2018 BMW 330E Owner Complaints

My car experience a starter malfunction which caused the starter to continue to run after car was shut off, the car experience a non start issue had to be towed at my expense $450 to the bmw dealership in [XXX] , they supposedly fixed the recall but car still won’t start . The service says it’s unrelated to the recall the service manager says they don’t know if it is or not without a diagnostic test and want me to pay to see if it’s related or not . I have the emails from service manager and bmw customer relations they say my warranty expired but this isn’t warranty issue it’s a fire safety recall issue and they failed to make sure it’s running safely and pass the cost to repair on to me INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11776705

Incident

Oct 28, 2026

In October 2024, a "Drivetrain Malfunction" warning appeared on the dashboard (first noticed around October 8, 2024). The vehicle switched into hybrid mode and would no longer return to electric mode. Shortly after, the engine would not start at all. Mileage was approximately 46,400 miles. An authorized BMW dealer inspected the vehicle and found fault codes for the engine starter motor. After several inspections, the dealer confirmed the starter motor was faulty and replaced it with a new BMW genuine part. During the starter diagnosis, the dealer tested the auxiliary 12V battery and it passed the test. The dealer then documented on the repair order that the faulty starter drained the auxiliary battery. A rescue charge was attempted, but the battery could not be recovered and had to be replaced as well. This failure matches the defect described in Safety Recall 26V-441 (engine starter relay corrosion that can cause a short circuit and overheating of the starter). Our vehicle is covered by this recall. Safety risk: the vehicle became unable to start and was immobilized, and the drivetrain warning appeared while driving. According to the recall notice, this defect can also lead to a thermal event while driving or while parked with the ignition off. The failed parts were replaced in October 2024. Whether they are still available for inspection is UNKNOWN. After the recall was announced, the manufacturer reimbursed the starter motor replacement but refused to reimburse the auxiliary battery replacement, even though its own authorized dealer documented that the starter defect caused the battery failure. No written reason was given for the refusal.

NHTSA ID

11771225

Incident

Oct 17, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 BMW 330E. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated, and the vehicle became inoperable. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The message "Drivetrain - Check Soon" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure, melted cooling hoses, and starter failure. The vehicle was repaired by the dealer under warranty and was then towed to an independent mechanic where cooling hoses were replaced. The starter failure was not addressed. The dealer was contacted about the repair of the starter failure based on NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V441000 (Electrical System); 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,436.

NHTSA ID

11756464

Incident

Jun 15, 2026

Mileage

99,436 mi

The contact owns a 2018 BMW 330E. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal squealing sound coming from the engine compartment, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

NHTSA ID

11648186

Incident

Mar 13, 2025

Mileage

55,000 mi

The contact owns a 2018 BMW 330E. The contact stated while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle hesitated, stalled, and restarted independently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the starter needed to be replaced.  The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V576000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), however the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 103,000.

NHTSA ID

11635124

Incident

Dec 9, 2024

Mileage

103,000 mi

Unknown - I returned from a work related trip out of the country, started my vehicle and coolant was pouring everywhere. BMW stated there's a recall coming out but have not seen one since the repair in April which was over a thousand USD.

NHTSA ID

11470503

Incident

Apr 22, 2022

In May 2021 I purchased a 2018 Certified Pre-owned BMW 330e Plug-in Hybrid with 20K miles from the BMW dealership at Glendale, CA. My car is under original manufacture warranty to this day but I also have paid for an extra warranty and maintenance program. On December 26th, 2021, as I was driving back from Las Vegas on highway 15, about 40 miles into the trip, my car dash displayed an error message "Charging Malfunction" immediately after this error, the entire car systems INCLUDING BREAKS AND STEERING WHEEL! stopped working. I lost control of my car and my car went towards the right side of the road where there's no asphalt and it's all dirt and pebbles. car was finally stopped with the help of manual handbrake but I was terrified and I felt lucky to survive the incident. BMW roadside assistance towed my car to the BMW dealership in Las Vegas since it's the closes dealer. they said they don't have any loaner car and I should get rentals and they will pay for it at the end since it's part of my warranty is to provide "Transportation" while the car is at the shop. they also said once my car is fixed, they will "reunite" my car in Los Angeles. 2 days after, the dealership declined any repair due to a leak on the radiator and I was told my car was "Overheated". Although my car had no indication of overheating ever or at the time of the incident. The picture I took from the error also shows the temperature of my car which is normal. See picture. I can't wrap my head around losing break and steering wheel without any prior error or indication of overheated car. BMW is can't explain why and neither can my insurance after reviewing my car's computer logs, how could I trust driving this car again if break and steering wheel could fail without any prior indication of overheating or low coolant or ANY error? A car that is still under manufacturer warranty with only 31K miles! who will be responsible if I crash and get injured or die if this happens next time?

NHTSA ID

11448905

Incident

Dec 26, 2021

CAR MAKING A EXPLOSIVE, CRANKING MECHANICAL NOISE UPON UNLOCKING THE CAR BEFORE YOU EVEN OPEN THE DOOR. THERE SEEMS TO BE A FUEL PUMP MAKING NOISE FROM INSIDE A GAS TANK. BMW AUTHORIZED DEALERS ACKNOWLEDGED THE NOISE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A "HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP" AND REFER TO THIS AS "NORMAL" I BELIEVE THE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM IN THIS CAR AND OTHER SIMILAR MODELS ARE THE RESULT OF DEFECTIVE COMPONENT(S) AND/OR A RESULT OF A FLAWED ENGINEERING. THIS NOISE HOWEVER CONTINUES ON WITH A HUMMING/BUZZING SOUNDS FOR SEVERAL MINUTES WHICH ALSO EFFECTS THE CAR'S OVERALL PERFORMANCE WHICH SEEMS TO BE CAUSING THE CAR TO PERFORM AT A DIMINISHED LEVEL OVERALL WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT AFFECT VEHICLE'S OVERALL SAFETY COMPONENTS SUCH AS BRAKES AND OTHER CONTROL APPARATUS. AT TIMES, UPON UNLOCKING THE CAR, IT FEELS AND VERY WELL SOUNDS LIKE THE VEHICLE IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE?! AND THIS BY ITSELF CAUSING A GRAVE CONCERN AND I FEEL THAT IT MUST BE INVESTIGATED, ESPECIALLY THAT BMW HAS BEEN RELUCTANT/UNABLE TO REPAIR DESPITE REPEATED 8 ATTEMPTS WITH CAR BEING IN SERVICE FOR OVER 30 DAYS. THIS CAR IS STILL UNDER MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. ALL REPAIR ORDERS HAVE BEEN DONE AT BMW AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP. ALL REPAIR ORDER DOCUMENTS AS WELL AS A SHORT 15 SECONDS VIDEO CLIP ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

NHTSA ID

11298636

Incident

Nov 24, 2018

Mileage

1,328 mi