10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 46,875 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.
I purchased a 2013 BMW 328xi certified pre-owned sedan 6/22/16 for my wife. It came with 18" wheels and pirelli cinturato run-flats. The tire-pressure monitor (tpm) warning started coming on a few months after we bought it, so I put air in the tires. But it started happening more frequently. I took it in for service. The diagnosis was that the passenger rear wheel was cracked and leaking air. I asked if the tire was damaged and they said there was no visible damage but they recommend replacing it anyway because the wheel was damaged. I asked what would cause a crack in an alloy wheel, and their answer was that she 'probably hit a pothole'. I couldn't believe that was all it would take, because it's impossible to avoid hitting potholes on our freeways. My wife drives very carefully and only put 5,700 miles on the car in 14 months. They said it was because the run-flats don't provide enough cushion to protect the wheel from road impacts. I bought a new wheel (BMW gave me 50% off) and took the car to a tire store to buy a set of conventional tires to replace the run-flats. They said there was no damage to the tire on the cracked wheel, and no evidence of impact. I have the cracked wheel and its tire. I feel that BMW is putting drivers at risk because there's no way to avoid hitting potholes under normal driving conditions. They've essentially acknowledged that it's a hazard because they sell tire & wheel insurance to new owners (but not to buyers of certified pre-owned like us). The tire store manager told me that he's had 'lots' of BMW owners come in with cracked wheels. There are also many similar complaints on the internet. Plus BMW settled a class-action lawsuit over cracked wheels on their Z4 model. And since the car has no room for a spare tire, BMW has put owners who switch to conventional tires at risk.
- San Diego, CA, USA
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. While driving 65 mph, the vehicle independently drifted from side to side. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the wheels needed to be aligned; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was determined that the vehicle was functioning as designed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer a third time, but the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle had previously been serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 13V454000 (service brakes, hydraulic). While driving at an unknown speed, the contact noticed a burning oil odor and noticed smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact drove home and discovered that the vehicle had an oil leak. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pump failed, was leaking, and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in a recall. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
- Chino, CA, USA
At 32K miles I had a cracked rim after a tire rotation. At 56K miles I have another cracked rim after tire rotation. I have read up and many people are saying they have cracked rims even with people up to 10K miles are seeing this. I drive normal and have not hit pot holes or curbs. The cost is $395 a rim and not covered under warranty they say it my driving me hitting something. I owned a 2007 BMW 328I for 6 years and drove the heck out of that car hitting holes, curbs, stuff in road and never had this problem I am having now.
- Baytown, TX, USA
- Nottingham, PA, USA