What 73 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 BMW 528i

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 528I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND THE "DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION" AND "DRIVE SLOWLY" WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND LATER TOWED TO OPEN ROAD BMW (732-201-6579, LOCATED AT 731 US-1, EDISON, NJ 08817) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVE TRAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER MADE THE MANUFACTURER AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 107,000.

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CAR WITH ONLY 69518 MILES ON IT EXPERIENCED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE IN MOVING TRAFFIC. VEHICLE OWNER HAD TO NAVIGATE CAR OUT OF MOVING TRAFFIC WHILE TRYING TO TURN. DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR OWNER AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. FORTUNATELY THIS HAPPENED ON A CITY STREET AND NOT THE FREEWAY. CAR GAVE "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION" AND "LOW ENGINE OIL PRESSURE ERROR" WHEN IT ABRUPTLY SHUT DOWN. CAR HAS N20 ENGINE WITH KNOWN DEFECTS. BMW NA HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON SOME OF SAID DEFECTS, BUT DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO REPAIR UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY UNTIL CONSUMER PROVES THE DEFECT. DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO DO FULL DIAGNOSTIC. CONSUMER IS ASKED TO PAY $3000 PLUS TO PROVE DEFECT AT DEALERSHIP. CONSUMER IS OFFERED A $11000 ENGINE REPLACEMENT AS SOLUTION.

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118,000 MILES HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT DRIVE AXLES AND TURBO CHARGER. NO RECOURSE TO BMW ? MY LAST 2000 BMW 528 WENT 450,000 MILES AND NEVER HAD THESE PROBLEMS.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 528I. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY MODE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN AND ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 86,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

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THE CAR HAD 73,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN STOP AND GO CITY TRAFFIC WHEN SUDDENLY, THE ENGINE WENT INTO LIMP MODE (AS IT IS DESIGNED TO DO AFTER IT DETECTS ENGINE PROBLEMS) AND INDICATORS LIT UP SAYING THAT I NEEDED TO PULL OVER AS THE CAR WAS INOPERABLE. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE ABOUT TO MERGE ONTO A TOLL ROAD, BUT NOW FOUND MYSELF TRYING TO GET THE CAR SAFETY OVER THREE LANES OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC TO A GAS STATION. THIS I MANAGED TO DO WHILE THE CAR WAS MAKING LOAD NOISES AND NOT PROVIDING ADEQUATE ACCELERATION. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO A BMW SPECIALIST I WAS TOLD THE ENGINE'S TIMING SYSTEM WAS OFF. I WAS ALSO TOLD THE TIMING BELT FAILS OFTEN WITH THIS PARTICULAR BMW ENGINE. THE COMMON CAUSE SEEMS TO BE A (UNKNOWN AT LEAST TO ME) PLASTIC PART WITHIN THAT WARPS FROM STRESS AND THEN CAUSES SAID PART TO BREAK APART WITHIN THE ENGINE. I WAS TOLD AFTER THE ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED THAT PLASTIC PARTS WERE FOUND INSIDE THE ENGINE. AFTER REPLACEMENT OF THAT BELT, I'M NOW TOLD THAT THE ENGINE STILL HAS MAJOR PROBLEMS. IT NOW MIGHT REQUIRE A NEW ENGINE ALTOGETHER. IF AFTER 73,000 MILES A BMW NEEDS A NEW ENGINE, IT SUGGESTS TO ME THAT NHTSA SHOULD DO FURTHER RESEARCH INTO THIS MAJOR ENGINE PROBLEM AND ISSUE A RECALL TO MAKE THESE CARS SAFE.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 528I. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SERVICE ROAD, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO BMW OF DALLAS (6200 LEMMON AVE, DALLAS, TX 75209) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO METAL SHAVINGS IN THE ENGINE OIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

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MY BMW 2013 528I M SPORT FAILED ON THE HIGH WAY HEAVY TRAFFIC SHOWS ERROR MESSAGE "LOW OIL PRESSURE" STOP IMMEDIATELY. FULL POWER NOT AVAILABLE" "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION" ENGINE FAILED TO START. TOWED TO NEARBY BMW DEALER. DEALER TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE TIMING CHAIN AND ENGINE. THEY CONCLUDED THAT THE ENGINE DAMAGED DUE TO TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. TIMING CHAIN FAILURE IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND BMW EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 7 YEARS /70000 MILES. MY CAR HAS 70150 MILES. I SUBMITTED A CLAIM WITH BMW NA AND THEY DON'T WANT TO FIX THE CAR. AFTER LOTS OF PHONE CALL THEY AGREED 50% OF THE COST, THAT IS UP TO 10K. I SEARCHED INTERNET AND TALK TO OTHER BMW OWNERS. THERE ARE SEVERAL CASES OF ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO TIMING CHAIN ISSUE AT 70K MILES. BMW KNOWS THIS ISSUE BUT TRYING TO AVOID RECALL. THIS IS VERY HARMFUL FOR THE BMW CAR OWNERS. VERY DANGEROUS RISK. PLEASE HELP. CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET JUSTICE AND ISSUE RESOLUTION.

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I BOUGHT A 2013 BMW 528 I A YEAR AGO WITH NO WARRANTY BUT I'VE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT. RIGHT NOW ITS IN THE SHOP. I'VE TAKEN IT TOO TWO SHOP (BMW) BOTH SHOPS SAY I HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE ALONG WITH THE OTHER PROBLEMS AM HAVING. THE FIRST SHOP SAYS IT WILL COST ME 10000.00 THE 7000.00. I BELIEVE THAT DEALER THAT SOLD ME THE WAS A BAD CAR. CANY PROVE IT. I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE SHOP WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED WORKING. WHAT LEGAL ACTION CAN I TAKE AN CAN I STOP PAYING ON THE VEHICLE. BECAUSE ITS NOT WORKING AN I'M NOT DRIVING IT.

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PER THE MECHANIC, THE TIMING CHAIN MALFUNCTIONED IN THE ENGINE CAUSING DAMAGE TO OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS AND LOSS OF ENGINE COMPRESSION IN THE CYLINDERS. THE COMPLETE ENGINE, WITH 116,000 MILES, WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR IS A 2013 MODEL. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN AT THE TIME THIS OCCURRED. THE ENGINE CUT OFF AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE MECHANIC STATED BMW HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH PARTICULAR IN THE PAST.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 528I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, A PUNGENT ODOR WAS PERCEIVED IN THE VEHICLE. APPROXIMATELY TWENTY SECONDS LATER, THE TRANSMISSION KICKED OUT OF GEAR AND THE PARKING BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND SHUT DOWN. THE CONTACT WAS ALERTED BY ANOTHER DRIVER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND FLAMES SHOT OUT FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, BUT A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED AND TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S FARM. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND A REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS UNUSUAL. THE REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT A SPECIALIST WOULD CALL WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000.

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WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION INDICATOR CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WAS VIBRATING. THE TIMING CHAIN WAS STRETCHED AND THE GUIDES CAME APART.

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THIS CAR HAS A PUSH-BUTTON START/STOP ON THE DASH AND NOT A KEY INSERT. TWICE, I HAVE SOMEHOW, WITH THE CAR IN "PARK" EXITED-CAR NOT MOVING-ON A LEVEL SURFACED PARKING LOT- AND LOCKED THE CAR ONLY TO DISCOVER THE CAR ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. LAST FRIDAY THIS HAPPENED AND I TOOK MY KEY FOB INTO MY OFFICE MORE THAN 100 YARDS FROM MY CAR. MY FIANCE (WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE WITH THE PUSH-BUTTON SYSTEM DID THE SAME THING AT OUR HOUSE. THE CAR RAN IN OUR GARAGE FOR THREE HOURS. WE ARE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. WHEN I CALLED MY DEALER, THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE HAD DONE THIS BEFORE. WHY IS THERE NOT A CUT OFF SWITCH AFTER 5 MINUTES OR SOMETHING, THAT SHUTS OFF THE ENGINE WHEN THERE IS NO WEIGHT IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT? THERE CERTAINLY IS A SWITCH FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT THAT TRIGGERS THE AIRBAG WHEN I PUT A HEAVY BAG OF GROCERIES IN THAT SEAT.

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