Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 BMW 528i owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Car engine caught on fire while driving today and stopped. No smoke or other issues prior. Worried this is related to the recall issued by BMW recently, however my car is not covered under the recall yet. The car is currently located in Vancouver Canada. It was purchased in Tulsa, OK
I had just purchased a car but a month ago I was driving to lunch and I was at a stop sign when the light turned green I started to go the car started shaking and smoke was coming out of the front under the hood I had just an oil change so I took it back to the oil change shop. They could not figure out why the engine blew and I had to take it to a different BMW shop where I have to purchase a rebuilt motor and pay for the repairs. I can request all records from the automotive shop if needed.
My BMW 528i 2012 I bought used in April 2015. In November 2015 my check engine light came on. Then it went away , but a week later it came on and another light saying the coolant was low. I took it to be topped off that did not work. My car went from yellow zone to red severe when driving home with my kids on a busy street. My car begin to overheat . I took it home immediately . The car loss all power it would not drive faster than 25 MPH . I knew what ever it was going to be costly. My car sat for a month until I thought I had enough money to fix. Low and behold I took it to a BMW dealership there have been one campaign for thermostat and one recall on the oil filter housing. There has seem to be an issue I was unaware about. The dealer is saying because of the coolant mixing with oil and the car overheating there is possible engine damage. 20K worth of damages . …
On two occasions vehicle suddenly offers an alert and stops accelerating and stalls on the freeway leaving us stranded. The car was taken to the BMW dealer and corporate was made aware of the situation after the first incident and didn't fix it. They kept it for about approx10 days and only replaced the battery. Three weeks later the second incident happened. This time we took a picture of the alert on dash screen which said fuel supply problem. They replaced the fuel pump but obviously their parts are faulty. They didn't convey to me that they fixed the problem with the pump but only that they put in a new one. The car placed us in life threatening situations and we are not secure driving it. I asked for BMW to reacquire the vehicle but they refused. There is no guarantee the car will not so the same thing. …
While driving down the 95 highway my car showed a fuel supply error then powered down and stoped and wouldn't restart. I had it towed to a hotel and the following morning it started while the tow truck loaded it to take to the dealer. I had a full tank of gas at the time. I could have been killed with my kids. Towed it to BMW and all they told me was to replace my battery even though I had a perfectly good battery and the and everything requiring a battery worked like radio, lights etc. I bought a new battery from them and the tech drove the car for 30 miles. Within 2 hours after leaving the dealership my car did the same thing while exiting the highway and slowing down at a stop light. A diagram flashes on the console and then a message about the fuel supply. I was assisted by calling 911 to get my kids and I to safety and my car out the way. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 BMW 528i. While driving various speeds, the engine suddenly stalled and became inoperable. On two separate occasions, the failure occurred while driving on the freeway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was called (bob smich BMW, [phone]) and the manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V746000 (fuel system), although the vehicle experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 95,000.
While driving, the engine stalled and completely turned off. I lost power steering and the ability to use my breaks. I lost control of the car. I came to a stop in the intersection of two streets where the speed limit was 45 MPH. United BMW - roswell, ga said the fuel pump failed and it shorted the ekps module. $1900 in total. BMW has issued recalls for the fuel pump failure for years 2007 to 2012. BMW recalls various vehicles with fuel pump issue the fuel pump May stop working, possibly causing an engine stall https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/BMW-recalls-various-vehicles-with-fuel-pump-issue-102816.html
I was driving on the road and I accelerated a lil bit faster to beat the traffic light and then my car loss power and stalled out and I got stuck in the middle of the bridge and I was causing traffic the power train malfunction and the fuel supply light cam on and the charge battery light came on I try starting it but it wouldn't start and the fuel supply light kept coming on and some wiring problem was going on when trying to start it my tv screen would turn orange and the speedometer where the MPH/gas/temperature/and RPM would twitch like some electrical problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 BMW 528i. While driving 30 MPH, the fuel supply indicator illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact waited a few minutes and was able to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure occurred twice. The vehicle was taken to BMW of monrovia (1425 mountain ave, monrovia, ca 91016) who stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V746000 (fuel system, gasoline). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 53,500.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 BMW 528i. While driving 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the failure was the same as indicated in NHTSA campaign number: 16V746000 (fuel system, gasoline). The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact notified an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel pump monitor was burned and the fuel pump failed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,420. The VIN was not available.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 BMW X5 3.0si, X5 4.8i, X5 M, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i and X5 xDrive50i, 2008-2011 X6 x Drive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6 M, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 535i xDrive Gran Turismo, 535i Gran Turismo, 550i xDrive Gran Turismo and 550i Gran Turismo,…
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Fuel System complaints in other 528i years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2012 BMW 528i?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2012 BMW 528i, 32% of the model year's 90 complaints. The component named most often is delivery › fuel pump (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 BMW 528i fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 16V-746 (fuel pump, Oct 17, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2012 BMW 528i fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.