general problems of the 2008 BMW 328 - part 1

My vehicle was not included in BMW recall "23v-707: replace vanos adjustment unit screw connection" but has suffered the same failure described in this recall. My vanos adjustment unit screws came loose and caused my engine to completely stall in the middle of traffic on a very busy road [xxx] ). I lost some braking ability and narrowly avoided a major collision. I've been having issues with misfires related to my vanos system and today I found that despite being told my vehicle wasn't affected by the recall, it is experiencing the same issue as the recall above mentioned. My vanos adjustment unit bolts on both exhaust and intake sides of the engine were all much more loose than factory specification, so much so that I was able to remove 6 of them with my fingers alone. I think there should be a full safety recall on this issue as it seems to affect a much wider variety of cars than initially thought. I was able to re-tighten them to factory specs, but I have no confidence that it will stay that way. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The vehicle, stopped while driving, overheating, no heat/ ac. It's winter, car stopped at night in an unknown location fory safety. Had it inspected by 2 different auto shops and was confirmed of the issue. Warning lights came on right before the car failed.

My vehicle engine cooling fan caught fire one evening while following behind someone to make sure they made it to a parking lot safely due to their own vehicle having problems requiring them to stay under around 20mph. Once we made it to a parking lot, I exited my vehicle to check on the other person, and realized there was smoke starting to come out from under my hood. My husband waited for me to pull the hood release and then proceeded to lift the hood, only to discover my car was on fire, and it was coming directly from the cooling fan. After almost a minute we were able to put the fire out, and discovered the whole electrical area for the fan was melted and destroyed. There was never any type of warning light or any information at all that would have told me a problem was imminent. Im thankful it wasn;t myself alone or with my kids just driving down the highway because it would have taken over the whole vehicle before I would have known it was having any issues at all. The part is still on the vehicle, which has become inoperable and now any attempts to check the vehicle out have realized that another issues with BMW's is also causing problems with my vehicle. It appears an actual recall was never issued for my actual VIN, rather a collection of years and makes. Any further information or remedy that might get me the ability to actually use my vehicle again would be greatly appreciated. I can also include photos and witness statements if needed,. Thank you for your time.

2008 BMW 328i. Consumer writes in regard to loss of power and steam coming from the engine.

You guys have aluminum bolts that hold down the cylinder head they corrode or become loose thus pulling up the cylinder head and the head gasket is protruding out the front of the cylinder head causing oil and coolant to leak on to the belt causing the serpentine belt to slip off while it's raining and eventually causing a blown head gasket it's because of the aluminum bolts on the top of the engine that hold the cylinder head down the head gasket protrudes out the sides on the front where the camshaft sensors are and leaks onto the belt plus causing the belt to come off the track and possibly get sucked into the engine it's not something easy to get to or to fix for a person with low income.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the vehicle was making abnormal sounds. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

The positive battery fuse cable under the glovebox is placed into a plastic space causing melting. This leads to the vehicle going dead and not even emergency lights will work. This recall has been placed on very few Bmws however it is affecting way more then they are saying. You can see in uk where a man was killed for the vehicle going dead in the middle of the road and emergency lights cannot be used to warn other drivers. How has their not been taken car of already. I am extremely disappointed in our system, and in BMW. My mind is completely blown that this is not cared about.

The car was over heating and not starting as well as fuel pump error on my dash. There is an open recall on my vehicle starting March of 2022 it is now June and BMW says they don’t know when they will have a remedy for this and it could be months but I need my car.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Keep getting the p0015 code changed all sensors that come with code and I keep getting a high pitched noise once car gets hot.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of the NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was notified of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact received recall notification of the NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An undisclosed dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328xi. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer and BMW of springfield parts & accessories (391 us-22, springfield, NJ 07081: (908) 232-1466) were contacted and made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

My car will not start up to show ignition lights… blinks fast then shuts off / will not crank / after flashing lights on dash service engine light appears & car has smoking from under hood.

The contact owns a 2008 328i coupe. The contact stated while driving 30 mph through his neighborhood in the early morning the vehicle made a weird noise from the inner dashboard no warning lights came on. The contact stated he smelled something burning and parked the vehicle. The contact looked under the engine and did not see anything damaged. The contact turned vehicle back on and drove home and heard a loud noise coming from the engine and vehicle started overheating till got home. Once home open hood again notice of the hood insulation was missing and pcp hose was leaking oil. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and did repair the vehicle. The manufacture was notified. The vehicle had 102,000 at time of failure.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328xi. The contact received a notification for NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was notified about the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact was also informed that the vehicle was still safe to drive despite the parts for the recall not being available. The manufacturer was also notified of the issue and informed him that the vehicle was not safe to drive; he was instructed to leave the vehicle parked until parts for the recall were available. The contact was referred back to the dealer for a loaner vehicle; however, the dealer stated that there were no loaner vehicles available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328xi. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been at the dealer for an unknown service, where it was diagnosed with an oil leak in the valve cover gasket that the valve over gasket needed to be replaced. An independent mechanic was made aware of the failure and advised the contact not to replace the valve cover gasket due to the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Remedy not yet available.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17v683000 (engine and engine cooling) and 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact's wife owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a burning rubber odor was coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, a light gray smoke was intermittently coming from the passenger’s side hood. The contact then received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was notified of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

The contact owns 2008 BMW. The contact experienced failure with the vehicle while driving at 60 mph on the highway. The owner pulled over to the emergency lane. There were no warning lights illuminated on the dashboard. The contact restarted the vehicle and drove home safely. The owner purchased his vehicle from a private party, who informed him of the engine failure. The owner contacted the BMW recall number. The owner was informed by the local dealer that they could not read the code on the vehicle. The owner has an appointment on February 24th for further diagnosis. The contact was also informed that his vehicle could be related to a fuel injection issue. The approximate mileage is 147,675.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact stated that he had parked and turned off the vehicle, but about 20 minutes later he saw smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated that as he opened the hood of the vehicle he saw flames of fire and was able to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. The contact stated that he removed the battery from the vehicle. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to tow the vehicle to their location for diagnosis. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, however the dealer informed the contact that they could not diagnose the vehicle as the vehicle had caught fire. The dealer referred the contact to NHTSA. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 129,000.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 13v044000 (electrical system) 17v676000 (electrical system) and 17v683000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted bit did not inform the contact on the status of the recall repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owned a 2008 BMW 328xi. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, she saw smoke exiting the front passenger side of the vehicle. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact parked and exited the vehicle safely and called 911. The contact stated 25 seconds after exiting the vehicle, the vehicle exploded and caught on fire. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. The contact stated that there was no injury. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact stated that the vehicle would frequently surge while in idle position and she was smelling an abnormal oil odor. Upon opening the hood of the vehicle to determine the cause of the failure, the contact's husband noticed that oil was leaking from the valve cover gasket onto the engine compartment. The warning message "service due soon", "misfire in cylinder #1 and cylinder #4" and the temperature coolant warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the manifold, the manifold gasket, valve cover gasket, and valves needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced as well. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact became aware of NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Mileage rollback.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact stated that upon start of the vehicle, his radiator would overheat as the temperature gauge would indicate that the engine was hot. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where it was discovered that plastic parts inside the reservoir including the head gasket had melted and entered the radiator, which caused the failure. The contact also stated that while driving at 35 mph, a greyish smoke began to emit from both the undercarriage and the engine of the vehicle. The contact pulled over and exited the vehicle with his children as he witnessed flames emit from underneath the vehicle. A motorist behind him was able to pour a jug of water onto the fire which extinguished the flames. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to his home. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure and informed him that the vehicle would not be covered under warranty. The contact had made minor repairs to the vehicle but the vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

Engine camshaft(vanos) adjustment units failing. BMW na never sent out a recall when knew of it in 2018( see attached Feb 2018 service bulletin) . On 8/27/20, tisha of BMW NJ office claims dealer is responsible but says there is no recall outstanding. I took it to dealer critz of savannah, GA on 8/27 who claim that there was no recall for this manufacturer defect and that BMW are not built to last 12 years. It cost at least $4000 if not more to fix a recall item that BMW issued Feb 2018 for this and never sent to us. In 2018 , they recalled this car for other safety issues (see attached) but hid this major defect they knew about in 2/2018. I am attaching a recall that my auto repair gave me that was never ever given to me by dealer nor sent from BMW na . I need your help to have BMW na extend the recall and pay for for this life threatening manufacturer defect . This was hidden from the public and should be investigated immediately . I was told by critz yesterday prior to my planned trip across the us on 9/4 that the engine could drop at any time as the bolts could be loose but there is no way to tell without spending $1,500 with no end in sight. This car is not an out of town car anymore according to david of critz and was never built to last until 2020. I now have no assurance that I am driving safely in this car and have to add several days to my trip.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, there was a burning odor coming through the a/c vents. There was also smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned off vehicle. The contact then added coolant to the vehicle. The contact stated upon restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was losing motive power while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the dealer several times. The dealer performed unknown repairs on the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact later received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) which she related to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

While car was parked in a strip mall parking lot and shut off, car ignited in flames and is now a total loss.

I have had continuous issues with the electrical system in the front drivers side headlight with burnt plastic housing to the main headlight and the plug for the blinker system. Sometimes it will work and most of the time it won't. I cant tell you the amount of times it has stopped working in the middle of using the blinker. Every time I attempt to change it out, the bulb ends up still in good shape after looking it over. I have always inserted a new one but the issue remains. I have had to replace the whole headlight unit because of the melted plastic not holding the plug any longer and the issue remains. The passenger side seatbelt light has been on for the past several years and will not go off. It shows a light stating the airbag is off. Every time I use the ac unit, I end up with a whole lot of ac condensation pouring out each side of my console soaking the floor of the vehicle and smelling horrible the next day. I don't understand how such a supposedly high quality car can have such stupid problems that cant seem to be fixed. I have had this car since 2013 and barely drive it as I have only put approx 9000 miles over the last 9 years.