CSR

BMW · NHTSA safety record

2015 BMW 328I

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

124

Complaints

6

Crashes

8

Fires

2

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2015 BMW 328I have filed 124 safety complaints with NHTSA between December 2015 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 56 of them (45%). The typical failure was reported at 64,000 miles, the median across the 48 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 4 recalls covering this vehicle. A further 1 defect investigation is open and unresolved.

Recalls (4)

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:PUMP

24V608000 · August 13, 2024

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, 2015-2016 428xi vehicles. An improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit.
The risk
An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the water pump and plug connector as necessary, and install a protective shield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 720,796 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

24V527000 · July 11, 2024

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2015 6 Series Gran Coupe, 2014 5 Series Gran Turismo, 2014 5 Series Sedan, 2015 6 Series Convertible, 2015 6 Series Coupe, 2014 X5, 2013-2014 X3, 2014-2015 3 Series Sedan, 2014 4 Series Coupe, 2014 4 Series Convertible, 2014 3 Series Gran Turismo, and 2015 4 Series Gran Coupe vehicles. Please see the recall report for the complete list of models. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
The risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury or death.
The remedy
The driver's front air bag will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 1,145 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

24V288000 · April 24, 2024

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2015 2 Series Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i), 3 Series Sedan (320i, 320i xDrive, 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335i xDrive, M3, 328d, 328d xDrive), 4 Series Coupe (428i, 428i xDrive, 435i, 435i xDrive, M4), and 2015 4 Series Gran Coupe (428i, 428i xDrive, 435i, 435i xDrive) vehicles. The head air bag inflator may fail at the weld joint, which can cause gas to leak from the inflator or result in an inflator rupture.
The risk
An inflator that ruptures may cause sharp metal fragments to enter or exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, an inflator that leaks gas may only partially inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the head air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 4, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 5,761 vehicles across all model years covered

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

15V520000 · August 17, 2015

The defect
BMW North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 320i, 320xi, 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi, and ActiveHybrid3 vehicles manufactured October 20, 2011, to June 22, 2015, 2014-2015 328xi Sports Wagon vehicles manufactured March 21, 2013, to March 17, 2015, 2014-2015 328d, 328xd vehicles manufactured June 28, 2013, to April 21, 2015, and 2014-2015 328xd Sports Wagon vehicles manufactured July 5, 2013, to April 21, 2015. The affected vehicles may have been programmed with new software that inadvertently makes the front side marker lights inoperative in conjunction with the parking lights or the headlights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk
If the side marker lights do not illuminate, the vehicle may be less visible at night, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will upload revised software to correct the issue, free of charge. The recall began on October 7, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or by email at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 7,727 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations (1)

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

EA21002

Still open engineering analysis · opened September 17, 2021

the air bags

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 124.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 56 45%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 42 34%
ENGINE 23 19%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 19 15%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 15 12%
POWER TRAIN 13 10%
SERVICE BRAKES 9 7%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 7 6%
AIR BAGS 2 2%
SEAT BELTS 2 2%
STRUCTURE 2 2%
SUSPENSION 2 2%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 38.

2015 2025 2026
2015 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · crash · towed

Reporting very dangerous sudden unintended acceleration of 2015 BMW 328i: When about to back out of a parking space in a parking garage, I pressed the brakes and turned on the ignition switch. After looking around to ensure no cars or people were near the car, I put the gear shift in reverse, turned my whole head entirely over my right shoulder to look through the back windshield and, seeing nothing behind me, began to slowly lift my foot from the brake to reverse out of the parking space. I turned the steering wheel towards the left and the back of the car went to the left. The bumper gently tapped a white column that had been out of sight all the way further over my right shoulder. I

NHTSA complaint 11504968, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

1 injured · crash · towed

The contact owned a 2015 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle lost automotive power and stalled. As a result, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle spun around and was struck head-on by another vehicle. The air bags deployed. The contact’s husband suffered injuries to the ribs, both arms were fractured, cerebral hemorrhage, and internal bleeding. The contact was taken to the hospital by an ambulance. The contact was unsure if a Police report was filed. The Fire Department used the jaws of life to remove the driver’s side door. The vehicle was towed to the city impound lot and deemed

NHTSA complaint 11633701, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

fire · towed · 68,000 miles

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and made an abnormal sound that worsened over time. The contact pulled over to inspect the vehicle and discovered smoke coming from the engine compartment; moments later the engine compartment engulfed in flames. The contact was notified that the VIN was included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling; Electrical System). The vehicle was occupied however, no injuries were sustained and the contact's friend was able to exit the vehicle safely. The fire department came and extinguished the fire however, no report was filed. The police department was

NHTSA complaint 11617257, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

fire · towed · 59,000 miles

The contact owned a 2015 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, and while at a complete stop, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood and through the A/C vents. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the A/C only blew hot air. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the timing belt, the oil gasket, the oil pan, and unknown fuses were replaced; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was smoke coming from the A/C vents and from the charging port. The contact stated that the infotainment system then caught

NHTSA complaint 11621531, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
On XXX, while driving on Interstate XXX with my family near [XXX], the engine shut off and the vehicle lost all power. The event was preceded by a "Reduced Power" error displayed on the dashboard. Traffic was moderate and I was able to pull over to the right shoulder. The engine shutting off while on an interstate highway is obviously quite dangerous. After waiting for a few minutes I was able to restart the car and continue travel. I took my vehicle to a mechanic and several potentially relevant codes were found: 110001: Cylinder injection shutdown: pressure too low in high pressure system 11A002: Fuel high pressure, plausibility: pressure too low 481B03: EKPS control current too low

NHTSA complaint 11754958, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The engine intake tract, PCV infrastructure, and the main lower engine wiring harness loom failed due to improper reassembly during Federal Safety Recall 24V-608. The technician left the main intake coupler completely loose and spinning freely by hand, and left the MAF sensor crooked. This introduced a massive unmetered air leak and severe vacuum leaks. Simultaneously, the technician over-tensioned, pinched, or damaged the Cylinder 2 wiring loom components. The vehicle is currently parked dead and untouched at my residence, and it is 100% available for immediate federal or corporate inspection.The unsealed intake tract and damaged wiring harness caused the engine to run dangerously lean at

NHTSA complaint 11751142, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

fire · towed · 110,000 miles

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle caught on fire. The fire originated in the engine compartment. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver was able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was then towed to an independent mechanic, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with an electrical short circuit in the front water pump connector. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The manufacturer was notified of the

NHTSA complaint 11750751, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
On [XXX], my 2015 BMW 328i xDrive (VIN: [XXX] , N20 engine, 124,250 miles) suffered a catastrophic engine failure while in operation. Component/System Failed: The timing chain guides and oil pump drive chain module failed. The plastic timing chain guide broke apart inside the engine. The vehicle was salvaged and is no longer available for inspection. Safety Risk: The oil pressure warning illuminated suddenly while driving at highway speed with no prior warning. Sudden loss of oil pressure and engine power while operating a vehicle at speed creates a significant risk of accident, loss of vehicle control, and injury to the driver and others on the road. Confirmed by Service Center: BMW of

NHTSA complaint 11741411, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
i went online because i was having troubles with my vehicle battery alternator and other electronics , i found out other bmws with the same symptoms as my car led to having a bad footwell module , currently interior lights work when they want to if any constant battery dying from lights not turning off none of the parking sesnors work no back up camera the rear windows do not work some times the power mirrors work , i have had the vehicle tested with a new alternator and battery each window motor works its the footwell module but i noticed that the extended warranty is for 2014 and older models sadly it also effects the 2015 models as well

NHTSA complaint 11740338. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire

I Was In My Vehicle Parked Up On January 1st 2026 And The Vehicle Caught On Fire While I Was Inside Of It,The Fire Started From The Right Side Of The Car And Flamed Up Everything,The Car Had A Check Engine Light On And A Lightning System Issue Was Popping Up On The Dash Right Before This Situation Accord I Did Research And Found That The Cause Of The Fire Is Related To NHTSA Recall 24V-608 (Water Pump/Connector Fire Risk).

NHTSA complaint 11737824. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the BMW 328I

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2016 56 1
2014 151 8
2013 257 5
2012 130 6
2011 574 7
2010 153 6

Other 2015 BMW models

Every BMW on this site — 249 vehicles, 484 recall campaigns and 2 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

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