2011 BMW 128i US

Routine

Owners filed 7 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags4
000
Structure1
000
Fuel/Propulsion System1
000
Electrical System1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Jul 6, 201860,000 milesPR

CAR RANDOMLY ACCELERATES FOR AN ADDITIONAL SECOND AFTER RELEASING THE GAS PEDAL.

Air Bags
Filed Oct 28, 2017CA

TAKATA RECALL. I RECEIVED A LETTER IN THE MAIL DATED SEPT 2017 FROM BMW USA STATING THAT THE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AND TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR A FREE REPAIR. WHEN I CALLED MY DEALER (STEVENS CREEK BMW USA IN SANTA CLARA, CA) THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PARTS ARE ACTUALLY NOT AVAILABLE, THEY HAVE THEM ON ORDER, AND IT WOULD TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 3-5 MONTHS FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY GET THEM. SINCE THIS IS OCTOBER 2017, THIS WOULD BE MEAN AN ESTIMATED REPAIR DATE IN JAN-MARCH 2019!

Air Bags
Filed Jan 11, 2017FL

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 128I US. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V071000 (AIR BAGS). THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. UPDATED 03/17/17*LJ *CN

Air Bags
Filed Jan 6, 2017GA

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 128I US. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V071000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

Air Bags
Filed Dec 31, 2016NC

TAKATA RECALL. NO COMMUNICATION FROM BMW ABOUT RECALL OR AVAILABILITY OF PARTS. THE DRIVER IS FIVE FEET TALL AND MUST SIT CLOSE TO STEERING WHEEL.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 22, 201210,273 milesCA

THE CAR WAS PURCHASED 02/27/11. WE FIRST NOTICED THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER WAS NOT WORKING THE FIRST WEEKEND OF OCT. 2011. WE TOOK THE CAR TO VALENCIA BMW ON 10/08/11. THE CAR FAILED AN ELECTRICAL TEST AND A NEW TOP WAS ORDERED BECAUSE THE REAR WINDOW AND CONVERTIBLE TOP ARE ONE PIECE. CAR WAS RETURNED ON 10/10/11. THE MILEAGE WAS 10273.ON 11/22/11, THE TOP WAS REPLACED AND CAR RETURNED ON 11/23/11. THE MILEAGE WAS 12168. ON 12/01/11, THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE FABRIC ON THE NEW TOP DETACHED ON THE FREEWAY ON 11/30/11 (TERRIFYING). REPAIRS WERE MADE AND CAR RETURNED SAME DAY. I POINTED OUT TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THE REPAIR WAS NOT SYMMETRIC TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TOP. THE REPAIRED SIDE DID NOT TUCK UP TIGHT TO THE REAR WINDOW AND MY CONCERN WAS THAT THE TOP WOULD FLY APART AGAIN. THE MILEAGE WAS 12495. ON 12/20/11, THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND THE FABRIC WAS SECURED AGAIN AND REINSTALLED. THE MILEAGE WAS 13116. THE CONVERTIBLE TOP WAS NOT PUT DOWN AGAIN UNTIL MAY 2012. (ALL O.K.) DEFROSTER WAS FIRST USED AGAIN JUNE 2012 AND DIDN'T WORK AGAIN. BMW N.A. WAS CONTACTED BY EMAIL TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CAR. ON 07/19/12, THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO VALENCIA BMW FOR ADDITIONAL REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE IS IN THE SHOP AND HAS BEEN PROMISED TOMORROW 07/23/12. THE MILEAGE IS 21619. AFTER 5 REPAIRS FOR CONVERTIBLE TOP AND REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER, WE HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT OUR SAFETY MAY BE AT RISK. THE CAR IS STILL UNDER A FACTORY 50000

Structure
Filed Jan 24, 2011AZ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 128I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT MICE WERE EATING THROUGH A CABLE THAT MADE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TWICE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS THE SECOND OF THE SAME MODEL; THE FIRST WAS TRADED IN BECAUSE OF THE SAME FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. UPDATED 02/16/11

7 of 7 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2011
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2011 — this page7000Routine
20095010Routine

Compare every 128i US year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.