2015 BMW 328I: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Jul 16, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · 110,000 miles · IL · fire

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle caught on fire. The fire originated in the engine compartment. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver was able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was then towed to an independent mechanic, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with an electrical short circuit in the front water pump connector. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a claim was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Filed May 14, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · NY · fire

I Was In My Vehicle Parked Up On January 1st 2026 And The Vehicle Caught On Fire While I Was Inside Of It,The Fire Started From The Right Side Of The Car And Flamed Up Everything,The Car Had A Check Engine Light On And A Lightning System Issue Was Popping Up On The Dash Right Before This Situation Accord I Did Research And Found That The Cause Of The Fire Is Related To the federal safety agency Recall 24V‑608 (Water Pump/Connector Fire Risk).

Filed Jan 16, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · CA · fire

On November 17, 2025, my 2015 BMW 328i (VIN: [XXX] ) caught fire while parked, locked, and turned off inside my enclosed residential garage in Irvine, California. The vehicle had been parked for approximately 90 minutes prior to the incident. No flammable materials were stored in or around the vehicle. Responding police and fire personnel identified the vehicle itself as the source of the fire, with ignition originating in the engine bay. The building’s fire sprinkler system activated, and residents were evacuated due to smoke and fire conditions. No injuries occurred, but the incident posed a serious risk to life and property due to the residential setting. The vehicle was a total loss. While the exact technical cause of ignition could not be determined at the scene, first responders confirmed that the fire originated within the vehicle’s engine compartment. BMW of North America was notified of the incident and represented that an inspection would be coordinated. I remained in contact with all involved parties and relied on BMW’s stated intent to contact the tow facility directly to arrange inspection. Despite this, BMW did not make contact with the tow company prior to the vehicle’s disposal. After the vehicle had already been sold by the tow yard, BMW indicated that coordination had not occurred and that inspection was no longer possible, resulting in loss of physical evidence. This complaint is submitted due to concern regarding a vehicle fire occurring while the vehicle was not in operation, inside a residential structure, and due to the manufacturer’s handling of the matter in a way that prevented timely inspection and meaningful safety review despite early notification and cooperation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jul 31, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · 95,000 miles · KY

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the A/C was blowing hot air, and the temperature gauge was rising. Additionally, there was white smoke coming from under the hood. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The contact had received the recall notification from the manufacturer. The contact called a local dealer and was informed that a plastic shield was to be installed on the water pump, but that the shield would not stop the engine from overheating. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure . The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

Filed Apr 29, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · 125,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was fluid leaking on the ground. Additionally, the message "Engine Overheated, Please Stop Now" was displayed while driving, and smoke was coming from under the hood. The contact pulled over and waited for the engine to cool down. Upon inspection under the hood, the contact discovered a hole in the coolant reservoir, with coolant all over the engine compartment. There was smoke coming from the coolant pump. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the coolant pump and coolant hoses; however, the failure persisted, with the engine overheating and the vehicle failing to accelerate above 60 MPH while driving. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); 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 failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Mar 20, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · 100,000 miles · NM

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that there was smoke coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure had originated from the driver's side low beam headlight, which had become inoperable. The contact stated that there was a burning odor coming from the headlight. The contact removed the bulb from the headlight housing. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the contact noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated there was a smoky odor coming through the A/C vents upon activating the heat. The contact stated that the instrument cluster had become inoperable. 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. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Mar 10, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · CA

The check engine light came on a few months ago and my mechanic informed me that the vehicle has a recall issues for it. No remedy has been identified and the car is not operable as doing so may result in the car catching on fire. BMW has no timeframe for when they will be fixing this issue.

Filed Jan 3, 2025 · Electrical · TX

There is an outstanding recall on the car and BMW reached out by mail. it's green months - and now my car is starting to smell liked it is on fire (burning plastic smell) and smoke is coming from the ventilation in the dash. Now I have no car I can drive.

Filed Dec 27, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · 60,000 miles · AL

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine And Engine Cooling, Electrical System); 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 contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a burning odor was detected, and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. No warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Nov 26, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · 112,000 miles · TN

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the engine was overheating. The contact noticed white smoke coming from under the hood on the passenger's side. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the vehicle. The message "Engine Overheating" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where two independent mobile mechanics diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not 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. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Nov 5, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · 100,000 miles · MI

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 325I. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part 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 experienced the failure stated in the recall and there was smoke coming from the engine compartment with the check engine warning light illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The failure mileage was 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Oct 23, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · 59,000 miles · NY · fire

The contact owned a 2015 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, and while at a complete stop, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood and through the A/C vents. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the A/C only blew hot air. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the timing belt, the oil gasket, the oil pan, and unknown fuses were replaced; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was smoke coming from the A/C vents and from the charging port. The contact stated that the infotainment system then caught on fire. The contact exited the vehicle. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with two extinguishers and with the assistance of the fire department. A fire department report was filed. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and totaled. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the fire had not occurred due to a manufacturing defect. The contact later received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System), which she related to the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.