2011 BMW 328XI problems & reliability
67 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 BMW 328XI, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 24 | 36% |
| Electrical System → | 17 | 25% |
| Air Bags → | 12 | 18% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 13% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 9% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 7% |
| Power Train | 4 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 4% |
| Seats | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 79,000 miles (middle 50% between 56,500 and 107,000 miles), based on 47 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jul 30, 2024
“The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jul 12, 2024
“The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Mar 12, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
93 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 BMW 328XI. The 10 most recent:
The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
B510819 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2024
The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information…
B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 11, 2024
Power Reduction, FC2A82 Intake VANOS and/or FC2A87 Exhaust VANOS Camshaft Fault: The ?Service Engine Soon? (MIL) lamp is illuminated and engine power reduction is perceived. This situation can occur after driving for…
B110208 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2020
Power Reduction FC2A82 Intake VANOS and/or FC2 A87 Exhaust VANOS Camshaft Fault: The "Service Engine Soon" (MIL) lamp is illuminated and engine power reduction is perceived. This situation can occur after driving for…
B110208 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2020
"Power Reduction, FC 2A82 Intake VANOS and/or FC 2A87 Exhaust VANOS Camshaft Faults are Stored in DME. The ""Service Engine Soon"" (MIL) lamp is illuminated and engine power reduction is perceived. This…
110208 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2019
Takata air bag recall-related short-term alternate transportation and consequential repairs this service information bulletin supersedes si b01 31 18 dated october 2018.
B013118 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2019
Takata air bag recall-related short-term alternate transportation and consequential repairs this service information bulletin supersedes si b01 31 18 dated october 2018.
B013118 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2019
Takata class action settlement. Customer support program. Front driver side airbag modules.
B011618 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2019
For the above-referenced vehicles with driver?s side airbag modules, BMW of North America, LLC (?BMW NA?) will provide a Customer Support Program as outlined in the Takata Settlement Customer Support Program Overview…
B011618 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2018
The engine?s intake charge-air duct limited warranty extension to 10 years/120,000 miles applies to ?eligible USspecification
SIM010717 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2017
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2011 BMW 328XI has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2011 BMW 328XI?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 79,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.