What breaks most · 2006 to 2016 model years
BMW 328xi problems by year
Owners have filed 382 safety complaints with NHTSA about the BMW 328xi across model years 2006 to 2016. One year stands out: 2007 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2012, 2006 and 2009.
- Years to check closely: 2007
- Fewest complaints: 2012, 2006, 2009
- Complaints on file
- 3822006 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 2007169 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 1829 fires · 21 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 62kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 32Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 3 | Air bags (1) | |
| 169 | 6 | 4 | Electrical system (51) | |
| 81 | 1 | 3 | Electrical system (40) | |
| 11 | 0 | 4 | Electrical system (5) | |
| 14 | 1 | 3 | Electrical system (7) | |
| 47 | 5 | 3 | Electrical system (16) | |
| 1 | 0 | 4 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 26 | 2 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (7) | |
| 13 | 2 | 3 | Unknown or other (3) | |
| 12 | 1 | 2 | Brakes (4) | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | Unknown or other (2) |
What fails on the 2007 BMW 328xi
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 30% |
51 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2007 BMW 328xi |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 20% |
33 | 2 | Shop engine parts for the 2007 BMW 328xi |
| Air bags | 20% |
33 | 1 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 15% |
26 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 2007 BMW 328xi |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 14% |
24 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 2007 BMW 328xi |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 6% |
10 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 5% |
9 | 1 | — |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 3% |
5 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2007 BMW 328xi |
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.
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Recalls for valve heater and blower motor wiring cannot be fixed until march 6, 2019. This date is very far and there should be closer dates to remedy these 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 328xi years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2007 carries the most filings on the BMW 328xi. The 2007 alone has 169 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common BMW 328xi problem?
On the 2007 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 51 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do BMW 328xi problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all BMW 328xi complaints that include mileage is about 62,000 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.