2017 BMW 320I Problems: Engine (9 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2017 BMW 320I is Engine (44% of 9 owner reports). There are 0 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 9 complaints · 0 recalls

What problems show up on the 2017 BMW 320I?

4 of 9 filings named Engine (44% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Airbags (1 reports).

This snapshot lists no safety recalls for this year. That is not a clean bill of health. Still check the VIN at nhtsa.gov.

The 2016 has 25 reports on file; this year has 9. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2017 BMW 320I

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov even if this page lists none.
  2. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  3. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  4. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Engine. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Engine 4 complaints · 44.4% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 2
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 1
  • Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Engine (ENGINE) appears in 4 of 9 owner complaints (44.4%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 4 complaints, 44.4% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 4 · 44.4% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 1 complaints, 11.1% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 1 crash reports 1 · 11.1% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 1 complaints, 11.1% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 · 11.1% Steering (STEERING): 1 complaints, 11.1% of reports Steering (STEERING) 1 · 11.1% Wheels (WHEELS): 1 complaints, 11.1% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 1 crash reports 1 · 11.1% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 1 complaints, 11.1% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 1 · 11.1% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Engine (ENGINE) 4 44.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 1 11.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 11.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 1 11.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 1 11.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 1 11.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2022. 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Sep 2021 Jul 2025 Investigation EA21002 ● Investigation EA21002
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q2 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
2024-Q3 Owner reports 1
2024-Q4 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
Defect investigation 1 EA21002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (0)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

No safety recalls are on file for this model year in this snapshot.

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 9 of 9 complaints · page 1 of 1
2025-09-01Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11684304
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Electric Power Steering shuts off while driving.
2025-05-22Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11662649
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2017 BMW 320i. The contact stated that while his son was driving 35 MPH after an oil change was performed on the vehicle, the message "Engine Temperature High. Drive Moderately to Cool Engine. Consult Service Center" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the same independent mechanic, where an unknown diagnosis was made. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump electrical connector and wiring were corroded, fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to another dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump and the electrical connector needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. No further information was available. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
2024-11-26Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11627623
CrashFireInjuryDeath
On yesterday i went to the Bmw dealership for service. once i got there i reported that i been smelling a burning smell coming from underneath the hood. well the technician can back and reported i have 3 leaks. i was told i needed to replaced EG58 Gasket oil Filter housing, EN17 cylinder head cover Gasket. i need to know if my 2017 Bmw 320i have a Recall on this matter. i believe in 2022 from what i read today.
2024-08-20Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11609755
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I’m not sure why my car was not apart of this water pump recall. I was driving without any warning my car started stalling and then completely stopped on me. I had to pay for a new water pump due to this. I thought that was was strange as I have always be up on all maintenance for my car. My car was in top notch condition and this occurred from no where. Thank God I was not hit.; but this did cause me a lot of hassle and money. I am asking BMW to refund me for my time lost and money spent. My car should be among BMW recall. Please add this car model to the recall and refund me my money.
2024-06-01Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11591894
CrashFireInjuryDeath
On May 4th, at approximately 6:45 AM, I was driving in heavy rain at a speed under 65 miles per hour when my car hydroplaned and I lost control. This resulted in a significant accident. Despite the severity of the crash, the steering wheel airbag did not deploy, which resulted in a whiplash neck injury for me. There were no warning lamps or messages indicating a problem before the incident. However, after the crash, all the lights on the dashboard turned on. The malfunctioning airbag posed a serious risk to my safety. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer, manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or independent service centers since the incident
2023-12-15Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11560376
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Cracked fuel tank. Smells of gasoline when the tank is full but the odor goes away once the fuel level gets below 3/4-1/2 a tank. Here is a walk around video of when my car was in for this issue [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2023-08-14Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11538397
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The A/C shuts off after driving 40 minutes and the temperature of 250. Blower is running but will barely force air into the cabin
2023-06-02Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11525044
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2017 BMW 320I. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the contact stated that there was white smoke coming from the exhaust tip. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: SI B11 11 16 (N20 Engine Oil Feed Line to The Turbo Charger). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
2022-07-25Wheels (WHEELS)
NHTSA ODI 11475820
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The brakes wouldn’t work and car kept going even though I tried to brake several times and with all my strength The car stopped when crashed another car and I was able to shut down the car but the brakes did not work. The crash was very severe and airbags didn’t deploy. A faulty airbag message was shown on my car screen.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2017 BMW 320I?

Owners named Engine most often — 4 of 9 reports (44%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2017 BMW 320I?

NHTSA lists 0 safety recall campaigns. This snapshot lists none, which is not a clean bill of health. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2017 BMW 320I?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources