IllustrationDRIVING MY CAR FOR SHORT DISTANCE MAKES ENGINE HOT AND SMELL ELECTRICAL WIRE BURNING. THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR WITH DIFFERENT VIN HAS RECALL OF PROBLEM DESCRIBED. ATTACHED PHOTO DESCRIBES SAME PROBLEM I HAVE. PLEASE PROVIDE A SOLUTION
2008 BMW 328XI
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 328XI years →Counts vary with age, sales 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
40–25K
1225–50K
1850–75K
975–100K
13100–150K
3150K+
59 reports with mileage · 40 unknown
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 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 16 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 reports18 fire reports2 injury reports
Steering complaints
3 reportsDRIVING 65MPH IN HIGHWAY WHEN ENGINE TURNED OFF. SAFELY PULLED OVER. RESTARTED. DROVE ANOTHER 5 MILES, ENGINE TURNS OFF AGAIN. RESTARTED. INSTRUMENT PANEL HAD RESET EXCEPT CLOCK AND ODOMETER. FOLLOWING DAY CAR STARTED AND RAN. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN IN LOCAL ROAD, THE ENGINE TURNED OFF, STEERING LOCKED, ALMOST HITTING ANOTHER …
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DRIVING 65MPH IN HIGHWAY WHEN ENGINE TURNED OFF. SAFELY PULLED OVER. RESTARTED. DROVE ANOTHER 5 MILES, ENGINE TURNS OFF AGAIN. RESTARTED. INSTRUMENT PANEL HAD RESET EXCEPT CLOCK AND ODOMETER. FOLLOWING DAY CAR STARTED AND RAN. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN IN LOCAL ROAD, THE ENGINE TURNED OFF, STEERING LOCKED, ALMOST HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH WAS TURNING RIGHT.
BMW 328XI SPORTWAGON CAR POWER LOST SPORADICALLY WHILE CAR IS IN USE. 1ST TIME, CAR STOPPED AT STOP SIGN, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PULL OFF, CAR TURNED OFF. ALL POWER LOST ONLY AVAILABLE FUNCTION - BRAKES. 2ND TIME, SAME DAY AS 1ST INCIDENT, CAR MOVING APPROX 50MPH, HIT A BUMP, ALL CAR POWER LOST. ONLY AVAILABLE FEATURE, BRAKES. CA…
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BMW 328XI SPORTWAGON CAR POWER LOST SPORADICALLY WHILE CAR IS IN USE. 1ST TIME, CAR STOPPED AT STOP SIGN, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PULL OFF, CAR TURNED OFF. ALL POWER LOST ONLY AVAILABLE FUNCTION - BRAKES. 2ND TIME, SAME DAY AS 1ST INCIDENT, CAR MOVING APPROX 50MPH, HIT A BUMP, ALL CAR POWER LOST. ONLY AVAILABLE FEATURE, BRAKES. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART FOR APPROX 2.5 HOURS. OCCURRED IN CONSTRUCTION ZONE, SO CAR AND DRIVER SITTING IN TRAFFIC LANE. UNSURE WHAT WAS FIXED. SUPPOSEDLY SOME PART NEAR GAS PUMP HOLE THAT LEAKED - CORROSION ON COMPUTER - REPLACED. 3RD TIME - CAR CUT OFF WHILE TRAVELING 10 MPH MAKING RIGHT HAND TURN. BRAKES WORKED ONLY. D/T LOSS OF POWER STEERING, CAR STOPPED IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. REPLACED "FUEL/AIR INTAKE" MODULATOR? NOT SURE OF THE NAME. OLD PART WAS AT DEALERSHIP. 4TH TIME - CAR CUT OFF WHILE MAKING LEFT HAND TURN IN BUSY INTERSECTION AT APPROX 15 MPH. ENTIRE ONBOARD COMPUTER REPLACED. 5TH TIME - TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 25MPH. WHILE CROSSING RAILROAD TRACKS, CAR CUT OFF - RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. ALL REPAIRS DONE UNDER MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY. PARTS MAY STILL BE AVAILABLE AT DEALERSHIP. EACH INCIDENT BETWEEN 2-4 WEEKS APART. DEALERSHIP KEPT CAR DURING LAST REPAIR FOR 6 WEEKS. STILL UNABLE TO REPAIR. REGIONAL REP CALLED AND SERVICED CAR AS WELL. NUMEROUS PARTS REPLACED AT THIS POINT, WITHOUT RESOLUTION. VERY BIG SAFETY ISSUE FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. DATE OF 1ST INCIDENT 3/9/2010. DATE OF MOST RECENT INCIDENT 5/26/2010. *TR
Official recalls
324V513000 · Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
Jul 3, 2024
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (324i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi), 2006-2012 3 Series Sportswagon (325xi, 328i, 328xi), and 2009-2011 3 Series Sedan (335d) vehicles. The original steering wheel may have been replaced with a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with an inflator that can explode during deployment.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's air bag module as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (324i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi), 2006-2012 3 Series Sportswagon (325xi, 328i, 328xi), and 2009-2011 3 Series Sedan (335d) vehicles. The original steering wheel may have been replaced with a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with an inflator that can explode during deployment.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's air bag module as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air Bags:frontal
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (324i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi), 2006-2012 3 Series Sportswagon (325xi, 328i, 328xi), and 2009-2011 3 Series Sedan (335d) vehicles. The original steering wheel may have been replaced with a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with an inflator that can explode during deployment.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's air bag module as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
20V017000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
Jan 15, 2020
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 128i and 135i Convertibles, 128i, 135i, and M Coupes, 2007-2010 X3 30si and X3 xDrive30i, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i, 2007-2013 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335is, 335i xDrive and M3 Coupes, 2006-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive and M3, 2009-2011 335D, 2006-2012 325xi, 328i, 328xi and 328i xDrive, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 2007-2013 328i, 335i, 335is, M3 Coupes, X5 30si, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 48i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M, 2009-2013 X5 xDrive35d and 2008-2014 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6M vehicles equipped with non-desiccated driver frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver air bag. On X5 and X6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
17V676000 · Electrical System:wiring
Oct 25, 2017
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi and M3, 2007-2011 328i xDrive, 335i xDrive and 335is and 2009-2011 335d vehicles. The wiring and electrical connectors for the system that controls air flow for the heating and air conditioning system may overheat.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Wiring that overheats could cause the electrical connectors to melt, and increase the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is unattended.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiring and electrical connectors, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
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.