2011 BMW 135I US Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2011 BMW 135I US, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical228.6%
- Engine228.6%
- Powertrain (other)228.6%
- Other / unspecified114.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
POSITIVE CRANKCASE VENTILATION (PCV) VALVE HEATER
I PURCHASED MY CAR WITH 2 YEARS OF USE AND 16,000 MILES ON IT, BACK IN DECEMBER 2012. SINCE THEN, I'VE BEEN ONLY HAVING TROUBLES WITH THE CAR. MY FIRST ISSUE WAS BACK IN FEBRUARY WITH A BLOWN CHARGEPIPE. THE CAR JUST LEFT ME STRANDED 50 MILES FROM HOME AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED BACK. ON JULY IT LEFT ME STRANDED AGAIN, IT WAS A BROKEN VANOS BOLT IN THE ENGINE. DURING THIS VISIT, I TOLD TO THE SA THE HARD TIME MY CAR WAS HAVING WHEN CRANKING EVERY MORNING FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS. I GOT THE CAR BACK, AND IT SEEMED THAT EVERYTHING WAS FIXED, BUT THE BATTERY. I WAS TOLD THAT THE BATTERY WAS DISCHARGED DUE TO OVER CRANKING WHEN I GOT STRANDED. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE CAR GAVE ME AN ENGINE WARNING YELLOW LIGHT. IT RESULTED TO BE THAT THE INTAKE VANOS MODULE FAILED. THEY DID A ROAD TEST THIS TIME TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS WORKING ACCORDINGLY. WHEN I WAS DRIVING BACK HOME I NOTICED A HEAVY WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE BAY, AND A BURNING SMELL. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE. FOR MY FORTUNE IT WASN'T A FIRE, IT WAS JUST BURNING OIL. THEY TOOK THE CAR BACK IN AGAIN, AND FOUND OUT THAT THE GASKET WAS NOT PROPERLY REINSTALLED WHEN THEY WERE WORKING WITH THE VANOS. WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK, THE ROAD FELT REALLY SOLID, THE NEXT MORNING I CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE AND GUESS WHAT? 50PSI ON ALL FOUR TIRES WHEN COLD! APPARENTLY THEY DID A COURTESY FILL UP WHEN THERE. 1 WEEK AFTER, MY CAR LEFT ME STRANDED AGAIN. A REALLY STRANGE CLICKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM RIGHT UNDER THE DASHBOARD. I HAD TO MANUALLY GET IT INTO NEUTRAL AND PUSH THE CAR ALL THE WAY DOWN THE PARKING LOT SO THE TOW TRUCK COULD TAKE IT AWAY. I COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS 1 MONTH AGO, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BATTERY WAS IN PERFECT SHAPE. COME ON, THE CAR HAD A DYING BATTERY SYMPTOM, AND IT WAS COMPLETELY IGNORED BACK THEN, UNTIL IT LEFT ME STRANDED, AGAIN! WAY TO GO BMW. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE WILL "JOLT" FORWARD. THIS ISSUE HAS HAPPENED TO ME OVER 100 TIMES. THE ISSUE IS BEST DESCRIBED LIKE THIS. I WILL DRIVE THROUGH A FAST FOOD DRIVE-THRU LINE AND THERE WILL BE 1 OTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I WILL PULL UP AND BRAKE TO A COMPLETE STOP TO ORDER. THE OTHER VEHICLE IS AT THE RESTAURANT WINDOW PAYING SO THAT CAR IS ONLY ABOUT 20 FEET IN FRONT OF ME. SINCE THE GAP BETWEEN ME AND THE OTHER CAR ARE SO CLOSE I WILL NOT GIVE MY VEHICLE ANY GAS, I WILL ONLY LIFT MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND MOVE FORWARD AT IDLE SPEEDS. ONCE I REACH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME, I PROCEED WITH PRESSING THE BRAKE (USUALLY "PULSING" THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SCOOT FORWARD SAFELY ONCE I'M VERY CLOSE). AT THAT POINT MY VEHICLE WILL JOLT FORWARD AS IF I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY IN AND OUT QUICKLY. SINCE MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE "SCOOTING" SAFELY, MY VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO REALLY MOVE. THIS DRIVE-THRU EXAMPLE HAS HAPPENED COUNTLESS TIMES. I'VE ALSO BEEN PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE WITH A SIDE WALK IN FRONT OF IT. WHEN PULLING INTO THE SPACE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND MOVING AT IDLE SPEEDS MY VEHICLE TRIED TO JUMP FORWARD AND SOMEONE HAPPENED TO BE WALKING BY AND THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HIT THEM IN MY CAR.I'VE HAD THE ISSUE HAPPEN IN REVERSE GEAR AS WELL. THIS PROBLEM IS CONSISTENT ON BMW FORUMS SUCH AS WWW.BIMMERPOST,COM AND WWW.1SERIESONLINE.COM AND I'VE TALKED WITH BMW DEALERSHIPS AND THEY HAVE NO FIX FOR IT AND CLAIM THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM FEELS TO BE A FAULT IN THE DCT TRANSMISSION. WHEN MY VEHICLE JOLTS FORWARD, IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE ITS TRYING TO SHIFT UP AND THEN SHIFT DOWN QUICKLY CAUSING IT TO JOLT FORWARD. THE PROBLEM WORSENS IF I HAVE MY A/C ON AT ALL. *TR
I PURCHASED MY CAR WITH 2 YEARS OF USE AND 16,000 MILES ON IT, BACK IN DECEMBER 2012. SINCE THEN, I'VE BEEN ONLY HAVING TROUBLES WITH THE CAR. MY FIRST ISSUE WAS BACK IN FEBRUARY WITH A BLOWN CHARGEPIPE. THE CAR JUST LEFT ME STRANDED 50 MILES FROM HOME AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED BACK. ON JULY IT LEFT ME STRANDED AGAIN, IT WAS A BROKEN VANOS BOLT IN THE ENGINE. DURING THIS VISIT, I TOLD TO THE SA THE HARD TIME MY CAR WAS HAVING WHEN CRANKING EVERY MORNING FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS. I GOT THE CAR BACK, AND IT SEEMED THAT EVERYTHING WAS FIXED, BUT THE BATTERY. I WAS TOLD THAT THE BATTERY WAS DISCHARGED DUE TO OVER CRANKING WHEN I GOT STRANDED. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE CAR GAVE ME AN ENGINE WARNING YELLOW LIGHT. IT RESULTED TO BE THAT THE INTAKE VANOS MODULE FAILED. THEY DID A ROAD TEST THIS TIME TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS WORKING ACCORDINGLY. WHEN I WAS DRIVING BACK HOME I NOTICED A HEAVY WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE BAY, AND A BURNING SMELL. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE. FOR MY FORTUNE IT WASN'T A FIRE, IT WAS JUST BURNING OIL. THEY TOOK THE CAR BACK IN AGAIN, AND FOUND OUT THAT THE GASKET WAS NOT PROPERLY REINSTALLED WHEN THEY WERE WORKING WITH THE VANOS. WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK, THE ROAD FELT REALLY SOLID, THE NEXT MORNING I CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE AND GUESS WHAT? 50PSI ON ALL FOUR TIRES WHEN COLD! APPARENTLY THEY DID A COURTESY FILL UP WHEN THERE. 1 WEEK AFTER, MY CAR LEFT ME STRANDED AGAIN. A REALLY STRANGE CLICKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM RIGHT UNDER THE DASHBOARD. I HAD TO MANUALLY GET IT INTO NEUTRAL AND PUSH THE CAR ALL THE WAY DOWN THE PARKING LOT SO THE TOW TRUCK COULD TAKE IT AWAY. I COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS 1 MONTH AGO, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BATTERY WAS IN PERFECT SHAPE. COME ON, THE CAR HAD A DYING BATTERY SYMPTOM, AND IT WAS COMPLETELY IGNORED BACK THEN, UNTIL IT LEFT ME STRANDED, AGAIN! WAY TO GO BMW. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE WILL "JOLT" FORWARD. THIS ISSUE HAS HAPPENED TO ME OVER 100 TIMES. THE ISSUE IS BEST DESCRIBED LIKE THIS. I WILL DRIVE THROUGH A FAST FOOD DRIVE-THRU LINE AND THERE WILL BE 1 OTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I WILL PULL UP AND BRAKE TO A COMPLETE STOP TO ORDER. THE OTHER VEHICLE IS AT THE RESTAURANT WINDOW PAYING SO THAT CAR IS ONLY ABOUT 20 FEET IN FRONT OF ME. SINCE THE GAP BETWEEN ME AND THE OTHER CAR ARE SO CLOSE I WILL NOT GIVE MY VEHICLE ANY GAS, I WILL ONLY LIFT MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND MOVE FORWARD AT IDLE SPEEDS. ONCE I REACH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME, I PROCEED WITH PRESSING THE BRAKE (USUALLY "PULSING" THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SCOOT FORWARD SAFELY ONCE I'M VERY CLOSE). AT THAT POINT MY VEHICLE WILL JOLT FORWARD AS IF I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY IN AND OUT QUICKLY. SINCE MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE "SCOOTING" SAFELY, MY VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO REALLY MOVE. THIS DRIVE-THRU EXAMPLE HAS HAPPENED COUNTLESS TIMES. I'VE ALSO BEEN PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE WITH A SIDE WALK IN FRONT OF IT. WHEN PULLING INTO THE SPACE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND MOVING AT IDLE SPEEDS MY VEHICLE TRIED TO JUMP FORWARD AND SOMEONE HAPPENED TO BE WALKING BY AND THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HIT THEM IN MY CAR.I'VE HAD THE ISSUE HAPPEN IN REVERSE GEAR AS WELL. THIS PROBLEM IS CONSISTENT ON BMW FORUMS SUCH AS WWW.BIMMERPOST,COM AND WWW.1SERIESONLINE.COM AND I'VE TALKED WITH BMW DEALERSHIPS AND THEY HAVE NO FIX FOR IT AND CLAIM THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM FEELS TO BE A FAULT IN THE DCT TRANSMISSION. WHEN MY VEHICLE JOLTS FORWARD, IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE ITS TRYING TO SHIFT UP AND THEN SHIFT DOWN QUICKLY CAUSING IT TO JOLT FORWARD. THE PROBLEM WORSENS IF I HAVE MY A/C ON AT ALL. *TR
UNINTENDED ACCELERATION BECAUSE OF DUAL-CLUTCH TRANSMISSION (DCT); CAR WAS IN DRIVE SLOWING TO STOP SIGN. ALMOST AT STOP CAR LURCHED 2 TO 3 FEET INTO THE INTERSECTION BEFORE I COULD SLAM ON BRAKES. IN EARLIER SPUTTER AND LURCH SITUATION WITH THE DCT, CAR WAS SLOWING DOWN TO ACCELERATE THROUGH INTERSECTION IN TRAFFIC. DRIVER PUSHED ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO SPEED UP AND IT SPUTTERED FOR COUNTS OF ONE THOUSAND, TWO THOUSAND, THREE THOUSAND. ON COUNT OF FOUR THOUSAND IT ENGAGED AND STARTED TO MOVE AHEAD AS THE DRIVER DESIRED. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO TWO BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENTS ABOUT SPUTTER AND LURCH TRANSMISSION. BOTH TEST DROVE 135I BRIEFLY AND DECLARED IT FINE. NO WORK TO BE DONE UNDER WARRANTY, THEY SAID. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
I PURCHASED MY CAR WITH 2 YEARS OF USE AND 16,000 MILES ON IT, BACK IN DECEMBER 2012. SINCE THEN, I'VE BEEN ONLY HAVING TROUBLES WITH THE CAR. MY FIRST ISSUE WAS BACK IN FEBRUARY WITH A BLOWN CHARGEPIPE. THE CAR JUST LEFT ME STRANDED 50 MILES FROM HOME AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED BACK. ON JULY IT LEFT ME STRANDED AGAIN, IT WAS A BROKEN VANOS BOLT IN THE ENGINE. DURING THIS VISIT, I TOLD TO THE SA THE HARD TIME MY CAR WAS HAVING WHEN CRANKING EVERY MORNING FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS. I GOT THE CAR BACK, AND IT SEEMED THAT EVERYTHING WAS FIXED, BUT THE BATTERY. I WAS TOLD THAT THE BATTERY WAS DISCHARGED DUE TO OVER CRANKING WHEN I GOT STRANDED. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE CAR GAVE ME AN ENGINE WARNING YELLOW LIGHT. IT RESULTED TO BE THAT THE INTAKE VANOS MODULE FAILED. THEY DID A ROAD TEST THIS TIME TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS WORKING ACCORDINGLY. WHEN I WAS DRIVING BACK HOME I NOTICED A HEAVY WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE BAY, AND A BURNING SMELL. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE. FOR MY FORTUNE IT WASN'T A FIRE, IT WAS JUST BURNING OIL. THEY TOOK THE CAR BACK IN AGAIN, AND FOUND OUT THAT THE GASKET WAS NOT PROPERLY REINSTALLED WHEN THEY WERE WORKING WITH THE VANOS. WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK, THE ROAD FELT REALLY SOLID, THE NEXT MORNING I CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE AND GUESS WHAT? 50PSI ON ALL FOUR TIRES WHEN COLD! APPARENTLY THEY DID A COURTESY FILL UP WHEN THERE. 1 WEEK AFTER, MY CAR LEFT ME STRANDED AGAIN. A REALLY STRANGE CLICKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM RIGHT UNDER THE DASHBOARD. I HAD TO MANUALLY GET IT INTO NEUTRAL AND PUSH THE CAR ALL THE WAY DOWN THE PARKING LOT SO THE TOW TRUCK COULD TAKE IT AWAY. I COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS 1 MONTH AGO, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BATTERY WAS IN PERFECT SHAPE. COME ON, THE CAR HAD A DYING BATTERY SYMPTOM, AND IT WAS COMPLETELY IGNORED BACK THEN, UNTIL IT LEFT ME STRANDED, AGAIN! WAY TO GO BMW. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .