2011 BMW 328i Electrical Problems

Which parts fail

• Wiring › Front underhood
  5
• Instrument cluster/panel
  1

Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  36%
• 25k–50k
  510%
• 50k–75k
  917%
• 75k–100k
  1325%
• 100k–150k
  1937%
• 150k+
  36%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 BMW 328i owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

My driver and passenger airbags deployed because my car all of the sudden lurched forward on it's own and I bumped the car in front of me and when it happened my car started accelerating and revving all on it's own into the car ahead and I was trying to make it stop by pushing the brakes but the brake pedal wouldnt move it was hard and wouldnt move so my car kept accelerating bumping the car in front of me over and over and I was stomping down on the brake pedal to make it stop but it wouldnt. After about 30 seconds of this it just stopped. The airbags were blowing out very hot air that burned and bruised my left arm very badley and myself and my minor passenger were choking from it. My driver side window and windshield were both broken from the explosion of the airbags but the body of my car wasn't damaged. …

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle stalled while starting during colder weather. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V676000 (Electrical System) and 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact made a local dealer aware of the failure and the recall notification; however, the contact was directed to contact the manufacturer for further assistance with towing the vehicle or driving out of state to be serviced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue but was unable to provide further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

I received the safety recall from BMW April 2022. I still have not heard from the local BMW dealer about a remedy. It's almost a year. My son lives in California and also has a 2011 BMW . His vehicle is also covered under the safety recall, and he has not heard anything about a remedy from a BMW dealer in Los Angeles. In fact he tells me his heater blower was not working and he took it into the dealer in early January 2023. They did "some repairs," never mentioned the recall, and when he went to drive away the heater DID catch fire and he was told not to use it by the dealer! Please advise how you are going to get BMW to comply with this remedy. Thank you,

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the electrical system failed to function as intended. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle eventually started; however, the failure occurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and transferred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V044000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that the headlights and taillights remained illuminated after the vehicle was turned off. Additionally, the vehicle intermittently failed to start up. The contact stated that AAA jump-started the vehicle, and it was determined that the battery was in good working condition. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact associated the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V676000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the battery had failed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery, battery cable, and fuse box needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V472000 (Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

Passenger door handle with comfort access shorted out and nearly caught fire. I was trying to get my comfort access working again after it suddenly stopped and I discovered that the fuse (#61) was blown. A couple minutes after replacing the fuse, the door handle let up a large plume of smoke and made a popping sound. I immediately powered down the car and removed the fuse and the smoking stopped. The door handle was hot to the touch and the rubber gaskets on the door handle appear to have melted (see attached photo). Upon further research, this appears to be a common problem with these cars.

The contact's son owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer for battery replacement; however, 2-3 weeks later while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the turn signals failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer and the vehicle failed to restart. The dealer diagnosed that the footwell module had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle into the dealer for service, she was informed that the footwell control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to TSB: SI-B01-20-16, but the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 215,000.

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328i. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked and upon returning to the vehicle, he noticed that all four windows had rolled down independently. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Related recalls

Electrical complaints in other 328i years