2007 BMW 3 Series
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 1,040 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 21 3 Series model years with reports.
Of the 2007 reports, 29 involved a crash and 61 involved a fire. 24 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Engine and engine cooling, exhaust system, emission control, crankcase (pcv)Mar 2, 2022
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 1 Series Coupe (128i); 2007-2013 3 Series Coupe (328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive); 2007-2010 X3 SAV (X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i); 2008-2013 1 Series Convertible (128i); 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi); 2006-2012 3 Series Wagon (328i, 328i xDrive); 2007-2013 3 Series Convertible (328i); 2006-2010 5 Series Sedan (525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi); 2006-2007 5 Series Wagon (530xi); 2007-2010 X5 SAV (X5 3.0si, X5 xDrive30i); 2006-2008 Z4 Coupe (Z4 3.0si); and 2006-2011 Z4 Roadster (Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si, Z4 sDrive30i) vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
An electrical short can cause the PCV valve heater to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire while driving or, soon after driving when parked.
This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Dealers will install an electrical wiring harness with fuse protection for the PCV Valve heater in potentially affected vehicles, free of charge. This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Vehicles previously repaired under the prior recalls will need to come back for the new recall remedy. The remedy is currently being developed. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 1, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 22, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Campaign 22V119000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, cooling system, fanAug 10, 2012
This recall involves aftermarket parts sold by Valeo. Valeo is recalling certain engine cooling fans, part numbers 696121, 696273, and 696275, used as service replacement parts for model year 2008-2011 BMW 1-Series, 2006-2011 BMW 3-Series, 2000-2009 BMW 5-Series, 2004-2005 BMW 6-Series, and 2006-2007 BMW 7-Series vehicles. A metal-oxide semiconductor may overheat due to insufficient screwing of the semiconductor on the aluminum heat sink. This primary failure could cause adjacent components on the fan assembly motor circuit board to overheat and short.
This condition could cause the fan motor to become inoperative, or cause the motor circuit board in the assembly to overheat, potentially leading to a fire in the engine compartment.
Valeo will notify owners and replace the fans free of charge. The safety recall began on August 22, 2012. This recall is being conducted by Valeo, not by BMW. For further information, owners may contact Valeo at 1-888-718-2536.
Campaign 12E029000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
228 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 29, 2026, fire
The contact owned a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, there was whitish grey smoke coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the residence where it was parked, and there was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact pushed the vehicle away from the residence and from structures and became aware that there were heat bubbles on the hood of the vehicle and called 9-1-1. The Police and Fire Department arrived, and the firemen axed the hood and extinguished the fire under the hood. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The Police and Fire Department filed reports; however, the reports were not available. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 198,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, May 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328XI. 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 contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, there was smoke and a burning odor entering the cabin of the vehicle. There was a smoldering sound coming from the dashboard. The contact turned off the vehicle; however, the vehicle remained hot, and the smoke started to increase as if the vehicle was not turned off. The contact disconnected the battery to get the smoke to settle and get the engine to cool down. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 12, 2024, fire
The contact owned a 2007 BMW 328XI. The contact stated that upon reaching his destination, he observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment. After a visual inspection, the contact then observed flames within the engine compartment, shortly after which the entire vehicle became engulfed in flames. Emergency services arrived and were able to extinguish the flames. No warning lights were illuminated. A fire report was filed. A police report was not filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection but did not provide the contact with diagnostic information. The vehicle was towed to a towed yard and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was unknown.
Electrical system, Engine, Dec 23, 2023
we have taken the car to the dealership for the recall and was told they do not have the parts and also wouldn't know how to fix it. every time the car turns on, you can smell the melting of the plastic. it smells bad and am worried every time im driving about a fire. before the recall came out, we had asked about the unknown smell of something burning and was told it was "normal"
Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, Jun 2, 2023, fire
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50- 55 mph, the vehicle caught fire. There was an abnormal burning odor detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver was able to use her fire extinguisher and extinguish the fire. There were no reported injuries, police reports filed, or air bag deployments. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed her that the battery pack wiring had melted. and the PCV and wiring needed to be repaired. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis regarding the electrical panel was provided. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 149, 000.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 2, 2023, fire
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that after parking and turning off the vehicle, she remained inside, and there was a burning smell. The contact stated that smoke was coming from the passenger floorboard and that after exiting the vehicle, there was also smoke coming from the hood, and after opening it, there were flames seen. The contact stated that she extinguished the flames with a garden hose and did not require calling the fire department. The contact made a local dealer aware of the failure and recall and scheduled a recall repair appointment. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer; however, the mechanic denied completing the recall remedy after the fire. The vehicle had not yet been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2007 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 there was an abnormal burning plastic odor after starting the vehicle. 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 failure mileage was 100,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine, Feb 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact made a local dealer aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not yet taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 128,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Engine, Feb 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 335I. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the yellow check engine warning light displayed on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the vehicle behind him came to a screeching halt to avoid causing a major accident. Multiple attempts to restart the vehicle failed, resulting in the vehicle being towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic determined the failure to be a defective high-pressure fuel pump. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 177,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact stated that she smelled an abnormal odor inside her vehicle, and the thermostat warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the water pump was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 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 had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 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 made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that she had started to smell a burning odor throughout the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 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.
Electrical system, Structure, Engine, Oct 26, 2022, fire
My vehicle caught on fire while parked and unoccupied. Fire started in the engine compartment.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 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 was not 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 issue and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 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 while starting the vehicle and driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal oil odor detected. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the valve cover was leaking oil and the head gasket cover needed to be replaced. The dealer informed her that the failure was not related to the recall. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 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 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 had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine, Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not 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 the failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle began to overheat as indicated by the temperature gauge. The vehicle also began to hesitate upon the depression of the accelerator as the check engine light appeared on the instrument panel. His daughter pulled the vehicle over and waited for the engine to cool off. Once the engine was restarted, the vehicle independently entered into limp mode and the vehicle was unable to accelerate above 25 MPH. The contact then received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts for the recall were unavailable. Recently, the contact stated that while his son was driving at highway speeds, the vehicle independently enter limp mode(warning light unknown). Despite the failure, the contact's son managed to reach his destination. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. The failure mileage was unknown. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 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 made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph when the contact noticed smoke coming from vents and underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact had to pull over where the warning for the vehicle overheating had begun to sound off. The smoke dissipated once the vehicle was turned off. The contact had the vehicle towed to their home. There were no injuries and no medical attention was needed. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 28, 2022
The oil filter housing gasket, the mechatronic transmission and the electrical system failed. Yes, it is available for inspection. My safety and the safety of others were put at risk as a result of my vehicle losing power suddenly while I was driving on the highway. I was driving at the highway speed limit and my vehicle malfunctioned and lost power while others were at high speeds. I had to abruptly stop almost causing an accident. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by the BMW service center. The vehicle has been inspected by the BMW dealer service department. The warning lamps that came on my dashboard were the check engine light, oil level light, and the transmission light. The car was running poorly. The engine wouldn’t crank and then it would jolt after driving. I would smell oil occasionally. The symptoms first appeared in 2011. I had my vehicle serviced at BMW regularly. In 2016 the symptoms got worse despite having my vehicle serviced for the same issue. I had the repairs done at BMW and when I drove it for the first time after getting it repaired it still failed.
Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, Jul 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V676000 (Electrical System) and 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced an unstated failure and was no longer driving the vehicle. Parts distribution disconnect. The failure mileage was unknown
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, he saw steam exiting from under the hood and multiple warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated he parked the vehicle on the side of the road and saw coolant leaking under the vehicle. The contact stated he waited until the engine had cooled down and continued driving to his destination. The contact later 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 vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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 failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle began to overheat and started shuddering. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact later 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 vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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 and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.