2012 BMW 528I Complaints

I WAS DRIVING AT 30, AND HIT A POT-HOLE. ALL OF SUDDEN MY RARE PASSENGER DOOR POPPED OPENED. MY DASH BOARD STARTED LIGHTING, AND ALSO THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STARTED LIGHTING. TAKEN TO THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY AS WE CARRY OUR BABY OFTEN TIMES IN THE REAR SEAT (HE WAS NOT IN THE CAR WHEN INCIDENT HAPPENED), AND THEY SAID NOTHING WRONG, BUT SUGGESTED TO PUT CHILD LOCK. I SEE A SIMILAR COMPLAINT BY ANOTHER USER. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN METRO DETROIT LAST NIGHT MY 2012 BMW 528I XDRIVE SUDDENLY FLASHED A "FUEL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION" MESSAGE, LURCHED AND CAME TO A DEAD STOP JUST PAST THE INTERSECTION OF NOVI ROAD AND 10 MILE. I WAS TWO MILES FROM THE EXPRESSWAY AND MY WIFE AND CHILDREN WERE WITH ME IN THE CAR. HAD I MADE IT TO I-96 - JUST TWO MILES UP THE ROAD - AND THIS HAPPENED, WE VERY LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. POLICE WERE CALLED BECAUSE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. THE CAR WAS ELECTRONICALLY LOCKED. I COULD NOT PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO MOVE IT OUT OF THE ROADWAY. BMW SERVICE FINALLY MANAGED TO GET THE CAR TOWED 8 HOURS LATER BECAUSE FEW TOW TRUCKS LACKED THE EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO MOVE THE CAR WITHOUT DAMAGE. THERE IS NO MANUAL OVERRIDE TO ALLOW YOU TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, IT CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED BY A SERVICE TECH UNDERNEATH THE CAR. MY SERVICE ADVISOR WAS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A MAJOR HAZARD AND HUGE DESIGN FLAW. THERE IS NO MECHANICAL LINKAGE TO EITHER THE START/STOP BUTTON OR THE SHIFTER. IT'S ALL ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED. I SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE CAR STALLED ON THE INTERSTATE. NOW I'M STUCK WITH A CAR I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING. *TR

THE CAR WAS LEASED NEW. A HEAVY 'CHEMICAL ' SMELL OCCURED WHENEVER THE VENTILATION SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED. DRIVER SUFFERED HEADACHES AND SINUS PROBLEMS. AT 14 MONTHS INTO THE LEASE, DRIVER HAD AN AIR QUALITY TEST DONE ON INSIDE OF THE CAR. RESULTS CAME BACK WITH ELEVATED UNSAFE LEVELS OF BENZINE. OTHER PERSONS RIDING IN THE CAR EXPERIENCED VISION PROBLEMS. BENZINE IS A KNOWN CARCINOGEN AND SOMETHING WAS VERY, VERY WRONG WITH THIS CAR. BMW IS NOW IN POSSESSION OF THIS CAR. *TR

I RAN OVER A POT HOLE, ABOUT 4" DEEP, AND BOTH PASSENGER SIDE RIMS WERE BENT SO BAD THAT THEY HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRES ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MODULE. TOTAL COST OF REPAIR WAS $8,229 I PREVIOUSLY HAD A BMW 750IL 2008. I ALSO HIT A POT HOLE AT ABOUT 45 MPH AND THE FRONT RIM CRACKED AND BACK RIM BENT. BOTH THE RIMS AND TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED AND COST OVER $3000. THE BMWS ARE JUST TO HEAVY FOR THE ALUMINUM RIMS THEY COME WITH. IN OVER 40 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH RIMS UNTIL I STARTED DRIVING BMWS, AND I HAVE HIT A NUMBER OF POT HOLES BEFORE. SOMEONE SHOULD MAKE BMWS COME EQUIPPED WITH STEEL RIMS. THEIR CHEAP RIMS ARE GOING TO GET SOMEONE KILLED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 50 MPH. ALL OF A SUDDEN, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, I HEARD POP, AND NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT PASSENGER DOOR HAD POPPED LOOSE. IMMEDIATELY, WARNING LIGHTS AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS CAME ON. THE PASSENGER DOOR WAS COMPLETELY CLOSED AND LOCKED WHEN I STARTED MY COMMUTE. I HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 8 MILES AT THE POINT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. ONCE I PULLED OVER, I NOTICED THAT THE DOOR WAS STILL LOCKED, BUT IT WAS CLEARLY AJAR. NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THIS, BUT FEEL LIKE THIS IS COULD BE A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. *TR