Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 BMW 5 Series, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine3
- Power train3
- Visibility/wiper2
- Tires2
- Air bags1
- Unknown or other1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Registered new in Europe in 2012
108,876 new BMW 5 Series cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2012; the largest markets were Germany (46,142), the United Kingdom (20,816), Belgium (7,001).
- Average mass
- 1,798 kg
- Average power
- 166 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 93% · Petrol 6.9%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2012 BMW 5 Series cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (135 kW, 181 hp), 2.0 petrol (180 kW, 241 hp) and 2.0 diesel (135 kW, 181 hp), out of 12 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 135 kW 181 hp | 668 |
| 2.0 petrol | 180 kW 241 hp | 516 |
| 2.0 diesel | 135 kW 181 hp | 446 |
| 3.0 petrol | 225 kW 302 hp | 256 |
| 3.0 diesel | 190 kW 255 hp | 244 |
| 3.0 petrol | 200 kW 268 hp | 180 |
| 3.0 diesel | 230 kW 308 hp | 132 |
| 2.0 diesel | 160 kW 215 hp | 125 |
| 2.0 diesel | 120 kW 161 hp | 61 |
| 3.0 petrol | 150 kW 201 hp | 54 |
| 3.0 petrol | 190 kW 255 hp | 34 |
| 3.0 diesel | 280 kW 375 hp | 29 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
2,834 first registered in 2012 are on Dutch roads; 38% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €70,248.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde1,212
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm737
- Band onvoldoende profiel685
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld648
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm580
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen520
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage310
- Band beschadigd230
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
12,655 cars built in 2012 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1,432 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 14,716 of these cars first registered in 2012 took their annual MOT test. 74% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2012 the figure was 66%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.1% | 14.3% |
| Suspension | 3.5% | 12.2% |
| Tyres | 2.8% | 7.0% |
| Visibility | 1.4% | 5.0% |
| Brakes | 1.2% | 7.7% |
| Road Wheels | 0.6% | 0.5% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
1,948 of these cars first registered in 2012 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 289,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
407 2012 cars are on the New Zealand register; 78% arrived as used imports, 19% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
5 Transport Canada recalls for the 2012 BMW 5 Series.
| 2024544 15 Aug 2024 | Label Issue: On certain vehicles, the tire and loading information label does not list that there is no spare tire in both official languages. The label reads as "N… |
| 2024468 13 Aug 2024 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles, fluid from the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system could leak on the intake air hose. As a result, the fluid could enter t… |
| 2015343 30 Jul 2015 | Electrical Certain vehicles, which were parked at the port of entry in Halifax during the ice storms in February 2015, may have been exposed to excessive standing water an… |
| 2014127 10 Apr 2014 | Engine On certain vehicles, housing bolts for the variable camshaft timing system could break, allowing camshaft timing to deviate. If this occurs, the engine would re… |
| 2013330 27 Sept 2013 | Brakes On certain vehicles, a defect in manufacturing could result in a loss of oil supply to the vacuum pump. If this were to occur, the vacuum pump could fail, causi… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2012 BMW 5 Series.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What BMW told its dealers about the 2012 BMW 5 Series: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10249437 | The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. |
| 10249027 | The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle discharged battery complaints. |
| 10247567 | Engine will crank but not start. There is no communication with the integrated fuel module (TFE) whendiagnosing with ISTA. The following two fault codes will be stored in the DME: 032B43 - Low fuel pressure system, electric fuel pump: pressure value too low CDA594 - Message (- 0x33E) missing, receiver DME, transmitter TFE |
| 10245422 | Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicles equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. Additionally, the red anti-theft alarm LED in the interior mirror does not briefly flash every 2 seconds, indicating the alarm is armed. |
| 10244242 | Various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (ADCAM system) can lead to customer complaints. |
| 10215025 | Shipping specific non-deployed vehicle safety devices to lighting resources, llc. This service Information bulletin provides information on shipping "specific" noin-deployed vehicle safety devices that are classified as Dangerous Goods (DG) to Lighting resources, LLC |
| 10215024 | The engine?s intake charge-air duct limited warranty extension to 10 years/120,000 miles applies to ?eligible USspecification |
| 10059089 | BMW - BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM MIGHT REDUCE IF TEMPERATURE GETS BELOW 14 DEGREES *MA |
| 10059080 | CLICKING NOISES ARE COMING FROM THE FRONT AXLE WHEN DRIVING ON LOW SPEED. *MA |
| 10058986 | THE PLASTIC OIL FILTER MIGHT FAIL WHICH WILL CAUSE A LEAKAGE TO THE INTERNAL AND /OR EXTERNAL ENGINE OIL OR COOLANT |
| 10058976 | FAULTY CODES IN THE DME FOR THE ENGINE THERMOSTAT ACTIVATES THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT. *MA |
| 10058975 | WHEN ACCELERATING, IN HOT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES, BETWEEN 3,000 RPM AND 5,000 RPM, CAUSES JUDDERS OR SURGES IN VEHICLE, REPEATEDLY, DUE TO THE ELECTROPNEUMATIC PRESSURE CONVERTOR. *MA |
| 10058484 | BMW: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAYING SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT DUE TO THERMOSTAT AND NEED TO HAVE IT REPLACED IN SOME VEHICLES. *PE |
| 10058483 | BMW: PROCEDURAL INFORMATION ON THE INSTALLATION OF FUEL SYSTEM LOW PRESSURE SENSOR AND NOT CORRECTLY INSTALLED WILL LEAD TO FAILURE OF LOW PRESSURE SENSOR AND METAL SUPPLY LINE. MODEL 2008-14. *PE |
| 10058467 | BMW: FUEL GAUGE FAILS TO SHOW CORRECT LEVEL OF FUEL WHEN FILLING FUEL TANK BUT WOULD UPDATE ITSELF AFTER DRIVING AWHILE AND ILLUMINATION OF ENGINE MALFUNCTION LAMP (MIL) COMES ON, DUE TO SOFTWARE ERROR IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. MODEL 2011-15. *PE |
| 10058155 | BMW F10 MODEL (5 SERIES SEDAN): SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT IS SHOWING WITH FAULT CODES IN THE DME FOR THE ENGINE THERMOSTAT. *LJ |
| 10057568 | BMW: ON SOME VEHICLES, WHEN STARTING, LOW BEAM, WITH 0552 OPTION, WOULD BRIEFLY FLASHES, DUE TO A FAULTY LED MAIN LIGHT MODULE THAT NEEDS REPLACING. MODEL 2008-14 F01, F02, F06, F07, F10, F12, F13, F25. *PE |
| 10057532 | BMW: DURING PROCESS OF STARTING ENGINE, ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST (EPS) WILL BE REDUCED, INTERMITTENTLY, AND YELLOW EPS WARNING LAMP BRIEFLY ILLUMINATES, DUE TO A BRIEF UNDERVOLTAGE. *PE |
| 10057527 | BMW: SELECTIVE CATALYST REDUCTION MODULE (SCR) HAS A STORED FAULT, PRESSURE BUILD UP IS LOW, CAUSING SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. * |
| 10057341 | BMW: MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT FOR ENGINE IS ILLUMINATED DUE TO PURGE AIR SYSTEM MICRO LEAKAGE AND VENTILATION OF FUEL TANK FROM CONTAMINATION. *PE |
| 10057339 | BMW: ELECTRICAL CONTACTS FOR CIRCUIT HEATER IN THERMOSTAT CAN DEVELOP MOISTURE AND CORROSION CAUSING SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. *PE UPDATED 9/25/15. *PE |
| 10057337 | BMW: DUE TO DEBRIS ENTERING OIL PASSAGE OF ENGINE, IT WILL KNOCK AND LOSE POWER, DURING CYLINDER HEAD MATING SURFACES AND CLEANING OF ENGINE BLOCK AFTER REPAIR TO ENGINE. *PE |
| 10057336 | BMW: NEW SERVICE PROGRAM PROCEDURE IS NOW AVAILABLE REGARDING THE BRAKE FLUID, TIRE PRESSURES, LOCK/STRIKER ADJUSTMENTS FOR TRUNK OR TAILGATE, BATTERY, EXTERIOR LIGHTING. *PE |
| 10056099 | BMW: WHEN USING IPHONE, VARIOUS CONNECTIVITY FAILURES OCCUR, SUCH AS DISCONNECTION OF CALL, LIST OF CONTACTS INCOMPLETE, DUE TO THE VARIANTS AND SOFTWARE USED. MODEL 2008-2014. |
| 10054641 | BMW: AN ERRONEOUS MESSAGE, FROM OIL LEVEL SENSOR, INDICATING OIL SERVICE IS DUE, AFTER TRAVELING A SHORT DISTANCE. MODEL F15, F13, F12, F10, F07, F06, F02, F01. NO YEARS LISTED. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Loss of power assist braking
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation