2015 BMW 428I Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2015 BMW 428I, 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
- Engine3632.7%
- Electrical3531.8%
- Airbags76.4%
- Brakes65.5%
- Fuel system54.5%
- Body & structure43.6%
- Powertrain (other)43.6%
- Tires & wheels32.7%
- Driver assistance32.7%
- Seat belts21.8%
- Steering21.8%
- Other / unspecified10.9%
- Suspension10.9%
- Interior & seats10.9%
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
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428I. The contact stated that while driving approximately 29 MPH, the vehicle started to overheat and experienced reduced power, and there was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact stated that there were unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. Additionally, while driving at 40 MPH, the failure recurred, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428I. The contact discovered that the water pump was continuously running after the vehicle was turned off. The contact referenced and associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,357.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428I. The contact discovered that the water pump was continuously running after the vehicle was turned off. The contact referenced and associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,357.
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, while attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to start. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually started. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant pump failure. The contact was informed that the coolant had been continuously running, causing the battery to completely drain. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced, the radiator needed to be flushed, and the repair of a small oil leak was needed. The vehicle was repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). While driving to the dealer, the loss of communication with the coolant pump warning light illuminated. The contact was informed that the coolant pump had passed the inspection and did not need to be replaced. The contact was informed that the shield was installed as per the recall. The contact stated that upon retrieving the vehicle from the dealer, the battery was completely drained. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The dealer was informed that the battery was replaced three weeks prior. The contact requested that the dealer replace the coolant pump according to the recall notification, however the request was denied. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
A warning message comes on saying the front passenger air bag sensor is defective. I checked with the BMW dealership and with the used car company I bought the car and "bumper to bumper" warranty. The used car company confirmed the car has a bad sensor but I have to pay $1,100. BMW has had several recalls involving sensors in other models and even problems with the 2015 428i convertible. My car had less than 50,000 miles when the fault 1st popped up July 2024. I believe this should be recallled.
I car hit me from behind and pushed me into the car in front of me and my steering wheel came off and my air bag on steering wheel did not deploy. As a result the wheel pushed in my chest.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
There is a ebrake bracket made of plastic underneath the car but that sits above the drive train running from the front to the back parallel to the drivetrain. It's not protected by a heat shield and is only made of thin plastic. My has been replaced three times already and is already needing to be fixed again on a car with only 76k miles. The high temperatures from the exhaust melt the plastic and cause the cable to fall on to the drivetrain. It's only the matter of time before it gets caught in the drivetrain or wraps around causes an accident and serious bodily injury. I am shocked to see this is not recalled already to be replaced with a metal bracket. Mfg Part # 34406854898 34-40-6-854-898 34 40 6 854 898 34.40.6.854.898
The plastic clip supporting the emergency brake line clip failed resulting in the emergency brake line guide resting on the drive shaft. This could cause a complete failure of the emergency brake. Replacing the clip requires removal of the gas tank, exhaust and heat shield to access the clip. A BMW dealer shop did the expensive repair ($3345) and told me it was common. I’ve read that the clip may have been redesigned. I believe this part should be properly designed and replaced in impacted cars and that the cost of the repair should be on BMW and not the consumer. The emergency brake/parking brake needs to be a reliable functioning part of the car to protect the safety of people in and around the vehicle. I do not have the broken clip for inspection, however, I attached photos. I realized I had a problem from the intermittent noise made from the emergency brake guide resting on the drive shaft. The vehicle inspection at the dealership identified the problem. A video of the inspection was made at the dealership. I attempted without success to gain some reimbursement and find out about the clip redesign from BMW USA.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
My car stops every once in a blue moon randomly while I am driving. The engine suddenly shuts off and a warning light that says "Drivetrain Malfunction: Drive moderately. Maximum drive output not available." shows up. It is extremely dangerous for me and others, it has stopped 3 times in the middle of the freeway & 6 times on normal street. When I got my car towed the first few times to random auto body stores, they scan my car & no engine code comes up so they don't know what to do and gave me a lot of advice. They also fill my gas up and then my car runs as if it has no problems. I found that this happens always at the half gallon mark, it will again say "drivetrain malfunction" when I call Triple A towing assistance I asked for gas instead and when they give it to me, the problem is fixed again. It clearly isn't being able to use up all my gas because it cant even go past the half tank mark when it shuts down. Right now I am literally driving only when my car gas is full before it reaches the half mark because I am so afraid. I found that my car model & year has the same recall listed for fuel pump problems. I took it to auto stores and they all tell me this is a fuel pump issue and not a drivetrain issue. I also measured the amount of gas I put in which is correct so the gas gauge meter is not the issue. My car shakes a bit when its starting off and often I feel as if it is not getting the gas correctly and my car feels weak at acceleration and then random jolts of it going well, which makes the car leap forward even though my foot is at the same pressure. My car is available for inspection anytime and I have called BMW service center and they told me to contact you guys first with a report. There has been no prior issues before this started happening maybe 6 months ago. It has happened over and over and over and now I am terrified to drive my car. The independent service centers tell me I have to probably change either both the fuel pumps or something related.
My car has been experiencing the same issues as reported in the BMW safety recall campaign 15V189000, since I purchased the car in October 2018. "If the fuel pump fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash." The last issue just happened recently on the interstate, which almost resulted in a crash. My Vin number production year is 2/2015 and is not part of the campaign, which is for production years 9/2013 to 9/2014. I believe my car should be part of this campaign, as my car is experiencing the exact same issues. I don't believe it is because of mileage/age, because this has been occurring since I got the car at around 40k or so miles in 2018.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
Water accumulation in the rear passenger side when it rains. Can hear slushing water when driving. It accumulated all the way to the luggage compartment and caused the Control unit rear electrical and the ASD module to fail causing $2564.61 in repairs. Was wondering if this is the case of the issue [XXX] . When I read online there Is a lot of complaints about this. Has BMW ever acknowledged the issue? [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I saw a similar NHTSA report for this car, so I will just repeat it here: <start of similar NHTSA REPORT>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NHTSA ID Number: 11440588 The door locks have become ‘sticky’. This means that when pulling on the interior door release handle, the lock is moving to a stuck position that is not permitting egress. While the solution of pushing the central unlock button is currently viable, it would not work in a total electrical failure, or a situation of a vehicle submersion in water. This is a dangerous situation, potentially leading to passenger entrapment if the motors or lock mechanism fail. <end of similar NHTSA REPORT>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back to me: I have owned the car for roughly 2 years. The car has 72,000 miles on it. At first the problem was intermittent - less than 5% of the time. Recently, it is up to over 50% of time. A quick look at the BMW message boards shows that this is a widespread problem. There should be a recall on this extremely dangerous defect.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
There is a ebrake bracket made of plastic underneath the car but that sits above the drive train running from the front to the back parallel to the drivetrain. It's not protected by a heat shield and is only made of thin plastic. My has been replaced three times already and is already needing to be fixed again on a car with only 76k miles. The high temperatures from the exhaust melt the plastic and cause the cable to fall on to the drivetrain. It's only the matter of time before it gets caught in the drivetrain or wraps around causes an accident and serious bodily injury. I am shocked to see this is not recalled already to be replaced with a metal bracket. Mfg Part # 34406854898 34-40-6-854-898 34 40 6 854 898 34.40.6.854.898
CAR WOULD SHIFT WITHOUT WARNING TO NEUTRAL AND STALL WHILE DRIVING AT STREET AND HIGHWAY SPEED. POTENTIALLY MAY CAUSE A CRASH DUE TO SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED AND POWER. THERE HAS BEEN PREVIOUS RECALLS, BUT THE 4 SERIES WAS NOT INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE, AS I EXPERIENCED THE SAME AS REPORTED WITH ATTACHED
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
I had a flat the other day and had it replaced as they were inspecting my cars they noticed my other tire was bald. Both of these are Pirelli P7 all season and I had just bought this tire in June of 2023 and driven around 10,000 miles. Its almost totally bald after 10k miles which is crazy. Its raining and my car is not gripping on the road. My other tire blew because of this. I called and they told me there no rating for my tire and they can't replace it. They just put my life at risk because they gave me a crappy tire and they wont even replace the bald one? I could have crashed and been hurt or someone else hurt. Has not been inspected except for the tire company who installs them.
The contact owned a 2015 BMW 428i. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle drove over a pot and the air pressure monitoring system warning had displayed. After stopping the vehicle, flames and smoke were present coming from the front driver side wheel well. The fire department was called to the scene but the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames and was destroyed. The cause of the failure was not determined due to the extent of the fire damage. A police report was taken and the vehicle was towed away. The manufacturer was contacted regarding the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 75,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
Turbo lines leaking. My model vehicle is the same N20 engine components that were installed with the f30s in prior years. BMW had an in house recall for specific models and vins but did not include mine even though they were installed with the same issues that the previous models had. Now, the turbo lines are leaking, my car only has 85000. I shouldn’t have to pay over 3k for them to correct this.
I AM WRITING TO VOICE A CONCERN ABOUT A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY FLAW WITH NEWER MODEL BMW CARS, INCLUDING MY 2015 428I GRAN COUPE. UPON TURNING ON TO A MAJOR ROAD, THE CAR SUDDENLY FAILED TO ACCELERATE TO A SPEED OF MORE THAN 10-15MPH. WITH TRAFFIC QUICKLY APPROACHING FROM BEHIND AT ~50MPH, THE ONCOMING CAR HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID HITTING ME DUE TO MY LOSS OF ACCELERATION, AND WE BOTH BARELY AVOIDED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME AFTER A THOROUGH INSPECTION THAT THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE CAR, AND A SOFTWARE MALFUNCTION HAD CAUSED A "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION" WHICH RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF POWER. THEY CONSULTED WITH BMW AND WERE TOLD TO UPGRADE THE CAR'S SOFTWARE AND MONITOR TO SEE IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. AFTER QUESTIONING THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FURTHER, I WAS TOLD THAT IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THIS PROBLEM TO HAPPEN AGAIN, THAT THEY HAVE SEEN IT HAPPEN IN OTHER BMW MODELS IN ADDITION TO MINE, AND THAT THEY HAVE SEEN CASES WHERE BMW CARS WITH THIS PROBLEM HAD REPEAT EVENTS EVEN AFTER UPGRADING THE SOFTWARE. I ASKED IF THEY HAD HEARD OF THIS OCCURRING WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS ON A HIGHWAY, WHERE A BMW CAR SUDDENLY HAD A SOFTWARE-DRIVEN "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION" AND LOSS OF POWER, AND THEY SAID YES. I TALKED TO BMW NORTH AMERICA TO VOICE MY CONCERN FOR SAFETY, AND THEY LOOKED INTO MY CASE AND TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE TO DO. MY CASE WAS CLOSED WITHOUT FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THIS SIGNIFICANT SAFETY FLAW. I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND MY CONCERN FOR SAFETY AND I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE BMW TAKE THIS ISSUE SERIOUSLY. I AM HOPING THAT THERE WILL NOT HAVE TO BE MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, AND FATALITIES (AS IN THE RECENT HIGH PROFILE GENERAL MOTORS CASE) BEFORE BMW WILL ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM SERIOUSLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORT IN READING THIS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
I BROUGHT MY CAR IN AFTER A FAULTY AIRBAG LIGHT WENT OFF. WAS NOTIFIED BY BMW THAT THE SEAT SENSOR WAS FAULTY CAUSING THE AIRBAG TO SHUT OFF. THIS FAULT IS WELL-KNOWN TO BMW AND I WROTE A COMPLAINT BASED ON MY INITIAL CONTACT THAT BMW WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. I RECEIVED A CALL BACK FROM BMW ABOUT THE COMPLAINT MADE TO THEM IN WHICH THEY STATED BECAUSE I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THEY WILL TAKE NO OWNERSHIP OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPORTED PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS COMMON SEAT SENSOR ISSUE CAN BE AFFECTED BY CELL PHONES BEING PLACED ON THE SEAT AND MOISTURE (NEITHER OF WHICH APPLIED TO THIS CIRCUMSTANCE). IT IS TROUBLING TO KNOW THAT FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE CAN FAULT SUCH A CRITICAL COMPONENT AND I ADVISED BMW CORP DURING MY PHONE CALL THAT PROPER SHIELDING OF ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS TO PREVENT FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE SHOULD BE CORRECTED. SAFETY COMPONENTS SHOULD BE COVERED BY MANUFACTURER WHEN IT PERTAINS TO THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVERS.THE REPRESENTATIVE CONTINUED TO PRESS THAT BMW WOULD TAKE NO OWNERSHIP OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAULTY EQUIPMENT BUT WOULD DOCUMENT THIS IN THE FORMAL COMPLAINT. THERE IS NO RESOLVE AVAILABLE THROUGH BMW ACCORDING TO THE REPRESENTATIVE.
AIRBAGS IN THE BMW ARE MALFUNCTIONING AND PRODUCING A FAULT OF THE SYSTEM LISTED AS A "MALFUNCTION". BMW DOES NOT WARRANTY THIS THOUGH IT IS A SAFETY SYSTEM THAT SHOULD BE SUBJECTED TO FIXING FAULTY SYSTEMS THAT COULD INJURE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS. I PURCHASED A 3RD PARTY WARRANTY FOR MY CAR THROUGH MAP WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR BUT THERE MAY BE A DISPUTE OF WHO IS SUPPOSED TO COVER THIS SYSTEM ACCORDING TO MY ADVISER CHRIS FROM BMW. TAKING VEHICLE IN TOMORROW 12/12, FAULT BEGAN 8AM 12/11 WHILE I WAS DRIVING.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428i. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The message; Electrical Malfunction. Contact Service Center was displayed. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road using physical strength to steer the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained power steering assist functionality. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the Electric Power Steering (EPS) had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 141,425.
I car hit me from behind and pushed me into the car in front of me and my steering wheel came off and my air bag on steering wheel did not deploy. As a result the wheel pushed in my chest.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was driving at 20mph and the brakes failed at a red light and it felt that a misfire in the engine as well I didn't have other option to force my way to the side because I could push the front car and pedestrians where crossing.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
Drivers side rear control arm snapped in half (sheered cut). The aluminum solid piece broke in half, this is to knowledge an oem original part that was not replaced. Resulted in suspension and alignment issue, uneven tread wear on all four tires (excessive wear on short amount of time causing me to replace all tires).
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
I BROUGHT MY CAR IN AFTER A FAULTY AIRBAG LIGHT WENT OFF. WAS NOTIFIED BY BMW THAT THE SEAT SENSOR WAS FAULTY CAUSING THE AIRBAG TO SHUT OFF. THIS FAULT IS WELL-KNOWN TO BMW AND I WROTE A COMPLAINT BASED ON MY INITIAL CONTACT THAT BMW WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. I RECEIVED A CALL BACK FROM BMW ABOUT THE COMPLAINT MADE TO THEM IN WHICH THEY STATED BECAUSE I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THEY WILL TAKE NO OWNERSHIP OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPORTED PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS COMMON SEAT SENSOR ISSUE CAN BE AFFECTED BY CELL PHONES BEING PLACED ON THE SEAT AND MOISTURE (NEITHER OF WHICH APPLIED TO THIS CIRCUMSTANCE). IT IS TROUBLING TO KNOW THAT FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE CAN FAULT SUCH A CRITICAL COMPONENT AND I ADVISED BMW CORP DURING MY PHONE CALL THAT PROPER SHIELDING OF ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS TO PREVENT FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE SHOULD BE CORRECTED. SAFETY COMPONENTS SHOULD BE COVERED BY MANUFACTURER WHEN IT PERTAINS TO THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVERS.THE REPRESENTATIVE CONTINUED TO PRESS THAT BMW WOULD TAKE NO OWNERSHIP OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAULTY EQUIPMENT BUT WOULD DOCUMENT THIS IN THE FORMAL COMPLAINT. THERE IS NO RESOLVE AVAILABLE THROUGH BMW ACCORDING TO THE REPRESENTATIVE.
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
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .