Home · 2012 BMW 750i · Complaints

What 11 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 BMW 750i

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 (11)Crash / fire / injury (1)Engine (7)Transmission & drivetrain (3)Brakes (1)Electrical system (1)Seat belts (1)Wheels (1)

Newest first · 11 complaints

Mar 2, 2023Engine

The contact owns a 2012 BMW 750I. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was idling rough. Additionally, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was making an abnormal sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as a timing chain failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,000.

NHTSA ODI 11509904

May 30, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

Transmission secure vehicle with parking break when stationary. The vehicle jumps from park to neural by its self randomly and pops up with the transmission warning. Heard it's a common problem should be recalled

NHTSA ODI 11466653

Oct 15, 2021Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2012 BMW 750I. The contact stated that while stopped in traffic, a wildfire began to approach his vehicle. The contact then stated that white smoke obstructed his vision on the highway. As the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, the vehicle stalled with the transmission disengaged message on the instrument panel. The contact restarted the vehicle three times before the transmission re-engaged and the contact was able to escape the thick smoke that had covered his vehicle. The contact called the dealer and spoke to a service advisor who stated that the heat from the fire caused the vehicle to stall. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and referred him back to the dealer for an inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

NHTSA ODI 11436892

Jul 26, 2020Engine

VEHICLE CONSUMES LARGE AMOUNTS OF OIL. MOST OIL BURNS AND RELEASES FROM THE EXHAUST WHEN DRIVING.. ENGINE REQUIRES A REPLACEMENT FROM BMW.

NHTSA ODI 11341512

Jun 4, 2019Transmission & drivetrainEngine

THERE IS WHITE SMOKE THAT IS COMING OUT OF THE BACK PIPES OF THE CAR. THE CAR IS BURNING THROUGH OIL. I AM PUTTING A QUART IN EVERY 2 -3 WEEKS. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT IT IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS THE 2009 MODEL. THE 2009 750I HAS BEEN RECALLED TO FIX THE ENGINE PROBLEM AND I HAVE A 2012 MODEL. THE SMOKE COMES OUT WHEN I AM DRIVING NOT WHEN IT IS STATIONARY ON THE CITY STREET, HIGHWAY OR WHEREVER. I DON'T FEEL SAFE. I AM GOING TO START DRIVING MORE DISTANCE AND I DON'T WANT TO RUN OUT OF OIL AND CAUSE MORE DAMAGE TO MY CAR. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE OIL CONSUMPTION. THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES SURROUNDING THE CAR. I AM NOT A MECHANIC. BUT, I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THIS CAR WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION WHEN I BOUGHT IT.

NHTSA ODI 11217885

Apr 16, 2019Engine

LOW ENGINE OIL COMES ON EVERY FEW MONTHS AND I HAVE TO ADD OIL AT THAT TIME. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE OIL IS GOING BUT LEVEL IS DOWN TO MINIMUM. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11196721

Oct 3, 2018Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 750I. AFTER CHARGING THE VEHICLE, THE "ENGINE COMPARTMENT HOT" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 24,850.

NHTSA ODI 11133130

Aug 23, 2018Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 750I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V248000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. BMW OF ONTARIO (1350 AUTO CENTER DR, ONTARIO, CA 91761, (909) 906-4000) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11121840

Mar 2, 2018Fire

ON JANUARY 10TH 2018, MY BMW (2012, 750I), SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTED IN OUR GARAGE, UNDER MY SON'S BEDROOMS, AFTER NOT BEING ON FOR 14.5 HOURS. *BF *TR

NHTSA ODI 11075825

Feb 7, 2017Electrical systemBrakesEngine

DEALER REPORTED THAT MOISTURE ENTERED A WATERPROOF ENCLOSURE THAT HOUSES THE BRAKE MODULATOR. WATER ENTERED THRU A DRAIN HOLE FROM THE COWL AND BYPASSED A PLATE MEANT TO KEEP WATER OUT. ONCE EFFECTED BY MOISTURE THE MODULATOR SHUT DOWN ALL FUNCTIONS OF THE CAR INCLUDING THE ENGINE WHILE MOVING. BMW BLAMED IT ON PARTIAL SUBMERSION OF THE MODULATOR BUT CAR WAS NEVER EFFECTED BY WATER/SUBMERSION AND THE DEALER AGREED THAT THEIR WAS NO EVIDENCE OF THAT AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING TO SUPPORT THAT CONDITION. UPON REPAIR DEALER WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO TRY AND SEAL COMPARTMENT AND INSTALL DIVERTER THAT WAS REPLACED IN THE REPAIR TO PREVENT REOCCURRENCE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN MANUFACTURE ON A VERY LIMITED NUMBER OF CARS MADE BY BMW FOR THIS SPECIFIC MODEL. OWNERS NEED TO KNOW THAT THE CONDITIONS EXPERIENCED HAVE A MUCH DIFFERENT EFFECT ON SAFETY DUE TO THE HYBRID DESIGN THAN A STANDARD NON HYBRID CAR.

NHTSA ODI 10950199

Aug 30, 2013Seat beltsWheels

ON OR ABOUT THE ABOVE DATE, I TRIED TO DRIVE MY NEW CAR IN 2 INCHES OF SNOW,UP A MODERATE GRADE. DESPITE THE TRACTION CONTROL AND HAVING BRAND NEW TIRES, THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO MOVE ANYWAY BUT SIDEWAYS. THE VEHICLE WAS UNFIT FOR ITS PURPOSE AND USE. COMPLAINTS TO THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN IGNORED.

NHTSA ODI 10538133

Working with the data? Download all 11 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 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 750i verdict →