BMW 328I Problems by Year
BMW 328I years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical 328I year: 2007, 2011, 2013. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2011 328I: 577 complaints, 7 recalls
- 2007 328I: 399 complaints, 6 recalls
- 2013 328I: 257 complaints, 5 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2001 328I: 4 complaints, 3 recalls
- 1997 328I: 25 complaints, 0 recalls
- 1998 328I: 26 complaints, 0 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common BMW 328I problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 683 | 15 | 12 |
| Engine problems | 625 | 11 | 10 |
| Air Bags problems | 551 | 15 | 71 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 467 | 16 | 1 |
| Power Train problems | 171 | 16 | 6 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 128 | 12 | 4 |
| Structure problems | 110 | 15 | 7 |
| Steering problems | 105 | 13 | 7 |
| Service Brakes | 92 | 10 | 36 |
| Exterior Lighting | 90 | 13 | 3 |
| Seat Belts | 87 | 12 | 8 |
| Seats | 62 | 12 | 2 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 59 | 15 | 17 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 49 | 8 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 46 | 11 | 4 |
| Suspension | 34 | 10 | 2 |
| Tires | 30 | 11 | 1 |
| Visibility | 29 | 11 | 1 |
| Visibility/wiper | 25 | 10 | 0 |
| Wheels | 24 | 10 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 18 | 8 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 15 | 6 | 3 |
| Equipment | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Firerelated | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1 | 0 |
BMW 328I problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2015: electrical system (56)
- 2014: electrical system (52)
- 2013: engine (92) · electrical system (61)
- 2012: engine (55)
- 2011: engine (194) · engine and engine cooling (175) · electrical system (129) · air bags (91)
- 2009: air bags (63) · electrical system (61)
- 2008: electrical system (85) · air bags (83) · engine (54)
- 2007: electrical system (129) · air bags (105) · engine (65) · steering (56)
All BMW 328I model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 328I | 57 | 1 | — | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2015 328I | 125 | 4 | 5★ | Electrical System | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2014 328I | 152 | 8 | 5★ | Electrical System | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2013 328I | 257 | 5 | 5★ | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2012 328I | 130 | 6 | 5★ | Engine | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2011 328I | 577 | 7 | — | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2010 328I | 155 | 6 | — | Engine | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2009 328I | 193 | 6 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2008 328I | 239 | 5 | — | Electrical System | More complaints than other years |
| 2007 328I | 399 | 6 | — | Electrical System | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2006 328I | 0 | 3 | — | — | |
| 2005 328I | 0 | 1 | — | — | |
| 2004 328I | 0 | 1 | — | — | |
| 2003 328I | 0 | 1 | — | — | |
| 2002 328I | 0 | 1 | — | — | |
| 2001 328I | 4 | 3 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | |
| 2000 328I | 112 | 7 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1999 328I | 98 | 7 | — | Air Bags | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 1998 328I | 26 | 0 | — | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 1997 328I | 25 | 0 | — | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 1996 328I | 31 | 0 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Far fewer complaints than other years |
More from BMW: all BMW models · BMW VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which BMW 328I years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2007 (399), 2011 (577), 2013 (257) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical 328I year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the BMW 328I?
Electrical System, with 683 complaints across 15 model years.
How many recalls does the BMW 328I have?
27 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.