IllustrationDIFFERENTIAL SEAL FAILED. *YC
1998 BMW 328I
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 BMW 328I are lower than the model-year median of 98.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →26Owner complaints
Model-year median: 98
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
1998 BMW 328I
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 26 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Electrical System: 5 reports
- Air Bags: 4 reports
- Power Train: 3 reports
- Vehicle Speed Control: 3 reports
- Engine And Engine Cooling: 2 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 328I years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 8 of 26 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports0 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
26 reportsCONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 40 MPH AND HAD A SIDE COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE,WITH BRAKES APPLIED, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK. THE ENGINE HAD REVVED UP PRIOR TO ACCELERATION. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & INFORMED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FEEDER. *AK
WHEN THE VEHICLE WENT FROM PARK TO DRIVE UNINTENDED ACCLERATION HAS OCCURRED ON THREE OCCASIONS, CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHEN PULLING OUT A PARKING SPACE WITH BOTH FEET DEPRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE VEHICLE STARTED MOVING FORWARD, CAUSING A NEAR ACCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON UPHILL STARIGHT AWAY GRADE, 30-40 MPH, WET PAVEMENT, VEHICLE MADE A 90-DEGREE TURN INTO HILLSIDE. NO APPARENT ROAD SURFACE ABNORMALITIES.
Recall campaigns
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.