2016 BMW 320I problems
The 2016 BMW 320I has 40 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (25%) concerns engine. Next are brakes (18%) and air bags (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 40 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 25% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 10 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 9 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 55,000 miles 25 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 | 7 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 5 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 3 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 2 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 1 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 4 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 25 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 55,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 10 complaints mention a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 9 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 97% 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 2016 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 4 model years of the BMW 320I with enough data (19 complaints in that window).
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.
Takata recall - a safety recall has not yet been issued for this vehicle and/or its takata airbag system. Driver of the vehicle was stopped on a two lane highway attempting to take a left hand turn when she was rear ended by another vehicle traveling approximately 55 MPH. After impact, her vehicle traveled across the yellow line, across a southbound lane and off the roadway into a 4 foot ditch. The airbag system failed to deploy both when struck by the other vehicle as well as the impact with the ditch.
I was involved in an accident with a hit and run vehicle and resulting in the accident, my steering wheel came off in the process hitting me in my pelvic area and now I am having trouble urinating and I have bleeding. The air bags also burned through my clothes and onto my skin. I suffered first degree burns to my arm, stomach and thigh.
I was driving in a 25 MPH zone in a residential area, dry roads during daylight and the car in front of me stopped suddenly. I stepped on the brakes, they locked and the car continued to slide towards the car in front of me. I had to quickly turn the wheel to the left to avoid hitting the car head on. I hit the car on the left side and damage to my car on the right side.
To NHTSA: not too long ago the timing chain and rear differential pinion bearing went out on my 2016 BMW 320I ([xxx]) timing chain issue shouldn't occur on a motor which only produces 180 horsepower with no mods or tunes. The rear differential should definitely never give out unless you're pushing over 700 horsepower on a stock diff. Again my car has 180 horsepower and has never been modded. This is just ridiculous