2009 BMW 328I Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 63 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2009 BMW 328I, 33% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 68,725 miles. The words owners use most often: “passenger seat” (17% of reports).
- 63air bags complaints
- 68,725median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 36%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Passenger seat: mentioned in 11 of 63 complaints (17%)
- Takata air bags: mentioned in 10 of 63 complaints (16%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 26 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 63 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
BMW 328I air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 328I | 2 | 4% | 15,458 |
| 2015 328I | 2 | 2% | 73,750 |
| 2014 328I | 15 | 10% | 58,000 |
| 2013 328I | 39 | 15% | 48,000 |
| 2012 328I | 26 | 20% | 64,500 |
| 2011 328I | 91 | 16% | 71,000 |
| 2010 328I | 43 | 28% | 89,750 |
| 2009 328I | 63 | 33% | 68,725 |
| 2008 328I | 83 | 35% | 76,000 |
| 2007 328I | 105 | 26% | 83,000 |
| 2000 328I | 35 | 31% | 96,000 |
| 1999 328I | 37 | 38% | 120,500 |
| 1998 328I | 4 | 15% | 66,000 |
| 1997 328I | 3 | 12% | — |
| 1996 328I | 3 | 10% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (324i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi), 2006-2012 3 Series Sportswagon (325xi, 328i, 328xi), and 2009-2011 3 Series Sedan (335d) vehicles. The original steering wheel may have been replaced with a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with an inflator that can explode during deployment.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's air bag module as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 128i and 135i Convertibles, 128i, 135i, and M Coupes, 2007-2010 X3 30si and X3 xDrive30i, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i, 2007-2013 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335is, 335i xDrive and M3 Coupes, 2006-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive and M3, 2009-2011 335D, 2006-2012 325xi, 328i, 328xi and 328i xDrive, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 2007-2013 328i, 335i, 335is, M3 Coupes, X5 30si, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 48i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M, 2009-2013 X5 xDrive35d and 2008-2014 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6M vehicles equipped with non-desiccated driver frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver air bag. On X5 and X6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Seat occupancy sensor -- seat belt is inoperable on passenger side. Seat belt stuck in passengers seat back. "Active fault for seat occupancy sensor." Belt tensioner - "Drive belt starting to walk off tensioner pulley"
Car running lean oil leak getting hot,loss of power,jolting forward also my car has been in dealership shop for 2 years I'm being charged for services I know weren't done,overcharged,and my car still isn't fixed also the service manager told me he was aware of the recalls,when I told him to this…
One recall was for air bag deployed I had the light for it on but it was on when I got it the original owner said it popped on him well he was parked and he never fixed it or did anything ... The other was a part of the computer pretty much in charge of cooling the car down it can make fire from…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2009 BMW 328Is have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 63 owner complaints about air bags for the 2009 BMW 328I (33% of the 193 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2009 BMW 328I air bags?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 68,725 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2009 BMW 328I?
The most frequent phrase is “passenger seat”, in 11 of 63 complaints, followed by “takata air bags” (10).
Other 2009 BMW 328I problems
See all 2009 BMW 328I problems or air bags problems across all 328I years.