Electrical System. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports4 fire reports5 injury reports

What owners actually said

56 reports

29,000 miles · Oct 7, 2020

Steering

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VEHICLE HAS UNDER 30,000 MILES AND REQUIRES A NEW POWER STEERING MODULE WHICH INCLUDES THE RACK AND PINION STEERING ASSEMBLY, NEW COMPUTER PROGRAMMING AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THE FACTORY INSTALLED POWER STEERING ASSEMBLY MODULE IS TURNING OFF AND BACK ON; WHEN OFF THERE IS NO POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE MAKE IF VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE CAR ESPECIALLY AT SLOWER SPEEDS. WHEN THE POWER STEERING COMES BACK ON AND THE VEHICLE IS AT SPEED IT CREATES A VERY SENSITIVE STEERING WHEEL WHICH CAUSES DRIVER TO OVER STEER THE VEHICLE. WHEN MAKING A SHARP TURN LIKE WHEN TURNING ONTO ANOTHER STREET AND THE POWER STEERING IS OUT THE DRIVER HAS TO "MUSCLE" THE STEERING WHEEL TO MAKE THE TURN; IF DURING THAT TURN THE POWER STEERING ASSIST RETURNS THIS CAUSES THE DRIVER TO OVER STEER THE CAR EITHER INTO TRAFFIC OR OFF THE ROAD. AS OF 10/07/2020 THE POWER STEERING ASSIST IS COMPLETELY OUT AND THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE.

NHTSA ODI #11363159

18,000 miles · Sep 3, 2020

EnginePower TrainCrashInjury

THIS HAPPENED TWO SEPARATE TIMES ABOUT 2 WEEKS APART.. THE CAR WAS STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT. FOOT ON BRAKE. SUDDENLY ENGINE STARTED REVVING AND CAR LEAPED FORWARD. BRAKE DID NOT STOP IT. THE SECOND TIME, (AUGUST 31, 2020) THE CAR REARED-ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT, POSSIBLY CAUSING INJURY TO THAT DRIVER. NEITHER CAR WAS HARMED.

NHTSA ODI #11353027

Mileage unknown · Mar 18, 2020

Service Brakes

THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING AT 30 MPH WHEN INSTEPPED ON THE BREAKS AND IT KEPT MOVING. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT THEY FIX THE BREAK. THEO DAYS AGO I WAS PROMPTED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #11318578

46,000 miles · Dec 27, 2019

Vehicle Speed Control

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ENGINE REVVED UNCONTROLLABLY WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL, I WAS FORCED TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. THE CAR BEHAVED NORMALLY ONCE THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED: I WAS TURNING LEFT INTO A PARKING SPACE IN A PARKING LOT AT A VERY SLOW SPEED. MY FOOT WAS OFF THE GAS PEDAL AS I WAS BRAKING AND COMING TO A STOP. SUDDENLY (WITH FOOT STILL ON THE BRAKE AND NOT THE GAS PEDAL) THE ENGINE REVVED TO A HIGH RPM WHICH LURCHED THE CAR FORWARD A BIT. SINCE I WAS ALREADY BRAKING, I WAS ABLE TO REACT QUICKLY AND PRESS DOWN EVEN HARDER ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHICH STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND KEPT IT IN PLACE. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV AND I SHIFTED INTO PARK. THE ENGINE STAYED REVVED AT VERY HIGH RPMS AS IF I WAS FLOORING THE GAS PEDAL, EVEN THOUGH I COULD LOOK DOWN AND CONFIRM THAT MY FOOT WAS ONLY ON THE BRAKE. AT THIS POINT I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND WAITED SEVERAL MINUTES. I CHECKED THE FLOOR MAT AND CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS NOT OUT OF PLACE OR AFFECTING THE PEDALS IN ANY WAY. I THEN STARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN AND THE CAR IDLED NORMALLY WITH NO ISSUES. I TESTED DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED AND PULLED INTO SEVERAL MORE PARKING SPOTS TO SEE IF THE ISSUE WOULD REOCCUR, BUT IT DID NOT. I DROVE HOME NORMALLY AND PARKED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEMS, AND WILL BE TAKING THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AS SOON A POSSIBLE.

NHTSA ODI #11291436

38,750 miles · Jul 5, 2019

Electrical System

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 BMW 328I. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR STOP SIGN WITH THE START/STOP FEATURE ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED FROM DRIVE INTO PARK INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT HAD TO MANUALLY SHIFT THE VEHICLE BACK INTO THE DRIVE GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BMW OF SARASOTA (LOCATED AT 5151 CLARK RD, SARASOTA, FL 34233, (941) 214-4155) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE FEATURE OF SHIFTING INDEPENDENTLY INTO PARK WAS A FAIL SAFE MODE FOR THE BATTERY POWER REDUCTION. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,750.

NHTSA ODI #11229514

30,000 miles · Feb 4, 2019

Power TrainUnknown Or Other

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I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT IT WAS THE DRIVESHAFT THAT CAUSED THIS. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE DRIVESHAFT AND THE FLANGE LOOSENED COMPLETELY. THERE ARE PREVIOUS RECALLS FOR THIS WITH BMW. THE VEHICLE WAS ON A HIGHWAY, GOING 65MPH AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS VIBRATION AND NOISE FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. ALL OF A SUDDEN IT SLOWED DOWN TO THE POINT WHERE IT WOULD NO LONGER DRIVEABLE. I WAS GOING 5MPH (BARELY) TO GET OFF THE EXIT AND WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE A TURN. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE TO A SAFE PARKING LOT 10 FEET AWAY. ONCE I WAS SAFE, THE CARE SHUTDOWN AND WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO TURN BACK ON. OIL WAS COMING OUT OF THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11174265

33,000 miles · Dec 18, 2018

Power TrainSuspensionUnknown Or Other

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THE VEHICLE FRONT END WILL SHAKE AND LURCH LEFT AND RIGHT WHEN DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. WHEN DRIVING AT OR BELOW 25MPH, AND A SMALL BUT SHARP BUMP IN THE ROAD IS DRIVEN OVER, THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WILL SHAKE AND THE SUSPENSION IN THE FRONT (IN PARTICULAR THE DRIVERS SIDE) WILL MAKE A LOUD CLUNKING/POPPING SOUND. I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY THE DEALERSHIP 2 TIMES. THEY TELL ME THAT THE NOISE IS NORMAL AND COMMON ON THIS YEAR AND MAKE. WHEN GOING ONLINE AND TYPING INTO GOOGLE "2016 BMW 328I STEERING NOISE/SUSPENSION NOISE" THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF REPORTS OF EXACTLY WHAT I'M EXPERIENCING. I'M AFRAID THAT THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE CONTROL AT SOME POINT IF THE STEERING OR SUSPENSION FAILS.

NHTSA ODI #11162347

25,500 miles · Oct 10, 2018

Unknown Or Other

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10/07/18 DRIVING BACK FROM FLORIDA AN HOUR INTO MY RIDE ON A 90 DEGREE DAY, I HAD MY SENIOR GREAT DANE IN MY CAR RETURNING TO ATLANTA. THE AC STOPPED, I COULD HEAR IT BEHIND THE DASH, BLOWING FULL FORCE, BUT NOTHING COMING OUT OF THE VENTS. BEING SUNDAY, NO-ONE COULD ADVISE ON A TEMPORARY SOLUTION, CALLED BMW SOS AND ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, THEY COULD DO NOTHING. I THOUGHT IT COULD BE POSSIBLE THE COILS FROZE UP, LIKE IN YOUR HOME, I SHUT THE AC OFF COMPLETELY AND HAD TO DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN. THIS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM, BRIEFLY. I HAD TO CONTINUE ON A 4 HOUR DRIVE IN THIS HEAT WITH MY SENIOR DOG, MISERABLE IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT . I LEASE MY CAR, IT IS PERFECTLY MAINTAINED AND HAD JUST BEEN IN FOR SERVICE. MONDAY I CALLED THE SERVICE CENTER AND THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE ISSUE WAS, ESSENTIALLY FROZE UP AND THEY HAD A SOLUTION, A MANUAL OVERRIDE OF THE SOFTWARE. THANKFUL THEY HAD A SOLUTION BUT MORE CONCERNING, BMW IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, AS I FOUND OUT ON MANY POSTS. THE CONCERNING PART, I HAVE NEVER TAKEN MY CAR ON A DRIVE LONGER THAN AN HOUR EXCEPT THIS TIME AND THE AC GOES OUT, THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE IN A LUXURY VEHICLE. THEY NEED TO NOTIFY THEIR CUSTOMERS THIS IS A POSSIBILITY AND THAT THEY HAVE A SOLUTION, I WOULD HAVE NEVER TAKEN THIS CAR ON A TRIP KNOWING IT WAS ENDANGERING MY SENIOR DOG, WHAT IF IT WAS A CHILD? BMW SHOULD NOTIFY THEIR CUSTOMERS OF THIS OCCURRING SO PEOPLE CAN BE AWARE AND MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS BEFORE RISKING AND AWFUL DRIVE. UPON EMAILING BMW CORP, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON STATES THIS HAS HAPPENED TO HER AND SHE SHUT HER CAR OFF FOR 20 MIN AND THEN IT WAS FINE, SO THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT NOT KNOWN TO OWNERS UNTIL YOU ARE INCONVENIENCED AND ENDANGERED. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A TWO LANE ROAD WITH NO CELL SERVICE, AND I AM TO SHUT MY CAR OFF IN THIS HEAT WITH MY DOG? ABSURD .

NHTSA ODI #11139445

25,000 miles · Jun 29, 2018

Service BrakesCrash

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I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO APPROACH AND STOP AT A RED LIGHT ON A STREET (NOT HIGHWAY) AND MY CAR WASN'T BRAKING. IT THEN STOPPED. AFTER IT BRAKED AND I WAS SITTING AT THE RED LIGHT WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE FULLY STOPPED AND STATIONARY FOR APPROXIMATELY 10-20 SECONDS MY CAR ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING AND HIT THE BACK OF THE CAR AHEAD OF ME. THE IMPACT CAUSED A TINY SCRATCH ON THE DRIVERS BUMPER FROM MY LICENSE PLATE. HIS CAR WAS OLD AND HIS BUMPER ALREADY DAMAGED, SO HE WASN'T TOO CONCERNED ABOUT THE SCRATCH. WE PULLED OFF TO A NEARBY PARKING LOT AND HE CHECKED UNDER HIS CAR AND UNDER MY CAR TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OTHER THAN THE SMALL SCRATCH AND WE PARTED WAYS. I CALLED THE MY BMW SERVICE CENTER FIRST THING THE NEXT MORNING AND BROUGHT MY CAR IN. TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, MY CAR STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING ON A STREET WITH NO TRAFFIC WHEN I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 20-30 MILES PER HOUR. I ASSUMED THAT SOMETHING SET OFF ONE OF THE SENSORS, BUT THIS IS NOT A STREET WHERE PEOPLE OR ANIMALS WOULD BE CROSSING AND NO ONE WAS IN THE STREET. THEIR CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS IN NJ SENT IN A FIELD REPRESENTATIVE AND INSPECTED THE CAR. AN EXECUTIVE CUSTOMER CARE REPRESENTATIVE FROM BMW'S NJ CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS GOT BACK TO ME YESTERDAY REPORTING THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY ISSUES WITH THE CAR AND I CAN PICK IT UP AT ANYTIME. THEY COULD OFFER ME NO EXPLANATION FOR THIS OCCURRENCE AND I AM TERRIFIED TO GET BACK IN THIS CAR. I AM ESTIMATING THE MILEAGE ON MY CAR AS 25,000 MILES AS MY CAR IS STILL AT THE BMW SERVICE CENTER AND NOT IN MY POSSESSION TO CHECK THE EXACT MILEAGE.

NHTSA ODI #11104669

13,000 miles · Jun 8, 2018

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service BrakesVehicle Speed Control

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I WAS DRIVING WITH AN ADULT PASSENGER ON JUNE 1, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 3 PM ON A PUBLIC STREET, TRAVELING STRAIGHT AT APPROX 40 MPH. CONDITIONS WERE DRY AND SUNNY. I PRESSED THE BRAKE AT A STOP LIGHT AND THE CAR STOPPED FOR A BRIEF SECOND AND THEN LUNGED FORWARD WHILE THE BRAKE WAS STILL DEPRESSED. I PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE AND PUSHED HARD TO THE FLOOR. THE CAR CONTINUED FORWARD SEVERAL FEET AND SLOWED TO A STOP. THE ENGINE WAS REVVING WHILE I TRIED TO STOP AND MY PASSENGER STATED THAT THE RPMS INCREASED RAPIDLY. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON OR ENGINE WARNING. I WAS APPROX 2 MILES FROM THE BMW DEALERSHIP SO I SLOWLY DROVE MY CAR THERE, PUTTING IT IN NEUTRAL EACH TIME I HAD TO STOP. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION, THEY REVIEWED THE CAR AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. THE CAR HAS A HISTORY OF IDLING HIGH/FAST, WHICH I ALSO RELAYED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THERE WERE NO OBSTRUCTIONS NEAR OR UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL AND I DID NOT ACCIDENTALLY STEP ON THE GAS. I AM CANCELING MY LEASE TOMORROW.

NHTSA ODI #11100638

Official recalls

24V608000 · Electrical System:wiring:connectors/plugs/receptacles; Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:pump

Aug 13, 2024

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.

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.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:wiring:connectors/plugs/receptacles

Consequence: An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.

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.

Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:pump

Consequence: An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

EA21002 · Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

Opened Sep 17, 2021 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module; Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

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.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module