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 2011 BMW 328i owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH that all the lights became illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle began to emit smoke from under the hood, the vehicle lost power, and additionally, the contact had a failure of power steering and brakes. The contact was able to safely coast off the roadway and stopped. The vehicle continued to emit smoke but eventually, no more smoke was observed. The fire department was not summoned. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had locked. The mechanic attempted to unlock the engine and failed and advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.
The contact owned a 2011 BMW 328i x Drive. The contact stated her son was driving home from a friend's house and refueling the vehicle. The contact stated when the son parked the vehicle at the residence, the son noticed smoke was coming from the front of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The son attempted to open the hood of the vehicle but saw flames coming from the front hood of the vehicle. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. A report was filed by the fire department. No one was injured during the fire and the vehicle was destroyed. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) as a possible solution. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the vehicle and a burning rubber odor was detected. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with engine failure. The mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 173,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available. (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS
The contact owned a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that the vehicle was at an independent mechanic having minor body repairs completed; however, while the vehicle was being test driven, the engine caught on fire. The independent mechanic extinguished the fire. The contact was no Police or Fire Department report filed. The contact reported the failure to the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer informed the contact that the VIN was included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and deemed the vehicle a total loss. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owned a 2011 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact's son noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact's son exited the vehicle. The engine exploded and caught on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The vehicle was deemed totaled by the insurance. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an abnormal dinging sound coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a detached VANOS bolt. The contact was informed that the failure was due to unrepaired recall NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The recall repair was performed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that when the vehicle was released to the contact, the contact stated that the vehicle was shaking violently, and the RPM was fluctuating. In addition, the engine shut off while idling. The contact stated that the failure occurred before leaving the dealer. The dealer requested that the vehicle remain at the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer the following day. …
The contact owns a 2011 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the vehicle would fail to start immediately and approximately 5 minutes after turning the vehicle on there was a burning plastic and rubber smell. While driving at highway speeds when there was smoke coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact had pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The smoked dissipated on its own in about half an hour. The contact then turned the vehicle back on and drove home. The vehicle's service engine light had illuminated approximately 5-6 days later. The vehicle had been inoperable since. …
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the message "Service Engine Soon" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and the mechanic determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The mechanic cleared the diagnostic trouble codes; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, where the same assessment was made. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal sound, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. …
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred several times while driving on the same day. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle shuddered and surged. The vehicle was taken to O'Reilly's, where DTC code: P054B was retrieved; indicating a VANOS bolts failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer charged a diagnostic fee and informed the contact that the vehicle would need to be diagnosed for 2 hours prior to the recall repair. …
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds or while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle intermittently stalled. The contact then stated that previously, he was able to turn off and restart the vehicle however, the vehicle recently failed to restart. The check engine and service engine soon warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that he towed the vehicle himself to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the starter needed to be replaced; however, the failure recurred. The contact then stated that the vehicle remained at the independent mechanic and was diagnosed, and it was determined that the camshaft bolts failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. …
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 and engine cooling › Engine
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 128i Coupe, 128i Convertible, 328i Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 328i Coupe, 328i Convertible, 328i Sports Wagon and Z4 sDrive 30i, 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 135i Convertible, 335i Sedan, X5 xDrive 35i, and X6 xDrive 35i, 2011 335i xDrive Sedan, 335i Coupe, 335i…
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four VANOS housing bolts for both VANOS units (intake and exhaust), free of charge.
Engine complaints in other 328i years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2011 BMW 328i?
NHTSA has 364 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2011 BMW 328i, 63% of the model year's 577 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control › crankcase (pcv) (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 BMW 328i engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 17V-683 (crankcase (pcv), Oct 30, 2017); NHTSA recall 14V-176 (engine, Apr 10, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 BMW 328i engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 101,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 17 fires and 2 injuries 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.