Home · 2012 BMW 528i · Complaints

What 99 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 BMW 528i

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (99)Crash / fire / injury (5)Engine (45)Fuel system (29)Transmission & drivetrain (23)Electrical system (12)Engine & cooling (5)Airbags (4)Brakes (4)Body & structure (3)Speed control (3)Steering (3)

3 of 99 complaints match · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Nov 8, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngineFire

Vehicle leaked oil to where it caused an engine fire.

NHTSA ODI 11624165

Nov 8, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngineFire

While driving error message came up on screen saying add a quart of oil, car was smoking and engine block caught fire.

NHTSA ODI 11624225

Jul 14, 2022EngineFuel systemFire

Car engine caught on fire while driving today and stopped. No smoke or other issues prior. Worried this is related to the recall issued by BMW recently, however my car is not covered under the recall yet. The car is currently located in Vancouver Canada. It was purchased in Tulsa, OK

NHTSA ODI 11473963

Working with the data? Download all 99 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 28, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 BMW 528i verdict →