HOWEVER, DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL.
Mileage: 99,000
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.
Mileage: 67,000
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.
Mileage: 70,000
THERE'S A LEAKING COMING FROM THE ENGINE BAY AREA I REPLACE THE VALVE COVER GASKET BUT THAT HASN'T STOP THE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE CAR I'VE SEEN IN SEVERAL BMW FORUMS THAT OWNERS OF 3 SERIES HAVE COMPLAIN ABOUT THESE AND THE TWO MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT CAUSE THIS IS 1. THE VALVE COVER GASKET OR THE TURBO OIL LINES THE OIL GET INTO THE CATALYST CONVERTER AND START SMOKING AND HEATING AND THIS MIGHT CAUSE A FIRE WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING OR COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP
Mileage: 96,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 328I. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND FAILED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. ADDITIONALLY, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK AND BACK, A HEAD CONCUSSION, RUPTURED BLOOD VESSELS, AND A FACE CONTUSION THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THERE WAS NO UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.
Mileage: 79,000
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.
Mileage: 53,000
I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE WITH $7000 DOWN AND THE FIRST WEEK THE "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION" WARNING CAME ON AS I WAS ENTERING THE FREEWAY. THEY SAID IT HAD TO DO WITH THE TURBO. IT HAS BEEN LESS THAN 2 YEARS AND MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 7 TIMES FOR A "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION". I HAVE HAD TO PULL OVER IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC MOST OF THE TIME OFF THE FREEWAY. AND, AGAIN TODAY (12/3/2017) I WAS ENTERING THE FREEWAY AND ALSO HIT A SEMI WHEN MY CAR LOST POWER DUE TO THE DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION.
Mileage: 49,451
TRAVELLING AT 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY I GOT A MESSAGE "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION". BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO STOP, THE CAR SHUT DOWN. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THE PLASTIC TIMING CHAIN COVER BROKE OFF AND PERMANENTLY DAMAGED THE ENGINE. IT WILL COST ME $8300 TO REPAIR. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN AND THAT BMW HAS SINCE CHANGED THE DESIGN.
Mileage: 80,000
ON 6/5/2017 I WAS DRIVING ON A VERY BUSY GARDEN STATE PARKWAY IN THE AFTERNOON AT ABOUT 65 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 MESSAGE WAS GONE AND IT DROVE OK. I WAS VERY SCARED TO DRIVE IT BUT THE MESSAGE HAS NOT COME BACK. INSTEAD MY HUSBAND'S BMW X3 2013 HAD THE SAME MESSAGE 2 MONTHS LATER AND HE WAS ALSO ON THE HIGHWAY DURING THE INCIDENT. BMW SERVICE TOLD HIM THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE TIMING BELT. 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 (AND MY HUSBAND TOO). WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR BMW OR NHTSA TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM - A DEATH OR FEW?
Mileage: 29,600
TIMING CHAIN IS MAKING A WHINE AND A RATTLE SOUND WHEN ENGINE IS RUNNING. THE N20 ENGINE (TWIN TURBO 4 CYLINDER) IN THIS CAR ANY MANY OTHER BMW VEHICLES TIMING CHAINS ARE KNOWN TO STRETCH AND BREAK ALONG WITH THE ORIGINAL BROWN/DARK ORANGE COLOR PLASTIC TIMING CHAIN GUARD RAIL. THE TIMING CHAIN GUARD RAIL WAS MADE OUT OF A DEFECTIVE PLASTIC UNTIL AROUND 1/1/15 WHEN BMW REALIZED THERE WERE OWNERS HAVING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE NOT IF THE CHAIN BREAKS, BUT WHEN. THE ONLY REPAIR IF THE ENGINE FAILS IS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AT A COST OF APPROX. $12K AND $8K IN LABOR TOTALING ABOUT $20K WHICH EXCEEDS THE VALUE OF MY VEHICLE. VEHICLES WITH THIS ENGINE MANUFACTURED AFTER 1/1/15 HAVE THE REDESIGNED MORE DURABLE WHITE PLASTIC TIMING CHAIN GUARD RAIL ALLOWING THE ENGINE TO RUN SMOOTHER AND WITHOUT THE RISK OF ENGINE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THERE IS A GRAVE SAFETY RISK FOR OWNERS WITH THIS ENGINE WITH THE ORIGINAL PRE-2015 TIMING CHAIN & GUARD RAIL DESIGN BECAUSE IF YOU ARE TRAVELING IN NORMAL TRAFFIC OR ATTEMPTING TO CROSS A TRAIN TRACK OR OTHER DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS, OCCUPANTS CAN BE KILLED AS A RESULT OF THE VEHICLE STALLING. CONTACTED BMW NORTH AMERICA ON 5/19/17 REGARDING THE ISSUE AND HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY MY LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP WHO INDICATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. THE TOTAL COST TO REPLACE MY ORIGINAL TIMING CHAIN AND TIMING CHAIN GUARD RAIL WITH THE RE-DESIGNED VERSION WOULD COST $4600 WITH PARTS & LABOR. BMW USA AND THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO COVER THE COST AND DENIED THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY DEFECT. I ALSO PROVIDED THEM A COPY OF A WEB LINK WITH A YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE ISSUE NARRATED BY AN INDEPENDENT BMW TECHNICIAN EXPLAINING THE DEFECT. SEE THE LINK BELOW WHICH CONTAINS PHOTOS AND THE YOUTUBE VIDEO RELATED TO THIS ISSUE. HTTPS://BMWTECHNICIAN.COM/2016/08/07/N20-TIMING-CHAIN-ISSUE/
Mileage: 71,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 328I. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY DRIFTED FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WHEELS NEEDED TO BE ALIGNED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER A THIRD TIME, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SERVICED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V454000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED A BURNING OIL ODOR AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DROVE HOME AND DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD AN OIL LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VACUUM PUMP FAILED, WAS LEAKING, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.
Mileage: 45,000
WHILE DRIVING CAR COMPLETELY STALLED OUT FOR NO SPECIFIC REASON. THIS OCCURRED ON FREEWAY WITH CARS ALL AROUND I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO COAST TO SHOULDER. CHECKED ON BOARD VEHICLE STATUS ALL CHECKED "OK". AFTER A SHORT TIME CAR STARTED RIGHT UP DROVE IT HOME AND NEXT MORNING IT STALLED OUT AGAIN WHILE ON A CITY STREET. THIS TIME UNABLE TO PUT INTO NEUTRAL, ELECTRONICS WORKED, HAD TO FLAT , HAD TO FLAT BED IT TO THE DEALER. THIS MAKES THIS CAR DANGEROUS AND UNRELIABLE. CAR IS CURRENTLY IN FOR REPAIRS. ATTACHED IS THE RECOMMENDED SERVICES HAVE NOT RECEIVED COMPLETED WORK REPORT.
Mileage: 38,980
WHILE I WAS ON STANBY WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO MOVE OUT OF SPOT SO I CAN PARK AND MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES THE ENGINE REVED UP ABOVE THE 6000 RPM ON ITS OWN.
Mileage: 47,500
IT SEEMS THAT I HAVE DAMAGE TO MY VALVE CAM, WELL JUST LOOKED UP AND THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THAT WAS NEVER REPORTED TO ME AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE - I AM LOOKING AT PAYING OVER 1700 FOR A VALVE COVER (LABOR AND MATERIAL). MY AIR BAG LIGHTS CAME ON IN JULY AND I AM TOLD THAT MY VIN IS NOT UNDER RECALL - WHEN I TOOK TO MECHANIC I WAS TOLD TO TAKE TO BMW TO HAVE ADDED TO RECALL. *TR
OIL SEEPING INTO THE TURBO SYSTEM CAUSING MODERATE TO HEAVY WHITE SMOKE FROM EXHAUST AT COLD START UP ONLY.
Mileage: 64,523
THE CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN BACK 3X IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS FOR THE SAME ISSUE THE CAR TURNS OFF BY ITSELF WHEN STOPPED. BMW DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS OR REASONS FOR ENGINE SHUTTING OFF.. THEY SHUT OFF THE FEATURE AND THE CAR CONTINUES TO SHUT OFF... ON THE MORNING OF JULY 3, 2014, AS I WAS COMING TO A RED LIGHT THE BRAKE PEDALS GOT VERY HARD AND I HAD TO PUSH THE PEDALS ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR FOR THE CAR TO STOP COMPLETELY. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP BEING CHECKED OUT. I CALLED BMW TO FIND OUT WHAT CAN BE DONE, I DONT FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR ANYMORE. *JS
Mileage: 10,547
2013 BMW 328I X-DRIVE, DRIVING @ 40 MPH THE DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON, CAR WENT INTO REDUCED POWER MODE (NO HIGHER THAN 20 MPH) MAKING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN TRAFFIC. LUCKILY I COULD PULL OVER TO A SAFE AREA. I CALLED BMW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. WHEN TOW TRUCK ARRIVED, NO WARNING LIGHT! DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE ERROR, BUT NOW HAVE A AIR BAG WARNING COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY... BACK TO DEALER I GUESS. THIS IS A COMMON, POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND FRUSTRATING ISSUE FOR 328 OWNERS. *TR
Mileage: 6,000
WHILE SLOWLY COMING TO A STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME HARD YET THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP AND SEEMED TO GLIDE FOR 10-15 FEET BEFORE FINALLY STOPPING AT WHICH POINT THE ENGINE REVVED TO 6000 RPM, BUT DID NOT ACCELERATE. THE PEDAL BECAME SO HARD THAT I COULD NOT PRESS ANY HARDER, YET WAS STILL SLOWLY MOVING. TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND DROVE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. ON 7/15/2013 THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN AS I WAS PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL I COULD FEEL THE CAR CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD AND THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME VERY HARD YET STILL DID NOT STOP THE CAR. AS SOON AS THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED THE ENGINE REVVED TO 3500 RPM, AT WHICH TIME I SHUT IT OFF. CAR IS BACK AT THE DEALER AND BMWNA HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF BOTH EPISODES. *TR
Mileage: 7,200