2013 BMW 528I Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 37about this part
- Share
- 51%of 73 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 91,032miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 37 complaints about the engine of the 2013 BMW 528I, 51% of the 73 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 91,032 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I was driving my vehicle on the highway and a drive train malfunction indicator was displayed on the screen. The car immediately lost all power and I was forced to pull over on the side of the road. I towed my vehicle to the closest certified repair shop. After the repair ran their diagnostic test, they informed me that I needed a new engine because it had seized. They also quoted me at $9,900 for a new engine. My car currently has approximately 111,000 miles.”
NHTSA complaint #11280278, filed 2019-11, 111,000 miles“I currently have a 2013 528I Bmw with less 90k miles and less than 8 years old. I was driving the vehicle and all of a sudden I received a drivetrain malfunction that abruptly stopped the car. I got to find out that the engine was completely done. I called Bmw to see if there was any recall on that issue, I also found out that many Bmw owners have had the same issue and had to get the engine replaced. If I was on the freeway this would have been a major traffic incident accident,”
NHTSA complaint #11383392, filed 2020-12, 90,000 miles“Driving along the 8 freeway, driving straight, but slightly uphill, outside san diego, the engine died very suddenly. We coasted to the side of the freeway, and the car would not restart. We had the car towed to Bmw of el cajon, where it was determined that the timing chain tensioner had failed, a piece of plastic had plugged the oil pump, and the engine lost time, causing catastrophic engine damage. We were told that the engine will have to be replaced. The car has 89,190 miles on it.”
NHTSA complaint #11341346, filed 2020-07, 89,120 miles“Engine immediately lost power on highway at approximately 70 MPH with no warning. The car went into neutral stating to get to a safe area, which I was able to drift to. Once the car stopped it switched to park. I tried to restart the engine but it would not turn. Because the engine was not running you can not put the car into neutral. This caused difficulty in getting the car towed from the highway shoulder. The Bmw n20 engine has a known flaw with the oil and timing chain. …”
NHTSA complaint #11207240, filed 2019-05, 102,000 miles“Iissue with the timing chain which I understand to be a common problem with many Bmw's drivetrain malfunction warning light came on and I had a loss of power along with low oil pressure warning light.took the car the a Bmw dealership for a diagnostic and the results were the timing chain needed replacement along with cam adjuster solenoids and phasers. Estimated cost almost $5k. Car is currently sitting in my driveway for the past 40 days. My understanding is that this is/has happened to many Bmw owners of 2012-2015 cars.”
NHTSA complaint #11340672, filed 2020-07, 137,800 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10211851Mar 1, 2022This bulletin outlines the procedure for checking the engine timing chains for wear, and should be completed in conjunction with SI B11 06 14, "N63 Customer Care Package." The…
- 10172479Feb 1, 2020LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSIONTO 10 YEARS/120000 MILES: This Service Information Bulletin replaces SI B01 05 18 dated July 2019. Engine starts poorly (hard starting) rough idle and…
- 10163027Jun 1, 2019ENGINE VIBRATIONS OR NOISE This Service Information bulletin replaces SI B11 01 19 dated February 2019.
- 10163026Jun 1, 2019N63 ENGINE: OIL CONSUMPTION CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR PROCEDURES. While engine oil consumption may create a customer inconvenience in the short term it should…
- 10149564Oct 1, 2018N63 AND N63T ENGINE: ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION, ENGINE OIL TOP-UPS AND REFILL CAPACITY. Customers with one of the vehicles above may complain that the engine's oil consumption is…
- 10149961Sep 1, 2018?ENGINE LEAK DIAGNOSIS ON TURBOCHARGED V8 ENGINES. When diagnosing an engine oil leak or a coolant leak on turbocharged V8 engines it is necessary to use a borescope to identify…
- 10149960Sep 1, 2018N63 and S63 Engine: Valve Seal Replacement. Refer to the following applicable SIBs before replacing the valve seals. * B11 07 11 - Turbocharger Failure: Oil Supply and Return…
- 10154818Feb 1, 2018N20 AND N26 ENGINES TURBOCHARGER ELECTRIC WASTEGATE ACTUATOR LINKAGE PIN CORROSION This Service Information bulletin replaces SI B11 14 17 dated February 2018.
- 10154817Feb 1, 2018ENGINE VIBRATIONS OR NOISE. One of the following complaints may be reported The engine runs erratically; The engine causes vibrations when running; Grinding noise from the engine…
- 10135019Feb 1, 2018Engine Oil Quick Reference Chart and Drain Plug Torque: The current version of ISTA/D has an error in the engine oil capacity specification for all vehicles with the N63R engine…
Engine: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 17 | 29% |
| 2015 | 14 | 22% |
| 2014 | 14 | 25% |
| 2013 | 37 | 51% |
| 2012 | 43 | 48% |
| 2011 | 34 | 29% |
| 2010 | 16 | 25% |
| 2009 | 8 | 35% |
| 2008 | 20 | 17% |
| 2000 | 1 | 2% |
Other parts of the 2013 BMW 528I
14 complaintsElectrical system
14 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
13 complaintsEngine cooling
11 complaintsOther or unknown
6 complaintsExterior lighting
4 complaintsSeat belts
4 complaintsSteering
4 complaintsBrakes
3 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaintsFuel system
1 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2013 BMW 528I
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology