10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 25
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
60,988 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #14

Jul 192011

328

  • 49,000 miles
The power locks in my 2007 BMW 328xi suddenly stopped working. The alarm arms/disarms with the usual button presses, but there is otherwise nothing that takes place. Obvious safety issue. While valet key unlocks front, driver-side door -- didn't test passenger's -- the fuel door remains locked. I have a business trip planned early in the morning. The saving grace is that I didn't encounter this fuel door fiasco on I-95 in some backwoods town, but wow... how is this not a recall"!?!?! I see several complaints about this same issue! does someone need to die first" wow!

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #13

Jul 072011

328 6-cyl

  • 53,000 miles
My doors have locked and will not unlock without a very expensive repair. I have to use the internal key from the key fob to unlock the driver door but there is no way to unlock any of the other doors.

- Fair Oaks, CA, USA

problem #12

Jul 092011

328 6-cyl

  • 63,000 miles
In June of 2011 my bmw328I had intermittent start. I sent the vehicle to a dealer for service in fremont. I was told that the vehicle did not start because of the battery. Battery was replaced at this time. Two days later, the vehicle did not start again, after testing it was determined by fremont dealer that the problem was a faulty negative battery cable. After cable replacement, today problem occurs again.

- Palo Alto, CA, USA

problem #11

May 212011

328

  • 120,000 miles
Car died out of no where who not start would not jump start had to have it towed for big money on a flat bed with skates. I was hours away from home. Steering column and a new battery over $1600.

- Dunstable, MA, USA

problem #10

Feb 052011

328

  • 68,259 miles
Red steering wheel and padlock warning indicator light is on - steering wheel will not lock. The most common issue with this fault can cause a "no start" condition. The "no start" condition can arise and the steering wheel could lock while driving. This is the second failure within 4 years and common in BMW's (see thread: www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php"T=316722 thread: www.E90post.com/forums/showthread.php"T=147586)

- Santa Clara, CA, USA

problem #9

Nov 012010

328

  • 56,000 miles
I have a 1999 BMW 328I that I purchased in 2005 for $25,000 I just purchased a 2007 BMW 328xi on may with 54K miles on 11/1/10 it turned out that I bought a $35,000 death trap with the doors not opening or the gas tank to take it to the dealership so now it just sits there in my driveway. My 1999 with still does that same problem but off and on not like this 2007 death trap. I'm never ever buying a BMW again.

- Boston, MA, USA

problem #8

Sep 142010

328

  • 53,115 miles
2007 BMW 328xi sedan; locked vehicle with key fob. Returned to vehicle and key fob would not open locks. Used key fob to roll down windows. Internal button would not unlock doors. Pulling twice on door handle would not open doors. Actual key would unlock driver's door only. Drove car. Tried internal button again, but it did not work. Pulling twice on driver's door handle would unlock the door. No way to open any of the passenger doors. Only way for passenger to exit is to go out window or through driver's side door. Key fob would lock door but not unlock door. Car is out of warranty by 2,000 miles. I have not had time to take it to dealer/mechanic or attempt to repair myself.

- Apg, MD, USA

problem #7

Aug 152010

328

  • 22,156 miles
BMW E90 3 series sedan, after the door lock fuses blow there is no way to exit the vehicle except by a window. Is a failing in all these models and has had problems with bad latches that are being replaced as they fail under warranty, there should be a backup system for exiting the vehicle if the electrical system fails.

- St. Pauls, NC, USA

problem #6

Aug 072010

328

  • 34,245 miles
Have you investigated why BMW has not offered a fix for trapping their customers in the car when a door lock actuator fails and blows a fuse? this is a common event on the 2007 328 model. What happens is a power door lock actuator fails during the unlock process and the increase in amperage causes 2 fuses to blow. This prevents any of the car's door locks from opening, thereby trapping occupants in the vehicle. There is no way to unlock the doors from inside the vehicle. Occupants must either climb out of a window or have someone unlock the car using a mechanical key from outside of the car. Please advise.

- Bowie, MD, USA

problem #5

Apr 202007

328

  • 49,500 miles
In October of 2009 my leased vehicle did not start, I had the vehicle towed to a dealer for service in detroit. I was told that the vehicle did not start because of the battery. Battery was replaced at this time. In January of 2010 the vehicle did not start again, after testing it was determined that the steering column was defective. This was replaced at my expense. In April of 2010 the vehicle did not start for a third time. I contacted a dealer to have the vehicle towed in; after 5 days the dealer identified the problem as a faulty negative battery cable. I contacted BMW na as I felt that this may have been the original issue and reason for the vehicle not starting. After two weeks of "investigation" BMW na contacted me and stated that due to mileage on the vehicle no assistance would be granted the vehicle is still under lease and was sold to me as a demo vehicle with roughly 9000 miles already on it at time of lease inception.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #4

May 312009

328

  • 24,000 miles
Earlier this year I went on a weekend trip with my family: My wife on the front passenger seat, on the rear seat my sister and my two and a half year old niece on her car seat. When we arrived to our destination none of the passenger doors would open; they were completely shut and they would not open with the internal controls, the remote or in any other way. Only the drivers' door, which is also the only door that has a key hole, would open. All other doors are key-less and remained locked. My family had to climb through the windows to get out of the car. This was especially difficult with my little niece in the back seat. I took the car to the dealership and they found the problem's cause was a blown fuse. Fortunately we did not have an emergency that require a quick exit of or entry into the car. But my family and I are very concerned about the safety hazard this design represent. In the event we would have been required to leave the vehicle in a rush we could not have done it. My wife is now pregnant I am really concerned about how safe this vehicle really is. The dealership and the manufacturer argue that this is a simple malfunction and they cannot guarantee it won't happen again. They are obviously dismissing the case; I believe the system should be designed to allow for manual lock/unlock of the doors even if the fuse blows - at least from the inside. Good safety engineering policies should state that in the event of a fuse blow no system should get passengers locked inside their cars; this should not happen under any circumstance. Failure to fix this represents a passenger's casualty waiting to happen. I hope you see it this way too.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #3

Jan 102008

328

  • 12,000 miles
Since approximately Jan./2008 the "service engine soon" light on my 2007 BMW 328xi comes on and off periodically at approximately two week intervals. I have had the BMW service dept. Look at it five(5) times to no avail. The danger lies in the compulsion to ignore a real problem because of so many false indications, leading to a catastrophic failure on a public road resulting in injuries. Internet blogs report possible instructions by parent company BMW for service depts. To ignore the problem deliberately.

- Bellmore, NY, USA

problem #2

Apr 012008

328

  • miles
My 2007 328I has been in the service department a total of 4 times (that I have paperwork on, it might be more). I have had major mechanical problems with the most recent being electrical. My key will not open any of the doors, I have to use the valet key to get inside. Once I get inside the button on the dash that opens and locks the doors was unresponsive as well. When this started the drivers side mirror also became unresponsive and would not adjust, I can't adjust it to see the road and have almost been in 2 accidents. The same day the air conditioning, which I had set on 60, turned itself to 84 blowing full blast. That is actually the second time this year that the air conditioning has automatically turned to the heater. Short list of other issues: Recurrent break squeaking, oil sensor and engine harness wires breaking, and problems accelerating. The computer software malfunctioned as well (another electrical issue which was causing the car to malfunction). After the brake pads & sensors were replaced, the brakes sound the same to this day, horribly squeaky almost grinding. The front driver & passenger windows have a mysterious electrical malfunction. They will cease to go up or down. I hold the window button in the "up" position, the window will roll up an inch then stop. I will have to do this several more times before the window will go up or down. My car goes in again tomorrow am. This time I even mentioned that if I did have passengers in the vehicle and we had gotten in an accident, or worse yet the car catches on fire, my passengers would be trapped. The service advisor didn't seem to care. I can't drive my friends or family anywhere for fear they will be stuck in the vehicle if an accident occurred. As well, I'm not going to ask my parents, who are in their 50's, to crawl through a window to get in or out of my vehicle. My car has been out of commission for me at least 30 days since I've owned it.

- Escondido, CA, USA

problem #1

Jul 032008

328 6-cyl

  • 12,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact stated that the vehicle has an electronic interior latch assembly that does not allow passengers to manually open the doors. While passengers were occupying the vehicle, there was an experienced an electrical shortage that caused the latch assembly to fail. As a result, the passengers could not exit the vehicle. He took the vehicle to the dealer and a technician repaired the open circuit in the fuse box. He notified the manufacturer and is waiting for a response. The failure and current mileages were 12,000. Updated 10/16/08. Updated 10/17/08.

- Maitland, FL, USA