2013 BMW 528I Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 13about this part
- Share
- 18%of 73 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 90,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 13 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2013 BMW 528I, 18% of the 73 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 90,500 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Transfer cases went out without any indication. The vehicle had just been serviced 3 months prior by a Bmw dealer who provided me with an inspection report showing there were not problems with my car. But 3 months and 1399 miles later, after the warranty expired, the same Bmw dealer provided an inspection report saying the transfer case needed to be replaced immediately. The car was there for an unrelated issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11076804, filed 2018-03, 52,294 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“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“The car had 73,000 miles on it. I was driving home from work in stop and go city traffic when suddenly, the engine went into limp mode (as it is designed to do after it detects engine problems) and indicators lit up saying that I needed to pull over as the car was inoperable. I was in the left lane about to merge onto a toll road, but now found myself trying to get the car safety over three lanes of rush hour traffic to a gas station. This I managed to do while the car was making load noises and not providing adequate acceleration. …”
NHTSA complaint #11096381, filed 2018-05, 73,000 miles“Had 100,000m warranty. Around 110k notice engine oil pressure light for first time. Added a bit of oil and light went away. Came on again, took it into dealer. They replaced an oil gasket and another gasket. Light came back on within 5 blocks of dealer. They kept my car for 3 weeks, said engineers at headquarters said I need a new engine. Now, I drive cars until 260k miles and then someone else drives them after me. Needing a new engine at 110k miles is awful. They want to put in a new 'short engine , cam shaft position sensor, cam follower,and turbocharger. …”
NHTSA complaint #11228409, filed 2019-06, 110,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10204656Sep 1, 2021With the court's FINAL approval, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) has entered into a nationwide settlement with the plaintiffs in the following class action: Gelis, et al. v…
- 10203331Sep 1, 2021BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) is extending the limited warranty for the engine timing chain and oil pump drive chain modules to: 7 years/70,000 miles as determined by the…
- 10179810Aug 1, 2020N20 and N26 Differential Pressure Sensor Fault: 195002 Stored in DME: The Service Engine Soon (MIL) light is on with the following differential pressure sensor fault stored…
- 10174009Apr 1, 2020TICKING NOISE WHILE CORNERING WITHOUT THE BRAKES APPLIED: This Service Information Bulletin (Revision 3) replaces SI B34 05 17 dated September 2017. Ticking noise coming from…
- 10135032Feb 1, 2018TICKING NOISE FROM THE FRONT AXLE WHEN CORNERING: The customer may complain of a metallic ticking noise from the front axle when cornering, maneuvering, parking or pulling away…
- 10146821Sep 1, 2016CLICKING NOISE FROM FRONT AXLE This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI 31 01 12 dated June 2015. Clicking noises are heard from the front axle area while maneuvering at…
- 10151302May 1, 2016N63, N63TU, S63 and S63TU Engines: Oil Leak from the Rear of the Engine and Transmission Bell Housing. Customer complains that engine oil is leaking from the center of the…
- 10147241Sep 1, 2015Shudder from the Driveline on Vehicles with xDrive. There is a shudder or vibration from the driveline when taking off from a stop, or when accelerating at highway speeds. CAUSE…
- 10151404Aug 1, 2015Vibration or Shudder from Driveline when Accelerating from a Stop. Chassis stabilization warning is displayed. Vehicle may exhibit a shudder or vibration when taking off from a…
- 10147198Jul 1, 2015Cracking in Rear Differential Mount Bushing. During inspection, the rear differential mount in the rear axle support shows signs of cracking.
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 | 5% |
| 2015 | 3 | 5% |
| 2014 | 5 | 9% |
| 2013 | 13 | 18% |
| 2012 | 20 | 22% |
| 2011 | 25 | 21% |
| 2010 | 9 | 14% |
| 2008 | 15 | 13% |
| 1999 | 4 | 9% |
| 1998 | 4 | 12% |
| 1997 | 5 | 12% |
Other parts of the 2013 BMW 528I
37 complaintsAir bags
14 complaintsElectrical system
14 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 29, 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