2012 BMW 135i reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 BMW 135i over 15 years — 2 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 3 135i years on this site. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Inflator, Wiring, and CV joint.

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (10 of 19), then Powertrain (6) and Fuel and propulsion system (5).

Next to 2013

The 2013 135i has 12 complaints, 0 per year. The 2012 has more complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 BMW 135i. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (6)

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2020-01-15 · NHTSA campaign 20V017000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 128i and 135i Convertibles, 128i, 135i, and M Coupes, 2007-2010 X3 30si and X3 xDrive30i, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i, 2007-2013 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335is, 335i xDrive and M3 Coupes, 2006-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive and M3, 2009-2011 335D, 2006-2012 325xi, 328i, 328xi and 328i xDrive, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 2007-2013 328i, 335i, 335is, M3 Coupes, X5 30si, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 48i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M, 2009-2013 X5 xDrive35d and 2008-2014 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6M vehicles equipped with non-desiccated driver frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver air bag. On X5 and X6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Recall electrical system, wiring 2019-08-06 · NHTSA campaign 19V579000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2012 BMW 128i, 135i, 135is Coupes and 128i, 135i Convertible vehicles. The wiring and electrical connectors in the blower-regulator wiring harness may overheat.

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the blower-regulator wiring harness, and replace it with a new part, free of charge. The recall began October 4, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall is an expansion of an earlier recall number 17V-676.

Recall powertrain, driveline, CV joint 2017-02-02 · NHTSA campaign 17V067000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 1 Series M Coupe and 135i Convertible vehicles, 2011 Z4 sDrive 35i, 335i, 335d, 335i Coupe, 335is Coupe, 335i Convertible, 335is Convertible, 535i, 535i xDrive, 535i Gran Turismo and 550i xDrive Gran Turismo vehicles and 2012 740i and 740Li vehicles. The rear driveshaft constant velocity (CV) joint on the affected vehicles may fatigue and break.

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear driveshaft CV joint and, based on its production date, will replace it, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2016-02-05 · NHTSA campaign 16V071000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 128i and 135i coupes and convertibles and 1 Series M coupes, 2006-2011 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive Sedans, 2009-2011 335d sedans, 2006-2012 325xiT, 328i and 328xi sports wagons, 2007-2013 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive, 335is and M3 Coupes and Convertibles, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i SAVs, 2007-2010 X3 xDrive30i SAVs, 2007-2013 X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M SAVs, 2009-2013 BMW X5 xDrive35d SAVs, 2008-2014 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i, and X6 M SACs, 2010-2011 BMW X6 xDrive50i SACs and 2008-2011 M3 Sedan vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module or inflator depending on the vehicle model, free of charge. The recall began March 9, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Recall Engine 2014-04-10 · NHTSA campaign 14V176000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 128i Coupe, 128i Convertible, 328i Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 328i Coupe, 328i Convertible, 328i Sports Wagon and Z4 sDrive 30i, 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 135i Convertible, 335i Sedan, X5 xDrive 35i, and X6 xDrive 35i, 2011 335i xDrive Sedan, 335i Coupe, 335i Convertible, 528i Sedan, 535i Sedan, 535i xDrive Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, and X3 xDrive 35i, 2010 X3 xDrive 30i, and X5 xDrive 30i, 2012 640i Coupe, and 640i Convertible and 2010-2012 535i Gran Turismo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit can loosen over time and may possibly break.

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four VANOS housing bolts for both VANOS units (intake and exhaust), free of charge. In addition, owners of approximately 170,172 model year 2010-2012 BMW vehicles equipped with inline 6 cylinder engines not covered by this recall, will receive an extended warranty to address this condition. The recall began on September 24, 2014. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417.

Recall Electrical system 2013-02-07 · NHTSA campaign 13V044000

Summary BMW is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 1-Series coupes and convertibles manufactured December 2007 through September 2011; and 2007-2011 3-Series coupes and convertibles manufactured March 2007 through October 2011; 2007-2011 3-Series sedans manufactured March 2007 through October 2011; 2007-2011 3-Series sports wagons manufactured March 2007 through June 2011; and 2009-2011 Z4 vehicles manufactured March 2009 through June 2011. In February 2013, BMW recalled 504,545 vehicles. In July 2013, BMW informed the agency that it was adding 1-Series, 3-Series, and Z4 vehicles, representing an additional 12,094 vehicles. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 516,791. The connector for the positive battery cable connector and the corresponding terminal on the fuse box may degrade over time. Over time, the high current flow and heat from electrical resistance may lead to a breakage of the connection, and a loss of electrical power to the vehicle.

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the positive battery cable connector and secure it with an improved method, free of charge. The recall began on March 13, 2013. Owners may call BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

Complaints by component (19 total)

Engine

Powertrain

Fuel and propulsion system

Air bags

Electrical system

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Seats

Service brakes

Speed control

Suspension

Show 2 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"Continuing coolant problems, engine shut off going down the hwy bc overheated////engine not secure-moves around literally/////camshaft timing position sensor code. On Dec 24th I purchased a 2012 BMW 135i convertible…"
Engine · filed 2023-05-12
"VEHICLE STALLS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOPPED POSITION. SEVERAL TIME, WHILE STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION WITH CROSSING TRAFFIC, I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION BUT THE CAR FAILED TO ACCELERATE. I TRIED…"
Suspension, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2021-03-11
"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 135I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THEIR WIFE WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE THE POWER STEERING CEASED WITH AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE…"
Electrical system · filed 2020-06-17
"WHEN I HAD FEWER THAN 50K MILES, MY THERMOSTAT BROKE SUDDENLY WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I HAD NO PREVIOUS ISSUES OR WARNING LIGHTS. SINCE THAT REPAIR, I HAVE HAD 2 COOLANT LEAKS, AND ONE RELATED PIPE CRACK. THIS WEEK, I HAD…"
Engine · filed 2020-02-04
"VEHICLE STALLS WHEN MORE THAN 1/8 THROTTLE IS APPLIED, VEHICLE HAS DIFFICULTY STARTING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON WHEN APPLYING SMALL THROTTLE INPUTS. THE 4 PREVIOUS YEARS OF THIS VEHICLE MAKE AND MODEL, THE HIGH…"
Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2019-12-19

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2012 BMW 135 I 2 DR RWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2012 BMW 135 I C RWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
135i	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (7-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	18	25	20 MPG	$4000
135i	3L, 6-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	20	28	23 MPG	$3450
135i convertible	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (7-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	18	25	20 MPG	$4000
135i convertible	3L, 6-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	19	27	22 MPG	$3650

Specs and fitment

E82/E88 generation, 2012–2013

Body styles Coupe, Convertible

Oil 0W-30 , 6.9 qt capacity

Tire size 205/50R17, 225/45R17, 215/40R18, 245/35R18

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V579000 covers certain 2008-2012 135i and 135is Coupe and 128i/135i Convertible vehicles where blower-regulator wiring may overheat and increase fire risk; dealers replace the harness. Recall 20V017000 covers certain 2008-2013 135i Convertible, Coupe, and M Coupe models (with many other BMW models) for a Takata driver frontal inflator that can explode; dealers replace the driver air bag. Recall 17V067000 covers certain 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 1 Series M Coupe, and 135i Convertible vehicles for a constant-velocity joint concern on that campaign list.

Compare

Next year 2013 BMW 135i See every BMW 135i model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 BMW 135i reliable?

What are common problems with a 2012 BMW 135i?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (10 of 19), then Powertrain (6) and Fuel and propulsion system (5).

Is the 2012 BMW 135i more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 135i has 12 complaints, 0 per year. The 2012 has more complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 BMW 135i been recalled?

The 2012 BMW 135i has 6 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 BMW 135i?

Owners have filed 19 complaints about the 2012 BMW 135i with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 BMW 135i get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 BMW 135i is 21.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a US BMW 135i use?

0W-30 With filter, about 6.9 qt is commonly listed for this generation—confirm in the owner manual.

What tire sizes fit a US BMW 135i?

Published US specs commonly list front 205/50R17, 225/45R17, 215/40R18, 245/35R18 and rear 205/50R17, 225/45R17, 215/40R18, 245/35R18; confirm on the door jamb placard for your trim.

What NHTSA recalls affect the US BMW 135i?