Free N52 recall check: is the PCV heater recall done?
Enter your VIN. In seconds we check whether it likely has the N52 3.0L six, list NHTSA's recalls for your model and year, and show what the PCV valve heater recall (22V-119) and the VANOS bolt recalls (14V-176, 23V-707) mean for your car.
Original illustration, not to scale; positions are approximate. Source badges are explained in Weak parts.
Recall 22V-119: PCV valve heater, fire risk. Free fix, and cars repaired under the earlier recalls 17V-683 or 19V-273 must go back. Also check (certain cars): 14V-176 · 23V-707 (VANOS bolts) · 13V-044 · airbag 16V-071 / 20V-017. Check your VIN at NHTSA
Recall details & sources
Covers 128i · 325i · 328i · 330i · 525i · 528i · 530i · X3 30i/28i · X5 30i · Z4 30i (10 models). 2012+ 328i sedan or 528i (2.0L)? See the N20 page. Turbo 335i/135i? See the N54 or N55 page.
~102k mi
Half of the 109 valve cover and PCV failures that N52 owners reported to NHTSA with a mileage came before about 102,000 miles. Reported cases, not your car's odds. COMPUTED FROM NHTSA DATA
See the chart ↓22V-119 (PCV valve heater, fire risk; cars fixed under 17V-683 / 19V-273 must go back) and the VANOS bolt recalls 14V-176 / 23V-707 for certain 2010–2012 builds. Check by VIN (each covers certain cars). Recall repairs are free at BMW dealers. OFFICIAL
Check your VIN for all recalls ↑Sums of range midpoints COMPUTED. Worst case, not an expected cost.
See the cost table ↓5,280
VIN-confirmed N52 owner complaints filed with NHTSA NHTSA DATA
- 69% filed within 10 years of the model year; 610 since 2023
- Complaint file dated Oct 19, 2026; costs checked Oct 20, 2026
- Key sources listed in the footer
N52 recalls you should check by VIN
The N52's biggest open-recall risks are free to fix: the crankcase vent (PCV) valve heater and, for certain 2010–2012 builds, the VANOS bolts. Here's what each covers.
PCV valve heater: fire risk
Recall 22V-119 (917,106 vehicles) covers certain 2008–2013 128i; 2007–2013 328i coupes and convertibles; 2006–2011 3 Series sedans (325i, 328i, 330i, incl. xi/xDrive); 2006–2012 328i wagons; 2006–2010 5 Series sedans (525i, 528i, 530i, incl. xi); the 2006–2007 530xi wagon; 2007–2010 X3 3.0si/xDrive30i and X5 3.0si/xDrive30i; the 2006–2008 Z4 3.0si coupe and 2006–2011 Z4 roadsters. The heater can short-circuit and cause a fire while driving or after parking. Free remedy: a fused wiring harness. OFFICIAL
Earlier PCV heater recalls (replaced)
17V-683 (740,561 vehicles, 2017) and 19V-273 (184,505 vehicles, 2019, the 2006 models) were superseded and expanded by 22V-119. NHTSA says vehicles previously repaired under those recalls need to come back for the new remedy. OFFICIAL
VANOS bolts
Recall 14V-176 (156,137 vehicles) covers certain 2010–2011 128i, 328i and Z4 sDrive30i, the 2011 528i and X3 xDrive28i, and the 2010 X3 xDrive30i and X5 xDrive30i (plus N55 models). The VANOS housing bolts can loosen and break. Free new bolts. BMW also gave about 170,000 other cars an extended VANOS warranty (SI B01 10 14), which has run out for nearly every car ESTIMATE. OFFICIAL
VANOS bolts follow-up
Recall 23V-707 (157,796 vehicles) covers certain 2010–2012 1 and 3 Series and 2010–2011 3 Series wagons and coupes, 5 Series sedans, X3 xDrive28i/30i, X5 xDrive30i and Z4 sDrive30i built September 2, 2009 to July 12, 2012. Stall risk. Free remedy: four new VANOS bolts. OFFICIAL
Listed for N52 models (certain cars)
13V-044 battery cable / fuse box (certain 2008–2012 1 Series, 2007–2011 3 Series, 2009–2011 Z4, by build date) · 19V-472 battery cable (2009 328i/328xi) · 12V-126 battery cable, 5 Series (2004–2010), fire risk · 17V-676 and 19V-579 blower wiring, fire risk · 16V-746 in-tank fuel pump (X5, certain years) · 10V-518 2008 X5 six-cylinder fuel pump. OFFICIAL
Recall repairs are free at BMW dealers. NHTSA lists recalls by model, and each covers certain cars only, so a model-level list can't tell you whether your car is affected or already fixed: check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or ask a BMW dealer. Vehicle counts are from NHTSA's recall records.
Built on NHTSA government data, plus clearly labeled shop and owner sources
We took every NHTSA owner complaint whose VIN decodes to a car on the N52 fitment list (model, year and 3.0L engine size) and analyzed the free text and the mileage-at-failure field. The VIN can't separate the N52 from the N51 (a low-emissions twin sold in some states), so both are included.
Mostly first-decade data. 69.2% of these complaints were filed within 10 years of the car's model year, and 610 were filed in 2023 or later (114 of the 168 VANOS complaints came after the 2023 recall). The cars are now 13–20 years old, so treat the mileages as history rather than a forecast. COMPUTED FROM NHTSA DATA
Source: NHTSA's bulk complaint file (FLAT_CMPL, dated Oct 19, 2026), VIN-decoded with NHTSA vPIC. Counts come from keyword matches in owners' free-text complaints. They are self-reported, unverified and not adjusted for how many cars were sold. Leaks (oil filter housing, valve cover) are rarely filed as safety complaints, so they're under-counted here. See Method.
VANOS complaints cluster in the recall build years. VANOS appears in 7.2% of model-year 2010 N52 complaints (30 of 416), 12.1% for 2011 (116 of 962) and 11.6% for 2012 (8 of 69), compared with 0.3% for 2006–2009 (13 of 3,773), in NHTSA's bulk complaint file, VIN-checked to the N52. That fits the 14V-176 and 23V-707 build windows but doesn't tell you about any one car. COMPUTED FROM NHTSA DATA
The 5 N52 parts owners and shops most often report failing
Tap a card or a numbered dot on the diagram at the top of the page. Every figure has a badge for where it comes from: OFFICIAL (NHTSA or BMW documents), SHOP/RETAILER (retailer listings, published shop quotes and shop articles), FORUM/BLOG (owner forums, enthusiast blogs and quote sites that collect owner reports: real reports, but unverified), ESTIMATE (our estimate where no good public number exists) or COMPUTED FROM NHTSA DATA (our analysis of NHTSA's public complaint data). A figure with several sources shows the weakest one. Totals and ratios are simple arithmetic on these figures.
Buying a used N52? Was it already fixed?
The N52's most important checks are free recalls. Ask the seller for records and ask any BMW dealer to print the recall and service history for the VIN.
- PCV valve heater recall 22V-119: completed?Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If the car was fixed under 17V-683 or 19V-273 before 2022, NHTSA says it needs to go back for the 22V-119 remedy. OFFICIAL
- VANOS bolts (2010–2012 builds): 14V-176 and 23V-707 done?Check the VIN, and read the build month on the driver-side door-jamb label (MM/YY). Cars built September 2009 to July 12, 2012 are the ones to check most carefully. OFFICIAL
- Airbag recallsDriver-airbag inflator recalls (for example 16V-071, 20V-017, 24V-513) cover many N52-era cars. Don't buy with one open unless the seller fixes it first. OFFICIAL
- Valve cover and crankcase ventLook for oil on the exhaust side, smell for burning oil after the drive, listen for a whistle at idle. Ask whether the valve cover was replaced and when. FORUM/BLOG
- Water pump and thermostatLook for receipts. An original electric pump past ~70k miles is a likely near-term cost; it often fails without warning. COMPUTED FROM NHTSA DATA
- Oil filter housing gasket and beltLook for oil at the front of the engine and on the drive belt. A leak here is cheap to fix and worth fixing before the belt is damaged. FORUM/BLOG
- Fuel pump recalls (X5)2008 X5 six-cylinders are in 10V-518, and certain X5s in 16V-746. Check by VIN. OFFICIAL
A checklist is not an inspection. Have a qualified BMW technician do a pre-purchase inspection before you buy.
What it costs: fix early vs. after failure
Repair-cost ranges for each part, using the midpoint of each range. Where a quote site gives both, "fix early" is its independent-shop range and "if it fails" is its dealer range, because a breakdown often ends at a dealer. That pairing is our modelling choice ESTIMATE. The "if it fails" column is a reported range for repair bills, not a prediction for your car.
| # | Part / system | Reported failure range | Fix early | If it fails | Ratio |
|---|
Essentials = the valve cover / PCV job (after the free recall), the VANOS recall check, the water pump + thermostat, and the oil filter housing gasket + belt. Plugs and coils are routine maintenance, so they're only in the full list. The VANOS "if it fails" range comes from repair bills owners mentioned in NHTSA complaints. Failures overlap, so the "if every part fails" sum overstates real exposure. Prices vary by region and shop; get a written quote before any work.
Why trust this? Our method in 60 seconds
1 · Government data, filtered by VIN
We took NHTSA's bulk complaint file (FLAT_CMPL, dated Oct 19, 2026), decoded each complaint's VIN with NHTSA vPIC, and kept complaints whose model, year and 3.0L engine size match the N52 fitment list in the FAQ: 5,280 complaints, 3,325 of them with a usable mileage. 1,820 of them mention airbags. Part counts come from keyword matches in the complaint text; the mileage chart uses the mileage-at-failure field.
2 · Labeled sources
Figures come from BMW service bulletins posted on NHTSA, NHTSA recalls and complaints and BMW's own press releases (OFFICIAL), retailer listings and published shop articles (SHOP/RETAILER), and owner forums, enthusiast blogs and quote sites that collect owner reports (FORUM/BLOG), checked Oct 20, 2026. Our own statistics from NHTSA data are marked COMPUTED FROM NHTSA DATA. Anything we couldn't source is labeled ESTIMATE.
3 · Honest about limits
These are reported ranges, not predictions or failure rates. Complaints are self-reported, the VIN can't tell an N52 from an N51, and costs vary by region and shop. Nothing here guarantees a part won't fail, and none of it replaces an inspection by a qualified BMW technician.
Independence: we don't take money from shops or retailers for placement, and the retailer links on this page are not paid links. If any become paid (affiliate) links, each one will be labeled “Paid link” where it appears. Commissions would never change the numbers. Our recommendations are not influenced by affiliate commissions, and any future paid shop referrals will be disclosed.
N52 FAQ
Which BMWs have the N52 engine?
In the US, the N52 3.0L non-turbo six (or its low-emissions twin, the N51) is in the 2006 325i/325xi and 330i/330xi; the 2007–2013 328i/328xi/328i xDrive (for 2012–2013 only the coupe, convertible and wagon; the 2012+ sedan has the 2.0L N20); the 2008–2013 128i; the 2006–2007 525i/525xi and 530i/530xi; the 2008–2011 528i/528xi; the X3 3.0si (2007–2008), xDrive30i (2009–2010) and xDrive28i (2011); the X5 3.0si (2007–2008) and xDrive30i (2009–2010); and the Z4 3.0i/3.0si (2006–2008) and sDrive30i (2009–2011). The VIN check sorts out the overlap years.
What is recall 22V-119?
It's BMW's 2022 recall of 917,106 vehicles for the crankcase vent (PCV) valve heater, which can short-circuit and cause a fire while driving or after the car is parked. The free remedy is a fused wiring harness. It covers most US N51/N52 models from 2006 to 2013 (the full list is in the Recalls section), but each recall covers certain cars only, so check your VIN.
My car already had the PCV heater recall. Do I need it again?
Maybe. 22V-119 supersedes and expands the earlier recalls 17V-683 (2017) and 19V-273 (2019), and NHTSA says vehicles previously repaired under those recalls need to come back for the new remedy. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or ask a BMW dealer.
Does the VANOS bolt recall apply to my car?
Recall 14V-176 covers certain 2010–2011 N52 cars (128i, 328i, Z4 sDrive30i, 2011 528i and X3 xDrive28i, 2010 X3 xDrive30i and X5 xDrive30i), and BMW's 2023 follow-up 23V-707 covers certain 2010–2012 cars built September 2, 2009 to July 12, 2012. The remedy is free. The VIN doesn't record the production month, so check the driver-side door-jamb label (MM/YY) and confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a BMW dealer. Recalls are decided by VIN, so check even if your car's model year is outside these ranges.
Is this data still relevant for an older car?
Partly. 69% of the 5,280 VIN-confirmed N52 complaints were filed within 10 years of the car's model year, so most describe the cars when they were newer. The valve cover/PCV and VANOS complaints skew later: only 45.5% of the valve cover complaints were filed within 10 years, and 114 of 168 VANOS complaints came in 2023 or later, around the 23V-707 recall.
How accurate are these repair costs?
They're ranges from published shop quotes and owner-quote sites, each labeled with its source type, NHTSA complaint data, or our estimate where no good public figure exists. Where a site gives both, we show its independent-shop range as "fix early" and its dealer range as "if it fails". Prices vary by region and shop. Get a written quote before any work.
Will doing this work keep my engine from failing?
No one can promise that. Replacing known weak parts early can lower your exposure to some expensive failures, but parts can still fail, and other things can go wrong. The "if it fails" numbers are reported ranges for repair bills, not predictions.
Is there an N52 report?
Not yet. Our planned $19 ownership report covers N20 cars only, and its order form turns away other VINs, so please don't try to order it for an N52. Join the N52 list on this page and we'll email you N52 updates, including if an N52 report launches. We take no payment and don't promise a date.
Do you store my VIN?
No. The VIN check runs in your browser and sends the VIN only to NHTSA's public vPIC decoder and recall API; we don't store or log it. (If you open a shared link that contains a VIN, our host, Cloudflare, receives that address as part of the request; the page then removes it from the address bar.) If you join the N52 list after a check, we save only the decoded model (for example "2011 BMW 328i") with your email and the fact that you signed up from the N52 page. We don't sell it, and we delete it on request. See the privacy policy.
Get N52 recall and parts updates
We'll email you when we add or correct something important for the N52: new recalls, changed figures, or an N52 report if we build one. There's no N52 report for sale today, and our $19 report covers N20 cars only.
- We take no payment and don't promise any launch date
- Every email has an unsubscribe link
Join the N52 list
N52 updates only. No date is promised for any report.