2011 BMW 328xi Problems & Complaints

Most common 2011 BMW 328xi problems

• Engine & cooling~79,000 miles
  3349%
• Electrical system~83,000 miles
  1725%
• Air bags~53,000 miles
  1218%
• Fuel & propulsion system~108,000 miles
  710%
• Speed control & acceleration~23,000 miles
  69%
• Other / not specified~100,000 miles
  57%
• Transmission & drivetrain~85,000 miles
  46%
• Lights~130,000 miles
  34%
• Seats~53,000 miles
  23%
• Wheels & tires~106,000 miles
  23%
• Brakes~9,000 miles
  11%
• Seat belts~37,000 miles
  11%
• Windows, wipers & sunroof~130,000 miles
  11%
• A/C & heater~79,000 miles
  11%
• Body & structure~74,000 miles
  11%

Share of the 67 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

BMW 328xi complaints by model year

Best 328xi years: 2012, 2006, 2009. Years to avoid: 2007, 2011, 2008, 2013. Compare all years →

2011 BMW 328xi recalls (3)

What 2011 BMW 328xi owners say

Engine & cooling all 33 →

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328XI. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, an odor appeared from the exhaust pipe and under the hood where the engine was located. The contact mentioned that every year the oil was changed at an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the valve gasket failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred. The contact feels unsafe driving the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with a case number. The dealer was contacted and confirm that no recalls under the VIN. The contact mentioned NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) as a possible solution to the failure however the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximate 52,202

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine made an abnormal sound, and the vehicle experienced reduced motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to operate as needed. The message "Service Engine Soon" was displayed. The local dealer was contacted. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the failure was related to the recall. The vehicle was not 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. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Electrical system

For several months my air conditioner had been blowing warmer air than normal but was tolerable. A week ago, while driving on the interstate I smelled a burning plastic smell. Almost immediately my air conditioner shut off. Following that the radio and display shut off as well. I pulled over to the shoulder of the road and put the car in park. At that point I noticed white smoke coming from the vents in the dash. I grabbed some things and got out of the car. Within 2 mins of notching the burning smell, flames began coming out from under the passenger side of the dashboard. My car was totally engulfed within several minutes before the fd arrived on scene. The car is a total loss with the fire contained from the dashboard back through the cab of the car. After reading about the blower motor recall, I suspect the ac not functioning properly was in direct relation to the issue. …

I remember driving home on the interstate and smelling a burning smell. I had the windows open but it didn't seem like it was coming from outside. Later, the car's HVAC blower fan stopped working. During repair, the blower motor resistor and the harness that plugs into it were found to be badly burned. The harness wires for ground and power were missing insulation (burned away) and the copper was badly corroded. The trim panel directly under the affected area has water staining and scorch marks. BMW na refused to pay to fix due to mileage even though car is only 4 years old and is clearly a water intrusion problem (leading to a short circuit and burning) caused by either a design or manufacturing issue

Air bags

I was driving at a slow speed during heavy traffic in town at 4 pm on a sunny day. The car ahead of me slowed down even more and when I was trying to slow my car too, it did not slow down at all. I did hit the car ahead of me at a slow speed and the air bag deployed causing severe injury to my right wrist and to the left wrist. It caused profuse bleeding because the air bag caused cuts in my wrist area, very close to a vein. A five inch hematoma appeared within minutes in the right wrist and the skin was scraped off both wrists. Several burn marks are also visible all the way up to the bend of my arms. The police came within minutes and they bandaged my wrists to try to stop the bleeding. An ambulance was called and the emt wanted to transport me to a hospital.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 BMW 328xi. The contact stated while driving 2 MPH, the vehicle began to accelerate independently and crashed into some stone/brick stairs, upon enetering a short driveway. The vehicle was not destroyed but the driver sustained a bruise to the ribs and face. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection but they could not determine the cause of failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,000. Updated 04/04/14 the consumer stated the front suspension subframe and body shell attachment was ruined. The vehicle was a total loss. The side driver's side air bag did not deploy. The passenger's side air bag did deploy without a passenger. Updated 04/11/2014