Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It has been recalled 3 times.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine and Engine Cooling
1
0
0
0
Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
1
0
0
0
3 safety recalls
Part 573 reports
Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery › Cables12V126000
Filed Mar 26, 2012367,682 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc
Defect. BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 5-SERIES, MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 6-SERIES, MODEL YEAR 2006-2010 M5, AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 M6 VEHICLES. THE INSULATED BULKHEAD CONNECTOR FOR THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE TRUNK FLOOR PANEL, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A LOOSENING OF THE BOLT CONNECTION. AS IT LOOSENS, AN INCREASE IN ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE AT THIS CABLE CONNECTION IS POSSIBLE AND COULD CAUSE THE CABLE CONNECTION TO OVERHEAT.
Risk. OVERHEATING COULD LEAD TO A FIRE, EVEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN USE. AS A PRECAUTION, OWNERS ARE ADVISED TO PARK OUTSIDE UNTIL THE REMEDY HAS BEEN MADE.
Remedy. BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND SECURE THE BATTERY BOLT CABLE CONNECTION AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES AT 1-800-525-7417.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Power Assist › Vacuum10V446000
Filed Oct 1, 2010198,352 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc
Defect. BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 5-SERIES, 6-SERIES, AND MODEL YEAR 2002-2008 7-SERIES VEHICLES. A CHECK VALVE OF THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP MAY LEAK A SMALL AMOUNT OF LUBRICATING OIL. OVER TIME THIS COULD RESULT IN CONTAMINATION OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER.
Risk. POWER ASSIST BRAKING PERFORMANCE COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED. IN EXTREME CASES THERE COULD BE A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ASSIST BRAKING. AN UNEXPECTED REDUCTION OR LOSS IN POWER BRAKING ASSIST MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy. BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 24, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-525-7417.
Air Bags › Frontal › Sensor/Control Module-inactive07V178000
Filed Apr 25, 2007225 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc
Defect. CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT HAS A SENSING SYSTEM TO DETECT IF THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED. THIS SENSING IS PROGRAMMED TO DETECT IF THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED BY A SMALL ADULT OR CERTAIN CHILD RESTRAINT SEATS. PLACING CERTAIN CHILD SEATS ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS DESIGNED TO RESULT IN THE AUTOMATIC DEACTIVATION OF THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER'S AIR BAG.
Risk. IN SOME CASES, THE SENSING SYSTEM MAY MISINTERPRET A PROPERLY SEATED SMALL ADULT AS ONE OF THESE SPECIFIC CHILD SEATS, RESULTING IN DEACTIVATION OF THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG WHEN THE AIR BAG MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE ADULT, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY IN A CRASH.
Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 21, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Filed Apr 5, 2007MN
ALL NEW BMW CARS SPEEDOMETER IS IN ERROR. BMW IS ADMITTING TO THIS ISSUE. PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION LETTER FROM BMW STATING AND DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM. GROUP 62 INSTRUMENTS B 62 02 96 WOODCLIFF LAKE, NJ PRODUCT ENGINEERING MAY 1996 SUBJECT: MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE SPEEDOMETER ERROR MODELS: ALL GENERAL INFORMATION: A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF "SPEEDOMETER ADVANCE" IS NECESSARY TO COMPENSATE FOR NEGATIVE TOLERANCES IN TIRE DIAMETER, ELECTRONIC CONTROLS, AND OTHER FACTORS. THIS ADVANCE REDUCES THE RISK OF THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYING A SPEED THAT IS LESS THAN THE VEHICLE'S ACTUAL SPEED. THE AMOUNT OF SPEEDOMETER ADVANCE CAN BE CALCULATED BY INPUTTING A FREQUENCY (USING THE DIS TESTER, "KOMBI TEST SCHEDULE") THAT CORRESPONDS TO A GIVEN SPEED AND NOTING THE SPEED THAT IS INDICATED BY THE SPEEDOMETER. THE MAXIMUM PERMITTED SPEEDOMETER ADVANCE IS 10% OF THE ACTUAL (INPUT) SPEED PLUS 2.4 MPH. EXAMPLE: ACTUAL SPEED = 50 MPH 50 MPH X 10% = 5 MPH; 5 MPH + 2.4 MPH = 7.4 MPH THEREFORE, THE PERMISSIBLE DISPLAYED SPEED IS 50 TO 57.4 MPH. (NOTE: THE DISPLAYED SPEED MUST NEVER BE LESS THAN THE ACTUAL SPEED). NO REPAIRS SHOULD BE ATTEMPTED IF THE SPEEDOMETER ADVANCE IS WITHIN 10% + 2.4 MPH. NOTE: THE AMOUNT OF SPEEDOMETER ADVANCE HAS NO EFFECT ON RECORDING OF ACCUMULATED MILEAGE IN THE ODOMETER DISPLAY. THE ODOMETER RECORDS TOTAL MILEAGE DIGITALLY AND DOES NOT INCORPORATE ANY "ADVANCE" TOLERANCES. WARRANTY STATUS: INFORMATION ONLY. *JB
Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Feb 28, 20074,000 milesCT
THE 2007 BMW 328XI COUPE'S "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT COMES ON ALL THE TIME, AND THE ELECTRONIC ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK (NO MANUAL DIPSTICK IN THIS CAR) OFTEN REPORTS AN INCORRECT READING OF "ADD ENGINE OIL". THESE PROBLEMS ARE DANGEROUS AS THE ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT CAN INDICATE ANY OF A WEALTH OF DANGEROUS FAULTS, AND ADDING ENGINE OIL WHEN THE ENGINE IS FULL CAN CREATE A HAZARD OF SPLASHING AND/OR BURNING OF THE SKIN. IT SEEMS THAT THE ENGINE OIL IS ALMOST ALWAYS FULL DESPITE THE WARNING. NEVERTHELESS IT IS REASONABLE FOR AN OWNER TO WRONGFULLY ADD OIL AND THEREBY INJURE HIMSELF AS THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS INDICATE THAT ONE QUART OF OIL MAY NEED TO BE ADDED EVERY 750 MILES. MY CONVERSATIONS WITH BMW OWNERS IN SIMILAR POSITIONS INDICATE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT ISOLATED BUT RATHER IS AN EPIDEMIC. WHEN THE CAR IS BROUGHT INTO THE BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT ALL THEY DO IS CHANGE THE OIL AND RESET THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE BMW TECHNICIAN THAT BMW IS AWARE OF THESE PROBLEMS IN THIS MODEL, BUT THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS ONLY AUTHORIZED TO TAKE THESE MEASURES AND NOT MAKE ANY REPAIRS. THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM(S) REAPPEAR IN PART OR IN WHOLE A FEW DAYS LATER. THIS RECURRENCE IS ALSO NOT AN ISOLATED CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT RATHER BORNE BY MANY OWNERS OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. NOT ONLY DOES THIS DEFECT RENDER THE VEHICLE DANGEROUS, IT ALSO SEVERELY LIMITS THE CONSUMER'S (MYSELF INCLUDED) USE. *NM
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.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: Mar 26, 2012. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.