RoadVitals

2008 BMW 328I Fuel system Problems

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

Data refreshed

Fuel system 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.
13
Latest Mar 27, 2024
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.
5%
of 239 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.
1
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 fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 BMW 328I submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 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 fuel system

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

EngineFuel system
Filed Mar 27, 2024

The vehicle, stopped while driving, overheating, no heat/ ac. It's winter, car stopped at night in an unknown location fory safety. Had it inspected by 2 different auto shops and was confirmed of the issue. Warning lights came on right before the car failed.

NHTSA ID
11579798
Incident
Mar 22, 2024
ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed Jul 29, 2023

ON ALL E90 SERIES 3 (2008 BMW 328i), the PCV VALVE FAILS AND IS WELDED INTO THE VALVE COVER, THUS IF IT LEAKS OR GETS CRACKS IN THE ORANGE MEMBRANE, IT WILL CAUSE CAR TO STALL.. I ALMOST CRASHED 2x and this part should be recalled..IT AFFECTS THE FUEL AIR RATIO IN BMW E90, AND THE CAR WILL RUN LEAN AND NOT RECEIVE ENOUGH GAS AS AIR IS LEAKING FROM THE BROKEN MEMBRANE IN THE PVC VALVE. BMW WILL THROW ENGINE CODES WITH LIT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON DASH. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AS THE WHOLE VALVE COVER HAS TO BE REPLACED TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE $10 PCV VALVE WHICH IS LUDICROUS...THE DEALER CHARGES thousand dollars and up to replace a ten dollar part. THE CAR HAS ROUGH IDLE AND WILL STALL, CREATING A DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATION AND FATAL ACCIDENT . PLEASE RECALL to HAVE BMW DEALER FIX ThESE PLASTIC PVC VALVES ON E90S...I HAVE ENCLOSED PIC OF THE VALVE ..IT ALSO HAS A SPRING BUT THE PLASTIC ORANGE MEBRANE CRACKS, BREAKS AND LEAKS AIR INSIDE VALVE, CAUSING CHECK ENGINE CODES, ROUGH IDLE AND STALLING OF VEHICLE.. THE VALVE IS LOCATED ON TOP OF VALVE COVER, WELDED INTO VALVE COVER. PLEASE HELP..THANK YOU STATE FLORIDA P.S. HEAT CAUSES THE PCV MEMBRANE TO CRACK MORE~~PIC ENCLOSED OF PCV VALVE ITS WELDED INTO TOP VALVE COVER..NO OTHER CAR HAS A PCV VALVE MOUNTED THIS WAY SO WHOLE VALVE COVER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED~ THANK U

NHTSA ID
11535228
Incident
Jun 8, 2023
ElectricalFuel system
Filed Jan 26, 2022

The plastic power pieces that goes over the battery melted. Ever since then I have had electrical problems. My concern is when that pieces melted it could have caused a fire. I dint even know it melted till I started have electrical problems and had to look at my battery. As far as the fuel problems I have a n51 and from what I understand the parts for it are hard to find I would like to know more about the bmw 15yr/150,000 mile warrenty that the bmw forms are talking about

NHTSA ID
11448927
Incident
Dec 14, 2021
Fuel system
Filed Jul 26, 2018

THE LINES THAT ARE INSIDE THE FUEL PUMP CAME OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR STOPPED WORKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. MY MECHANICS HAD THE EXACT SAME MODEL CAR HAVE THE SAME EXACT ISSUE AND WHEN THEY CALLED BMW FOR THE PARTS THE SERVICE GUY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THEY SEE IT ALL THE TIME IN THIS PARTICULAR MODEL AND BMW STATES THAT SINCE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY RECALL ON IT THAT THEY WILL NOT FIX MY CAR WITHOUT ME PAYING FOR IT. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED TWO TIMES TO ME AND IT IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD TO HAVE THE CAR JUST STOP WHILE DRIVING. CAN YOU PLEASE SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO MINE? ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC THE BMW SERVICE CENTER HAS THE PARTS ON HAND BECAUSE THEY SEE THIS PROBLEM SO OFTEN IN THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. APPARENTLY IT IS BECAUSE THE FUEL INJECTION LINES ARE INSIDE THE TANK AND IT IS A BAD DESIGN AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS A LOW FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM THAT WAS DESIGNED BADLY AND THEY NO LONGER DESIGN IT THIS WAY.

NHTSA ID
11113866
Incident
Jul 17, 2018
Mileage
80,476 mi
Fuel system
Filed Mar 30, 2018

FUEL PUMP JUST STOPPED WORKING; IT FIRST STOPPED WORKING WHILE OPERATING THE CAR THEN STARTED BACK UP WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. THE FACT IT DID THIS WHILE I WAS DRIVING WAS TERRIFYING. THEN ONCE I STOPPED AND PARKED IT DID NOT START BACK UP. THE CAR STARTER ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT AN ERROR CAME UP ON THE SCREEN REGARDING A FUEL PUMP FAILURE.

NHTSA ID
11082123
Incident
Mar 24, 2018
Mileage
121,000 mi
EngineFuel system
Filed Mar 27, 2018

MY VEHICLE HAS 2 ACTIVE RECALLS (CAMPAIGN #17V-676 AND 17V-683) BOTH OF WHICH AFFECT THE MOTOR AND CAN RESULT IN FIRE TO THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED MELTING PARTS MAKING THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE

NHTSA ID
11081604
Incident
Aug 7, 2017
ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed Feb 26, 2018

I RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE FOR AIRBAG, PCP VALVE HEATER,AND BLOWER MOTOR WIRING. IN 2013-2015 MY BMW WAS SHAKING HEAVILY AND SCARILY WHILE DRIVING AND SITTING AT RED LIGHTS. I SPENT $5,306 OVER 5 DIFFERENT BILLS FROM 4/1/2013 THROUGH 12/18/2015 WHICH I WILL ATTACH. AS OF TODAY, 2/26/2018 THE CAR IS AT THE SHOP AND A NUMBER OF ISSUES WERE PRESENTED INCLUDING SPARK PLUG IGNITION, POWER STEERING IN 3 POINTS (RESERVOIR SUCTION HOSE, FLUSH FLUID), REAR DIFFERENTIAL, PINION SEAL, BOTH AXLE SEALS, NEEDED RESEAL AND REBUILT, MOTOR VALVE COVERS, LEAK IN SUSPENSION, AND ADDITIONAL ISSUES I COULD BARELY KEEP UP WITH WRITING DOWN AS THE MECHANIC WAS SPEAKING THEM OVER THE PHONE. HE ESTIMATE $4,800 (THIS WAS MIDAS, IT WOULD BE MORE AT THE ROCKVILLE BMW IN ROCKVILLE MD).

NHTSA ID
11074955
Incident
Feb 24, 2018
Mileage
70,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Aug 10, 2017

VEHICLE STOPPED DEAD IN MIDDLE OF ROAD. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN IT STOPPED. CATASTROPHIC FUEL PUMP FAILURE, PER MECHANIC. NO RECALL IN SYSTEM FOR THIS MODEL, BUT FIGURED IT SHOULD BE REPORTED.

NHTSA ID
11014218
Incident
Aug 4, 2017
Mileage
114,256 mi
EngineFuel systemPowertrain (other)
Filed Feb 5, 2016
Crash reported1 injury reported

THIS IS WELL-DOCUMENTED ON BMW FORUMS. THE ADAPTIVE DRIVER MEMORY LOGIC CAUSES A THROTTLE LAG OF UP TO 1 SECOND. THIS LAG CAN BE TEMPORARILY ELIMINATED BY RESETTING THE THROTTLE BODY ADAPTION. THE UNNECESSARY THROTTLE LAG CAUSES AN UNNECESSARY SAFETY HAZARD BY DELAYING THE CAR'S THROTTLE RESPONSE. BMW SHOULD ISSUE A SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT ALLOWS OWNERS TO PERMANENTLY DISABLE OR LOCK DOWN THE FEATURE. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS MAINLY WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED AN IN-GEAR. WHEN THE DRIVER DEPRESSES THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE COMPUTER DELAYS THE SIGNAL TO THE THROTTLE BODY BY UP TO 1 SECOND. THIS DELAY INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF A COLLISION BY CAUSING AN THE CAR TO UNNECESSARILY RESPOND IN A MANNER THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE DRIVER'S INTENT. THERE IS A 5-STEP PROCEDURE THAT OWNERS CAN FOLLOW TO TEMPORARILY RESET THE THROTTLE BODY ADAPTION, BUT THE COMPUTER EVENTUALLY RE-LEARNS THE UNSAFE BEHAVIOR. BMW HAS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED IN SEVERAL BMW MODELS, ENGINES, AND MODEL YEARS, INCLUDING THE 328I, THE 528I, THE 750LI, AND OTHERS. IN MY CASE, I WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND CHANGE LANES QUICKLY IN ORDER TO AVOID AN OBSTACLE. THE DRIVER BEHIND ME INTERPRETED THE CAR'S DELAY AS INACTION AND PERFORMED THE SAME MANEUVER, SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSING A REAR-END COLLISION WHEN ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT ALSO ACCELERATED AND MOVED INTO THE OTHER LANE AND CAUSED SEVERAL CARS TO STOP. IF MY CAR HAD RESPONDED APPROPRIATELY WHEN I APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE TOW TRUCK BEHIND ME MIGHT HAVE DELAYED HIS ACTION.

NHTSA ID
10824440
Incident
Nov 3, 2014
Mileage
40,000 mi
BrakesFuel systemSteering
Filed Jan 29, 2016

ATTENTION: BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS ON, SATURDAY, 01/02/2016, AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30PM MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE FORT HAMILTON PKWY IN BROOKLYN, NY IN MY BMW 328I CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MILES PER HOUR MY CAR SUDDENLY STOP COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE TO TRAFFIC. IN ORDER TO EXIT OFF THE HIGHWAY SAFELY, I ALLOWED THE CAR TO ROLL TO REDUCE SPEED THEN USE THE HAND BRAKE IT TO STOP THE CAR COMPLETELY AT THE NEAREST EXIT, EXT # 5. AFTER EXITING I CALLED THE TOWING COMPANY. IT APPEARED THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS THE RESULT A FUEL PUMP FAILURE ON MY 2008 BMW 328XI WHICH ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC BURNT THE CONTROL MODULE WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. FUEL TANK FAILURE IS A HAZARDOUS CONDITION AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT A FUEL PUMP FAILURE RESULTS IN AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, POWER STEERING, AND POWER BRAKES AND A POTENTIAL DESIGN FLAW. DUE TO THIS FUEL TANK FAILURE MY WIFE AND I LIVE WERE PLACED IN DANGER. I CALLED BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS. I INFORMED THEM OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF MY WIFE AND MY LIFE AND EXPLAINED THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE REPRESENTATIVE I SPOKE TO TODAY, 01/07/15, INFORMED ME THAT I SHOULD'VE GOTTEN A WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH BOARD AND STATED SHE COULD NOT GIVE ME ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION UNLESS THE CAR WAS PRESENT. I INFORMED HER THAT AT THE TIME THE CAR BROKE DOWN THEIR DEALERSHIP WAS CLOSED AND I WAS FORCED TO HAVE IT TOWED TO G & J SERVICE AUTO REPAIR SHOP LOCATED AT 198 28TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 11232. SHE STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING FURTHER SHE COULD DO OR ASSISTANCE SHE COULD GIVE WITHOUT THE CAR BEING PRESENT. A FUEL PUMP IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ANY CAR. GIVEN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF LITERALLY PUMPING A VEHICLE'S FUEL FROM ITS TANK TO THE ENGINE, A MALFUNCTIONING FUEL PUMP WILL ALWAYS LEAD TO A TOTAL DISASTER. DRIVER'S NEED TO BE AWARE OF THIS COMMON PROBLEM

NHTSA ID
10823109
Incident
Jan 2, 2016
Mileage
44,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Dec 29, 2015

MY CAR WAS IN MOTION AND IT STALLED IN MIDDLE OF FREEWAY WITHOUT ANY WARNING ! IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP THAT HAD FAILED ! BMW ALREADY HAS RECALLED MANY MODELS FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. WHY PUT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE'S LIVES IN DANGER AND NOT RECALL THE 2008 328I ALSO WHEN THEY ARE ALREADY AWARE OF THIS FUEL PUMP FAILURE ?

NHTSA ID
10816660
Incident
Dec 11, 2015
Mileage
115,000 mi
ElectricalFuel system
Filed May 5, 2015

THE CAR USE TAKE A LOOK A LONG TIME TO START NOW IT'S NOT STARTING AT ALL IT JUST MAKES NOISE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10714661
Incident
May 2, 2015
Mileage
92,936 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalFuel system
Filed May 3, 2013

WHILE DRIVING, ATTEMPTING TO PASS A VEHICLE, I PRESS THE ACCELERATOR AND THE PEDAL HAD NO RESPONSE AND THE RPMS DROPPED. AFTER TRYING TO ACCELERATE, THE ENGINE DIES AND I DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ATTEMPTING TO DODGE TRAFFIC AS THE CAR'S GAS PEDAL IS NOT RESPONDING. UPON PULLING OVER SAFELY, NEARLY HITTING CARS ALONG THE WAY I COME TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR THEN NO LONGER STARTS. CRANKING CAN BE HEARD BUT ENGINE DOES NOT TURN OVER OR START. HAD IT REPAIRED, THE REASON IS A FUEL PUMP FAILURE, FUEL PUMP MODULE FAILURE, AND BLOWN FUSE ON FUEL PUMP. CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND COST TO REPAIR IS $1,800 AND A RISK TO MY SAFETY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10510544
Incident
Apr 26, 2013
Mileage
61,300 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.

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .