2011 BMW 128I problems
NHTSA has received 63 complaints about the 2011 BMW 128I, and 41% of them involve engine. Next are air bags (24%) and electrical system (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 63 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 41% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 0 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 0 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 81,000 miles 26 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 0 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 4 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 4 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 3 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 7 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 4 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 3 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 26 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 81,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 113,000 miles (11 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 3 complaints mention a fire. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 80% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2011 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 5 model years of the BMW 128I with enough data (18 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 7 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 BMW 128I. The contact stated that the battery warning indicator flashed more than once and, while driving in reverse, smoke emitted from the vehicle under the hood. The vehicle was pulled back into the garage due to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 118,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 128i. 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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was smoke coming from under the hood. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with engine failure. The mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced.
The contact owned a 2011 BMW 128i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact had experienced a failure. The contact stated as he pulled into a parking lot at approximately 5 MPH he began to smell a burning plastic odor. The contact said that the vehicle dash vents began to issue gray smoke.
Vanos failed on 2011 BMW 128I, manufacture offered extended warranty and failed to honor said warranty. Vehickle makes loud noise. Car will eventually break making car undrivable ever again, with 7k repair cost which exceeds value of car with less than 100k miles
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 128i. The contact stated that on several occasion while driving, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact also stated that when she attempted to restart the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. No warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the engine would randomly start. The contact stated that the electrical system failed to operate as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the cause of the failure could not be determined.