Reliable Auto DB

2014 BMW 328i reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 151 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 BMW 328i over 13 years — 8 per year. That is more complaints per year than most 328i years here — over the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 8 recalls on file, including Head, Pump, and Inflator.

2012 BMW 328i
Photo by HLW, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Complaints

151

Per year

8

Recalls

8

Years on the road

13

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (52 of 151), then Engine (29) and Engine and engine cooling (29). Those filings include 19 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 12 that report an injury.

Next to 2013 and 2015

The 2013 328i has 288 complaints, 14 per year, and the 2015 has 124 complaints, 3 per year. The 2014 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013. The 2014 has more complaints per year than the 2015.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2014 BMW 328i. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (8)

Recall air bags, side and window, head 2025-12-17 · NHTSA campaign 25V871000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014 4 Series Coupe (428i, 428i xDrive, 435i, 435i xDrive), 3 Series Sedan (320i, 320i xDrive, 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335i xDrive), and 2014-2015 2 Series Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i, M235i xDrive) vehicles. The head air bag inflator may fail at the weld joint, which can cause gas to leak from the inflator or result in an inflator rupture.
Remedy Dealers will replace the head air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 12, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall engine and cooling, cooling system, pump 2024-08-13 · NHTSA campaign 24V608000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, 2015-2016 428xi vehicles. An improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the water pump and plug connector as necessary, and install a protective shield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2024-07-11 · NHTSA campaign 24V527000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2015 6 Series Gran Coupe, 2014 5 Series Gran Turismo, 2014 5 Series Sedan, 2015 6 Series Convertible, 2015 6 Series Coupe, 2014 X5, 2013-2014 X3, 2014-2015 3 Series Sedan, 2014 4 Series Coupe, 2014 4 Series Convertible, 2014 3 Series Gran Turismo, and 2015 4 Series Gran Coupe vehicles. Please see the recall report for the complete list of models. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Remedy The driver's front air bag will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall air bags, side and window 2024-04-24 · NHTSA campaign 24V288000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2015 2 Series Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i), 3 Series Sedan (320i, 320i xDrive, 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335i xDrive, M3, 328d, 328d xDrive), 4 Series Coupe (428i, 428i xDrive, 435i, 435i xDrive, M4), and 2015 4 Series Gran Coupe (428i, 428i xDrive, 435i, 435i xDrive) vehicles. The head air bag inflator may fail at the weld joint, which can cause gas to leak from the inflator or result in an inflator rupture.
Remedy Dealers will replace the head air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 4, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall Exterior lighting 2015-08-17 · NHTSA campaign 15V520000
Summary BMW North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 320i, 320xi, 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi, and ActiveHybrid3 vehicles manufactured October 20, 2011, to June 22, 2015, 2014-2015 328xi Sports Wagon vehicles manufactured March 21, 2013, to March 17, 2015, 2014-2015 328d, 328xd vehicles manufactured June 28, 2013, to April 21, 2015, and 2014-2015 328xd Sports Wagon vehicles manufactured July 5, 2013, to April 21, 2015. The affected vehicles may have been programmed with new software that inadvertently makes the front side marker lights inoperative in conjunction with the parking lights or the headlights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will upload revised software to correct the issue, free of charge. The recall began on October 7, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or by email at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
Recall Fuel pump 2015-03-31 · NHTSA campaign 15V189000
Summary BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014 228i Coupe, M235i Coupe, 320i, 320xi, 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi, ActiveHybrid 3, 328xi Sports Wagon, 428i Coupe, 428xi Coupe, 435i Coupe, 435xi Coupe, 428i Convertible, 428xi Convertible, 435i Convertible, 328xi Gran Turismo, 335xi Gran Turismo, and 2015 428i Gran Coupe, 428xi Gran Coupe, and 435i Gran Coupe vehicles. Improper nickel plating of components within the fuel pump may result in the fuel pump failing.
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Owners were mailed interim notices on May 28, 2015. The recall began on July 6, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall hydraulic brakes, power assist, vacuum, hoses and fittings 2014-10-07 · NHTSA campaign 14V627000
Summary BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014 BMW 328i xDrive Sports Wagon, 2012-2014 BMW 320i Sedan, 328i Sedan, 320i xDrive Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 2012-2013 BMW 528i Sedan, 528i xDrive Sedan, 2013-2014 BMW X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i Sports Activity Vehicle, 2013-2014 BMW X3 xDrive28i Sports Activity Vehicle, 2012-2014 BMW Z4 sDrive28i Roadster, and 2014 BMW 428i Coupe, and 428i xDrive Coupe. Due to insufficient lubrication, the vacuum pump that supplies brake power assistance may fail. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 13V-454.
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will install a locking ring in the camshaft to retain the camshaft seal disk in the proper location, free of charge. The recall began on December 2, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall hydraulic brakes, power assist, vacuum 2013-09-26 · NHTSA campaign 13V454000
Summary BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 320i, 328i, 320i xDrive, and 328i xDrive sedans; model year 2014 328i xDrive Sports Wagons; model year 2012-2013 528i and 528i xDrive sedans, model year 2013-2014 X1 sDrive28i and X1 xDrive28i vehicles and model year 2012-2014 Z4 sDrive28i roadsters. Due to insufficient lubrication, the vacuum pump that supplies brake power assistance may fail.
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will modify the vehicles to prevent insufficient vacuum pump lubrication, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 31, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

Complaints by component (151 total)

Electrical system
52
Engine
29
Engine and engine cooling
29
Service brakes
20
Air bags
15
Fuel and propulsion system
13
Exterior lighting
11
Powertrain
9
Speed control
8
Structure
7
Seat belts
6
Fuel system, gasoline
4
Steering
4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
3
Suspension
2
Tires
2
Visibility and wipers
2
Adaptive and mobility equipment
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Seats
1
Show 14 more Show less
Crash-flagged

19

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

12

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

120139201492015420167201715201872019172020720211020228202321202432202542026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owned a 2014 BMW 328I. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle stalled after overheating the previous day. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle…"
    Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-07-30
  • "I was driving in the highway at 65MPH, I heard an audible tone. I looked at speedometer and had a message to to press unlock button to switch gears. Then my engine light came on and was steady. My car went into neutral…"
    Engine · filed 2026-05-31
  • "So, the N20 2.0L motors are known to have prematurely failing plastic chain guides and a weak hydraulic tensioner, leading to whine, rattles, and potential engine failure. BMW improved the issue in the 2015 or newer…"
    Engine · filed 2026-03-21
  • "Vehicle is under Recall 24V-608 for a fire risk. The vehicle has suffered the exact failure described (Overheating, Limp Mode, and Smoke/Thermal Event). Dealership (BMW of Pleasant Grove Utah) is refusing to replace the…"
    Engine · filed 2026-03-11
  • "The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle in the State of California, the contact was made aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number:…"
    Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system · filed 2025-12-29

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2014 BMW 328 I 4 DR RWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2014 BMW 328 I Xdrive 4 DR AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2014 BMW 328I Xdrive GT 5 HB AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2014 BMW 328I Xdrive SW AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
328i 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Rear-wheel drive 23 34 27 MPG $2950
328i 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 22 33 26 MPG $3050
328i xDrive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 22 32 26 MPG $3050
328i xDrive Gran Turismo 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 22 32 26 MPG $3050
328i xDrive Sports Wagon 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 22 32 26 MPG $3050

Specs and fitment

F30 3 Series, 2012–2016
Body styles Sedan, Sports Wagon, Gran Turismo
Oil BMW LL-01 5W-30 (through MY2015); MY2016 N20 0W-20 LL-14 FE+ or N26 0W-30 LL-01 FE per under-hood label
Tire size 225/50R17 (base), 225/45R18 (line packages), 225/50R18–225/45R19 (xDrive Gran Turismo) front / 225/50R17 (base), 225/45R18 or 255/40R18 (M Sport staggered), 255/45R18–255/40R19 (GT staggered) rear

Known issues for this generation

2012-2015 328i Sedan, Sports Wagon, and Gran Turismo models with N20/N26 engines were included in the Gelis timing-chain and oil-pump drive chain class-action settlement (final approval February 2021; BMW SI B11 02 21 documents the dealer repair benefit). Plaintiffs alleged brittle polycarbonate timing-chain guides and premature oil-pump chain wear that could damage the engine; eligibility depended on production range, mileage, and claim deadlines that have since closed. Separately, recall 24V608000 covers certain 2012-2016 328i and 328xi vehicles (among about 720,796 multi-model units) for a water-pump electrical connector that may short circuit and increase fire risk; dealers inspect and replace the pump and connector as needed and install a protective shield.

Compare

Previous year 2013 BMW 328i Next year 2015 BMW 328i See every BMW 328i model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2014 BMW 328i reliable?

Owners have filed 151 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 BMW 328i over 13 years — 8 per year. That is more complaints per year than most 328i years here — over the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 8 recalls on file, including Head, Pump, and Inflator.

What are common problems with a 2014 BMW 328i?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (52 of 151), then Engine (29) and Engine and engine cooling (29). Those filings include 19 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 12 that report an injury.

Is the 2014 BMW 328i more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 328i has 288 complaints, 14 per year, and the 2015 has 124 complaints, 3 per year. The 2014 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013. The 2014 has more complaints per year than the 2015.

Has the 2014 BMW 328i been recalled?

The 2014 BMW 328i has 8 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2014 BMW 328i?

Owners have filed 151 complaints about the 2014 BMW 328i with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2014 BMW 328i get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2014 BMW 328i is 26.2 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a BMW 328i (F30) take?

Through MY2015, BMW LL-01 5W-30 is common. MY2016 N20 lists 0W-20 LL-14 FE+ or N26 0W-30 LL-01 FE per the under-hood label — follow that label.

What tire sizes does the F30 328i use?

Common fits include 225/50R17 (base), 225/45R18 (line packages), and 225/50R18–225/45R19 on xDrive Gran Turismo packages.

Was the F30 328i included in the timing-chain settlement?

2012-2015 328i Sedan, Sports Wagon, and Gran Turismo models with N20/N26 engines were included in the Gelis timing-chain and oil-pump drive chain class-action settlement (final approval February 2021; BMW SI B11 02 21 documents the dealer repair benefit).