What breaks most · 1996 to 2016 model years
BMW 328i problems by year
Owners have filed 1,421 safety complaints with NHTSA about the BMW 328i across model years 1996 to 2016. Three years stand out: 2007 for electrical system complaints, 2011 for electrical system complaints and 2008 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 2001, 1997 and 1998.
- Years to check closely: 2007, 2011, 2008
- Fewest complaints: 2001, 1997, 1998
- Complaints on file
- 14211996 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 2007338 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 9361 fires · 88 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 68kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 71Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 2 | 0 | Engine and cooling (6) | |
| 25 | 3 | 0 | Electrical system (7) | |
| 25 | 3 | 0 | Air bags (4) | |
| 82 | 11 | 7 | Air bags (22) | |
| 105 | 6 | 7 | Body and structure (31) | |
| 4 | 0 | 3 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 338 | 10 | 6 | Electrical system (113) | |
| 175 | 6 | 5 | Air bags (74) | |
| 128 | 5 | 6 | Air bags (50) | |
| 72 | 1 | 6 | Air bags (31) | |
| 224 | 14 | 7 | Electrical system (81) | |
| 47 | 2 | 6 | Air bags (19) | |
| 90 | 15 | 5 | Brakes (24) | |
| 47 | 10 | 8 | Engine (8) | |
| 17 | 1 | 4 | Unknown or other (6) | |
| 11 | 4 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (3) |
What fails on the 2007 BMW 328i
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 33% |
113 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2007 BMW 328i |
| Air bags | 28% |
94 | 8 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 16% |
55 | 1 | Shop engine parts for the 2007 BMW 328i |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 16% |
55 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2007 BMW 328i |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 11% |
36 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 2007 BMW 328i |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 5% |
16 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2007 BMW 328i |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 4% |
14 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2007 BMW 328i |
| Seat belts | 4% |
14 | 1 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
My car burst into flames ahile driving down the highway. The electrical system went off immediately and i was trapped in car. A nearby passenger broke my window to me out. If it wasn't for the man i would have lost my life!!
-
It has been 10 months and remedies are still not available for the pcv valve heater recall (17v-683) nor blower motor wiring (17v-676).
-
My car jerked and stalled and give difficult start. Took it to mechanic shop and it was diagnosed with crank pcv valve problems
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which BMW 328i years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2007, 2011, 2008 carry the most filings on the BMW 328i. The 2007 alone has 338 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common BMW 328i problem?
On the 2007 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 113 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do BMW 328i problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all BMW 328i complaints that include mileage is about 68,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.