FaultScore

Worst years for a BMW 328I

Owners have filed 3,777 complaints about the BMW 328I with NHTSA across model years 1996 to 2016. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.

Avoid

2013 BMW 328I

392 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly engine & cooling.

Cleanest on record

1998 BMW 328I

34 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every BMW 328I year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2016 C 96 14 8 30,000 Engine & Cooling
2015 C 203 9 18 77,062 Engine & Cooling
2014 D 237 29 4 61,533 Engine & Cooling
2013 D 392 42 12 63,079 Engine & Cooling
2012 B 198 5 2 69,000 Engine & Cooling
2011 D 799 31 35 86,500 Engine & Cooling
2010 B 231 5 11 100,000 Engine & Cooling
2009 C 297 11 15 77,000 Engine & Cooling
2008 D 375 12 35 87,000 Airbags
2007 D 574 18 46 82,500 Electrical System
2001 5 0 0 Engine & Cooling
2000 B 146 10 4 112,000 Airbags
1999 C 125 16 3 106,400 Airbags
1998 B 34 3 0 165,000 Electrical System
1997 B 29 3 0 78,000 Electrical System
1996 B 36 2 0 Engine & Cooling

What breaks on a BMW 328I

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Engine & Cooling 1,093 28.9%

Worst in 2011

Electrical System 684 18.1%

Worst in 2007

Airbags 604 16.0%

Worst in 2007

Worst in 2011

Worst in 2000

Worst in 2009

Brakes 114 3.0%

Worst in 2013

Body & Structure 112 3.0%

Worst in 2000

Steering 105 2.8%

Worst in 2007

Lights 89 2.4%

Worst in 2011

Seat Belts 87 2.3%

Worst in 2007

Seats 62 1.6%

Worst in 2008

Worst in 2011

Worst in 2011

Exactly what failed on a BMW 328I

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Body 58 25.1%
Occupant Classification 35 15.2%
Automatic Transmission 28 12.1%
Frame AND Members 26 11.3%
Crankcase (Pcv) 19 8.2%
Frontal 18 7.8%
Side/Window 14 6.1%
Door 12 5.2%
Front Passenger 11 4.8%
Engine 10 4.3%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every BMW 328I, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Nov 1996 peak 70 Aug 2026

BMW 328I problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the BMW 328I

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.