2015 BMW 320i Owner Complaints

Complaint Summary
The 2015 BMW 320i has 44 reported complaints.
- Top issues involve engine and unknown or other.
Reliability Score
Reliability Score
Based on 44 complaints
Most Frequent Issues
ENGINE
11 25%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
7 15.9%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
7 15.9%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4 9.1%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
3 6.8%
Quick Insights
The top category is ENGINE, accounting for 25% of all complaints.
Owners have reported issues across 14 distinct vehicle systems.
Note: Complaint data reflects owner reports and may not always indicate a verified defect. Compare with Recalls and TSBs for a complete picture.
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What owners keep reporting on the 2015 BMW 320i
The 2015 BMW 320i has 44 owner complaints in this dataset. ENGINE is the most common complaint category, representing about 25% of the reports shown here.
Most common complaint categories
The top complaint groups for the 2015 BMW 320i are ENGINE (11), UNKNOWN OR OTHER (7), FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM (7).
Are these complaints a serious red flag?
Potentially. 25 complaint reports involve higher-attention systems like brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components, which is enough to justify a focused inspection.
What should buyers inspect on a used 2015 BMW 320i?
Start with the top complaint systems, compare them against the recall report, then inspect service records for evidence that those same areas were already repaired or monitored.
Detailed Complaint Log
Showing 14 of 14 systems
ENGINE
11 Reports25% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
BOUGHT A BRAND NEW BMW 320I I HAVE HAD IT FOR 45 DAYS WITH 1548 MILES ON IT. I WAS DRIVING VEHICLE THIS MORNING DRIVING POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 70 MPH ON HIGHWAY. MY CAR WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" AND DROPPED DOWN TO 20 MPH AND WOULD NOT GO OVER ANY FASTER. DISPLAY SAYS "DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION" I DROVE MY CAR ON SIDE OF THE ROAD AT 20 MPH ON THE SIDE OF ROAD UNTIL I MADE IT TO WORK. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS FOR A VEHICLE TO DROP FROM 70 TO 20 MPH SUDDENLY IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC. FROM READING SEEMS TO BE A ON GOING PROBLEMS WITH BMW'S. RECALL WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION . I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED I TRADED MY MERCEDES E350 IN FOR THIS JUNK. I HAVE NEVER OWNED ANY VEHICLE THAT HAS LEFT ME IN SUCH A BAD SITUATION. I OWNED NISSAN WITH OVER 126K MILES AND IT NEVER GAVE ME ANY PROBLEMS. VERY DISAPPOINTED BMW OWNER!
11/17/2015
OIL PUMP PREMATURELY FAILED CAUSING ENGINE DAMAGE. NOT BEING COVERED BY MANUFACTURER WARRANTY. MANUFACTURER CLAIMS ENGINE DAMAGE WILL BE ON THE CUSTOMER EVEN THOUGH OIL PUMP PREMATURELY FAILS.
2/19/2019
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
7 Reports16% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
THE BMW 320I 2015 VEHICLE CONTINUES TO DROP TIRE AIR PRESSURE BELOW A SAFE LEVEL. THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM IS DISABLING THE DRIVER'S ONBOARD DISPLAY WITH A LOW TIRE WARNING ALERT. ALL 4 TIRES ARE DROPPING FROM 32PSI TO 23PSI WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD. EACH TIME I VISIT THE CLASSIC BMW DEALERSHIP OF PLANO, TX ABOUT THE TPMS PROBLEM, TIRES ARE AGAIN TOPPED OFF AT 32PSI. THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT GIVE ME A SERVICE RECEIPT AFTER ADDING AIR IN THE TIRES. I WAS INFORMED THAT I MUST PAY $163 IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A SERVICE RECEIPT ONCE THE AIR IS INSTALLED IN THE TIRES, OR I CAN HAVE THE AIR INSTALLED IN THE TIRES FREE, AND RECEIVE NO RECEIPT. THIS ALLOWS THE DEALERSHIP TO SUPPRESS THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS, BECAUSE THERE IS NOT A PAPER TRAIL. I PURCHASED 1 RECOMMENDED NEW TIRE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2015 FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND ALL 4 TIRES WERE SET TO 32PSI. TWO MONTHS LATER IN NOVEMBER 2015 ALL FOUR TIRES WERE AT 23PSI. THE 2015 CAR IS ONLY 8 MONTHS OLD, AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID 23PSI IS NORMAL. I DISAGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT. THE TPMS, OR THE TIRES, OR BOTH ARE DEFECTIVE AND ARE A SAFETY PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM OCCURS DURING DRIVING, AND MAKING TURNS. THE PROBLEM OF SEVERELY UNDER INFLATED TIRES IS SO NUMEROUS THAT IT REQUIRES THE DEALERSHIP TO PROVIDE A SERVICE LANE ONLY FOR INFLATING DEFECTIVE TIRES.
12/1/2015
THANK YOU
9/30/2018
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
7 Reports16% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE. WE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM OCCUR THREE TIMES NOW. THIS LAST TIME HAPPENED TO MY SPOUSE WHILE TRAVELING 70+ MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET. THE ONSET WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, AN IMMEDIATE AND UNSETTLING SHUDDER WITH AN ONSCREEN POPUP. THE ABRUPT LOSS OF SPEED NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT THIS TIME. IT OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING AND SINCE WE AREN'T' APPLYING BRAKES, OTHER DRIVES ARE CAUGHT BY SURPRISE AT THE SUDDEN DROP IN SPEED. WE NARROWLY PULLED FROM THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT GETTING HIT PRIOR TO STOPPING AND SHUTTING OFF THE VEHICLE. I DID CAPTURE THE INSTANCE WITH AN OBDII APP CALLED TORQUE. WE WITNESSED THE "FUEL RAIL" PRESSURE DROP FROM NEARLY 3,000PSI TO 50.8PSI, INDICATING THE HPFP FAILED, WENT INTO BYPASS CAUSING THE CAR TO REVERT TO LIMP MODE. ALSO PROVIDED ARE THE OBDII FAULT CODES, P0087 - POWERTRAIN AND P142E - HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP PICTURES WILL BE ATTACHED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
4/16/2017
FUEL GAUGE ERRONEOUS DISPLAY: VEHICLE RUNS OUT OF FUEL, BUT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STILL DISPLAYS FUEL REMAINING IN THE TANK. DEALER FOUND OUT PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL CELL AND TO FIX THE PROBLEM, THE TANK AND THE FUEL PUMP MUST BE REPLACE, COST OF $2875. SEE ATTACHED DOCUMENT FROM THE DEALER.
8/22/2019
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4 Reports9% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
MY 2015 BMW 320I GAVE ME A WARNING OF CHARGING MALFUNCTION WARNING SO I TOOK MY CAR TO BMW SERVICE FOR AN INSPECTION. THIS WAS IN APRIL 2019. THE SERVICE ADVISOR LET ME KNOW I COULD NEED A NEW BATTERY SO I APPROVED NEW BATTERY IF THAT'S WHAT IT NEEDED. ONCE INSPECTED FURTHER I WAS TOLD THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK AND THAT CAUSED MY DRIVEBELT TO DETERIORATE AND SLIDE OFF BELT TENSIONER. THE OIL LEAK WAS DUE TO NEEDING A NEW OIL FILTER HOUSING GASKET, SO I REPLACED THAT AS WELL. I WASN'T WHAT CREATED THE OIL LEAK ISSUE ONLY THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE BELT TENSIONER, HOUSING GASKET AND DRIVE BELT. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS WHY MY CHARGING MALFUNCTION WARNING CAME ON. MY BATTERY WAS FINE, NO NEED TO REPLACE. 3 MONTHS LATER SEPTEMBER 12TH 2019 THE CHARGING MALFUNCTION WARNING COMES ON AGAIN. THIS TIME I'M TOLD THEY'RE 80% SURE I NEED A NEW BATTERY. SO I APPROVE THE BATTERY AND I RECEIVE A CALL THAT MY CAR NEEDS A NEW ALTERNATOR. THE ALTERNATOR IS NOT CREATING CHARGING VOLTAGE WHICH MAKE MY BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW CAUSING THE CHARGING MALFUNCTION. MY CAR A 2015 BMW, IT IS 4 YEARS OLD. IN THIS LAST YEAR I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE CHARGING MALFUNCTION AND STILL CAN'T FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM.
9/13/2019
My car shut off on the highway due to my fuel pump delivery system . My gauge is not reading I have enough gas leading me to believe I had gas in my car until it completely shut off . I was able to safely get my car out of the road due to the fact it was early morning and very minimal cars were on the road . I also now currently as well have an issue with the engine,coolant and oil having a leak . According to bmw I need to completely change my intake manifold there is too much leakage and just changing certain components wonât fix it . The whole things needs to be removed and replaced. Once I crank my car up within 10 seconds you can see the smoke start to build up under the hood . Iâm pretty sure if I leave it running it will catch fire itâs thick white smoke and it has melted something silver inside as u can see the silver is now black due to it burning .So I write this due to me doing research as to what could have caused these issue and I see there is a recall for the same vin but my not specific car . I anm having the EXACT same issues with my car as the recall. I have 3 of the issues that the recall is for but my model I guess is not included. also have lighting issues .. my back lights tend to work when they want according to pep boys a board of some sort needs to be replaced because the bulbs will not stay in place . Is there a way to add my model to the recall list as it needs to be fixed my car is not operational at this time due to the risk of a fire under the hood
3/3/2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
3 Reports7% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
THE VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY HAS LEFT REAR BREAK LIKE/TURN LIGHT MALFUNCTION WARNINGS. IN RESEARCHING THIS IS KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL DUE TO THE GROUND WIRE OVERHEATING AND MELTING THE PLASTIC IN THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR AND BULB CARRIER. THIS COURSES THE CONNECTOR PIN IN THE CONNECTOR TO MELT AND BREAK OFF. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THESE PARTS TWICE IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS. THE ISSUE SEEMS TO BE THAT THE GROUND WIRE IS NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE CURRENT.
2/28/2020
Back light malfunction numerous repairs
4/5/2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
3 Reports7% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
CAN NHTSA ENFORCE A RECALL ON THE WELL-KNOWN 'TRUNK OPENS ON ITS OWN' DEFECT ON BMW 3 SERIES, WHICH MY 2015 320I ALSO HAS SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN 2016? PLEASE SEE ATTACHED 'TO NHTSA ON BMW SERIES 3 DEFECT.PDF'.
4/23/2021
Clear Coat on car is peeling everywhere. Car manufactured in 2015 and purchased from Carmax in Doral, Miami.
2/22/2022
WHEELS
2 Reports5% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
THE BMW 320I 2015 VEHICLE CONTINUES TO DROP TIRE AIR PRESSURE BELOW A SAFE LEVEL. THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM IS DISABLING THE DRIVER'S ONBOARD DISPLAY WITH A LOW TIRE WARNING ALERT. ALL 4 TIRES ARE DROPPING FROM 32PSI TO 23PSI WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD. EACH TIME I VISIT THE CLASSIC BMW DEALERSHIP OF PLANO, TX ABOUT THE TPMS PROBLEM, TIRES ARE AGAIN TOPPED OFF AT 32PSI. THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT GIVE ME A SERVICE RECEIPT AFTER ADDING AIR IN THE TIRES. I WAS INFORMED THAT I MUST PAY $163 IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A SERVICE RECEIPT ONCE THE AIR IS INSTALLED IN THE TIRES, OR I CAN HAVE THE AIR INSTALLED IN THE TIRES FREE, AND RECEIVE NO RECEIPT. THIS ALLOWS THE DEALERSHIP TO SUPPRESS THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS, BECAUSE THERE IS NOT A PAPER TRAIL. I PURCHASED 1 RECOMMENDED NEW TIRE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2015 FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND ALL 4 TIRES WERE SET TO 32PSI. TWO MONTHS LATER IN NOVEMBER 2015 ALL FOUR TIRES WERE AT 23PSI. THE 2015 CAR IS ONLY 8 MONTHS OLD, AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID 23PSI IS NORMAL. I DISAGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT. THE TPMS, OR THE TIRES, OR BOTH ARE DEFECTIVE AND ARE A SAFETY PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM OCCURS DURING DRIVING, AND MAKING TURNS. THE PROBLEM OF SEVERELY UNDER INFLATED TIRES IS SO NUMEROUS THAT IT REQUIRES THE DEALERSHIP TO PROVIDE A SERVICE LANE ONLY FOR INFLATING DEFECTIVE TIRES.
12/1/2015
The engine would completely shut down while driving you had to completely take foot off gas petal because it would not excellent to make the car run it would almost come to complete slow down and stop you could then push gas and it would pick up and start running again.was worse when raining. Then the brakes got to where they would not stop and would lock up.Iwas on busy road and on interstate when it happened several times I could have been hit in the rear end and it would have caused a major collision. There was no warning lights come on at any point and timethen the brakes started where they would get hot and start smoking and eventually they locked up could not even drive the car . I didn't have the money to try to get it fixed so my 2015 BMW 320i sit for months before I could get it looked at had to replace frount and back rotors,calipers and brakes, ABS system replaced. When they checked it out the man at KADENZA AUTO REPAIR SHOP said that was only the second BMW that they had worked on that had this problems and didn't know why or what caused the problem. They did the repairs but couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't happen again said it could be a manufacturer defects. It was really dangerous when it started doing it because I could have been hit in the back of the car and it would have caused a major car pile up accident. It started doing it several months back because I wasn't able to drive it for several months had to tow it in when I took it to KADENZA AUTO REPAIR .They specialize in foreign and domestic cars.
5/10/2024
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
1 Report2% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
MY 2015 BMW 320I GAVE ME A WARNING OF CHARGING MALFUNCTION WARNING SO I TOOK MY CAR TO BMW SERVICE FOR AN INSPECTION. THIS WAS IN APRIL 2019. THE SERVICE ADVISOR LET ME KNOW I COULD NEED A NEW BATTERY SO I APPROVED NEW BATTERY IF THAT'S WHAT IT NEEDED. ONCE INSPECTED FURTHER I WAS TOLD THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK AND THAT CAUSED MY DRIVEBELT TO DETERIORATE AND SLIDE OFF BELT TENSIONER. THE OIL LEAK WAS DUE TO NEEDING A NEW OIL FILTER HOUSING GASKET, SO I REPLACED THAT AS WELL. I WASN'T WHAT CREATED THE OIL LEAK ISSUE ONLY THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE BELT TENSIONER, HOUSING GASKET AND DRIVE BELT. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS WHY MY CHARGING MALFUNCTION WARNING CAME ON. MY BATTERY WAS FINE, NO NEED TO REPLACE. 3 MONTHS LATER SEPTEMBER 12TH 2019 THE CHARGING MALFUNCTION WARNING COMES ON AGAIN. THIS TIME I'M TOLD THEY'RE 80% SURE I NEED A NEW BATTERY. SO I APPROVE THE BATTERY AND I RECEIVE A CALL THAT MY CAR NEEDS A NEW ALTERNATOR. THE ALTERNATOR IS NOT CREATING CHARGING VOLTAGE WHICH MAKE MY BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW CAUSING THE CHARGING MALFUNCTION. MY CAR A 2015 BMW, IT IS 4 YEARS OLD. IN THIS LAST YEAR I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE CHARGING MALFUNCTION AND STILL CAN'T FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM.
9/13/2019
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
1 Report2% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
On July 4, 2023, my kids and I were in Tifton, GA shopping. My car just cut off in the middle of the road. The only way I could get it to turn back on was by turning the car completely off and then turning the car back on. I was in the middle of the road and almost got run over. My car had gas in it and wasn't acting up prior to this happening. I believe that this problem has to do with the fuel pump which causes an engine failure. Also, my parking sensors are not working properly anymore as well.
7/7/2023
AIR BAGS
1 Report2% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 320I. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the front driver's side airbags and passenger side airbags deployed unintendedly, causing the driver to lose control of the steering wheel and drive over the curb. The contact stated that there was no crash to cause the airbags to deploy. During the failure, the rear driverâs side and passengerâs side tires became deflated. The vehicle was later towed away from the scene. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 78,000.
12/27/2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
1 Report2% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 320i. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH the passenger side headlight stopped illuminating the road. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that about one month later the driver's side headlight stopped illuminating and the "headlight" symbol illuminated on the instrument cluster. The contact stated that the headlights illuminated when she used the high beam setting but would not function on the low beam setting. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact had replaced both headlamp bulbs and the low beams would not illuminate. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
3/21/2024
POWER TRAIN
1 Report2% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
I have been getting P0420 code over 2 years now. Loss of power while driving caused multiple times sudden stop and slow speed. I328 has recall but mine is not on the recall list. I tried everything to fix it but the light still comes on. And also my car is having the Navigation display delaminating. It seems like common problem for bmw owners. There are no recalls.
3/24/2024
SERVICE BRAKES
1 Report2% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
The engine would completely shut down while driving you had to completely take foot off gas petal because it would not excellent to make the car run it would almost come to complete slow down and stop you could then push gas and it would pick up and start running again.was worse when raining. Then the brakes got to where they would not stop and would lock up.Iwas on busy road and on interstate when it happened several times I could have been hit in the rear end and it would have caused a major collision. There was no warning lights come on at any point and timethen the brakes started where they would get hot and start smoking and eventually they locked up could not even drive the car . I didn't have the money to try to get it fixed so my 2015 BMW 320i sit for months before I could get it looked at had to replace frount and back rotors,calipers and brakes, ABS system replaced. When they checked it out the man at KADENZA AUTO REPAIR SHOP said that was only the second BMW that they had worked on that had this problems and didn't know why or what caused the problem. They did the repairs but couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't happen again said it could be a manufacturer defects. It was really dangerous when it started doing it because I could have been hit in the back of the car and it would have caused a major car pile up accident. It started doing it several months back because I wasn't able to drive it for several months had to tow it in when I took it to KADENZA AUTO REPAIR .They specialize in foreign and domestic cars.
5/10/2024
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
1 Report2% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 320I. The contact stated that after his wife had refueled the vehicle, he noticed that the vehicle was leaking fuel on the driver's side rear. There was a puddle of fuel on the ground. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called an independent mechanic who stated that the failure was due to the pressurized fuel system. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
10/9/2024
Data and Methodology
Scores are derived from NHTSA recalls and owner complaints, normalized by vehicle segment averages.
What are the most common owner complaints for the 2015 BMW 320i?
Are complaints about the 2015 BMW 320i a serious warning sign?
How should buyers use complaint data for the 2015 BMW 320i?
Are complaints about the 2015 BMW 320i severe?
Complaint list entries are sourced from owner-submitted NHTSA ODI records.
BMW 320i: How should complaint data influence buying decisions?
Carfocal links complaint data directly to recall and maintenance routes for the same model year.
- Complaint entries
- 44
- Top-topic view
- 5 grouped topics shown
- Primary source
- NHTSA ODI owner complaint records
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