2012 BMW 328I: sudden loss of power

Filed Sep 1, 2024 · Engine · MA

Without warning and no OBD2 codes thrown, my car and many others in the E90 (2007-2012) 3-series (N52 engine) will stall, lose power, and/or burn excessive oil when the integral PCV - valve cover starts to clog. Many owners on the BMW boards online have reported similar problems. The E90 3-series BMWs have an integral, internal positive crankcase ventilation system as part of the engine's plastic valvetrain (engine cover or valve cover) cover. Inside the valve cover is a series of cyclones that separate the oil from the valvetrain gasses and route the gasses to the PCV system. Repair is > $4000

Filed Aug 23, 2024 · Acceleration, Airbags · CA

My car lost power. It would come and go. Now it's gone. The codes that come up pertain to the wheel speed sensor and timing.

Filed May 22, 2024 · Engine · GA

I purchased this vehicle [XXX]. Within 2 days a rattle could be heard coming from bmw vanos area, VANOS is a variable valve timing system used by BMW on various automotive petrol engines since 1992. I ceased all use of this vehicle on [XXX], only 3 days. Through my own research i found recall 23v-707 which lists my vehicle and this problem. I had the car towed to a bmw repair shop Harrison Motorsport. The owner said the engine needs to be replaced. Next I tried in Vane to get bmwna or bmwag to warrant this repair. I have numerous emails from bmwag of munich germany saying they are aware and their north america partners will be in touch. The recall states you may drive this vehicle even though it may produce a crash,,,,huh? I have another bmw specialist 4 miles from my home. I drove the car this time to Brian Motor Works. The owner here stated that without a doubt these bolts had come loose. We planned to have him fix it the next week. Still at this time there were no dashboard warnings or internal codes to be found. I tried to drive as slow as possible back home. I went 2 miles and the 1st lights appeared on the dashboard. The engine shut down and I narrowly avoided a crash. The engine will no longer turn over and I believe it has seized. Through research this issue was 1st admitted in 2014. bmw stated it illegal to sell this vehicle as a certified pre owned bmw until these bolts are checked and or replaced. Mine have never been checked or replaced. I am thankful each day that my family was not with me when this happened, My attention was totally on this vehicle when it lost all power to steer or brake. I was very lucky this day, but I fear others will not be so fortunate. thank you. [XXX] [XXX] 770‑329‑6384 vin wbadw3c58ce[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jan 8, 2024 · Engine · SC

As I was going down the highway may car lost power. I had to pull onto the shoulder and turned the car off. I then tried to start it but is would not start back up. I left it on the side of the highway for a few hours. Went back and it started back up but it was in limp mode, so I drove it to a shop. This car gave me no problems until this point. The shop I took it to couldn't help me. So I took it to Century BMW in Greenville SC. They told me I needed a motor that was going to cost me $14,000 to fix. I asked them to put my motor back together ( the top part of the motor). They informed me it would cost me $600 to do so. I got my car back with the motor not put back like they got it. It has been sitting every since.

Filed Jun 27, 2023 · Engine · NC

My 2012 BMW 328i (F30 with N20 engine) had the dreaded timing chain guide failure, which is a very common issue with the N20 engine. There has been a warranty extension- and class action settlement- for this. But these doesn't address the safety concern. There has been numerous reports of timing chain & guide failures happening everyday in the various forums. The broken guides can lead to sudden engine failure and a loss of power to the vehicles. If this happens on the highway, this could be life threatening for the passengers. I kindly request the federal safety agency to look into this problem and issue a recall.

Filed Sep 18, 2021 · Transmission · IL

While driving car at speeds <30 mph, on hitting a minor bump on the road, car engine suddenly stopped with a "Drivetrain malfunction" error. The car lost all power within a few seconds, including power steering. The instrument cluster was off except for error message. Transmission shifted to Neutral automatically which I believe is by design. On somehow maneuvering in traffic and coasting to a stop, and waiting a minute and pressing the ignition start button, car powered on immediately and was driveable. The same incident repeated within 30 miles of driving. A local authorized service center found no existing problems although there are several error messages logged by the on board computer. The safety is severely compromised and the car can be easily rear-ended since hazard light signals also failed. The vehicle has otherwise been regularly maintained at authorized service centers.

Filed Aug 30, 2019 · Engine · 128,000 miles · LA

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 bmw 328i. While driving 60 MPH, the vehicle seized without warning. The contact managed to veer to the shoulder of the road and attempted to restart the vehicle, but it lost power. The vehicle was towed by the contact's insurance company to bmw of beaumont (1855, I-10, beaumont, tx 77701, (409) 840-3585) where it was diagnosed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

Filed May 7, 2019 · Engine, Fuel system · 68,000 miles · TX

I was driving on a busy highway and the vehicle randomly stalled and lost power. Drivetrain malfunction trouble lights lit up the dash. I was barely able to get out of traffic before coasting to a stop. I had the vehicle towed to bmw south austin and it was diagnosed with a faulty fuel transfer pump, and a faulty fuel tank. Essentially I had run out of fuel with 1/4 tank showing on the gauges. Bmw denied my request to repair the vehicle under warranty, even though there is an extended warranty on the "in tank fuel pump". I guess people need to die in traffic when they run out of fuel unsuspectingly for bmw to care or issue a recall.

Filed May 27, 2015 · Fuel system, Transmission · 38,478 miles · PA

Sudden complete loss of power while underway on interstate 476 north of philadelphia. Car stopped in the middle of 4 lanes of high speed traffic at 4:10 pm.it would not restart. There was no warning of an issue prior. I am sole operator of car. Car was in dealers shop for 7 days. No obvious cause found, but bosch coils replaced as a precaution. 300 miles later on may 26, at approx 5:20 pm the car again w/o warning had sudden complete loss of power; would not restart.

Filed Nov 2, 2012 · Steering · 5,000 miles · FL

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 bmw 328i. While driving approximately 40 MPH, there was a complete loss of power steering with an illumination of the power steering warning indicator. The contact applied significant force to the steering wheel in order to maneuver the wheel. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road where the engine was turned off. Upon restarting, the steering wheel functioned normally with the warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection where they advised the contact that the battery was low voltage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 5,000.