BMW 328i Complaints (2011)

580 consumer complaints on file.

#11559328December 9, 2023
ENGINE
I have an open recall (10/20/23) and called both the BMW Recall Hotline and my local BMW dealer for more information. (East Bay BMW, Pleasanton, CA) The Dealer would not provide the Recall information and the Hotline provided some of this information. Neither could provide me with a timeline for BMW setting a Remedy. Unfortunately my BMW is experiencing some of the symptoms. When can I reasonably expect a Remedy decision? I appreciate your help BTW- I have set up a claim with BMW. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11559067December 8, 2023
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, POWER TRAIN
Engine is making weird noise and a mechanic told me it’s related to this recall that still has “no remedy” when it should’ve been a recall YEARS ago when the cars first came out and this issue became more apparent. I do not want to keep driving the car I paid hard earned money for just for a manufacturer defect to destroy it
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11558277December 4, 2023
ENGINE
I own a 2011 bmw 328 xi my vamous bolts snapped off and there a recall on it.i being charge 1800 dollar from my understanding it's supposed to be free at charge for safety recalls.my vin number is [XXX] would like to receive a copy of my recall letter thru mail and thru email.my email is [XXX] address is [XXX] . My name is [XXX] u. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11558034December 2, 2023
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2011 bmw 328i vano bolts fail.my car stall in the middle of me driving .vechile doesn't want to start.starter just making a whine noise.before stalling I can here rattle in the engine like loose bolts jumping around.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11557086November 27, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, STRUCTURE:BODY
While driving at city speed limit the headlights started flicking on-off very difficult to see in the dark. I pulled over to the side of the road for safety but now realized the turn signals not working and also the hazard lights are not working either. I was in a very dangerous situation sitting on the side of the road without any warning light on. Not only for mine safety but also dangerous for other drivers passing by without seen my car in the dark. Its due to well known BMW FOOTWELL MODULE that has high failure incidents rate but BMW refused not to do a recall. Since this a safety issue NHTSA should request BMW to do a recall instead of just extended the warranty to 10/150K miles which my car is not qualify for. I've contacted BMW customer care but they refused to offer any assistance. I feel that BMW has deserted their customer and leaving a high cost burden on their customers although failure/flaw was directly from BMW.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11557119November 27, 2023
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle displayed the message "Do Not Drive" with the low engine oil warning light illuminated and the contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact became aware that the engine was extremely low on engine oil. The contact added half a quart of engine oil to the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) for which the VIN was included; however, parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 123,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551734October 24, 2023
ENGINE
Engine camshaft bolts sheered off inside top of motor , did searching online and found this common problem in certain years and model. Bmw offered a 10 year replacement campaign for faulty bolts and damage they caused. The only problem is mine is beyond that time period as it just happened. similar to many other BMW owners "it happened after the warranty period has ended" even though defective bolts are still causing problems. This should be a simple be a recall with no warranty period , because bolts are defective and still damaging motors.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551212October 22, 2023
AIR BAGS, SEAT BELTS, SEATS
Passenger restraint system malfunction alert when car is turned on. Air bag and passenger seatbelt warning lights are on. Passenger seat belt light will never turn off even with no passengers in the car. Air bags for passenger are off when there is a passenger in the car causing a safety concern. BMW wants $1000 to diagnose what the issue is for the airbag light only but not to fix it or check the seat belt light. Already paid them $100 just to tell me exactly what the message said on the car screen. Seeing the same issue all over the internet with flaws in the passenger restraint system for this model and similar models but no fix. Found an extended warranty but does not list the E92 model, all other models are listed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11549738October 13, 2023
ENGINE
VANOS Assembly Bolts Broke and engine stalled. Vehicle was taken into dealership two weeks earlier due to check engine light being on. Dealer checked and cleared "check engine errors" and reset and reported that I would need to replace "VANOS Solenoids" intake and exhaust soon so I was told I could drive the car and if the solenoids went out I could still drive the car. two weeks later is when the bolts broke and car stalled and would not restart. At this time I arranged to have the car towed in and after inspecting car I was told that the "VANOS assembly bolts" broke. To better understand the repair I went online and found this. Recall Campaign No. 14V-176: VANOS Assembly Bolts. This is the same issue as the recall so I don't understand why this car or vin was not part of the recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11541033August 27, 2023
ENGINE
While driving my 2011 BMW 328i, I experienced the engine stalling and would not re-start. I had the vehicle towed to an independent BMW mechanic near my house. It was determined that the VANOS cam shaft bolts sheared and went down into the oil pan. I contacted BMW knowing that there was a previous recall on the VANOS bolt failure (Recall Campaign 14V-176: N51, N52K and N52T Engine – Replace VANOS Gear Bolts) and BMW says that my vehicle is not an affected vehicle although the production year matches and the engine type match.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11538073August 12, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Last Saturday, I was driving to New Jersey. I drove from Brooklyn through the Holland Tunnel with no issues. However, after driving about 4 or 5 miles on the New Jersey Turnpike the fuel pump malfunction light came on and the car started to slow down then jerk. Thankfully, I was able to pull off to the side since vehicles travel at a very high speed on the New Jersey Turnpike. After I pulled off to the side the engine stopped and would not restart. I was able to get a tow to the nearest BMW — BMW of Bloomfield. They took my keys and ran my VIN. The service manager from that location advised me that they could fix the fuel pump for me at no cost because it is a known issue and is covered under code SULEV. However, I would have to leave my car there for the weekend. Since I live in Brooklyn, I decided to get another tow to BMW of Manhattan where my car has been since Saturday. I did not receive a call from the service advisor until Monday evening, to whom I explained everything that I just wrote. He told me that there were no open recalls on my vehicle and he would let me know the cost to replace the fuel pump. I explained to him that the service manager at BMW of Bloomfield said that I absolutely should not be charged for the repair because it is covered for New Jersey and New York customers. Also, I looked up the code and issue on Google and saw that other customers had the same issue and BMW repaired the vehicle at no charge. BMW of Manhattan has stated that they will replace the fuel pump at no charge. However, I will need to pay over $1,000 to replace the fuel pump module and FPR module that both malfunctioned. Though the service advisor acknowledged that the fuel pump failure could have triggered the failure of the fuel pump module and the FPR module.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11538031August 11, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The Battery died and had to jump start to take it for a replacement. Once the car started, there was warning related to the lighting system malfunction. I couldnt open the windows and the lights were not functional. Even after the battery was replaced, the functions were not restored. Dealer is recommending replacement of FRM module costing $1250. I understand there was a recall/repair offered for 10 years which i just missed by a year. Looks like it is a well known issue and caused by a simple battery issue causing huge safety issues. I had to drive the car to the dealer without any lights/indicator with tremendous risks. It is an irony that they will fix this issue for only 10 years when there is a clear manufacturing defect and safety issue. Would like to get any help on this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11534902July 27, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11530481July 5, 2023
ENGINE
The engine loses power unexpectedly, making merging into traffic dangerous. It's intermittent and can't be duplicated under the same conditions every time. There is an open recall for VANOS bolt issues, Recall Campaign 14V-176: N51, N52K and N52T Engine – Replace VANOS Gear Bolts that I believe to be the root issue, but it doens't seem to apply to my VIN. I think this issue is more widespread than the recall addresses.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11527111June 14, 2023
ENGINE
The serpentine belt ended up behind the crankshaft pulley. As it rotated and shredded, the belt was also penetrating the crankshaft seal. Shreds of rubber along with the seal entered the VANOS system. Rubber filled the oil pan, oil pick up tube was filled with bits of what was the belt. The engine has internal damage from the interception into the timing chain. Independent Service Center The warning light was not present until after stopping, exiting the vehicle, then returning and trying to crank. The oil light, engine light, and red car image (BMW dash light) were thn presented, Doing some research and talking to the shop, it's a far too familiar problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11526064June 8, 2023
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, while idling, the engine was revving. The contact stated that while driving with the cruise control activated, the engine was revving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 17V683000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 14V176000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525204June 3, 2023
ENGINE
I own a 2011 BMW 328i xDrive with a known issue of Vanos bolts being sheered off, which is what just happened to my vehicle. There is only a recall on some of the vehicles and not all. My car is not covered through VIN which is ridiculous because it is a known issue. Upon contacting BMW here in El Paso, TX all they could tell me was my VIN was not covered. Since this issue affects far too many like models from the same time frame, BMW should be held responsible. Now I have to spend $1500 with an indy car shop and I hope we get reimbursed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11521215May 9, 2023
ENGINE
I've had my car for less than a year, and started having issues with my engine around cold weather season. I would constantly get a light signal on the dashboard indicating that my engine needs coolant due to it overheating, although my car remained up-kept with coolant and fluids. there were times where I had to stop my car on the road due to an extensive amount of smoke and burning odor coming from the engine compartment, after being serviced a numerous amount of times, the only issue found was in regards to my engine overheating, and supposedly fixed by adding more and more coolant. eventually my engine gave out after taking a short 30 minute trip to my parents home on thanksgiving day. Now that a recall has been placed on my vehicle, I have an understanding that a PCV valve heater malfunction can cause an engine to overheat, and when not repaired, it can cause unrepairable damage to an engine. I also have an understanding that a valve heater malfunction can cause coolant to leak out, resulting in the engine overheating regardless of how much coolant is put in it. I have an understanding that a bad PCV valve heater can result in a rough idle, engine stuttering, and a drop in fuel efficiency, all of which I've dealt with. I've reached out to my local BMW shop in regards to this recall, and they refuse to even take in my car to look at it being that my engine is already no good, although the reason for my engine going out is most likely due to this recall. my car is sitting with a faulty PCV valve heater and the damage that its done to my engine, and the BMW shop of macon is telling me that this recall has nothing to do with my car without even looking at it, when I know for a fact the issues I've had with my car relates to the recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520019May 2, 2023
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11518860April 25, 2023
ENGINE
Vehicle was idling rough. Would periodically accelerate without pressing the gas pedal. It would then go into limp mode. And display Services engine soon light. I took the valve cover off to inspect the camshafts and found the camshaft adjuster gear bolts were all loose. 5 of the 8 bolts were snapped off. 2 of the 5 missing bolt heads were found in the head of the engine 3 were found in the oil pan. If I did not discover the bolts were broken the timing chain could have slipped off causing an accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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