"How reliable is the 1997 Bmw 328I?"

"Based on 29 NHTSA complaints, the 1997 Bmw 328I has a median complaint mileage of 78000 miles. The most common issue is STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR."

"What are common problems with the 1997 Bmw 328I?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1997 Bmw 328I is STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR, accounting for a significant portion of the 29 total complaints filed."

1997 Bmw 328I: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 29 complaints

Total Complaints

78,000mi

Median Mileage

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

69,042 25th Percentile

78,000 Median Mileage

159,800 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

TIRES

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

WHEELS

TIRES:SIDEWALL

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WATER LEAKS INTO THE VEHICLE FROM ALL DOORS IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK"

"VEHICLE LURCHES FORWARD IN DRIVE GEAR AS WELL AS REVERSE FOR UNKNOWN REASONS."

"2 ALUMINUM WHEELS ARE BENT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE. *AK"

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

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