Total Complaints
6 filings
BMW 128I US · model year
2009 BMW 128I US
6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2009BMW128I US carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2009 128I US is exterior lighting with 1 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and structure:body (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2009 128I US. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
6
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20190409UNKNOWN OR OTHER
EXTERIOR HEATED MIRRORS WITH DIMMING HAVE TURNED A DARK BROWN COLOR. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A LARGE PROBLEM WITH VARIOUS MODELS/YEARS BMW'S. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL BMW DEALER AND WAS TOLD THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM OFTEN BUT BMW NORTH AMERICA WILL NOT DEAL WITH IT. I CALLED BMW NORTH AMERICA AND WAS TOLD BY BOTH A CUSTOMER SERVICE AND A SUPERVISOR THAT THEY DO NOT CONSIDER THE EXTERIOR MIRRORS A SAFETY ISSUE. (KATRINA EMPLOYEE # 8936 AND RENZO EMPLOYEE # 7647.) IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE WITH THESE DEFECTIVE MIRRORS AND I HAVE HAD TO ORDER REPLACEMENT OF THE MIRROR GLASS FOR BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES. I AM ATTACHING PHOTOGRAPHS TO SHOW THE ISSUE.
Mileage: 100,000
20170608AIR BAGS
"TAKATA RECALL"
20160321STRUCTURE:BODY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW 128I US. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CENTER REAR BRAKE LIGHT LENS WAS DETACHING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LENS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVEN TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.
Mileage: 93,000
20160321EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW 128I US. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CENTER REAR BRAKE LIGHT LENS WAS DETACHING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LENS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVEN TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.
Mileage: 93,000
20110208FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW 128I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE TAILLIGHTS FAILED AND TOXIC BURNING FUMES WERE EMITTING INTO THE INTERIOR CABIN OF THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE VENTILATION SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURES BUT OPTED TO PLACE DEODORANT TO THE AIR CONDITIONER AS A REMEDY. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, THE AIR CONDITIONER FAILED. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT ONE POUND OF FREON HAD LEAKED THAT THE VALVE WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. AFTER REPAIRS, THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE THEN STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS UNSATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS OF THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST BECAUSE SHE BELIEVED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE THAT WAS CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED TO REPORT THE FAILURE AND SHE WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE AND CURR
Mileage: 9,000
20110105EXTERIOR LIGHTING
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW 128I. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS WERE INOPERABLE AND DUE TO THE DESIGN HE WAS UNABLE TO REPLACE THE BULB. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE ENTIRE REAR TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO PARTS AVAILABLE IN NORTH AMERICA. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE MANUFACTURER NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 6,000.
Mileage: 6,000
Compare 2009BMW128I US to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2009 BMW 128I US have?▼
The 2009 BMW 128I US has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 BMW 128I US?▼
The most-complained component for the 2009 BMW 128I US is EXTERIOR LIGHTING with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and STRUCTURE:BODY.
Is the 2009 BMW 128I US safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.