Check by VIN to confirm the exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
No US recalls found for the 2012 BMW 5 Series.
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 "NONE" when it should read as "NONE / AUCUN". Canadian regulations require the information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: This error does not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. The company has corrected the tire and loading information label for all new vehicles.
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 the electrical connector for the water pump and cause a short circuit. Safety Risk: A short circuit can create the risk of a fire, even while the vehicle is parked and turned off. Corrective Actions: To reduce the safety risk, BMW advises you to park your vehicle outdoors and away from other vehicles or structures until the recall repairs are completed. BMW will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect and, if necessary, replace the water pump and electrical connector. The dealer will also install a shield on the connector.
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 and salt for an extended period due to this isolated environmental incident. Certain MINI models could have corrosion at the starter motor power supply cable connectors, which could lead to the inability to restart the engine following an engine shutdown by the start-stop (MSA) system, increasing the risk of crash causing injury in a traffic situation. On certain BMW models, the lubrication of some internal components within the steering rack may have been exposed to excessive water or salt which could result in higher than normal steering effort or steering binding, increasing the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. In addition, electrical wires and/or connectors in all affected vehicles may have been exposed to water or salt, which could lead to increased electrical system resistance, and increase the risk of fire causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Owners should contact their selling Retailer regarding this recall. Affected vehicles will be inspected. Some vehicles will be taken out of service immediately and owners will be provided with temporary transportation until a new replacement vehicle is available. All other vehicles are cleared of this safety concern and may continue to be driven until a new replacement vehicle is available. Due to potential concerns about long term vehicle quality, all affected vehicles will ultimately be removed from service.
On certain vehicles, housing bolts for the variable camshaft timing system could break, allowing camshaft timing to deviate. If this occurs, the engine would revert to "limp home mode", limiting available engine power. This could increase the risk of a collision causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace affected bolts.
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, causing a loss of power assist to the braking system. This could cause increased stopping distances, possibly resulting in a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will install a camshaft seal disk locking ring.
Owners filed 10 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 BMW 5 Series. Among 17 model years of this model, it ranks #8 for the most complaints (median 8).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 3 | |
| Engine | 3 | |
| Tires | 2 | |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | |
| Air bags | 1 | |
| Unknown or other | 1 |
EPA ratings for each 2012 BMW 5 Series version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 528i 2.0 L Automatic 8-spd | 23 | 34 | 27 | $3,050 |
| 528i xDrive 2.0 L Automatic 8-spd | 22 | 32 | 26 | $3,150 |
| 535i 3.0 L Automatic (S8) | 20 | 30 | 23 | $3,550 |
| 535i 3.0 L Manual 6-spd | 20 | 29 | 23 | $3,550 |
| 535i Gran Turismo 3.0 L Automatic (S8) | 19 | 28 | 22 | $3,750 |
| 535i xDrive 3.0 L Automatic (S8) | 21 | 30 | 24 | $3,400 |
| 535i xDrive Gran Turismo 3.0 L Automatic (S8) | 18 | 27 | 21 | $3,900 |
| 550i 4.4 L Automatic (S8) | 15 | 23 | 18 | $4,550 |
| 550i 4.4 L Manual 6-spd | 15 | 22 | 17 | $4,850 |
| 550i Gran Turismo 4.4 L Automatic (S8) | 15 | 22 | 18 | $4,550 |
| 550i xDrive 4.4 L Automatic (S8) | 15 | 20 | 17 | $4,850 |
| 550i xDrive Gran Turismo 4.4 L Automatic (S8) | 15 | 19 | 17 | $4,850 |
Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada). Recalls updated 2026-10-30.