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BMW 5 SeriesModel year report

2012 BMW 5 Series Problems

Complaints
10filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
40,000miles, 9 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2012 BMW 5 Series (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 10 consumer complaints for the 2012 BMW 5 Series. The part named most often is engine, with 3 complaints (30% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain (3) and tires (2). 9 of the complaints include a mileage, and 67% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 40,000 miles. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 47 technical service bulletins for this model year. Engine complaints overlap with 17 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Transmission and drivetrain complaints overlap with 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Engine: “I was driving my car on a road when a warning light came on. I parked the car home, since I was close to home. The same week I took the car to a Bmw specialist because there was a noise coming from the engine. After $467.00 spent on labor, just to tell me I need a new engine. This car has 72k miles. This is a car that I only drove on weekends and not every weekend. The car is now parked in my garage because to repair it it will cost me $11k. I have heard this complaint from several Bmw owners. The car still runs but the noise will no go away.”

NHTSA complaint #11231813, filed 2019-07, 72,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “The contact owns a 2012 Bmw 550ix equipped with goodyear eagle p245/40/r19. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH an alert on his dashboard illuminated instructing him that the vehicle should not be driven more than 50 miles as the tire was going flat. Thirty miles later the vehicle was stopped and the front driver side tire had developed a bubble on the sidewall, which caused the tire to shred. The vehicle dealer was notified but offered no assistance. The manufacturer of the vehicle was notified but offered no assistance. The tires had not been replaced. …”

NHTSA complaint #10482194, filed 2012-10, 10,300 miles

Tires: “Bmw 550xi, normal driving, tire pressure indicator came on, car became unstable. Parked vehicle and observed large bubble in front right tire sidewall had split, causing rapid deflation. No road hazards were involved, mechanic states that these tires get sidewall bubbles all the time.”

NHTSA complaint #10534315, filed 2013-08, 7,200 miles

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): “My car was parked during a hail storm. During the storm, the back windshield shattered into a thousand pieces. Thank god no one was in the vehicle at the time of the hail storm! It was my understanding that these windshields are made of safety glass, that is designed to absorb any impact, crack, and stay in 1 piece. However, quite the opposite happened (I have pictures), where the entire back glass basically exploded and glass pieces went flying everywhere. There were even pieces of glass on the front floor board and dashboard. …”

NHTSA complaint #10604762, filed 2014-06, 27,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

67% of the 9 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 11,000 and 58,700 miles.

11%0–1022%10–2533%25–5022%50–7511%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (9 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 40,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

2012201322014220162017201820192
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2012 BMW 5 Series in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 47 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 47 bulletins →

Other model years of the BMW 5 Series

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20121040,0000———Not enough data
2011812,0004——Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Rising
2010653,0005———Not enough data
2009859,5003———Not enough data
200810526,7503——Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Rising
20071384,0893———Not enough data
20068565,0007——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20052170,5004———Stable
20046478,6256——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20031590,0000———Stable
2002785,0000———Not enough data

All BMW 5 Series model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2012 BMW 5 Series have?

NHTSA recorded 10 consumer complaints for the 2012 BMW 5 Series as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2012 BMW 5 Series is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 3 complaints (30% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain with 3.

Has the 2012 BMW 5 Series been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2012 BMW 5 Series reported?

Among the 9 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 40,000 miles and the middle half falls between 11,000 and 58,700 miles; 67% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.