2013 BMW 328XI problems & reliability
27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 BMW 328XI, alongside 2 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.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 7 | 26% |
| Power Train | 7 | 26% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 11% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 7% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 7% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 7% |
| Structure | 2 | 7% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 4% |
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 33,121 miles (middle 50% between 10,540 and 46,250 miles), based on 24 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“2013 bmw 328xi sulev. Consumer writes in regard to turbo failure. *as the consumer stated the vehicle started spewing grey smoke from the exhaust on some cold starts. The oil supply lines to the turbocharger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired the failure recurred. *js”
Engine · filed Oct 22, 2019
“System restraints passenger side. Will not reset. Continues to illuminate restraint errors. Happened while driving, and stays on when parked.”
Air Bags · filed Apr 10, 2019
“The car had recently had its 8 speed automatic transmission fluid changed. The transmission was not refilled to the correct capacity and was low. The car began exhibiting drivetrain errors and went into limp mode. The problem is that the computer automatically shifted the car into park while I was driving it. As I…”
Power Train · filed Mar 14, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
Technical service bulletins
9 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 BMW 328XI.
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
Butt connector for repairing a plug connection. The ?top up coolant? message is displayed in the central display (CC message ID 166). When checking the cooling system there are no leaks found and the expansion tank is…
B170318 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2018
Shipping specific non-deployed vehicle safety devices to lighting resources, llc. This service Information bulletin provides information on shipping "specific" noin-deployed vehicle safety devices that are classified as…
SIM010917 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2017
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
Visual Inspection of Brake discs/Rotors for new car deliveries
SIM010617 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2017
The customer complains of rattling noises from the rear window when driving on rough roads.
B510415 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2015
Bmw:some bmw models may or may not display airbag warning light. *ta
SI B65 04 14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2015
Bmw: on some vehicles, when starting, low beam, with 0552 option, would briefly flashes, due to a faulty led main light module that needs replacing. Model 2008-14 f01, f02, f06, f07, f10, f12, f13, f25. *pe
SIB-63-11-14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2014
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 2013 BMW 328XI has 2 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 2013 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 33,121 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.