2011 BMW 3 Series
Complaints about this year name 328i contact far more often than the other years of this generation — 31% of them, about 3× the usual rate of 12.5%.
Last year of its generation. This BMW 3 Series ran from 2006 to 2011, so it had the whole run for its faults to be found and fixed. Last years are usually the most sorted of a generation.
| Complaints filed | 1,672 |
|---|---|
| Median for this model | 227 |
| Involving a crash | 60 |
| Involving a fire | 68 |
| Recalls | 3 |
| EPA combined | 21 mpg |
What the complaints were about
- bolts — 16.8% of this year's complaints, against 4.3% across the other years of this generation (3.9×). Owners wrote it as: bolts, vanos, vanos bolts, camshaft.
Words owners used for the same problem are counted together, so a fault written four different ways is measured once. Grouped by which complaints they appear in, not by a list anyone wrote in advance.
Also unusual this year
- vanos — 11% of complaints, 28× usual
- engine engine — 26% of complaints, 3× usual
- engine cooling — 26% of complaints, 3× usual
What owners wrote
THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP AND FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO NOTICED THAT THE VANOS ASSEMBLY BOLTS WERE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE [VIN] STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER:…
notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the VANOS bolts need…
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint filings, with identifying details removed.
Recalls for this year
- 12E029000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING Fixed free of charge.
- 22V119000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING Fixed free of charge.
- 23V707000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING Fixed free of charge.
How this was worked out
Every year of the BMW 3 Series was compared against its own history rather than against other cars, which removes popularity and age from the answer — a common car draws more complaints at equal reliability, and an older one has had longer to accumulate them. A year is flagged when it drew at least 2.5× this model's median and at least 50 complaints.
This is a fault record, not a review. Nobody files a federal complaint to say the car was fine, so it shows what tends to go wrong — not whether owners liked it, and not whether it is a good car.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations, retrieved . Look this vehicle up directly on NHTSA's site to check anything here.
Own a 2011 BMW 3 Series? What happened to yours?
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