Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 BMW 328i owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that after parking and turning off the vehicle, she remained inside, and there was a burning smell. The contact stated that smoke was coming from the passenger floorboard and that after exiting the vehicle, there was also smoke coming from the hood, and after opening it, there were flames seen. The contact stated that she extinguished the flames with a garden hose and did not require calling the fire department. The contact made a local dealer aware of the failure and recall and scheduled a recall repair appointment. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer; however, the mechanic denied completing the recall remedy after the fire. The vehicle had not yet been diagnosed or repaired. …
The contact owned a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, there was whitish grey smoke coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the residence where it was parked, and there was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact pushed the vehicle away from the residence and from structures and became aware that there were heat bubbles on the hood of the vehicle and called 9-1-1. The Police and Fire Department arrived, and the firemen axed the hood and extinguished the fire under the hood. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The Police and Fire Department filed reports; however, the reports were not available. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50- 55 mph, the vehicle caught fire. There was an abnormal burning odor detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver was able to use her fire extinguisher and extinguish the fire. There were no reported injuries, police reports filed, or air bag deployments. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed her that the battery pack wiring had melted. and the PCV and wiring needed to be repaired. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis regarding the electrical panel was provided. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 149, 000.
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, he saw steam exiting from under the hood and multiple warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated he parked the vehicle on the side of the road and saw coolant leaking under the vehicle. The contact stated he waited until the engine had cooled down and continued driving to his destination. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine And Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph when the contact noticed smoke coming from vents and underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact had to pull over where the warning for the vehicle overheating had begun to sound off. The smoke dissipated once the vehicle was turned off. The contact had the vehicle towed to their home. There were no injuries and no medical attention was needed. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle began to overheat and started shuddering. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact's son owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact's son received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while her son was driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle began to overheat and he saw smoke coming out from underneath the hood the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact' son pulled into a parking lot where he parked the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started to overheat. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving and parked the vehicle at his residence. However, the vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the engine started smoking and overheating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the power steering failed to operate as needed; however, the contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to several local mechanics and BMW specialists. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle has remained with the dealer for 3 years. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated that the passenger restraint system message had appeared on the instrument panel indicating an air bag failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control › Crankcase (pcv)
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2011 128i and 2007-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notification by the end of October 2018.
Engine complaints in other 328i years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2007 BMW 328i?
NHTSA has 100 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2007 BMW 328i, 25% of the model year's 399 complaints. The component named most often is engine (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 BMW 328i engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 17V-683 (crankcase (pcv), Oct 30, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2007 BMW 328i engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 14 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.