Reliable Auto DB

2015 BMW 328i reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2015 BMW 328i holds 124 complaints after 12 years, a rate of 3 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most 328i years here — under the median of the other years, which is 7. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Pump, Inflator, and Side and window.

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

124

Per year

3

Recalls

4

Years on the road

12

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (56 of 124), then Engine and engine cooling (42) and Engine (23). Those filings include 6 that report a crash, 8 that report a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 328i has 151 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2016 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

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 2015 BMW 328i. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

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.

Complaints by component (124 total)

Electrical system
56
Engine and engine cooling
42
Engine
23
Fuel and propulsion system
15
Powertrain
13
Service brakes
9
Exterior lighting
7
Air bags
2
Seat belts
2
Speed control
2
Structure
2
Suspension
2
Wheels
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Lane departure
1
Steering
1
Tires
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 11 more Show less
Crash-flagged

6

Fire-flagged

8

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

120154201642017720185201982020920218202212202319202438202592026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "On XXX, while driving on Interstate XXX with my family near [XXX], the engine shut off and the vehicle lost all power. The event was preceded by a "Reduced Power" error displayed on the dashboard. Traffic was moderate…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-05
  • "The engine intake tract, PCV infrastructure, and the main lower engine wiring harness loom failed due to improper reassembly during Federal Safety Recall 24V-608. The technician left the main intake coupler completely…"
    Electrical system, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-07-17
  • "The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle caught on fire. The fire originated in the engine compartment. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver was able…"
    Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system · filed 2026-07-16
  • "On [XXX], my 2015 BMW 328i xDrive (VIN: [XXX] , N20 engine, 124,250 miles) suffered a catastrophic engine failure while in operation. Component/System Failed: The timing chain guides and oil pump drive chain module…"
    Engine · filed 2026-06-01
  • "i went online because i was having troubles with my vehicle battery alternator and other electronics , i found out other bmws with the same symptoms as my car led to having a bad footwell module , currently interior…"
    Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-05-27

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2015 BMW 328 I 4 DR RWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2015 BMW 328 I Xdrive 4 DR AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2015 BMW 328I Xdrive GT 5 HB AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2015 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 2014 BMW 328i See every BMW 328i model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 BMW 328i reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2015 BMW 328i holds 124 complaints after 12 years, a rate of 3 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most 328i years here — under the median of the other years, which is 7. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Pump, Inflator, and Side and window.

What are common problems with a 2015 BMW 328i?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (56 of 124), then Engine and engine cooling (42) and Engine (23). Those filings include 6 that report a crash, 8 that report a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2015 BMW 328i more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 328i has 151 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2016 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 BMW 328i been recalled?

The 2015 BMW 328i has 4 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 2015 BMW 328i?

Owners have filed 124 complaints about the 2015 BMW 328i with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 BMW 328i get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 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).