IllustrationTL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1997 BMW 328I. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
1997 BMW 328IC
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 328IC years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
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: 1 of 5 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
5 reports1997 BMW 328 CI WITH 114K MILES. DRIVING AND AT STOP LIGHT READY TO GO INTO 1ST GEAR TO DRIVE OFF AND CAR MOVING VERY SLOWLY. TRANSMISSION PROBLEM I'VE BEEN TOLD AND WILL COST $5K-$7.5 TO FIX DEPENDING ON IF I GO TO DEALER OR MAACO SHOP. NO PRIOR NOTICE OF PROBLEM; IT JUST HAPPENED. *TR
TIRE TREAD CAME OFF DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE REAR BUMPER. THE TIRE DID NOT DEFLATE. CONTINENTAL DENIED CLAIM BECAUSE THE TIRE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED FOR A PUNCTURE. THE PUNCTURE REPAIR REMAINED INTACT AND AS FAR AS I COULD SEE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LOSS OF THE TREAD. CONTINENTAL TOLD ME THAT THE TIRE WA…
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TIRE TREAD CAME OFF DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE REAR BUMPER. THE TIRE DID NOT DEFLATE. CONTINENTAL DENIED CLAIM BECAUSE THE TIRE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED FOR A PUNCTURE. THE PUNCTURE REPAIR REMAINED INTACT AND AS FAR AS I COULD SEE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LOSS OF THE TREAD. CONTINENTAL TOLD ME THAT THE TIRE WAS LIKELY TO FAIL (TREAD COME OFF) SOONER OR LATER BECAUSE OF THE PUNCTURE REPAIR. I FIND THIS STATEMENT TO BE INCREDULOUS AS I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED IN ANY OF THEIR SERVICE MANUALS THAT REPAIRING A PUNCTURE WOULD RENDER THE TIRE UNUSEABLE. IF I HAD KNOW THAT I WOULD HAVE HAD THE TIRE REPLACED (SILLY AS THAT SEEMS). AT THE VERY LEAST CONTNENTAL SHOULD BE FORCED TO NOTIFY ALL OF THE USERS OF ITS TIRES THAT ANY SORT OF PUNCTURE - EVEN IF IT IS PROPERLY REPAIRED - MAKES THE TIRE UNFIT FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. WE WERE NOT INJURED IN THE INCIDENT BUT WE WERE ALMOST KILLED AS I TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. (DOT NUMBER: ACTM2Y7136 TIRESIZE: 205/60R15)
EMISSION FAILED. YH
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED ON THREE OCCASIONS. MJS
Official recalls
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 ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.