2008 BMW 328XI: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 99 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (29% of complaints); the 2006 and 2009 and 2010 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Jul 2024
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 99 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“225/40R18 the stoplight right down route 7 by stop and shop there is a rectangular hole in the street. I could not avoid it when driving Friday morning 4/25/25 and the dip in the ground blew my driver side front and rear tires and scratched the rims. I had to spend my day Friday getting my tires replaced and now I have scratches on my rims which are fairly new”Owner report · Tires · Apr 2025
“BMW Bi Xenon Headlights wires harness. Insulation on wires peels off and start touching each other. Malfunction high beam, low beam, turning light.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jan 2023
“The positive battery fuse cable under the glovebox is placed into a plastic space causing melting. This leads to the vehicle going dead and not even emergency lights will work. This recall has been placed on very few BMWs however it is affecting way more then they are saying. You can see in UK where a man was killed for the vehicle going dead in the middle of the road and emergency lights cannot be used to warn other drivers. How has their not been taken car of already. I am extremely disappointed in our system, and in BMW. My mind is completely blown that this is not cared about.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Oct 2022
Show 7 more owner reports
“The car was over heating and not starting as well as fuel pump error on my dash. There is an open recall on my vehicle starting March of 2022 it is now June and BMW says they don't know when they will have a remedy for this and it could be months but I need my car.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Apr 2022
“The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer and BMW of Springfield Parts & Accessories (391 US-22, Springfield, NJ 07081: (908) 232-1466) were contacted and made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Mar 2022
“The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) 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 issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Mar 2022
“The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328XI. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH on the highway, the engine failed. The contact pulled over to the emergency lane. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle and drove home safely. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure code was not able to be generated and another appointment was made for further testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was also informed that his vehicle could be related to a fuel injection issue. No further information was available. The approximate failure mileage was 147,675.”Owner report · Engine · Feb 2022
“While coming to a stop or taking a turn the car will randomly shut off at which point I lose total control over the car. At this point I have to do my best to come to a stop safely and avoid any potential accident. The check engine light will come on once the car shuts down, but the car will start right back up afterwards and the check engine light goes away. The car will drive normal, but this happens often and scared as there is no warning sign of when this is going to happen to me; I have been lucky so far not to get into a major accident.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2020
“Car caught on fire for unknown reasons. When the car was turned on smoke came out from the air conditioning vents and all doors locked from inside. There were 2 occupants inside that needed assistance to get out while the car was catching fire. The vehicle was parked.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jul 2020
“My vehicle while driving will shut off but with power at least two times. Once I restart the car and continue to drive the car then shuts off completely and loses all power. The vehicle then will not have any head lights, turn signals or hazard lights won't work either. To try and remedy the problem, the power adapter had been replaced only for the vehicle to have the same issues.”Owner report · Engine · Mar 2019
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 4 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi and M3, 2007-2011 328i xDrive, 335i xDrive and 335is and 2009-2011 335d vehicles. The wiring and electrical connectors for the system that controls air flow for the heating and air conditioning system may overheat.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiring and electrical connectors, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (324i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi), 2006-2012 3 Series Sportswagon (325xi, 328i, 328xi), and 2009-2011 3 Series Sedan (335d) vehicles. The original steering wheel may have been replaced with a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with an inflator that can explode during deployment.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's air bag module as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 128i and 135i Convertibles, 128i, 135i, and M Coupes, 2007-2010 X3 30si and X3 xDrive30i, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i, 2007-2013 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335is, 335i xDrive and M3 Coupes, 2006-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive and M3, 2009-2011 335D, 2006-2012 325xi, 328i, 328xi and 328i xDrive, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 2007-2013 328i, 335i, 335is, M3 Coupes, X5 30si, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 48i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M, 2009-2013 X5 xDrive35d and 2008-2014 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6M vehicles equipped with non-desiccated driver frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver air bag. On X5 and X6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2008 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact 328XI by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2008 BMW 328XI reliable?
NHTSA has 99 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2008 BMW 328XI. The most complained-about area is electrical system (29% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2008 BMW 328XI problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 66,300 miles or less.
Does the 2008 BMW 328XI have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning electrical system:wiring. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.