"How reliable is the 1996 Bmw 328I?"

"Based on 36 NHTSA complaints, the 1996 Bmw 328I has a median complaint mileage of 0 miles. The most common issue is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE."

"What are common problems with the 1996 Bmw 328I?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1996 Bmw 328I is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, accounting for a significant portion of the 36 total complaints filed."

1996 Bmw 328I: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 36 complaints

Total Complaints

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Top Issue

Crash Reports

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"FRONTAL COLLISION, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION, 40MPH, DUAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK"

"HILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT 30 MPH WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION. THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S OR PASSEGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS. VEHICLE HIT ON CENTER RIGHT FRONT ON DRIVERS SIDE. *AK"

"RATTLING NOISE FROM FRONT PASSENGER DOOR."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 14 FL: 4 NY: 3 KY: 2 GA: 2 VA: 2 PA: 1 DC: 1 LA: 1 OK: 1

Who Files Complaints?

41.7%

Original Owners

58.3%

Second+ Owners

Bmw 328I — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1997	29	78,000	STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR	3
1998	34	165,000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	3
1999	125	106,400	AIR BAGS	16
2000	146	110,700	AIR BAGS	10
2007	569	81,294	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	18
2008	374	85,000	AIR BAGS	12
2009	297	77,000	AIR BAGS	11
2010	222	97,250	ENGINE	5
2011	797	86,000	ENGINE	31
2012	196	69,000	ENGINE	5
2013	389	62,392	ENGINE	42
2014	234	61,533	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	29
2015	188	70,500	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	9
2016	94	30,000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	14

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28