What breaks most · 1996 to 2016 model years
BMW 328i problems by year
Owners have filed 2,574 safety complaints with NHTSA about the BMW 328i across model years 1996 to 2016. Three years stand out: 2011 for engine complaints, 2007 for electrical system complaints and 2013 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2001, 1997 and 1998.
- Years to check closely: 2011, 2007, 2013
- Fewest complaints: 2001, 1997, 1998
- Complaints on file
- 25741996 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 2011576 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 132118 fires · 116 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 83kMedian 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) | |
| 26 | 3 | 0 | Electrical system (5) | |
| 98 | 12 | 7 | Air bags (37) | |
| 112 | 6 | 7 | Air bags (35) | |
| 4 | 0 | 3 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 397 | 11 | 6 | Electrical system (128) | |
| 239 | 7 | 5 | Electrical system (85) | |
| 193 | 6 | 6 | Air bags (63) | |
| 155 | 3 | 6 | Engine (48) | |
| 576 | 18 | 7 | Engine (193) | |
| 130 | 4 | 6 | Engine (55) | |
| 257 | 24 | 5 | Engine (92) | |
| 151 | 19 | 8 | Electrical system (52) | |
| 124 | 6 | 4 | Electrical system (56) | |
| 56 | 8 | 1 | Electrical system (21) |
What fails on the 2011 BMW 328i
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 34% |
193 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2011 BMW 328i |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 30% |
175 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2011 BMW 328i |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 22% |
129 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2011 BMW 328i |
| Air bags | 16% |
91 | 13 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Unknown or other | 7% |
43 | 2 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 4% |
24 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 3% |
20 | 1 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2011 BMW 328i |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 3% |
19 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2011 BMW 328i |
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.
-
Engine lost all oil pressure, smoke came through vents with the smell of burnt oil. Engine stalled, intake camshaft no longer moves when the engine is trying to turn over. Vanos system failed.
-
The wiring insulation is dry cracked everywhere in both headlights exposing a lot of the wires in many places. It can cause a short.
-
MY 2013 BMW 328 NON TURBO experienced an all of a sudden warning that the temperature was high even though the temp gauge did not show. Car was pulled over and towed to repair shop. Broken VANOS bolts were discovered and car made a load noise when run.
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 6, 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, 2011, 2007, 2013 carry the most filings on the BMW 328i. The 2011 alone has 576 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common BMW 328i problem?
On the 2011 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 193 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 83,000 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.