RoadVitals

2007 BMW 328I Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints 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.
100
Latest Jul 29, 2026
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
25%
of 397 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
15
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2007 BMW 328I submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 100 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming engine

The 25 most recent of 100, in the owner's own words

Engine
Filed Jul 29, 2026
Fire reported

The contact owned a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, there was whitish grey smoke coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the residence where it was parked, and there was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact pushed the vehicle away from the residence and from structures and became aware that there were heat bubbles on the hood of the vehicle and called 9-1-1. The Police and Fire Department arrived, and the firemen axed the hood and extinguished the fire under the hood. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The Police and Fire Department filed reports; however, the reports were not available. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 198,000.

NHTSA ID
11753592
Incident
Apr 1, 2026
Mileage
198,000 mi
ElectricalEngine
Filed Dec 23, 2023

we have taken the car to the dealership for the recall and was told they do not have the parts and also wouldn't know how to fix it. every time the car turns on, you can smell the melting of the plastic. it smells bad and am worried every time im driving about a fire. before the recall came out, we had asked about the unknown smell of something burning and was told it was "normal"

NHTSA ID
11561661
Incident
Jun 10, 2016
ElectricalEngine
Filed Jun 2, 2023
Fire reported

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50- 55 mph, the vehicle caught fire. There was an abnormal burning odor detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver was able to use her fire extinguisher and extinguish the fire. There were no reported injuries, police reports filed, or air bag deployments. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed her that the battery pack wiring had melted. and the PCV and wiring needed to be repaired. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis regarding the electrical panel was provided. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 149, 000.

NHTSA ID
11524988
Incident
Jun 1, 2017
Mileage
149,000 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 2, 2023
Fire reported

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that after parking and turning off the vehicle, she remained inside, and there was a burning smell. The contact stated that smoke was coming from the passenger floorboard and that after exiting the vehicle, there was also smoke coming from the hood, and after opening it, there were flames seen. The contact stated that she extinguished the flames with a garden hose and did not require calling the fire department. The contact made a local dealer aware of the failure and recall and scheduled a recall repair appointment. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer; however, the mechanic denied completing the recall remedy after the fire. The vehicle had not yet been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

NHTSA ID
11509888
Incident
Feb 24, 2023
Mileage
140,000 mi
Engine
Filed Feb 9, 2023

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that there was an abnormal burning plastic odor after starting the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 100,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID
11506418
Incident
Oct 9, 2009
Mileage
100,000 mi
Engine
Filed Feb 8, 2023

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact made a local dealer aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not yet taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 128,000.

NHTSA ID
11506309
Incident
Feb 1, 2023
Mileage
128,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jan 31, 2023

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact stated that she smelled an abnormal odor inside her vehicle, and the thermostat warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the water pump was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID
11504759
Incident
Jan 30, 2023
Engine
Filed Dec 13, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11497265
Incident
Dec 13, 2022
Engine
Filed Nov 28, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (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 local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that she had started to smell a burning odor throughout the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11495197
Incident
Mar 28, 2022
Engine
Filed Nov 14, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11493549
Incident
Mar 2, 2022
Body & structureElectricalEngine
Filed Oct 26, 2022
Fire reported

My vehicle caught on fire while parked and unoccupied. Fire started in the engine compartment.

NHTSA ID
11490965
Incident
Oct 25, 2022
Engine
Filed Sep 23, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine, 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 available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced the failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11486082
Incident
Sep 23, 2022
Engine
Filed Aug 12, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle began to overheat as indicated by the temperature gauge. The vehicle also began to hesitate upon the depression of the accelerator as the check engine light appeared on the instrument panel. His daughter pulled the vehicle over and waited for the engine to cool off. Once the engine was restarted, the vehicle independently entered into limp mode and the vehicle was unable to accelerate above 25 MPH. The contact then received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts for the recall were unavailable. Recently, the contact stated that while his son was driving at highway speeds, the vehicle independently enter limp mode(warning light unknown). Despite the failure, the contact's son managed to reach his destination. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. The failure mileage was unknown. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11479051
Incident
Feb 1, 2022
Engine
Filed Jul 29, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine And Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph when the contact noticed smoke coming from vents and underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact had to pull over where the warning for the vehicle overheating had begun to sound off. The smoke dissipated once the vehicle was turned off. The contact had the vehicle towed to their home. There were no injuries and no medical attention was needed. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11476458
Incident
Mar 2, 2022
Mileage
88,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 17, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, he saw steam exiting from under the hood and multiple warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated he parked the vehicle on the side of the road and saw coolant leaking under the vehicle. The contact stated he waited until the engine had cooled down and continued driving to his destination. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.

NHTSA ID
11469799
Incident
Mar 1, 2022
Mileage
146,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 13, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle began to overheat and started shuddering. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11468984
Incident
Jun 13, 2020
Mileage
145,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 6, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11467855
Incident
May 13, 2022
AirbagsEngine
Filed May 18, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated that the passenger restraint system message had appeared on the instrument panel indicating an air bag failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11465176
Incident
May 1, 2021
Mileage
85,000 mi
Engine
Filed May 6, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started to overheat. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving and parked the vehicle at his residence. However, the vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11463616
Incident
May 6, 2021
Mileage
100,000 mi
Engine
Filed May 6, 2022

The contact's son owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact's son received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while her son was driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle began to overheat and he saw smoke coming out from underneath the hood the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact' son pulled into a parking lot where he parked the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11463603
Incident
Apr 22, 2022
Mileage
190,000 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 25, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated while slowing down for traffic signals or signs, the vehicle started to idle roughly. After coming to a complete stop, the vehicle would then lose motive power and stall without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle however, the failure would soon recur. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ID
11462112
Incident
Jan 3, 2022
Mileage
100,000 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 20, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID
11461447
Incident
Apr 20, 2022
Engine
Filed Apr 7, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the engine started smoking and overheating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the power steering failed to operate as needed; however, the contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to several local mechanics and BMW specialists. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle has remained with the dealer for 3 years. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA ID
11460074
Incident
May 3, 2018
Mileage
120,000 mi
AirbagsEngineFuel system
Filed Jul 1, 2021

Bmw of Murietta will not honor the recalls

NHTSA ID
11423040
Incident
Jul 1, 2021
Engine
Filed Apr 14, 2021

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STATIONARY AT A DRIVE THRU, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THE RED OVERHEATING WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE SEIZED. THE CONTACT STATED HE HAD TO MANUALLY PUSH THE VEHICLE OUT TO THE PARKING LOT WITH A BYSTANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE ADDED COOLANT FLUID AND AFTER 2 HOURS HE WAS ABLE RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED HE EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE AN HOUR LATER. ADDITIONALLY, THE BATTERY ALSO FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED HE RECEIVED AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK WHILE OPENING THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE VIN WAS ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER BMW OF RIVERSIDE (3060 ADAMS ST, RIVERSIDE, CA 92504, (951) 373-5000) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WERE COMPLETED. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS STILL LEAKING COOLANT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 142,580.

NHTSA ID
11408053
Incident
Apr 8, 2021
Mileage
142,580 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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .