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2012 BMW 320I problems

The most common problem on the 2012 BMW 320I is airbags. It has fewer complaints than a typical 320I model year.

Typical yearClose to a typical year
Owner complaints
3
Recalls
3
Service bulletins
42
Worst area
Airbags

The worst 2012 BMW 320I problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

  • Airbags
    2
  • Driver assistance
    1
  • Electrical
    1
  • Lights
    1

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Airbags
    2
  • Driver assistance
    1
  • Electrical
    1
  • Lights
    1

Recalls 3

Exterior lightingReported August 17, 2015 · 7,727 vehicles affected
What is wrong
BMW North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 320i, 320xi, 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi, and ActiveHybrid3 vehicles manufactured October 20, 2011, to June 22, 2015, 2014-2015 328xi Sports Wagon vehicles manufactured March 21, 2013, to March 17, 2015, 2014-2015 328d, 328xd vehicles manufactured June 28, 2013, to April 21, 2015, and 2014-2015 328xd Sports Wagon vehicles manufactured July 5, 2013, to April 21, 2015. The affected vehicles may have been programmed with new software that inadvertently makes the front side marker lights inoperative in conjunction with the parking lights or the headlights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk
If the side marker lights do not illuminate, the vehicle may be less visible at night, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will upload revised software to correct the issue, free of charge. The recall began on October 7, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417 or by email at [email protected].

Recall number 15V520000 · Recall details

Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum: hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsReported October 7, 2014 · 8,988 vehicles affected
What is wrong
BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014 BMW 328i xDrive Sports Wagon, 2012-2014 BMW 320i Sedan, 328i Sedan, 320i xDrive Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 2012-2013 BMW 528i Sedan, 528i xDrive Sedan, 2013-2014 BMW X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i Sports Activity Vehicle, 2013-2014 BMW X3 xDrive28i Sports Activity Vehicle, 2012-2014 BMW Z4 sDrive28i Roadster, and 2014 BMW 428i Coupe, and 428i xDrive Coupe. Due to insufficient lubrication, the vacuum pump that supplies brake power assistance may fail. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 13V‑454.
Risk
A failure of the brake vacuum pump results in a reduction in braking power that could increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will install a locking ring in the camshaft to retain the camshaft seal disk in the proper location, free of charge. The recall began on December 2, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.

Recall number 14V627000 · Recall details

Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum: hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsReported September 26, 2013 · 76,191 vehicles affected
What is wrong
BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 320i, 328i, 320i xDrive, and 328i xDrive sedans; model year 2014 328i xDrive Sports Wagons; model year 2012-2013 528i and 528i xDrive sedans, model year 2013-2014 X1 sDrive28i and X1 xDrive28i vehicles and model year 2012-2014 Z4 sDrive28i roadsters. Due to insufficient lubrication, the vacuum pump that supplies brake power assistance may fail.
Risk
A failure of the brake vacuum pump results in a reduction in braking power that could increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will modify the vehicles to prevent insufficient vacuum pump lubrication, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 31, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1‑800‑525‑7417 or email BMW at [email protected].

Recall number 13V454000 · Recall details

See all 3 recalls for the 2012 BMW 320I

Defect investigations

Loss of power assist brakingOpened September 6, 2013, closed October 25, 2013

In a letter dated September 26, 2013, BMW Group submitted a safety recall notice to the federal safety agency identifying a defect condition in the vacuum pump oil supply that may result in loss of power assist braking in 76,191 model year (MY) 2012 through 2014 BMW 3-Series, 5-Series, X1 SAV, X3 SAV, and Z4 vehicles equipped with 4-cylinder engines (the federal safety agency Recall 13V‑454).According to BMW, movement of the seal disk within the camshaft may result in blocking of the oil supply to the vacuum pump, resulting in improper pump operation and loss of power assist braking.On July 11, 2013, BMW initiated a change to the camshaft geometry that prevented the seal disk from blocking the oil port.BMW has not received any braking complaints related to loss of power assist after the design change was implemented in production.The owners of all affected vehicles will be contacted by mail and asked to take their vehicle to a BMW dealer who will install a locking ring into the camshaft to keep the seal disk in its proper location.BMW expects to begin dealer and owner notification in November 2013 and complete dealer and owner notification in December when the remedy is expected to be available.Based on the actions taken by BMW, this investigation is closed.

PE13030

Technical service bulletins for the 2012 BMW 320I 42

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 42 bulletins for the 2012 BMW 320I

What 2012 BMW 320I owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Feb 27, 2017 · Airbags · 130,000 miles · NJ

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 bmw 320i n/a. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated and would remain illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

Filed Sep 9, 2016 · Airbags · TX

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 (na) bmw 320i. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v346000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Filed Jan 26, 2014 · Driver assistance, Electrical · OH

Head lights for newer cars are too bright and blind drivers approaching from the opposite direction.

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Questions about the 2012 BMW 320I

Is the 2012 BMW 320I reliable?

Owners have filed 3 complaints about the 2012 BMW 320I, fewer than a typical 320I model year.

What is the most common problem with the 2012 BMW 320I?

Airbags, with 2 complaints. Next is driver assistance (1).

How many recalls does the 2012 BMW 320I have?

3 recalls, covering exterior lighting and service brakes, hydraulic.

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