This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
I was driving on a busy two lane road. The vehicle instantly decelerated and made a large thump while driving at 55mph. The vehicle information system said there was a drivetrain malfunction, and all power was instantly gone. We were able to quickly pull off onto a small section off the road, but not in a safe manner, almost going into the ditch, in which I strongly was anticipating was going to be a total loss to the car as an accident and Injury to myself and my wife. The vehicle then after waiting several hours was towed to a certified BMW shop to be looked at. The shop noted that it sounded like it was a high pressure fuel pump failure that caused the car to abruptly decelerate. The shop confirmed that the high pressure fuel pump did fail and with high probability took out all components associated with the fuel system. The recall/ safety issue only covered the high pressure fuel Pump to 10 years or 120k miles. I have a 141k on the vehicle the issue is the safety aspect of the vehicle suddenly decelerating when at a safe driving speed with no way of knowing the issue with a the pump. These pumps and all components should be covered not only because of cost but because of the general issue of instant deceleration and the safety of not only the driver in the car but those that could be effected driving on the road with the car. This issue should not minimized by the manufacturer based on mileage or years of operation. It-??s clearly an issue that is common and an issues that can have ramifications on the customers safety as well as those external of the vehicle.
Drivetrain malfunction warning comes on when the car runs for a few hours in the heat or when randomly driving. Sometimes the warning will clear itself after waiting a few minutes, but it might come back after a few minutes driving or not. In other instances, the drivetrain will not clear itself and will take more than a few hours. Took it to the repair shop 3 times and they indicated it could be the fuel pump modular or spark plugs or it could just be that the heat is messing up the software system. The mechanic has mentioned that drivetrain malfunctions have been occurring more regularly with BMWs. The issue is that this drivetrain can malfunction at any random time. Driving on a highway, street, or just starting up the car after letting it sit for a few minutes or days. It's a safety hazard because it can happen at any time unexpectedly. When it does, the car goes into neutral and this is dangerous if driving on the highway at higher speeds and needing to pull over into right hand lane. I've not yet taken it to a dealer to look at, just a certified BMW repair shop. There have been no warning issues and the car clears whenever it is taken to the repair shop.
Vehicle is 100% BMW Serviced for it's history, showroom to present. Vehicle had been smoking after sitting 2-3 days and driving. We'd park and see wisps of smoke coming from the wheelwells and engine bay. Alarming! Never witnessed open flame, but as the saying goes, if there's smoke... Questionable component: 328xd Fuel Sensor Probe (BMW part #13-53-8-594-893 Fuel Feed Line 135040 ) Complaint/Report pertains to Fuel Sensor Probe failure and resultant fuel propagation(backfeeding/leaking fuel from sensor connection) into adjacent wiring/engine bay foils. Diagnostic System did not report sensor failure until extensive damage and hazard was realized. BMW USA responded to report as NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY(high mile vehicle) and therefore not of responsibility of BMW. According to local BMW Service team the event is NOT UNUSUAL and that several vehicles with same fail/error codes have exhibited similar fuel leakage/propagation/damages. VERY PROBABLE FIRE HAZARD Costly repairs; if system had detected failure when sensor failed we would have had it fixed. We reported the smoking several times but the service department didn't isolate the problem. We continued to drive the vehicle cross-country for 6+ months; each time the problem got worse. WE GOT LUCKY Repair bills came to almost $10k by the time we added all visits and the entire wiring bundle that had to be replaced due to fuel damage. Failed Sensor repair is around $750? BMW needs to implement a way to mitigate this problem to keep from having some potentially catastrophic/lethal endings. Similar problems that have contributed to vehicle fires in these BMW vehicles: 1) HEATER BOX malfunctions 2) PCV VALVE 3) COOLANT LEAK
My son's 2015, BMW 328i was taken to BMW in Canton, Ohio due to "fluttering" in gas pedal and "possible transmission slipping and variations in transmission while driving. The check engine light was on and was diagnosed at dealership that the Mass Flow Sensor was malfunctioning. The wires to the Mass Flow Sensor were corroded and needed fixed before sensor could be assessed. The wires were fixed and the check engine light went out so the car was considered by the BMW dealer service department to be fixed and I paid $545 for $42 in parts and $503 in labor. The service advisor named Mark, assured me that it had been test driven by service technician and that the car was in proper working condition. I picked the car up, for my son, at 10 am and drove south to West Virginia to deliver the car to my son. At 12:15, I pulled off the freeway and stopped at a light that was at a busy intersection, with a car in front of me. I came to a complete stop with my foot on the brake and my car accelerated at a high speed with my foot completely on the brake almost to the floor. I rammed into the car in front of me and the car flew forward 500 feet. My BMW stopped after it hit the car in front of me. I sat in the car in shock with my foot still on the brake as the driver in front of me came to my window and asked me " what the hell are you doing"? She could clearly see that my foot was still on the brake. There were minor scratches on her bumper and, her and her son had sore necks. The front of my car had a broken grill, and other broken pieces. Broken pieces were lying on thre road. I called AAA and had it towed to BMW in St. Albans, West Virginia. A call was made to Canton, BMW and Corporate BMW to make a report on BMW rapidly accelerating with brakes completely on. Corporate personelle are to call me to get a report from me and send a special team to investigate the "rapid acceleration" while the brakes were on. Now awaiting for the 2015 BMW 328i to be looked at.
High-pressure fuel pump failed while driving causing vehicle to stop abruptly, a recall for this part due to the same issues already exists but not for my VIN.
- Fresno, CA, USA
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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 gently pressed on the brake, and when I switched the gear shift into drive, the car suddenly and explosively accelerated forward extremely fast and sped out of control. I pressed the brakes to stop the car, which did nothing, and the car slammed into cement wall so hard that it sounded like an explosion and the air bags deployed. I hit my mouth/face/head on the air bag and got whiplash from the sudden stop. When I got out of the car, a couple who-??d heard the explosion drove by and asked if I was ok. After a few moments I reached into the car to turn off ignition switch. This event resulted in very serious damage to the car, which was totaled, and I received medical injuries. This incident was reported to my automobile insurance company and to North America BMW, who has escalated the report to higher levels due to the seriousness of the incident, and will be doing investigations this week. The accelerator pedal or gear box dangerously and seriously malfunctioned, and the car is available for inspection upon request. My safety was seriously at risk as I have headaches and whiplash symptoms. If there were no wall there, or if there had been people or cars anywhere in front of the car, they would have been killed and smashed because the car suddenly accelerated so quickly.
while im driving at my normal speed about 70mph the car start to get in safe mode, i was on the free way at the time so the car start to stop and lost accerlation, when i checl with my mechanic he told me i need to change the fuel pump and i found out there is a complane "Report Receipt Date: MAR 31, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V189000 Component(s): FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Potential Number of Units Affected: 18,054" but when i called the dealership they told me im not covered to fix the problem but my car was listed on here" Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC SUMMARY: BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014 228i Coupe, M235i Coupe, 320i, 320xi, 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi, ActiveHybrid 3, 328xi Sports Wagon, 428i Coupe, 428xi Coupe, 435i Coupe, 435xi Coupe, 428i Convertible, 428xi Convertible, 435i Convertible, 328xi Gran Turismo, 335xi Gran Turismo, and 2015 428i Gran Coupe, 428xi Gran Coupe, and 435i Gran Coupe vehicles. Improper nickel plating of components within the fuel pump may result in the fuel pump failing.
The engine stopped running as I was driving. I was able to coast to a stop but once stopped I was unable to put the vehicle in neutral so it was blocking the roadway. The cause of the vehicle engine to stop was a failure on the high pressure fuel pump. I see there has been a recall issued for this defect but my vehicle was not included. Must be an error on BMWs identification of the vehicles affected.
The fuel tank has some kind of leak, not specified where by the dealership, but I suspect it is on the top of the tank. When I first had this vehicle serviced in 2019, I mentioned a small of diesel. The service advisor told me it was a diesel "feature". Having recently acquired another diesel vehicle that does not smell, I requested a proper check be made this year. I now believe the tank was leaking when I first bought the car in 2018. A cursory search of the Internet shows that this is not an unusual occurrence. I was quoted $3200 for the repair, a ridiculous amount that is probably 25% the market value of a non-leaking car. BMW need to recall all F30 models and replace any leaking tanks at their expense. I am only continuing to use the vehicle as no liquid is in evidence and diesel is very hard to ignite. Were the car gasoline powered I would have little choice but to get the car repaired.
My girlfriend has owned this vehicle for about two years now. Along with other maintenance (all understandable until now) there is a $2000 cost. The Fuel tank has started leaking due to a major design flaw by BMW. To save money they (bmw) used tanks from previous model years and glued a cap over a no longer needed hole and now the cap is not sealing and the tank is leaking! If you do not believe me look at pictures of used 2015 BMW 328i fuel tanks. It is beyond me why a car so expensive could have something designed so amateur.
While driving both in regular traffic and highway traffic the car has without warning gone into a limp mode shuddering allowing no power at all to the accelerator. A message pops up "drivetrain malfunction maximum drivetrain output not at available. If you get pulled over turn the vehicle off wait a couple minutes turn the ignition back on the vehicle runs like that never happened. This is extremely dangerous if the vehicle goes limp no power while on the freeway in front of a big 18 wheeler it happened to me the other vehicles do not understand your vehicle just died while going 75 mph.
Diesel fuel found in unexpected areas including wiring harness, fuel injectors, pressure sensors, turbo charger component, dde, egr, etc. Unable to locate source of fuel leak into electrical system causing potential fire hazard or serious vehicle malfunctioning. Advised by BMW service manager that cost to perform repair more costly than value of vehicle. BMW not supportive in correction or assistance with issues. Over 2.5 years of ownership, vehicle serviced >5+ times for engine warning light and drive train malfunction alerts. Egr valve replaced X3, exhaust pre dpftemp sensor, etc. Service performed on recalled flex disc B27, and egr cooler (multiple times)per advisory. Regular and timely maintenance performed on vehicle.
Fuel tank split at factory seam causing fuel to pour out of tank when full. This issue happened after filling tank and driving a short distance. When I came out to my car which was parked, I noticed a large puddle of gas under the driver's side of the vehicle.
While driving the vehicle at freeway speed it suddenly and unexpectedly lost power causing me to have to take action to cross lanes of traffic to the shoulder. The dealer replaced the fuel rail and additional components however this did not prevent rerepeated recurrence of the issue. I am concerned that if the issue is not resolved it will lead to a dangerous and unsafe situation. This is a recurring issue even though the BMW repaired it. Car displays drivetrain malfunction message and check engine light.
While driving on the interstate or over 50 mph the vehicle will not allow me to give it gas and a "drivetrain malfunction" comes on. The car then goes into limp mode and the engine shakes. The vehicle will not allow me to give it gas and before the "drivetrain malfunction" comes on you can feel the gas or fuel pump jerk. Then I am no longer able to give the car gas, limp bode happens, engine shakes, and the car puts itself in neutral. I have to find a way to get in the emergency lane without getting hit and turn the car off for a few minutes to reset the lights. But this has happened on more than one occasion. I have taken it to a body shop twice, still not fixed.
While in motion on an interstate the car suddenly started to sputter and lose momentum. At the same time, a warning alerted us to a "drive train malfunction". luckily, we were in the lane closest to the side of the road and we were able to limp off the road and out of traffic. The car was towed to the nearest BMW dealer in las vegas where the problem was determined to be a failed high pressure fuel pump. The car has less than 17,000 miles. After some research, we found that BMW has a history of fuel pump recalls although none for our model year. This incident was quite dangerous considering the car suddenly being inoperable at a high rate of speed on the interstate. Were we not in the right hand lane, the incident could have been deadly.
Second episode with this 2015 BMW 328xi after the brakes failed in the first reported episode with sport mode. On Tuesday April 21 in the afternoon my wife was driving on winters ave. In paramus NJ in eco mode, having decided to never touch the defective sport mode button again. She was driving normally, then out of the blue while pressing on the gas pedal, the car suddenly doesn't want to go and cars behind started beeping and then the car starts swerving and lights up the orange symbol of swerving on dashboard. She went into a parking lot while still swerving and called me. She parked and tried to shut car off to let it reset. She restarted it and it continued to have the same problem in the parking lot. So we called aaa who towed the car home and we called BMW dealer. Next am Wednesday April 22 BMW dealer sent tow and took my wife and the car to the dealership garage. The car has been there for a month and is still there. They need to cancel and let us out of the lease of this vehicle and refund our down payment.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Ridgefield, WA, USA