RoadVitals

1997 BMW 328IC Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
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Latest Sep 30, 2015
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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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.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1997 BMW 328IC, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

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

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Airbags120.0%
  • Electrical120.0%
  • Engine120.0%
  • Tires & wheels120.0%
  • Transmission120.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1997 BMW 328I. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID 10778722 · filed Sep 30, 2015

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

IGNITION SWITCH FAILED ON THREE OCCASIONS. MJS

NHTSA ID 606135 · filed Feb 1, 1999

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

EMISSION FAILED. YH

NHTSA ID 607316 · filed Feb 1, 1999

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Tires & wheels

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

TIRE TREAD CAME OFF DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE REAR BUMPER. THE TIRE DID NOT DEFLATE. CONTINENTAL DENIED CLAIM BECAUSE THE TIRE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED FOR A PUNCTURE. THE PUNCTURE REPAIR REMAINED INTACT AND AS FAR AS I COULD SEE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LOSS OF THE TREAD. CONTINENTAL TOLD ME THAT THE TIRE WAS LIKELY TO FAIL (TREAD COME OFF) SOONER OR LATER BECAUSE OF THE PUNCTURE REPAIR. I FIND THIS STATEMENT TO BE INCREDULOUS AS I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED IN ANY OF THEIR SERVICE MANUALS THAT REPAIRING A PUNCTURE WOULD RENDER THE TIRE UNUSEABLE. IF I HAD KNOW THAT I WOULD HAVE HAD THE TIRE REPLACED (SILLY AS THAT SEEMS). AT THE VERY LEAST CONTNENTAL SHOULD BE FORCED TO NOTIFY ALL OF THE USERS OF ITS TIRES THAT ANY SORT OF PUNCTURE - EVEN IF IT IS PROPERLY REPAIRED - MAKES THE TIRE UNFIT FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. WE WERE NOT INJURED IN THE INCIDENT BUT WE WERE ALMOST KILLED AS I TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. (DOT NUMBER: ACTM2Y7136 TIRESIZE: 205/60R15)

NHTSA ID 733211 · filed Oct 2, 2000

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Transmission

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

1997 BMW 328 CI WITH 114K MILES. DRIVING AND AT STOP LIGHT READY TO GO INTO 1ST GEAR TO DRIVE OFF AND CAR MOVING VERY SLOWLY. TRANSMISSION PROBLEM I'VE BEEN TOLD AND WILL COST $5K-$7.5 TO FIX DEPENDING ON IF I GO TO DEALER OR MAACO SHOP. NO PRIOR NOTICE OF PROBLEM; IT JUST HAPPENED. *TR

NHTSA ID 10246650 · filed Oct 24, 2008

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .