2013 BMW 528XI Recalls, Complaints & Safety

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 BMW 528XI. The vehicle was a dealer sale. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the messages "Drivetrain Malfunction - Drive Moderately" and "Contact the Service Center" were displayed. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where it was purchased; however, the dealer refused to honor the warranty and refused to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. Upon searching the vehicle history report on the State Police website, the contact discovered two mileage discrepancies with the vehicle. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 117,217; however, the website indicated a mileage of 117,531 on June 18, 2025, and a mileage of 117,530 on June 24, 2025.

My 2013 BMW 528i was serviced under recall 24V-608 (Coolant Pump Electrical Connector / DME). After the recall was marked complete, the car developed several serious failures: Coolant Pump / Connector (Recall Item) – The dealer refused to replace the coolant pump even though the recall notice from the government includes both the pump and connector. Shortly after, the water pump failed completely, causing “High Temperature” warnings and putting me at risk of sudden overheating and breakdown on the road. DME (Engine Control Unit) – This was supposedly updated during the recall, but it failed to detect existing problems. Before the recall, I was never warned about issues with the turbo or oil leaks. Immediately after the recall update, the car started misfiring and showing drivetrain malfunction. The recall did not prevent or detect the failures as promised. Valve Cover Gasket (Oil Leak) – After the recall, a severe valve cover oil leak appeared, causing lean air/fuel mixture, misfires, and risk of fire. Oil leaking onto engine components is a known safety hazard. The dealer admitted the gasket leak existed but refused to cover it. Turbocharger / Wastegate – The DME flagged turbo wastegate actuator problems after the recall. The turbo cannot be ordered separately from the actuator, leading to very expensive repairs. Before the recall update, this issue was not visible, so I believe the recall software either failed to detect earlier or triggered worse conditions. Because of these combined failures, the car became unsafe to drive: misfires caused loss of power, overheating warnings increased risk of sudden engine shutdown, and the oil leak created a fire hazard. An independent mechanic later confirmed the water pump failure and valve cover gasket leak, which I had to repair at my own expense. I believe the recall defect (coolant pump connector / DME) caused or contributed to the damage of the water pump, gasket, and turbocharger. BMW and the dealer refused to rep

Both of my headlights had moisture. I replaced the driverside first because you could literally see water sitting in the headlamp. Then I replaced the passengerside a year later because it was doing the same thing that the driver side started doing. I have not had any accidents nor has there been any damage to the front of the car. It appears that this is a known problem. My adaptive part is still not working, but the headlights are working. I have replaced my timinig chain and I keep getting a drivetrain malfunction warning. I am not getting a real answer as to why this is occuring.

the head lights are frequently burn out although there is no break in the light covers. It is unpredictable and unsafe especially because alot of my driving is at night.

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had 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.

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The timing chain became stretched so that the valve timing with the pistons had been altered so that a valve face almost hit the top of a piston(one more tooth on the intake camshaft gear would have caused an impact between the piston top and a valve face causing the motor to stall and cease operation thereby causing the vehicle to lose power and possibly control). A timing chain should not stretch so as to cause a strike between a valve face and the top of a piston. Either the timing chain was of inferior quality or the automatic tensioner was inadequate to take up the slack as the chain wore.

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had 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.

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had 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.

-Drivetrain warning message was displayed, indicated to drive moderately, and moments later car sputtered and ceased to operate. Mechanic inspected and reported the timing chain failed and is to blame. Also, the engine may be impacted due to fraying parts that may have entered engine values over the course of time. Vehicle may be available for inspection for a short period of time (sold car to mechanic for very nominal amount). -My teenage daughter was driving the car when the above occurred and broke down on a busy highway. Thankfully, she avoided a collision. The police were called and the car towed. This could have been extremely harmful to both my daughter and the general public. -An independent mechanic diagnosed the issue and confirmed the issue. -The vehicle was not inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance. The manufacturer (BMW) did perform an extensive evaluation and repair of the coolant line approximately two months ago but did not mention this issue. -I believe the drivetrain warning displayed once or twice with a message to drive moderately. On recollection, this was after the visit to fix the coolant issue. -We purchased the car new in 2013, were the only owners, and I expected much more from BMW. We are very upset given the potential harm that could have occurred. Also, I have since read about a class action lawsuit impacting this very same issue and pertaining to our year, make, and model. We were not informed of this lawsuit, nor did we receive a recall notice for the defective timing chains in these models. I took a substantial loss on this vehicle as compared to its FMV had this not occurred.

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had 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.

See attached document for complaint.

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 528XI. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not able to be restarted and was towed to a local dealer. The local dealer diagnosed the vehicle with a failure with the timing chain. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure with an unknown Customer Satisfaction Program; however, the contact had not received the notification letter. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 191,000.

The vehicle has had no accidents or front impacts but has extensive moisture/condensation build up in both front headlamp housings. I intermittently receive a "adaptive headlight failure "warning in cold temperatures until the vehicle warms up. Night driving visibility is being affected as a result of the lens being covered with said moisture/condensation. I see many 5 series vehicles with the same problem.

Engine failure due to faulty timing chain or oil pump while driving

BMW 528i xdrive purchased new in 2013. Currently has 103k miles. While driving on hi-way at 65 mph, received "low oil pressure" alarm on instrument panel. Pulled on hi-way, engine shut-down. Initial diagnosis by local mechanic is timing chain failure. Have read COUNTLESS blogs about this being a recurring problem with the plastic timing chain degrading, 90% leading to complete engine failure - repair of which far exceeds value of car. Went to BMW dealership which didn't even bother to read the CLASS ACTION reports I presented. They had done some service work a year or so ago with no mention that this is a rather common issue. Said they would repair at my cost and that's all they can do. Ridiculous the lack of OWNERSHIP and responsibility that BMW is taking. Hopefully if enough people report BMW's behavior, an oversight agency will have enough stroke to force BMW to deal with this.

The headrest deployed while parked in the dealer ship and was subsequently replaced. The vehicle was parked and not running

Adaptive headlight, turn signals, daytime/parking lamp and headlamp vehicle aim malfunctions. it is available for inspection. Hand signals are required due to the front signals inoperability. It is reason to be aware certain enviromental conditions can prevent hands signals and or other to see the signals. an inability to signal as vehicles are mandated to provide, potentially can be a dire situation for all involved. The actual subject company confirmed the issue upon inspection. Along with two independent mechanic shops. Inspected by manufacturer. There were not any pre-warning alerts. The notifications presented themselves upon the onset of malfunctions. At that point the damage was already embedded. My research uncovered BMW has allowed the defect to exist for over 10 years conservatively. Repairs can cost the BMW owner between $5000 to $10,000. I have not been able to find another manufacture's vehicle with the same issue. Therefore, this is malfeasance on the part of BMW.

The 2013 BMW 528xi had impeccable maintenance up to this catastrophic event. The mileage was just over 80,000 miles at the time of detonation. The four-cylinder N20's plastic timing chain guide experienced catastrophic failure upon placing the car in drive, obstructing the oil pump's ability to lubricate, scorching the cylinders, and destroying the engine. BMW of North America has covertly settled a class action lawsuit regarding this issue (N20 timing chain guide), which caused this incident on my 528xi. However, no public notices were issued to current customers. Additionally, timing chains are a lifetime component; their guides should be as well unless otherwise specified in the manual. BMW of North America either installed inferior components unknowingly that do not meet their strict OEM specifications or engineered a timing chain bomb that they knowingly are aware of and are liable for all damages associated with this engineered nightmare.

Something isn’t right with how water travels to and gets into the Front Headlights of these cars weaking the seals and damaging the multiple modules of these headlights my front passenger headlight out of nowhere started forming condensation in the headlight which shorted almost every module in there it barely works now. I have a coworker with with same exact model and year as mines and he said he just had to have his replaced too. My repair guy says he replaces 2 a week on BMW’s at his shop. Something is defective either with the actual headlights or seals or with how the vehicle is designed to allow water to flow down straight to the headlights through the slits in the hood of the car. Now my car will not pass inspection until I pay $4k to replace the headlight. BMW needs to recall these headlights or fix the trajectory issue or the seal or something I should not be responsible for this cost entirely. Thank you

I have a 2013 BMW 528I with 160,299 miles. I bought it 4 months prior to the incident with 145,000-150,000 miles on it. First the beginning of the month, the blower motor from the ac/heating stopped working. This was not covered under the extended service warranty I purchased. Then last that month my girlfriend is driving on the interstate merging onto another interstate when the BMW'S DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND she HAD A LOSS OF POWER. She did everything she was supposed to do. I had the veh towed home. The next day, I went out and it would not even stay running. I then had it towed to the repair shop which was chosen by the dealership I bought the car from. They inspected it and stated that the fuel injectors needed replacing because they were leaking. How was I to know they were leaking. There were no indicators at all prior to the warning light and lost power on the interstate. She could have been badly injured. Warranty stated this was not part of the engine, so they would not cover the repairs. The car is still sitting at the shop 4 months later. it is going to cost over $2000 to repair.

The engine timing chain failed due to faulty plastic guide around the timing chain which gets brittle and brakes in the engine causing catastrophic engine failure. Our safety and the safety of others on the Parkway was put at HIGH RISK because the car goes into some safe mode and puts itself into PARK!! This three lane parkway has no shoulder to pull over on at all! So we were blocking the entire lane during rush hour traffic in NYC!! This problem was confirmed by the BMW dealership where the car is now, and they are fully aware of this issue with certain model BMWs produced between 2012 thru 2015. The vehicle was inspected by BMW Certified Mechanics at their service station. The warning light came on a min before the car shut itself down on this very DANGEROUS stretch of highway!!

Driving as normal, and came to stoplight at intersection of busy highway. Stopped for red light, and call stalled, and couldn't be restarted. Just as the car shut off, I got a Drivetrain Malfunction warning. Had to have a tow company tow vehicle to my BMW dealer 50+ miles away. Being at a busy intersection at night, and not being able to move the car (couldn't get it out of park), it put the driver at risk until assistance arrived because oncoming traffic wasn't prepared for a vehicle in the middle of the road, and not moving (even with 4-way flashers on) and having the driver stand on the roadside would have been just as dangerous. After running diagnostics, dealer stated timing belt snapped and caused engine damage. Cost of repair would be $13,000 which exceeded the value of the car; ended up buying new car with basically no trade-in value on this car and no financial assistance from BMW. Interesting enough, when I took delivery of my new vehicle, my sales person said there were 2 additional vehicles in their repair shop with the same issue.

While driving with my children, the u-joint on my BMW 528xi failed, causing the driveshaft to break. There was no warning lights or other system indicators. Because the car was moving, the driveshaft continued to spin, smashing the oil and pan and other components in the car. Thankfully I was driving on a side street and not on a Highway, because I would imagine there could have been injury if this occurred at higher speeds. BMW confirmed that the u-joint failed upon inspection. My personal mechanic said that a driveshaft and u-joint is not a maintenance item and that it should not fail if properly designed and manufactured. I have since learned that BMW recalled this exact component on certain other 5 series and X5 models during the same years, but not my model.

Driving on highway got Low Oil Pressure light followed by Drivetrain Malfunction. Engine failed, managed to pull over on shoulder because road was deserted. Could have been rear ended or crashed into another vehicle if any cars were on road. Also dangerous to be stranded on the shoulder of a deserted dark highway at night. Towed to BMW Dealer and they diagnosed premature Oil Pump failure causing Timing Chain assembly to break. Said I needed an engine replacement now. This car was inspected by a mechanic who also performed an oil service change just 385 miles prior to this event. Since vehicle has over 100,000 miles, BMW NA is offering no financial assistance at all. Manufacturer placed me in an extremely dangerous and possibly fatal situation due to design flaws and defects in materials.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 528XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY FAILED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE HAD EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND NEEDED TO REPLACED. THE LOCAL DEALER BMW GALLERY NORWELL LOCATED AT 1040 HINGHAM ST, ROCKLAND, MA 02370 AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY TWICE AND THE ENGINE FAILED THE SAME WAY BOTH TIMES IT WENT FROM 55MPH TO 20 BEGIN TO JERK PROMPTED ME TO PULL OVER AND STOPPED ABOUT 10 SECONDS AFTER

DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION, CAR IS SHUTTING OFF WHILE IN DRIVE AND VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. VEHICLE IS ONLY AT 66K MILES.

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF REST (30MINS-1HR) AND A COUPLE TIMES ON EXTENDED DRIVES(2+ HOURS) CAR STALLS OUT THE FIRST 6 TIMES CAME UP WITH POWER TRAIN AND FUEL MODULE CODES TOOK TO DEALER. DEALER REPLACED HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND TIMING CHAIN ISSUE APPEARED FIX TILL IT STARTED DOING IT AGAIN NO LONGER THROWING CODES

I AM HAVING THE SAME DRIVETRAIN ISSUES THAT OTHER EARLIER MODEL BMW'S BETWEEN 2011 TO 2015 THAT WAS RECALLED. MY OIL PUMP CHAIN MODULE AND TIMING CHAIN MODULE NEEDS REPLACING. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY FOR ABOUT A MONTH OFF AND ON. I STARTED MY CAR AND DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION APPEARED ON DASH. I'VE DRIVEN CAR FOR 3,000 MILES SINCE PURCHASING AND IT JUST CAME ON.

CAR WAS GIVING THE POWERTRAIN SERVICE MESSAGE, WHILE DRIVING IT WOULD START TO POWER DOWN THE CAR APART OF BUILT IN MECHANISM. TOOK TO BMW DEALERSHIP TO HAVE LOOKED AT. THEY CAME BACK TO ME AND INFORMED ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN LINKS WERE FOLDING OVER ON ITSELF, AND THE CHAIN WAS CONFIRMED TO HAVE EXCESSIVE PLAY. TIMING CHAIN GUIDES HAVE FAILED, CAUSING EXHAUST CAMSHAFT TO UNSYNC FROM CRANKSHAFT. CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IF VALVES CONTACT PISTON. RECOMMENDATION IS TO REPLACE ENTIRE MOTOR AT COST JUST UNDER $15,000. CAR IS UNDER 7 YEARS OLD WITH 98,000 MILES ON IT. WARRANTY WAS "EXTENDED" TO COVER THIS ISSUE IN 2018 OUT TO 7 YEARS, 70,000 MILES. THIS HAS OCCURRED THROUGHOUT SPRING OF 2020. *TR

BMW ENGINE N20B20 KNOWN TIMING CHAIN ISSUE. THE CAR IN QUESTION IS 2013 BMW 528I XDRIVE, 4 CYL. TURBO ENGINE, AUTOMATIC, ALL WHEEL DRIVE, SEDAN. I WAS AT WORK AND STARTED DRIVING HOME, GOT OUT ON THE HIGHWAY, HIT 65 MPH AND IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED BY THE INSTRUMENT DISPLAY THAT THERE IS POWERTRAIN ISSUE AND TO PULL OVER AND CALL SERVICE. I HAD TO TOW THE CAR HOME AND THEN AGAIN TO THE SERVICE SINCE IT WOULD NOT START. I HAD 77130 MILES ON THE CAR AT THE MOMENT. I GOT CALL FROM THE SERVICE THIS MORNING 05/29/2020 WHERE THEY STATED: CAR HAD 3 QUARTS OF OIL INSTEAD OF 5 WHICH CAUSED MECHANICAL DAMAGE AND WEAR. PLASTIC LEAD FOR THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND CHAIN IS LOOSE. CAMSHAFT I BELIEVE IS BROKEN. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THE FIX IS ENGINE REPLACEMENT $11,000.00. I ASKED IS THERE ANY OTHER SOLUTIONS BESIDE WHOLE ENGINE REPLACEMENT THEY SAID NO EXCEPT FOR GETTING USED ENGINE INSTEAD OF NEW. NOW I HAVE ONE MORE BMW (2007 328I, N52 6 CYL. ENGINE, 6 SPEED MANUAL, REAR WHEEL DRIVE - STILL IN GREAT SHAPE, NEVER LEFT ME ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD 176000 MILES AND COUNTING), I AM ENTHUSIAST, I TAKE GREAT CARE ABOUT MY CARS. ALWAYS FULL SYNTHETIC OIL EVERY 5000 MILES, ALWAYS MANN FILTER(S), ALWAYS BMW SPEC LL-01 FOR US, ALWAYS CASTROL MADE IN BELGIUM. ALL THE PARTS GENUINE, BEST TIRES. WITH ALL THAT CARE I KNOW THE WEAKNESS - OIL THIRSTY ENGINES. THE CAR THAT'S IN PROBLEM GOT IT'S OIL CHECKED THAT MORNING OR DAY BEFORE AND SHOWED UP MAX. THOSE NEW ENGINES HAVE ELECTRICAL OIL READER (NO STICK ANYMORE) SO I HAVE TO RELY ON THAT. I AM HEAVILY DISAPPOINTED IN BMW AND HOW THEY ARE HANDLING THIS ISSUE. THEY SHOULD OFFER REMEDY AND FULL REIMBURSEMENT OR RECALL FOR THIS WELL KNOWN PROBLEM. *TR