BMW 428i
Registered from 2014 to 2016.
About this model
The BMW 4 Series is a range of compact executive cars manufactured by BMW since 2013. The 4 Series was created when BMW spun off the 2-door models of the 3 Series into a separate series. The 4 Series is currently in its second generation.
From the Wikipedia article BMW 4 Series, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it stands out against its peers
- Electrical system: more complaints than 97% of 2015 cars — 46% of its 76 complaints, where an ordinary 2015 car has 17%.
- Engine and engine cooling: more complaints than 99% of 2015 cars — 34% of its 76 complaints, where an ordinary 2015 car has 2%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 23 owners reported this
- ENGINE — 5 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
- AIR BAGS — 4 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 3 owners reported this
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — 3 owners reported this
- SERVICE BRAKES — 3 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 2 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
- FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 2 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN — 2 owners reported this
- TIRES — 2 owners reported this
Crash test
| Stability control | Standard |
| Forward collision warning | Optional |
| Lane departure warning | Optional |
Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 240 hp · 1696 kg · 2810 mm wheelbase · 9.0 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.1 motorway · Coupe, 2-door |
| 2015 | 240 hp · 1696 kg · 2810 mm wheelbase · 9.0 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.1 motorway · Coupe, 2-door |
| 2014 | 240 hp · 1649 kg · 2810 mm wheelbase · 9.0 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.1 motorway · Coupe, 4-door |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
82% of 2016 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.
14V627000
A failure of the brake vacuum pump results in a reduction in braking power that could increase the risk of a crash.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will install a locking ring in the camshaft to retain the camshaft seal disk in the proper location, free of charge. The recall began on December 2, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
15V148000
If the driver's front air bag deployment timing is incorrect, there is an increased risk of personal injury in the event of a vehicle crash.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the air bag control module with corrected software version, free of charge. The recall began May 11, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
15V189000
If the fuel pump fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Owners were mailed interim notices on May 28, 2015. The recall began on July 6, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
24V288000
An inflator that ruptures may cause sharp metal fragments to enter or exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, an inflator that leaks gas may only partially inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the head air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 4, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
24V527000
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury or death.
The driver's front air bag will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
24V608000
An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.
Dealers will inspect and replace the water pump and plug connector as necessary, and install a protective shield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
25V871000
An inflator that ruptures may cause sharp metal fragments to enter or exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, an inflator that leaks gas may only partially inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the head air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 12, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Regulator investigations
Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.
What the maker told its dealers
Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.
BMW filed 342 bulletins about the 2016 428i.
- Equipment: 81
- Electrical system: 68
- Engine and engine cooling: 37
- Equipment adaptive/mobility: 21
- Structure: 20
- Visibility: 16
- Seats: 12
- Steering: 12
- Power train: 10
- Engine: 8
- Other: 57
- Fuel tank limited warranty for leakage, due to defects in materials or workmanship, has been extended to 15 years/150,000 miles as determined from the original in-service date · October 2024
- Fuel tank limited warranty for leakage, due to defects in materials or workmanship, has been extended to 15 years/150,000 miles as determined from the original in-service date · October 2024
- The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. · February 2024
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers… · February 2024
- The paint finish on the door jamb (above the door striker) is scratched due to the inner door cavity window seal. · December 2023
- Pressure control valve (pcv) extended ltd wty 15 years/150,000 miles · December 2023
- ?The front seat will not calibrate/initialize, and the stored faults cannot be deleted. · September 2023
- After programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes repeatedly fails. · June 2023
334 more.
Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.