RoadVitals

2009 BMW 3 Series Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Sep 25, 2018
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
15%
of 53 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 BMW 3 Series submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalEngine
Filed Sep 25, 2018

RECALL # 17V676, 17V683 IT HAS BEEN NEARLY A YEAR AND I'M STILL UNABLE TO MAKE REPAIR APPOINTMENT WITH BMW DEALER FOR REASON OF PARTS UNAVAILABLE. MY AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM COULDN'T KEEP CAR COOL ENOUGH AS HEAT FROM THE ENGINE IS HIGH.

NHTSA ID
11131585
Incident
Apr 1, 2018
Mileage
78,000 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 20, 2018

IN NOVEMBER 2017 I RECEIVED TWO (2) RECALL NOTICES FOR MY 2009 BMW 328I. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE BLOWER MOTOR WIRING (RECALL CAMPAIGN # 17V-676) AND PCV VALVE HEATER (RECALL CAMPAIGN # 17V-676) WERE DEFECTIVE. I WAS FURTHER NOTIFIED THAT NO REMEDY FOR EITHER DEFECT WAS AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME. IT IS NOW SEPTEMBER 2018. I HAVE CONTACTED BMW AND BEEN ADVISED THAT AT THIS TIME A REMEDY REMAINS UNAVAILABLE. I AM CONSIDERING SELLING OR TRADING IN MY VEHICLE BUT BECAUSE THIS RECALL HAS NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED MY RESALE PRICE MAY BE LOWERED. IF TWO (2) RECALL REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN PERFORMED 10 MONTHS AFTER A RECALL NOTICE HAS BEEN ISSUED, WHY BOTHER ISSUING THE RECALL NOTICE IN NOVEMBER 2017 IF IT IS FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE THAN BUREAUCRATIC PAPER SHUFFLING FOR BMW TO CLAIM TO THE NHTSA THAT BMW IS GOING TO FIX A DEFECT WHILE ACTUALLY DOING NOTHING TO REMEDY THE DEFECT?

NHTSA ID
11130329
Incident
Nov 1, 2017
Engine
Filed Dec 9, 2014

ON THE HIGHWAY STUCK IN TRAFFIC GOING ABOUT 30-35 MPH THE CAR SUDDENLY SHUTS OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED 6-7 TIMES NOW. 2 OF THOSE TIMES I WAS TAKING A SLOW LEFT HAND TURN IT HAS DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC ALMOST HITTING ME. 2009 BMW 335D. *TR

NHTSA ID
10663087
Incident
Dec 9, 2014
Mileage
71,000 mi
Engine
Filed May 18, 2014

CAR WAS RUNNING VERY BAD BOTH CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON WITH ONE BLINKING TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO CERTIFIED BMW DEALER WHO REPLACED FUEL INJECTORS, VALVE AND TUNED IT UP COST 3500 DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM THEY SAID IT'S GAS TO AIR RATIO IS NOT CORRECT THE CAR MISFIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS THE BMW DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ME ANOTHER 1600-2700 DOLLARS TO FIX IT. AFTER PICKING THE CAR UP AFTER THE FIRST REPAIRED I WAS BACK IN 2 DAYS LATER. DREYER AND REINBOLD IS THE DEALERSHIP. UPDATED 11/24/2014 *JS

NHTSA ID
10592236
Incident
Apr 20, 2013
Mileage
58,000 mi
ElectricalEngine
Filed Sep 16, 2013

I HAVE A 2009 BMW328XI, WHICH I BOUGHT BRAND NEW AND PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR. I ONLY HAVE 59,000 MILES. ON AUGUST 3, 2013 THE CAR TEMPERATURE LIGHT WENT ON, FIRST YELLOW AND NOT EVEN TWO SECONDS LATER RED. WITH OUT WARNING THE CAR DIDN'T MOVE. SO I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY. THINKING THE CAR IS OVER HEATING. INSTEAD, AFTER GETTING IT TOWED FOUND OUT THE WATER PUMP AND ELECTRIC THERMOSTAT WENT. I AM VERY UNHAPPY THAT A 4 AND HALF YEAR OLD CAR SHOULDN'T HAVE SUCH PROBLEMS. I'VE HAD MANY HIGH END CARS IN THE PAST FOR 11 YEARS AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM IN SUCH A SHORT LIFE OF A CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10543851
Incident
Aug 3, 2013
Mileage
59,000 mi
EngineFuel system
Filed Oct 18, 2012

2009 BMW 335D, EGR COOLER CRACKS OPEN AND STARTS FUMING UNFILTERED DIESEL EXHAUST INTO THE ENVIRONMENT AND INTO COCK PIT OF CAR. HIGHLY DANGEROUS GAS HAS SEVERE IMPACT TO OCCUPANTS, CAR COULD NOT BE DRIVEN AS EXHAUST SMELL INSIDE OF CAR. BMW REFUSE TO FIX THIS UNDER BELOW MENTIONED RECALL AS IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE COOLER. RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. 11E-A03: BMW VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS RECALL CAMPAIGN SCR CATALYST, EGR VALVE AND/OR DEF MIXER AND ECU SOFTWARE FLASH FAILED EXHAUST COOLER MAKES THE CAR ILLEGAL ON ROAD AS IT EXCEEDS EMISSION LIMITS AND IS IMPACTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND IS A HEALTH HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ID
10481059
Incident
Oct 1, 2012
Mileage
59,700 mi
EngineFuel system
Filed Aug 25, 2011

ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011, MY 2009 328I SHUT DOWN WITHOUT NOTICE IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF I-90 AT MILE MARKER 80.002 ABOUT A MILE FROM OHARE AIRPORT IN CHICAGO. IT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART AND I WAS LEFT TO CALL 911 AND SPEND 10 MINUTES WAITING FOR DOT TO TOW ME OFF THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY AND TO A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD TO WAIT ANOTHER HOUR FOR AAA TO TOW MY CAR TO PERILLO BMW IN CHICAGO TO ASSESS THE ISSUE. JUNE 15TH 2011: ABOUT 3 HOURS AFTER BRINGING MY CAR INTO THE ZIMBRICK BMW SERVICE FACILITY TO HAVE A SET OF AFTER-MARKET LED LIGHTS INSTALLED AT COST, THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT APPEARED ILLUMINATED ON MY DASHBOARD. AS I HAD NEVER SEEN THIS LIGHT APPEAR ON MY LESS THAN 2 YEAR OLD CAR BEFORE, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE PERSON WHO WAS HEAD OF YOUR SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS HOW THIS LIGHT COULD APPEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER HAVING MY CAR IN HOURS EARLIER ON A SERVICE APPOINTMENT THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE TOUCHED THE ENGINE. A LOANER CAR WAS PROMPTLY DRIVEN TO MY OFFICE, TO CHECK INTO THE ISSUE AND TAKE MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR FURTHER INSPECTION, IF NECESSARY. THE FOLLOWING IS THE CONVERSATION THAT TRANSPIRED BETWEEN THE SERVICE REP AND I, UPON HIS REVIEW OF MY VEHICLE, USING A COMPUTER CONNECTION TO PULL DATA FROM MY CARS ONBOARD COMPUTER SYSTEM: SA: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU FILLED THE CAR WITH GAS? ME: (CHECKING THE ODOMETER, AS I RESET IT WITH EACH FULL TANK OF GAS) ABOUT 97 MILES AGO. SA: WELL, THE COMPUTER IS REPORTING THE ISSUE HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH YOUR FUEL PUMP, HOWEVER, I THINK IT MIGHT JUST BE THAT YOUR GAS CAP MAY HAVE BEEN UNSCREWED. ME: I CAN'T SAY THAT MAKES MUCH SENSE, AS I FILLED IT UP 97 MILES AGO AND HAVEN'T SEEN AN ISSUE UNTIL NOW. SA; WELL, LET ME JUST TURN THE INDICATOR LIGHT OFF AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU RUN INTO THIS ISSUE AGAIN.

NHTSA ID
10422252
Incident
Aug 18, 2011
Mileage
38,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 3, 2011

ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF WHEN CLUTCH IS DEPRESSED. THIS SITUATION HAPPENS WHEN EXITING THE HIGHWAY ON HOT DAYS WITH THE AC RUNNING. IT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES UNDER THE SAME SCENARIO. *TR

NHTSA ID
10404374
Incident
Jun 2, 2011
Mileage
35,000 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .