BMW · 5 Series · 2012
0
Recalls
10
Complaints
-
Not Rated
The 2012 BMW 5 Series has no recalls and 10 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Most reported issue: engine (3 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON A ROAD WHEN A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I PARKED THE CAR HOME, SINCE I WAS CLOSE TO HOME. THE SAME WEEK I TOOK THE CAR TO A BMW SPECIALIST BECAUSE THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. AFTER $467.00 SPENT ON LABOR, JUST TO TELL ME I NEED A NEW ENGINE. THIS CAR HAS 72K MILES. THIS IS A CAR THAT I ONLY DROVE ON WEEKENDS AND NOT EVERY WEEKEND. THE CAR IS NOW PARKED IN MY GARAGE BECAUSE TO REPAIR IT IT WILL COST ME $11K. I HAVE HEARD THIS COMPLAINT FROM SEVERAL BMW OWNERS. THE CAR STILL RUNS BUT THE NOISE WILL NO GO AWAY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 5-SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXCESSIVELY OVERHEATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT CONSTANTLY HAD TO EXERCISE CAUTION IN THE EVENT THAT THE VEHICLE MAY HAVE REDUCED ENGINE POWER AND WAS UNCERTAIN IF THE FAILURE WOULD RESULT IN A FIRE. BMW GALLERY OF NORWOOD (918 BOSTON PROVIDENCE HWY, NORWOOD, MA 02062, (888) 441-2338) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT HAD NOT SPECIFIED IF THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO ANY RECALL CAMPAIGNS OR TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS. THE DEALER STATED THAT FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WAS REQUIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.
I HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN ON THIS VEHICLE. I DO BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. CAR FAILS WITH VERY LITTLE WARNING WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN. IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF MAINTENANCE BUT OF A SPECIFIC MANUFACTURING FAULT. HOW WOULD ONE KNOW OF A DEFECT UNTIL SOMETHING GOES WRONG. THEN THE MANUFACTURER DOESN'T TAKE BLAME. MANUFACTURER KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT DID NOT LET OWNERS KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING. BMW HAS SINCE REDESIGNED THE ENGINE BUT WHAT ABOUT THE EXISTING CARS WITH THE ISSUE?
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 5-SERIES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V020000 (AIR BAGS) AND 17V138000 (POWER TRAIN). THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE DEALER, BMW OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, AND WAS INFORMED THAT PARTS WERE ORDERED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V020000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, VIN TOOL CONFIRMS REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE AND PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 65 MPH ON A HIGHWAY UPHILL, ENGINE COMPLETELY STALLED, NO POWER, GOT A MESSAGE "DRIVE-TRAIN MALFUNCTION, NO MAXIMUM OUTPUT, DRIVE MODERATELY". I WAS SURROUNDED BY CARS/SEMI TRUCKS, VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. MANAGED TO PULL OVER ON THE SHOULD. COULD NOT RESTART CAR, GOT A MESSAGE "AUTOMATIC START/STOP DEACTIVATED: ENGINE WILL NOT START AUTOMATICALLY. PRESS THE START/STOP BUTTON TO START THE ENGINE." ABOUT 30 MINS AFTER ENGINE STALLED, I FINALLY RESTARTED THE CAR. CONTINUED TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY FOR ABOUT 10 MILES @ 60-65 MPH. AT A LOCAL STREET, AS I SLOWED DOWN TO APPROACH A TRAFFIC LIGHT, ENGINE STALLED AGAIN, NO POWER, CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF ROAD, GOT THE TWO SAME MESSAGES, COULD NOT START CAR. ABOUT 30 MINS AFTER ENGINE STALLED, I FINALLY STARTED THE CAR.
MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS MOVE ON THEIR OWN, THEY TURN ON AND OFF AS THEY PLEASE. BROUGHT THE CAR IN TWICE SO FAR AND BMW SERVICE CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. *TR
MY CAR WAS PARKED DURING A HAIL STORM. DURING THE STORM, THE BACK WINDSHIELD SHATTERED INTO A THOUSAND PIECES. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE HAIL STORM! IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE WINDSHIELDS ARE MADE OF SAFETY GLASS, THAT IS DESIGNED TO ABSORB ANY IMPACT, CRACK, AND STAY IN 1 PIECE. HOWEVER, QUITE THE OPPOSITE HAPPENED (I HAVE PICTURES), WHERE THE ENTIRE BACK GLASS BASICALLY EXPLODED AND GLASS PIECES WENT FLYING EVERYWHERE. THERE WERE EVEN PIECES OF GLASS ON THE FRONT FLOOR BOARD AND DASHBOARD. THIS MUST BE A DEFECT AND COULD HAVE BEEN A POTENTIAL LIFE THREATENING EVENT IF ANYONE HAPPENED TO BE IN THE VEHICLE DURING THIS STORM! *TR
BMW 550XI, NORMAL DRIVING, TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR CAME ON, CAR BECAME UNSTABLE. PARKED VEHICLE AND OBSERVED LARGE BUBBLE IN FRONT RIGHT TIRE SIDEWALL HAD SPLIT, CAUSING RAPID DEFLATION. NO ROAD HAZARDS WERE INVOLVED, MECHANIC STATES THAT THESE TIRES GET SIDEWALL BUBBLES ALL THE TIME. *TR
THREE TIRE BUBBLES, FIRST AT 11,000 MILES, TWO MORE AT 12,000. ORIGINAL TIRES ON BMW 535XI SPORT. "GOODYEAR EAGLE LS-2 RUNONFLAT" 245/40R19 BMW QUICKLY REPLACED FOUR TIRES WITH MICHELIN, AT PRORATED COST, SO THEY KNOW THE PROBLEM. TIRES MUST BE RECALLED FOR SAFETY!!!!!!!!! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 550IX EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR EAGLE P245/40/R19. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH AN ALERT ON HIS DASHBOARD ILLUMINATED INSTRUCTING HIM THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN MORE THAN 50 MILES AS THE TIRE WAS GOING FLAT. THIRTY MILES LATER THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE HAD DEVELOPED A BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL, WHICH CAUSED THE TIRE TO SHRED. THE VEHICLE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE VEHICLE WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE TIRES HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED. UPDATED 12/14/12 *BF THE CONSUMER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES WITH MICHELIN TIRES. THE CONSUMER STATED TWO OF THE ORIGINAL FOUR TIRES DEVELOPED BUBBLES ON THE SIDEWALL. ON TWO OCCASIONS, THE DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTIONED. THE VIDEO SCREEN FLASHED A MESSAGE INSTRUCTING THE CONSUMER TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. IN THE PROCESS, THE VEHICLE LOST A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF POWER OUTPUT AND SHOOK VIOLENTLY WHEN DRIVEN OVER 30 MPH. UPDATED 07/09/13
The 2012 BMW 5 Series has 0 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 10 owner-reported complaints for the 2012 BMW 5 Series.
NHTSA has not published a safety rating for the 2012 BMW 5 Series.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2012 BMW 5 Series are engine (3 reports), tires (2 reports), visibility/wiper (2 reports).
NHTSA does not currently list any recalls on record for the 2012 BMW 5 Series. To verify the status of your specific vehicle, check nhtsa.gov/recalls with your VIN.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.