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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2015 BMW 328I Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
13about this part
Share
10%of 125 total for the year
Median mileage
15,900miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 13 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2015 BMW 328I, 10% of the 125 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 15,900 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“While attempting to pass at approx 50 MPH on a two lane mountain highway, the car suddenly lost power, warning lights and buzzer sounded. The message on screen reported 'drivetrain malfunction, drive moderately'. The car continued to operate, vibrating badly whenever I gave it gas. We limped home, shut it off. Two hours later I restarted it and all the error warnings disappeared and the car is running normally again.”

NHTSA complaint #10919977, filed 2016-10, 15,900 miles

“After consulting many others that own or previously owned 328i bmw from around the same years (2015-2017); a common issue was found and assumed to be the timing belt. when i press on the accelerator moderately/ as per usual, my RPMs and speedometer hesitate for a solid second then it will catch up and start shaking. i suspect its the timing belt.”

NHTSA complaint #11540161, filed 2023-08

“The drivetrain malfunction light came on and my car stopped on the main highway while I was driving out and it wouldn’t start back so a wrecker tow it then maybe 5 days later it just crank again but then it started to do it again. There was a recall for this but it had expired before I bought the car”

NHTSA complaint #11465134, filed 2022-05

“At random the car will display “Drivetrain Malfunction” which causes the car to shift into neutral and begins to slow down until it doesn’t move anymore. There is no check engine light or any other indicator of what might be the problem. The message just pops out of no where. It’s happen in the freeway making me scare to cause an accident because it so random. I’ve had to quickly turn my hazards and beginning switching lanes to avoid any accidents.”

NHTSA complaint #11427667, filed 2021-08

“The parking brake cable bracket is a cheap piece of plastic that fails on every single BMW model like mine from this era, which means the parking brake cable comes in contact with the drive shaft. Mine has broken. Dealers charge $1,100 to replace with an equally cheap 30 dollar plastic bracket. Replacement is labor intensive which explains the high fee (I guess). BMW mechanics as well as BMW owner internet forums tell me that this fails on every single car. This is a real hazard, as it can cause parking brake failure and drive shaft damage. …”

NHTSA complaint #11652662, filed 2025-04

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2016814%
20151310%
201496%
2013239%
20122015%
2011244%
201043%
200984%
200873%
200772%
20002724%
19991212%
1998312%
199714%
1996413%

Other parts of the 2015 BMW 328I

Electrical system
56 complaintsEngine cooling
42 complaintsEngine
23 complaintsOther or unknown
19 complaintsFuel system
15 complaintsBrakes
9 complaintsExterior lighting
7 complaintsAir bags
2 complaintsForward collision avoidance
2 complaintsSeat belts
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsSuspension
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2015 BMW 328I

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology