2011 BMW 328I Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 91 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2011 BMW 328I, 16% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 71,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “takata air bags” (25% of reports).
- 91air bags complaints
- 71,000median miles at failure
- 13mention a crash
- 10mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 32%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.
- Takata air bags: mentioned in 23 of 91 complaints (25%)
- Passenger restraint: mentioned in 5 of 91 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 28 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 91 complaints, 13 mention a crash, 10 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.
RE: Recall on 2011 328i Vin# [XXX] I drove the car to run an errand, car was running ok but had a miss. During my drive home, the car stalled. I had to quickly coast to a parking lot in order not to get hit by the car behind me. I tried to restart the car, but it acted as if it needed a jump. Tried…
Nothing has malfunctioned yet on the vehicle, however, these recalls are putting my daughter at risk while driving as there is an air bag and engine recall on the vehicle. Every time we contact the dealership, the recall is still unavailable.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V513000 (AIR BAGS) and 23V707000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the parts were not…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2011 BMW 328Is have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 91 owner complaints about air bags for the 2011 BMW 328I (16% of the 577 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 2011 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 71,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2011 BMW 328I?
The most frequent phrase is “takata air bags”, in 23 of 91 complaints, followed by “passenger restraint” (5).
Other 2011 BMW 328I problems
See all 2011 BMW 328I problems or air bags problems across all 328I years.