RoadVitals

2007 BMW 328XI Powertrain (other) Problems

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

Data refreshed

Powertrain (other) 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.
9
Latest Sep 9, 2018
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 198 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.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2007 BMW 328XI submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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 powertrain

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

Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 9, 2018

THERE ARE TWO OUTSTANDING (FOR WHICH I HAVE RECEIVED WRITTEN NOTICES) DEFECTS ON THE CAR. I GOT THESE IN NOVEMBER OF 2017. I HAVE CALLED BMW SEVERAL TIMES TO GET A STATUS AND THEY HAVE, ON EACH OCCASION, TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE NOT YET ABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS. IT IS NOW 10 MONTHS LATER. IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS LONGER THAN ONE SHOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR ITEMS THAT DEMAND WRITTEN NOTIFICATION OF DEFECTS. SO, I AM WRITING TO ASK YOU TO ASSIST IN GETTING THESE RECALL ITEMS ADDRESSED. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ID
11128314
Incident
Nov 1, 2017
Mileage
80,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 7, 2018

TRANSFER CASE NOISES

NHTSA ID
11128116
Incident
Apr 25, 2018
Mileage
98,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 8, 2016

I ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 8 MONTHS & THE TRANSMISSION IS GONE I NEED SOMEONE TO ASSIT ME WITH THIS PROBLEM I DON'T HAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO GET THIS FIX MY CAR STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED

NHTSA ID
10883620
Incident
Jul 3, 2016
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 19, 2016

THE DRIVE SHAFT SNAPPED IN HALF AT THE JOINT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE VIBRATION IN THE MOMENTS BEFORE IT HAPPENED. I WAS ON A CITY STREET AFTER JUST GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY.

NHTSA ID
10860350
Incident
Feb 14, 2016
Mileage
127,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 24, 2015

ONE EVENING IN DECEMBER 2014, MY CAR (2007 BMW 328XI) SUDDENLY STARTED MAKING A LOUD CLANGING NOISE AND VIBRATING VIOLENTLY. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE DRIVESHAFT (PROPELLOR SHAFT) HAD BROKEN. LESS THAN A MONTH LATER, THE VEHICLE'S TRANSFER CASE FAILED - DAMAGE FROM THE DRIVESHAFT THAT HAD BEEN UNDETECTED AT THE TIME OF THE DRIVESHAFT RUPTURE. IN JANUARY 2015 I CONTACTED BMW AS I HAD HEARD OF OTHER DRIVERS OF SIMILAR 3 SERIES BMWS HAVING DRIVESHAFT AND TRANSFER CASE PROBLEMS, BUT BMW DENIED THERE WAS AN ISSUE. BUT IN AUGUST 2015, BMW ANNOUNCED A "COMPONENT SPECIFIC LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION" FOR THE DRIVESHAFT FOR THE BMW X5 - FOR 10 YEARS AND 120,000 MILES. NO SUCH PROGRAM HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED FOR THE 328XI. GIVEN THAT THE FAILURE OF THE DRIVESHAFT AND TRANSFER CASE OF MY 328XI WAS VERY PREMATURE AND THAT IT WAS IDENTICAL TO THE REPEATED DRIVESHAFT FAILURES THAT LED TO THE ACTION ANNOUNCED FOR THE X5, I BELIEVE THAT THE SAME ISSUE EXISTS FOR THE 328XI AND MERITS AN INVESTIGATION AND ACTION BY NHTSA.

NHTSA ID
10776520
Incident
Dec 13, 2014
Mileage
98,759 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Nov 21, 2014

2007 BMW 328 XI WITH 67K MILES ON IT, FIRST THE CAR WOULDN'T GO IN REVERSE THEN A FEW DAY LATER WHILE DRIVING ON THE AUTOBAHN THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. THE ENGINE STAYED ON BUT I WAS UNABLE TO GET ANY POWER. HAD THE CAR TOWED OVER 150 MILES BACK TO MY HOUSE ONLY TO FIND THAT I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I HAVE CALLED BMW AND AM WAITNG ON A CALL BACK TO SEE WHAT THEY WILL COVER. I HAVE READ A TON OF COMPALINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE, THERE WAS ALSO A LAW SUIT FILED BACK IN 2008 AGAINST BMW FOR 2000-2006 MODELS HAVING BAD TRANSMISSION. IF BMW DOESNT RESOLVE THIS ISSUE IN A TIMELY MANNER, I WILL ALSO TAKE THEM TO COURT!! *TR

NHTSA ID
10659932
Incident
Nov 15, 2014
Mileage
67,000 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)Suspension
Filed Apr 30, 2014

I AM AN OWNER OF A 2007 BMW 328XI. TWO MONTHS AGO, I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A BMW DEALERSHIP FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ISSUE. THEY TOLD ME THAT CYLINDER 6 WAS THE PROBLEM. SO THEY FIXED CYLINDER 6 AND REPLACED ALL SPARK PLUGS. ON 24-APR-2014, MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR TO WORK AND CAME HOME. THAT EVENING SHE TOOK THE KIDS TO AN EVENT AT THEIR SCHOOL AND PARKED THE CAR. AFTER THE EVENT, SHE TRIED BACKING THE CAR AND THE CAR WON'T GO INTO REVERSE. SO, I DROPPED THE CAR OFF TO THE DEALER SHIP AND AFTER THEY COMPLETED THEIR DAGNOSTIC TEST, THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WHICH WILL COST $6000 TO FIX. *JS

NHTSA ID
10585615
Incident
Apr 24, 2014
Mileage
93,000 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)Visibility
Filed Jul 1, 2013

I WAS DRIVING HOME ON THE HIGHWAY DURING A RAINSTORM WHEN THE 4X4, BRAKES WARNING CAME ON. THE HANDLING IMMEDIATELY WAS AFFECTED. I DIDN'T FEEL THE TRACTION I WAS USED TO AND BRAKING BECAME DANGEROUS. I WANTED TO PULL OVER BUT THE BRAKES MADE THE CAR STOP TOO ABRUPTLY, CAUSING ME TO SKID ON THE WET ROAD. HAD THE HIGHWAY BEEN BUSIER I'M SURE I WOULD'VE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I CONSIDER MYSELF VERY LUCKY. I TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE TRANSFER CASE ACTUATOR GEAR. IT'S PLASTIC AND THE INTENSE HEAT CAUSES IT TO FAIL. I WAS TOLD THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON....SO MUCH THAT THE REPLACEMENTS ARE MADE OF A DIFFERENT COMPOSITE AND MORE HEAT RESISTANT. MY QUESTION IS WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR A GEAR THAT IS RECOGNIZED AS FAULTY. IF THE REPLACEMENTS ARE BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL THEN OBVIOUSLY BMW RECOGNIZES THAT TOO. THIS IS BECOMING WAY TO COMMON FOR BMW NOT TO REACT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10522764
Incident
Jun 12, 2013
Mileage
61,000 mi
BrakesPowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 17, 2013

MY 2007 328XI TRANSFER CASE ON THE DRIVE TRAIN FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON SUNDAY 6/16/2013. THIS CAUSED AN IMMEDIATELY LOSS OF ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND ABS IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. WITH SOME SIMPLE RESEARCH ONLINE IT IS EVIDENT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONGST SIMILAR MODELS AND YEAR GROUPS. THE X3 AND X5 ARE NOTORIOUS FOR THE ISSUE. A WHOLE AFTERMARKET INDUSTRY AND DEVELOPED ON REPLACING THE GEARS WITH NEWER, HIGH HEAT AND STRESS GEARS SO THIS ISSUE DOESN'T HAPPEN AND THERE ARE RETAILERS WHO MARKET TO PEOPLE WITH THESE VEHICLES TO REPLACE THEM. THE FACT THAT A SECONDARY MARKET HAS APPEARED AND IT HAS NOT BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED AS A SERIOUS ISSUE IS CONFUSING. THE INTERIOR OF THE TRANSFER CASE SHOWS THE GEARS ARE MADE FROM PLASTIC WHICH DEGRADE OVERTIME AND EVENTUALLY CAUSE ALL WHEEL DRIVE TO FAIL TO ENGAGE OR TO DISENGAGE AND CAUSING SEVERE BRAKE AND HANDLING ISSUES. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN CONTROL BUT OTHERS MAY NOT BE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10520162
Incident
Jun 16, 2013
Mileage
114,000 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.

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 .