RoadVitals

2021 BMW 228I Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
7
Latest Jun 5, 2026
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
2
Reports on file since Jul 20, 2023

What this page shows

Our database holds 7 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2021 BMW 228I. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–7 of 7

Engine
Filed Jun 5, 2026

Engine mount replace required at 37000 per dealership service inspection. Informed that it is standard for this part to fail repeatedly during life of engine. Retail price of repair at dealership estimated at $3000, offered repair for $1200. Informed that a driving hazard and cause for more engine damage if not replaced.

NHTSA ID
11742389
Incident
May 28, 2026
Exterior lighting
Filed Jan 9, 2026

BMW DRL (Daytime Running Light) module is is overheating causing damage to the internal fiber optic tube. Dealer said this is a common issue and requires module replacement to prevent requiring a whole headlight assembly as BMW does not sell the fiber optic cable separately. Lights should not be overheating and causing burning to cable in car.

NHTSA ID
11710000
Incident
Dec 1, 2025
Brakes
Filed Mar 10, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 BMW 228I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear brakes. The service brakes warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the rear brake rotors. The contact was also informed that the rear brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 25,000.

NHTSA ID
11647494
Incident
Mar 10, 2025
Mileage
25,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jan 29, 2025

THROTTLE BODY ACTUATOR BMW OEM PART # 13547619008 FITS ALL BMW MODELS 2016-2024. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO FAIL ACROSS MULTIPLE BMW MODEL LINES, particularly in the E60, E90, and E92 series. when it fails, the engine power goes into a safe mode which drops the rpms down to idle speed around 500 rpm and the car can only go a few mph. this happened on the freeway in lane number one at the speed limit, and it was only by a miracle I got to the shoulder without a major potentially fatal accident. BMW lied to me and told me that NHSTA is responsible for policy recalls, but you told me they initiate them on their own. Left to police themselves, they are not recognizing the widely reported failure as a recall, and the repair was thousands after almost causing a fatal accident.

NHTSA ID
11639472
Incident
Jan 13, 2025
Brakes
Filed May 29, 2024

I have a 2021 with 25000 miles and a 2023 with 6000 miles which make noise when in reverse. The dealer has stated the rear brake pads likely need replacement and rotors as well. It seems questionable that two exact models two years apart and 20000 miles apart are encountering the same issue.

NHTSA ID
11591317
Incident
May 16, 2024
Driver assistanceElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Oct 7, 2023

Unknown

NHTSA ID
11548812
Incident
Oct 6, 2023
Visibility
Filed Jul 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 BMW 228I. The contact stated while driving 70-75 MPH, the sunroof exploded. The contact stated that the shade guard was closed at the time the failure occurred. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that he inspected the vehicle but could not determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the sunroof needed to be replaced. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

NHTSA ID
11533458
Incident
Mar 16, 2023
Mileage
55,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .