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2011 BMW 128i ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING Recalls

3 recalls Highest severity: Critical

All recalls are free to repair at your local dealership. Contact your dealer to schedule service for ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING issues.

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ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING Safety Recalls

Critical #22V119000 Plain English
Component

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)

Manufacturer
BMW of North America, LLC
What Happened
The PCV valve heater in your vehicle helps control emissions by warming up the positive crankcase ventilation valve. It's a small electrical component located near the engine.
Risk if Unfixed
If the heater short circuits, it can overheat and catch fire while you're driving or when you're parked, possibly causing a fire in your engine compartment.
Free Fix
Your BMW dealer will install a new electrical wiring harness with a fuse to protect the PCV valve heater, which should prevent overheating and fires. This repair is free of charge, and you should schedule it as soon as you get the recall notice.
Show original NHTSA language
Original — What Happened
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.
Original — Risk if Unfixed
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.
Original — Remedy
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.
View full recall details → Repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Find a dealer →
Critical #17V683000 Plain English
Component

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)

Manufacturer
BMW of North America, LLC
What Happened
The PCV valve in your vehicle helps clean the air in your engine by recirculating it. The heater for this valve could short circuit and overheat, causing it to malfunction.
Risk if Unfixed
If the PCV valve heater fails, it could melt and start a fire, even when your car is parked and turned off. This is a serious safety risk, and you should get it fixed right away.
Free Fix
Your BMW dealer will replace the faulty PCV valve heater with a new one at no cost to you. They'll send you a notification when it's time to schedule the repair, and you should follow their instructions to get it done.
Show original NHTSA language
Original — What Happened
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2011 128i and 2007-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Original — Risk if Unfixed
An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.
Original — Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notification by the end of October 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
View full recall details → Repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Find a dealer →
Critical #14V176000 Plain English
Component

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Manufacturer
BMW of North America, LLC
What Happened
The VANOS unit in your engine controls the timing of the valves that let air and fuel into your engine. It's held in place by four bolts that can loosen or break over time.
Risk if Unfixed
If the bolts break, your engine may lose power or stall while you're driving. This could increase the risk of a crash, especially if you're on the highway or in heavy traffic.
Free Fix
Your BMW dealer will replace the four VANOS housing bolts for both the intake and exhaust VANOS units at no cost to you. This repair should be done as soon as possible to prevent any potential issues.
Show original NHTSA language
Original — What Happened
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 128i Coupe, 128i Convertible, 328i Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 328i Coupe, 328i Convertible, 328i Sports Wagon and Z4 sDrive 30i, 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 135i Convertible, 335i Sedan, X5 xDrive 35i, and X6 xDrive 35i, 2011 335i xDrive Sedan, 335i Coupe, 335i Convertible, 528i Sedan, 535i Sedan, 535i xDrive Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, and X3 xDrive 35i, 2010 X3 xDrive 30i, and X5 xDrive 30i, 2012 640i Coupe, and 640i Convertible and 2010-2012 535i Gran Turismo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit can loosen over time and may possibly break.
Original — Risk if Unfixed
If the bolts loosen or break the engine may have reduced power or stall. An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Original — Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four VANOS housing bolts for both VANOS units (intake and exhaust), free of charge. In addition, owners of approximately 170,172 model year 2010-2012 BMW vehicles equipped with inline 6 cylinder engines not covered by this recall, will receive an extended warranty to address this condition. The recall began on September 24, 2014. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417.
View full recall details → Repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Find a dealer →

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