2012 BMW 3 SERIES — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
11
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
20
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2012 BMW 3 SERIES
The 2012 BMW 3 SERIES has received a total of 11 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 3 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV), SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT. 20 technical service bulletins have been issued by BMW of North America, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (3 complaints), Fuelpropulsion System (2 complaints), and Air Bags (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 2012 BMW 3 SERIES
NHTSA has recorded 3 recalls for the 2012 BMW 3 SERIES, potentially affecting up to 1,082,502 vehicles.
Recall 23V707000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
| 157,796 vehicles affected
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2010-2012 1 Series Coupe, 1 Series Convertible, 3 Series Sedan, 3 Series Convertible, 2010-2011 3 Series Sportswagon, 3 Series Coupe, 5 Series Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, X3 xDrive 30i, X5 xDrive30i, and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The aluminum bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit can...
Consequence: Loose or broken VANOS unit bolts can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the four VANOS bolts, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed December 18, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed June 19, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service...
View full details →Recall 22V119000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)
| 917,106 vehicles affected
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 1 Series Coupe (128i); 2007-2013 3 Series Coupe (328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive); 2007-2010 X3 SAV (X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i); 2008-2013 1 Series Convertible (128i); 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi); 2006-2012 3 Series Wagon (328i, 328i xDrive); 2007-2013 3 Series Convertible (328i); 2006-2010 5...
Consequence: An electrical short can cause the PCV valve heater to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire while driving or, soon after driving when parked.
Remedy: This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Dealers will install an electrical wiring harness with fuse protection for the PCV Valve heater in potentially affected vehicles, free of charge. This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA...
View full details →Recall 12V176000 — SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT
| 7,600 vehicles affected
Defect: BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 BMW 3-SERIES VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 19, 2011, THROUGH MARCH 18, 2012, THAT HAVE FRONT SEAT HEAD RESTRAINTS THAT EXCEED THE DOWNWARD MOVEMENT LIMIT OF 25MM IN THE HIGHEST POSITION. THUS, THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 202A,"HEAD RESTRAINTS."
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE HEAD RESTRAINT MAY UNEXPECTEDLY MOVE DOWN SLIGHTLY IF IT WAS ADJUSTED TO THE FULLY EXTENDED POSITION, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy: BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL ATTACH A CLAMP TO THE FRONT SEAT HEAD RESTRAINT POSTS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES AT 1-800-525-7417.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2012 BMW 3 SERIES
11 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2012 BMW 3 SERIES. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
TAKATA RECALL I HAVE CONTACTED COGGIN BMW FT. PIERCE FL. SEVERAL TIMES TO GET MY AIRBAG FIXED. OVER A YEAR NOW AND STILL THEY CLAIM THAT THE PARTS HAVE NOT COME IN YET. IS THIS TRUE AND WHAT CAN I DO TO GET THIS RECALL TAKEN CARE OF.
AUGUST 6, 2016 - CAR STALLED AT ABOUT 50MPH, JUST WHEN ABOUT TO GO UPHILL. I WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER LEAVING THE CAR BLOCKING TRAFFIC WITH MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER IN IT. ONCE IT STOPS, IT PUTS ITSELF IN PARK, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO PUSH ASIDE. WE CREATED A TRAFFIC JAM AND POLICE BARRICADED WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO MOVE THE CAR. EVENTUALLY, IN ABOUT 30 MINS, THE CAR TURNS ON. HAPPENED AFTER AN HOUR OF HIGHWAY DRIVING. CAR SEEMED FINE AFTER THAT. AUGUST 17, 2016 - ON ANOTHER LONG TRIP, THE CAR STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. WOULD CRANK BUT NOT TURN ON. ALMOST EXHAUSTED THE BATTERY. CALLED A TOW TRUCK BUT BY THE TIME IT GOT THERE, AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR, THE CAR RESTARTED. HAD MY ODB-II SCANNER WITH ME AND GOT CODE USED MY OBDII READER AND GOT CODE P142E - PRESSURE TOO LOW IN HIGH-PRESSURE SYSTEM, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH NOT STARTING AND THE AND THE FUEL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION MESSAGE. I TOOK THE CAR TO AUTOGERMANA SERVICE CENTER, THAT SAME DAY. SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 - STALLED ON A MAIN ROAD, WITH MY DAUGHTER, ON THE WAY TO THE PEDIATRICIAN. I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER TO THE RIGHT LANE AND PARK ON A GAS STATION. AMBIENT TEMP WAS 94F. WAITED ABOUT 30MINS AND THE CAR RE-STARTED. THE DEALESHIP WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE A FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE FAILURE. SENT EMAIL TO BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS BUT THEY REFERRED ME BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP.
AUGUST 6, 2016 - CAR STALLED AT ABOUT 50MPH, JUST WHEN ABOUT TO GO UPHILL. I WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER LEAVING THE CAR BLOCKING TRAFFIC WITH MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER IN IT. ONCE IT STOPS, IT PUTS ITSELF IN PARK, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO PUSH ASIDE. WE CREATED A TRAFFIC JAM AND POLICE BARRICADED WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO MOVE THE CAR. EVENTUALLY, IN ABOUT 30 MINS, THE CAR TURNS ON. HAPPENED AFTER AN HOUR OF HIGHWAY DRIVING. CAR SEEMED FINE AFTER THAT. AUGUST 17, 2016 - ON ANOTHER LONG TRIP, THE CAR STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. WOULD CRANK BUT NOT TURN ON. ALMOST EXHAUSTED THE BATTERY. CALLED A TOW TRUCK BUT BY THE TIME IT GOT THERE, AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR, THE CAR RESTARTED. HAD MY ODB-II SCANNER WITH ME AND GOT CODE USED MY OBDII READER AND GOT CODE P142E - PRESSURE TOO LOW IN HIGH-PRESSURE SYSTEM, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH NOT STARTING AND THE AND THE FUEL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION MESSAGE. I TOOK THE CAR TO AUTOGERMANA SERVICE CENTER, THAT SAME DAY. SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 - STALLED ON A MAIN ROAD, WITH MY DAUGHTER, ON THE WAY TO THE PEDIATRICIAN. I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER TO THE RIGHT LANE AND PARK ON A GAS STATION. AMBIENT TEMP WAS 94F. WAITED ABOUT 30MINS AND THE CAR RE-STARTED. THE DEALESHIP WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE A FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE FAILURE. SENT EMAIL TO BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS BUT THEY REFERRED ME BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP.
I WAS DRIVING ON A VERY BUSY ROAD IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND THE CAR JUST SUDDENLY STALLED WITHOUT ANY WARNING MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND WON'T MOVE. OF COURSE CAME CLOSE TO BEING CRASHED FROM BEHIND. I AM GRATEFUL AND LUCKY THAT THE CARS BEHIND WERE ABLE TO STOP IN TIME AND MANEUVER AROUND ME TO AVOID COLLISION. THE BMW DEALER INSPECTED THE CAR AND TOLD ME THAT THE FUEL PUMP AND ITS CONTROL UNIT IS FAULTY. I HAVE ATTACHED THEIR DIAGNOSIS AS WELL. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A LESS THAN 4 YEAR OLD CAR WITH UNDER 25K MILES ON IT HAS A FUEL PUMP FAILURE, UNLESS IT WAS FAULTY TO BEGIN WITH. I CHECKED INTO THE RECALLS FOR BMW 328I MODELS FOR FAULTY FUEL PUMPS AND IT SEEMS BMW RECALLED MODELS FROM 2014, BUT IT SEEMS THE 2012 BMW HAS THIS ISSUE AS WELL. I WAS SAVED BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE NO ONE ELSE IS HURT BECAUSE OF FAULTY PARTS THAT CAR MANUFACTURERS FAIL TO CHECK BEFORE SELLING IT TO UNSUSPECTING CONSUMERS, WHO THINK THEY ARE SAFE WHEN DRIVING THESE EXPENSIVE CARS WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND PRECIOUS ONES IN IT. I SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED AND I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY TO BE STILL ALIVE, SAFE AND OK TO WRITE THIS MESSAGE.
WHILE IN LINE IN A DRIVE THRU THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF SUDDENLY LOSING ALL ELECTRICAL POWER AND POWER STEERING. UPON TRYING TO START "CHARGING MALFUNCTION" APPEARED ON THE INFORMATION SCREEN IN WITH A RED WARNING SIGN. TRIED 2-3 TIMES TO TURN OVER STARTER. WHEN VEHICLE TURNED ON IT WAS TIME TO MOVE FORWARD. WHEN TRYING TO EXIT DRIVE THRU DRIVE WAY VEHICLE WAS VERY HEAVY AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. FINALLY AFTER SEVERAL BACK AND FORTH ATTEMPTS VEHICLE WAS MOVED ABOUT 50 FEET TO A SAFE PARKING LOCATION.
Safety Rating for the 2012 BMW 3 SERIES
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2012 BMW 3 SERIES in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2012 BMW 3 SERIES
BMW of North America, LLC has issued 20 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2012 BMW 3 SERIES. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
SB23-01 — EQUIPMENT
Spl Parts, Inc. communications index accompanying MCP uploads 23mc40464 & 23mc40471
SIM010717 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The engine?s intake charge-air duct limited warranty extension to 10 years/120,000 miles applies to ?eligible USspecification
SIM010917 — EQUIPMENT
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
51 23 15 — STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
BMW: DETACHED BOWDEN CABLE PREVENTS THE DRIVER'S DOOR TO OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE BUT CAN OPEN FROM THE INSIDE *MA
51 23 15 — EQUIPMENT
BMW: DETACHED BOWDEN CABLE PREVENTS THE DRIVER'S DOOR TO OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE BUT CAN OPEN FROM THE INSIDE *MA
SIB-11-14-14 — ENGINE
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
SIB-32-03-14 — STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
BMW: IN CHECK CONTROL MESSAGE OR INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, A FAILURE WITH POWER ASSISTED STEERING IS ILLUMINATED, DUE TO SOFTWARE RELATED ISSUES. *PE
SIB-12-19-13 — ENGINE
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
SIB-61-32-12 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BMW: IN REAR OF VEHICLE, VARIOUS ELECTRICAL FAULTS ARE DUE TO REM (REAR ELECTRONIC MODULE) NOT RESPONDING TO DIAGNOSIS. MODELS 2011-2012 3 SERIES. *PE UPDATED 7/10/13. *PE
SIB-32-02-13 — STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
BMW: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING (EPS) WHEN ENGINE HAS STARTED, CAUSED BY A SPECIFIC SITUATION OF UNDERVOLTAGE DURING ENGINE START UP. MODEL 2010-2012 F30 (3 SERIES). *PE
Showing 10 of 20 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2012 BMW 3 SERIES
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the BMW 3 SERIES
- 2007 BMW 3 SERIES — 190 complaints
- 2008 BMW 3 SERIES — 93 complaints
- 2009 BMW 3 SERIES — 74 complaints
- 2010 BMW 3 SERIES — 43 complaints
- 2011 BMW 3 SERIES — 1 complaint
- 2012 BMW 3 SERIES (current)
- 2013 BMW 3 SERIES — 34 complaints
- 2016 BMW 3 SERIES — 0 complaints
- 2017 BMW 3 SERIES — 0 complaints