IllustrationWHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PUT IN DRIVE IT ACCELERATED BACKWARDS WITH THE ENGINE RECING AT 40 TO 50 MILES PER HOUR AND HIT A TREE, PASSENGER SUSTAINED HEAD INJURY. NLM
1996 BMW 328I
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 BMW 328I are lower than the model-year median of 98.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 328I years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 31 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports0 fire reports4 injury reports
Vehicle Speed Control complaints
2 reportsI WAS ACCELLERATING FROM A STOP TO HIGHWAY SPEED. WHEN I PUSHED DOWN HARD ON THE ACCELLERATOR TO MOVE FROM 10 MPH UP TO 55 MPH, QUICKLY, TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY DROPPED TO AN IDLE SPEED AND THE GAS PEDAL NO LONGER RESPONDED. THE DEALER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS A BROKEN THROTTLE CABLE AT THE POIN…
Read full complaint
I WAS ACCELLERATING FROM A STOP TO HIGHWAY SPEED. WHEN I PUSHED DOWN HARD ON THE ACCELLERATOR TO MOVE FROM 10 MPH UP TO 55 MPH, QUICKLY, TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY DROPPED TO AN IDLE SPEED AND THE GAS PEDAL NO LONGER RESPONDED. THE DEALER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS A BROKEN THROTTLE CABLE AT THE POINT WHERE IT ENTERS THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. A RECALL CAMPAIGN IS MENTIONED IN THE DEALER'S REPAIR ORDER, BUT I RECEIVED NO NOTIFICATION OF THE RECALL. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM, AS THE VEHICLE DECELERATES WHEN ONE EXPECTS IT TO ACCELLERATE. LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCIES MAY RESULT. COLLISIONS ARE LIKELY.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.