2007 BMW 335I 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 2007 BMW 335I, 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
- Fuel system12233.2%
- Electrical5113.9%
- Engine5113.9%
- Airbags3810.4%
- Interior & seats226.0%
- Steering184.9%
- Powertrain (other)82.2%
- Brakes82.2%
- Exterior lighting71.9%
- Other / unspecified61.6%
- Driver assistance61.6%
- Visibility61.6%
- Body & structure51.4%
- Tires & wheels51.4%
- Transmission51.4%
- Seat belts51.4%
- Suspension41.1%
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
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 335I. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the yellow check engine warning light displayed on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the vehicle behind him came to a screeching halt to avoid causing a major accident. Multiple attempts to restart the vehicle failed, resulting in the vehicle being towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic determined the failure to be a defective high-pressure fuel pump. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 177,000.
The oil filter housing gasket, the mechatronic transmission and the electrical system failed. Yes, it is available for inspection. My safety and the safety of others were put at risk as a result of my vehicle losing power suddenly while I was driving on the highway. I was driving at the highway speed limit and my vehicle malfunctioned and lost power while others were at high speeds. I had to abruptly stop almost causing an accident. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by the BMW service center. The vehicle has been inspected by the BMW dealer service department. The warning lamps that came on my dashboard were the check engine light, oil level light, and the transmission light. The car was running poorly. The engine wouldn’t crank and then it would jolt after driving. I would smell oil occasionally. The symptoms first appeared in 2011. I had my vehicle serviced at BMW regularly. In 2016 the symptoms got worse despite having my vehicle serviced for the same issue. I had the repairs done at BMW and when I drove it for the first time after getting it repaired it still failed.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
The vehicle underwent a BMW recall repair involving the blower motor wiring, completed at an authorized BMW dealership. Immediately after the recall repair, the blower motor began operating intermittently. The system turns on and off while driving. The blower motor function can be temporarily restored by physically moving the wiring harness behind the glove box in the area where the recall repair was performed. Upon inspection, the wiring in the repair area appears to have been cut and spliced, with sections exposed and not properly insulated. The intermittent failure appears directly linked to movement of this wiring harness. The dealership was informed of the issue and recommended replacing the blower motor. However, the blower motor was functioning properly prior to the recall repair. The symptoms began immediately after the recall service. This condition presents a potential electrical safety concern and loss of HVAC functionality while driving. Photos documenting the wiring condition are available. I am requesting review of this recall repair to determine whether it was performed correctly and whether corrective action is required.
The coating on the angel.eye wiring is made to deteriorate (environmental purposes) but leads to shorting out. Now my angel eyes don't turn on. Wiring needs to be replaced. Could possibly cause a fire I would assume as the live wires have no coating. Multiple forums talk about this issue and lots of drivers experience this. It is a hazzard and possible fire instigator the same as the blower motor wiring which does have a recall.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 335I. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the yellow check engine warning light displayed on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the vehicle behind him came to a screeching halt to avoid causing a major accident. Multiple attempts to restart the vehicle failed, resulting in the vehicle being towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic determined the failure to be a defective high-pressure fuel pump. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 177,000.
The oil filter housing gasket, the mechatronic transmission and the electrical system failed. Yes, it is available for inspection. My safety and the safety of others were put at risk as a result of my vehicle losing power suddenly while I was driving on the highway. I was driving at the highway speed limit and my vehicle malfunctioned and lost power while others were at high speeds. I had to abruptly stop almost causing an accident. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by the BMW service center. The vehicle has been inspected by the BMW dealer service department. The warning lamps that came on my dashboard were the check engine light, oil level light, and the transmission light. The car was running poorly. The engine wouldn’t crank and then it would jolt after driving. I would smell oil occasionally. The symptoms first appeared in 2011. I had my vehicle serviced at BMW regularly. In 2016 the symptoms got worse despite having my vehicle serviced for the same issue. I had the repairs done at BMW and when I drove it for the first time after getting it repaired it still failed.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
SO I GOT A PAPER SAYING I HAD A RECALL ON MY AIR BAGS SO I CALLED AND GOT MY CAR TAKIN TO BMW IN BELLEVUE. BMW'S ROAD SIDE ASSISTANTS GAVE THE WRONG ADDRESS TO THE TOW COMPANY AND WOULD NOT ANSWER THE PHONE TOW FOR THEM> I EVEN ATTEMPTED TO CALL AND WAS PLACED ON HOLD FOR APPROXIMATYELY 40 MINUTES TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. FINALLY I SPOKE WITH THE TOW COMPANYS DISPATCHER WHO WAS SO FRUSTRATED HE STARTED ACCUSING ME OF PLAYING GAMES AND THREATENED TO HAVE MY VEHICLE DROPPED AT THE WRONG DEALERSHIP THEN EXTORTED ME FOR ANOTHER 80 DOLLARS JUST TO DROP MY CAR OFF HIS TRUCK AND LEAVE IT AT MY HOUSE. HOURS LATER AFTER FINALLY GETTING A HOD OF ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE THE EXACT SAME COMPANY RETURNED AND DELIVERED MY VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT LOCATION. AFTER ALL OF THIS WE ARE BEING JERKED AROUND BY BELLEVUE BMW ON THE RECALLS THEY ASKED ME FOR 3 HOURS OF LABOR AND PROMISED US TO GET THE VEHICLE STARTED AFTER APPROXIMATELY A WEEK THEY SAID MY DME IS BAD AN IT WOULD COST 8000.00 TO FIX IT AND SAID IT WASN'T WORTH FIXING BECAUSE IT WAS OLD NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT A RECALL UNTIL I FINALLY BROUGHT IT UP THE LAST TIME I SPOKE WITH BMW IN BELLEVUE WHICH WAS MONDAY THE15TH OF MARCH 2021. I WAS TOLD THE WIRE HARNESS WAS REPAIRED NOT REPLACED AND THE AIRBAG RECALL WAS REPLACED. THEN SAID MY BILL WAS OVER 600.00 > AFTER DOING MY RESEARCH THRU THENHTSA WEBSITE I FOUND OUT MY RECALLS WERE NOT FIXED AND I TOOK PHOTOS WITH THE DATES AND TIME SHOWING MY RECALLS WERE NOT FIXED WHICH I FEEL UPSET AND VERY WORRIED AND CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY NOW I AM NOT SURE WHERE TO GO FROM HEAR BECAUSE MY FAMILY AND I ARE BEING PLACED INTO A HARDSHIP AND TO MAKE IT WORSE WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC PLEASE HELP US. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYTHING WAS DONE TO THE CAR I THINK WE NEED TO TALK TO AN ATTORNEY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 335I. WHILE DRIVING 50-55 MPH, THE CONTACT SWERVED TO AVOID ANOTHER VEHICLE, BUT CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE BACK, NECK, AND HEAD, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR ON PASSENGER SEAT HAS FAILED. SHOWS AS "AIRBAG LIGHT" ON DASH. BMW ALREADY RECALLED SOME VEHICLES FOR THIS, AND GAVE A 15-YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR CARS INCLUDING MY MODEL AND MODEL YEAR, BUT REFUSE TO HONOR THE WARRANTY FOR MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE BECAUSE IT HAS SPORTS SEATS INSTEAD OF STANDARD SEATS. LOOKUP ON BMW PARTS NUMBERS SHOW THAT THE SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR HAS THE SAME PART NUMBER ON SPORTS AND NON-SPORTS SEATS. NO REMEDY FROM BMW, INCLUDING CONTACT TO BMW USA (HAVE RECORD OF EMAILS, INCLUDING AN OFFER FOR A PHONE CALL I NEVER RECEIVED).
AIRBAG PROBLEM LIGHT CONSTANTLY LIT; "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" LIGHT ALWAYS ON EVEN WHEN THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. MECHANIC STATES THAT THE CAR IS GIVING A CODE FOR A FAILED PASSENGER OCCUPANCY SENSOR. THERE IS ALREADY A RECALL FOR THIS MODEL AND YEAR (NHTSA CAMPAIGN 13V564000), BUT MY CAR (BUILD DATE JULY 07, 3-SERIES WITH SPORTS SEATS) IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL OR THE VOLUNTARY WARRANTY EXTENSION ACCORDING TO BMW... .UPDATED 10/04/17 *BF THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THE VEHICLE BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PART NUMBER AS THE RECALL PART. UPDATED 10/17/2017*JS
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
Earlier this year in February I have replaced the alternator and some other major part right after purchasing from dealership and i have seen all the other recent recalls for the vehicle also it appears to have recalls that have not been worked on by manufacture . there also were no signs that came on also the wheel tightened up and stopped on me out of no where while driving. this being the second time this has happened as on new years i was on the freeway on my way home and the car did the same when i first replaced the alternator
I WENT TO START MY CAR AND THERE WAS A RED WARNING LIGHT THAT IS A STEERING WHEEL WITH A PADLOCK. I AM NOT ABLE TO START MY CAR OR DO ANYTHING WITH IT FOR THAT MATTER, SO I AM STUCK. THANK GOODNESS I WAS HOME AND PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY OR WORSE, DRIVING AND IT LOCK ON ME! SO NOW I AM STUCK WITHOUT A CAR AND HARD TELLING WHAT ITS GOING TO COST ME! IVE BEEN READING THAT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING OR HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
NORMAL USE OF DS SPORT MODE INVOLVED MOVING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTER TO THE LEFT. THIS PUTS TENSION ON THE WIRES THAT SUPPORT THIS FUNCTION, CRIMPING THE WIRES AND FREQUENTLY LEADING TO FAILURE. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE WITH THE WAY THE WIRING HARNESS IS ROUTED WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION LEVER. THIS IS DOCUMENTED AS A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE IN NUMEROUS DIY VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE AND INTERNET FORUMS. FAILURE OF DS SPORT MODE MEANS THAT CAR CAN NO LONGER BE USED IN THIS MODE. HOWEVER, IT CAN BE DRIVEN IN NORMAL MODE. THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT, THROUGH NORMAL USE, RESULTS IN A FAILURE THAT MAY REQUIRE AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. MY LOCAL SHOP QUOTED ME $1,500 TO REPLACE THE SHIFTER.
THE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK. CAR WON'T GO IN REVERSE, ALSO CAR HAD NO POWER TO ACCELERATE IN DRIVE MODE. THIS WAS CAUSED BECAUSE THE VALVE BODY SEALING SLEEVE THAT IS MADE OF PLASTIC BROKE.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
No past issues with brakes. No warning lights. Went to brake and pedal went to the floor. Christmas tree of lights go off about brake/abs/traction control issue. Press pedal agian, same thing. Press again, and finally get brakes. I was going about 35mph. Luckily I didn't coast through a busy intersection, but if this happened somewhere else, I or others could be dead. I had room to maneuver and avoid an accident. There is no hydraulic issue. There is no leak, fluid is full. Brakes work perfectly fine since this. My guess is that the ABS valves went full open, like it thought all wheels were locked up even though they never even braked. I have not yet had it diagnosed, but the result is irrelevant since this did happen and happened without warning and without a good cause. So it should be reported and tracked. I don't feel the ABS should ever have a failure mode of full open no brakes. Even if the car is old and high mileage (179k).
ABS HYDRAULIC PUMP UNIT FAILURE. THIS FAILURE COULD RESULT IN A LACK OF BREAKING CAPACITY IN ALL CONDITIONS. THE COST TO REPAIR IS PROHIBITIVE AND FROM THE SEARCH OF THE INTERNET IT IS PERVASIVE IN THE 2005-2010 MODEL YEARS IN THE 3 SERIES BMW.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
The coating on the angel.eye wiring is made to deteriorate (environmental purposes) but leads to shorting out. Now my angel eyes don't turn on. Wiring needs to be replaced. Could possibly cause a fire I would assume as the live wires have no coating. Multiple forums talk about this issue and lots of drivers experience this. It is a hazzard and possible fire instigator the same as the blower motor wiring which does have a recall.
Vehicles equipped with the Xenon Headlight option that have spent time in warmer climates have very poor quality wiring inside the headlight itself, whose insulation degrades and falls off, exposing bare copper that shorts, causes lighting faults, and disables headlights. This happened in my own car, the driver side headlight Daytime Running Light just stopped working one day, first with no fault codes, then eventually fault codes started appearing as more parts of the headlight stopped working, including the low-beam while driving at night. Obviously the headlights ceasing to work randomly is extremely unsafe on roadways at night, like what happened in my case, but beyond that, wiring shorting inside the headlight can causes electrical fires as well. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request, and has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, due to testimonials I have heard from many other owners of cars with the same headlights, that BMW dealers and BMWNA are refusing to help at all with this issue. As previously stated, warning lamps did not initially appear, but as more of the wiring insulation began to degrade headlight fault codes did eventually appear.
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
HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILING
LEFT HEADLIGHT CONTROL MODULE UNIT FOR XENON BULB STOPPED WORKING ON 2007 BMW 335I WHICH CAUSED THE LOW BEAM XENON HEADLIGHT BULB TO GO OUT AT NIGHT. MANY OTHER BMW OWNERS ARE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE SAME SIDE (LEFT). TYPE IN BMW 335I HEADLIGHT CONTROL MODULE AND SOMEONE POSTING THAT THEIR LEFT SIDE WENT OUT, IS THE FIRST HIT ON GOOGLE AND MANY OTHER POSTS I HAVE SEEN ALSO STATE THE LEFT SIDE CONTROL MODULE FAILED AND THEIR LEFT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND A CONSUMER PROTECTION ISSUE AS THE COST TO REPLACE IS $1100+. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
BMW 335I 2007 HAS (X3)THREE TIMES NOW, THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS AT HIGHWAYS SPEEDS OF 65-70MPH IN THE NUMBER 1 FAR LEFT LANE OF (CA 101 FWY) IN MAY OF 2016 WHEN THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED 'ENGINE TEMPERATURE WAS HIGH, AND THAT THE CAR NEEDED TO BE DRIVEN AT A MODERATE SPEED'. IMMEDIATELY TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND BEGAN TO COAST IN IDLE STATE TO THE SHOULDER (CA 101 FWY) 5 LANES OVER. BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO MOVE TO THE 3RD LANE THE VEHICLE STATED 'ENGINE TO HOT', TURNED OFF, LOST POWER (MUCH LIKE IF YOU RUN OUT OF GAS), AND I FRIGHTFULLY MERGED CREEPING ALONG TO THE SHOULDER NARROWLY MISSED BEING HIT BY SEVERAL OTHER TRUCKS AND VEHICLES. I WENT TO LIFT THE HOOD, EXPECTING TO BE OVERWHELMED BY HEAT AND CONDITIONS THAT WOULD CAUSE A BMW TO DISABLE SUDDENLY AND LOSE POWER. I OBSERVED NO CONDITIONS OF HEAT OR UNUSUAL TO CAUSE A SHUT DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO TURN CAR ON AGAIN IN 10 MINUTES WITH NO PROBLEMS THE TEMPERATURE WAS NO DIFFERENT OR WARMER THAN I HAVE EVER FELT BEFORE, CONDITIONS WERE 72/*F, TRAFFIC WAS MOVING ALONG AT A GOOD FLOW, WITH LIGHT COOL BAY AREA BREEZE. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3TIMES NOW, I HAVE FILLED THE COOLANT, I HAVE HAD THE STARTER AND BATTERY REPLACED AND YET THE SAME OCCURRENCE COMES UP. 'DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, 'BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU, 'US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, 'NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, 'ABC NIGHTLINE REPORTED: (HTTP://ABCNEWS.GO.COM/THELAW/BMW-ADMITS-FUEL-PUMP-FLAW-TURBO-CARS/STORY?ID=11968495 ), 'DATELINE NBC REPORTED: (HTTP://WWW.NBCNEWS.COM/BUSINESS/BMW-RECALLS-134-000-LUXURY-SEDANS-OVER-TAIL-LIGHT-PROBLEM-4B11215107 ) 'NY DAILY NEWS FILED A STORY : (HTTP://WWW.NYDAILYNEWS.COM/NEWS/MONEY/BMW-RECALLS-150-000-CARS-FAULTY-FUEL-PUMPS-ARTICLE-1.192673 ), 'NATIONAL HIGHWAY TSA WITH SAFERCAR.GOV.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HOV LANE OF THE FREEWAY DURING RUSH HOUR ABOUT 5:15 PM MY CAR SUDDENLY STARTED TO RATTLE WHEN PUSHING THE GAS PEDDLE. I TOOK MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDDLE WHILE STILL DRIVING WITH ABOUT 60 MPH. I TRIED THE GAS PEDDLE SOME SECONDS LATER AGAIN AND EXPERIENCED STILL RATTLING AND NO ACCELERATION OF THE CAR. I TOOK MY FOOT AGAIN FROM THE GAS PEDDLE. IN THE MEANTIME I WAS DOWN TO 40MPH. ABOUT 20-30 SEC LATER FROM THE FIRST RATTLE THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND 1 SEC LATER THE ENGINE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. AT THAT TIME WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED I WAS STILL DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH. LUCKILY THE FREEWAY HAD A LEFT SHOULDER AND I TURNED OVER TO THE LEFT WITH THE LAST REMAINING SPEED AND SLOWLY STOPPED THE CAR. I'M SO GLAD THAT THE LEFT SHOULDER WAS AVAILABLE. THE FREEWAY WAS VERY BUSY AND I ASSUME I WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, IF THE LEFT SHOULDER WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE. THE LOSS OF POWER WAS TOO SUDDEN AND ENTIRELY UNEXPECTED. THE STALLED ENGINE CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS MOMENT WHILE DRIVING ON A FREEWAY. THE BMW SHOP CAME BACK TO ME TODAY AND EXPLAINED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILED. A KNOW ISSUE WITH THE CAR MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 335I. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL UP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDOW BECAME STUCK WHILE ROLLED DOWN. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. UPDATED 10/18/17*LJ *JS
SUNROOF EXPLODED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. WAS MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY IN THE ONRAMP AT ABOUT 45MPH, VERY BRIGHT AND SUNNY (BUT NOT HOT, MAYBE 75F) DAY. DRIVER SIDE WINDOW WAS OPEN, A/C OFF, SUNROOF WAS CLOSED, SUNSHADE WAS ALSO CLOSED. SUDDENLY I HEAR WHAT BASICALLY SOUNDS LIKE A GUNSHOT RIGHT ABOVE MY HEAD, AND SINCE HAVING ALREADY HEARD ABOUT THIS PHENOMENON HAPPENING ON A CAR FORUM (E90POST.COM) I REGULARLY VISIT, I INSTANTLY GUESSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I LOOK IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR AND SEE LARGE PIECES OF MY SUNROOF BOUNCING ALONG ON THE ROAD BEHIND ME. ONCE I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR, I SAW THE SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED OUTWARDS. THE BROKEN GLASS WAS CURVED UP AROUND THE HOLE. FROM THAT SAME FORUM THERE ARE SEVERAL THEORIES FLOATING AROUND, THE ONE MOST PEOPLE SEEM TO AGREE ON AS BEING MOST PLAUSIBLE IS THERE'S A HEAT/PRESSURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SUNSHADE/SUNROOF AND THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. THE NEGATIVE PRESSURE ON THE OUTSIDE + THE INCREASE OF HEAT UNDER THE GLASS IS ENOUGH TO STRESS WHATEVER IMPERFECTION MIGHT HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN THE GLASS AND LITERALLY SUCK IT OUT. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
2007 BMW E92 335I - JUST TOOK OFF FROM MY HOME (CAR WAS NOT TURNED ON SINCE THE DAY BEFORE ATLEAST NOT AFTER 8PM) 10 MINUTES INTO THE ROAD I TURNED ON MY A/C BLOWER ON MAX. ON ABOUT 2 OR 3 MINUTES, SUDDENLY IT SLOWED DOWN AND STOPPED WORKING FOLLOWED BY PLASTIC BURNING SMELL. AS I TRIED TO PULL OVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT THE DASHBOARD AND JUST LIKE THAT THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE ON THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT AND SO ON... I STRANGER FROM AN TIRE SHOP RAN UP AND USED AN EXTINGUISHER TO STOP THE FIRE. SADLY THERE WAS SEVERE DAMAGE TO GLOVE COMPARTMENT, DASHBOARD, ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS LIKE FUSE BOX, PASSENGER DOOR, FRONT AND TOP INTERIOR.PLUS SOME MONEY I HAD STORED IN THE (WAS MY WAY TO THE BANK TO MAKE A DEPOSIT AND PICKUP MY FIANCEE) IM STILL WAITING FOR MY INSURANCE DECISION. IM VERY WORRIED SINCE I'VE SEARCH AROUND IN FORUMS AND I'VE READ ABOUT SOME OTHER PEOPLE HAVING SAME PROBLEMS AND OTHER ELECTRICAL FIRES WITH NO RESPONSE/RESOLUTION FROM BMW. I'VE OWNED A MINI COOPER AND 2 BMWS. MY COUSINS, AUNT, GRANPA (E30) HAVE BMWS. ANY SUGGESTIONS? *TR
I WAS DRIVING ON I-405N AT AROUND 70 MPH, THE PACE OF THE VERY LIGHT TRAFFIC THAT NIGHT, AND THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS WITHIN 100 YARDS IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WERE NO OVERPASSES OR PEDESTRIANS ANYWHERE NEARBY. ALL OF A SUDDEN, MY SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED! A LARGE PIECE OF IT BROKE OFF AND THEN WAS BLOWN BACKWARDS, BOUNCING OFF MY ROOF AND TRUNK, SCRATCHING THE PAINT. THE PERSON DRIVING BEHIND ME DROVE OVER THE SUNROOF AND SHARDS OF GLASS. LUCKILY, I HAD MY SUNROOF SUNSHADE CLOSED WHICH PREVENTED THE SHARDS OF GLASS FROM SHOWERING ON ME WHEN THE SUNROOF EXPLODED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
I PURCHASED THESE GENERAL TIRES FROM TIRERACK.COM SEVERAL YEARS AGO THEY ARE RATED TREAD LIFE OF APPROX 40K MILES. A FEW WEEKS AGO I NOTICED BY MY TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS I HAD A SLOW LEAK IN MY FRONT LEFT TIRE. I REMOVED THE ENTIRE WHEEL TO INSPECT FOR TIRE DAMAGE OR CRACKS, AND WAS APPALLED TO FIND THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE TREAD HAD SPLIT FROM THE SIDEWALL THE ENTIRE WAY AROUND. THIS IS QUITE DANGEROUS I HAD NO IDEA I COULD HAVE HAD A BLOW OUT AT ANY TIME. I DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG THIS TIRE WAS IN THIS CONDITION. I HAD APPROX 25K MILES ON THE TIRES. I IMMEDIATELY ORDERED NEW FRONT TIRES AND DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL REPLACED. I AM SEEKING REPLACEMENT TIRE FROM GENERAL HOWEVER THEY DO NOT SEEM VERY CONCERNED WITH THIS ISSUE. THE GUYS AT TIRE KINGDOM WHO CHANGED THE TIRES CONFIRMED IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVING ON A TIRE IN THAT CONDITION. THEY ALSO SAID IT'S LIKELY A DEFECTIVE GENERAL TIRE. GENERAL OFFERED TO REPLACE BASED ON REMAINING LIFE BUT WOULD LIKELY FIND AN EXCUSE BASED ON WEAR PATTERN AND BLAME USAGE. THE OTHER FRONT TIRE SAME BRAND, SIZE AND WEAR DID NOT HAVE THIS ISSUE. *TR
TIRE CUPPING ON 3 SERIES BMWS. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER STATES ITS A TIRE ISSUE. IF ONE LOOKS ON ANY OF THE CAR FORUMS ONLINE, YOU QUICKLY CAN DETERMINE THERE IS A HUGE ISSUE WITH TIRE CUPPING ON THESE VEHICLES. I OWN A 2007 335I BMW. I'M HAVING TO REPLACE THE TIRES @ 19K MILES. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY VEHICLE IS 2007 BMW 335I. ON 7/3/11, I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE GOING 70 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT "ENGINE MALFUNCTION- REDUCED POWER" WAS ACTIVATED CAUSING THE VEHICLE SPEED TO ABRUPTLY REDUCE SPEED TO AROUND 20-30MPH. I HAD TO ACTIVATE HAZARD LIGHTS AND LIMP OFF INTERSTATE WHILE CAR WAS BUCKING, COUGHING, AND SPUTTERING. IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS THE SUDDEN SLOW DOWN MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED ON A BUSIER INTERSTATE. I CALLED THE TOW TRUCK AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A BMW CENTER WHERE THEY CLAIMED THEY REMOVED SOME SAND FROM THE THROTTLE BODY. BMW WANTED TO BLAME THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, BUT REALIZED IT WAS REPLACED 3 WEEKS EARLIER DUE TO A RECALL, ALONG WITH AN "UPDATING" OF THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT SOFTWARE AND REPLACING SOME INJECTORS. I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH ENGINE UNTIL AFTER THESE RECALL "FIXES." THE CARE NOW LOSES POWER AND HAS TURBO ACCELERATION LAG. THESE SAME DANGEROUS ENGINE ISSUES HAVE HAPPENED ANOTHER 5 SINCE THE "FIX", ONLY A MONTH AGO. THIS IS A KNOWN BMW DEFECT! THIS VERY SAME ISSUE APPEARED QUITE OFTEN TO A NUMBER OF 335I OR OTHER BMW MODELS USING THE SAME ENGINE, IN PARTICULAR TO THE 07 AND 08 MODELS. MANY CAR OWNERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE HAPPEN AFTER THEIR FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED ONCE OR EVEN TWICE. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS NO FIX FOR THIS ISSUE AND IT POSES AS A TREMENDOUS DANGER FOR BMW DRIVERS WITH THIS SPECIFIC ENGINE SINCE YOU CANNOT BE CERTAIN WHEN THE PROBLEM WILL RE-OCCUR. A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WAS FILED RECENTLY IN CALIFORNIA REGARDING THESE SAME ISSUES. WILL SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT HOLDS BMW RESPONSIBLE? *TR
FIRST TIME ABOUT FOUR MONTH AGO WHEN I WAS DRIVING, THE CAR SUDDENLY HAD CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AND LOST ABOUT 50% POWER. NEXT DAY I TOOK THE CAR TO BMW DEALER AND THE CIL WAS GONE. THEY SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE. TODAY WHEN I DROVE ON HIGHT WAY AT ABOUT 65 M/H, CIL ON AGAIN AND THE CAR LOSS POWER, I THINK THERE IS A SAFTY ISSUE WITH THIS CAR. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
THERE ARE SEVERAL LIGHT BULBS ON THE DASHBOARD, SUCH AS THE BRAKES ON THE BELTS AND THE AIRBAGS I NEED TO KNOW IF ANY OF THIS HAS A RECALL THANKS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 335I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V564000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT MAT SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
IN TRAFFIC BELT SHREDS AT 70-75MPH ALL ELECTRICAL STEERING AND LIGHT BREAKES GONE
DRIVING NORMALLY, ABOUT TO MAKE A TURN ONTO A STREET MY POWER STEERING FAILS AND I GET A LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD ABOUT BATTERY CHARGING MALFUNCTION. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT TURNS OUT MY ACCESSORY BELT THAT DRIVES THE AC COMPRESSOR, POWER STEERING PUMP AND ALTERNATOR WAS COMPLETELY SHREDDED AND NOT ON THE PULLEYS. I HAVE DAMAGE TO MULTIPLE PULLEYS IN MY CAR. MY POWER STEERING PULLEY IS MISSING BIG CHUNKS BECAUSE OF IMPACT WITH THE SUB-FRAME. THIS IS A KNOWN SERVICE BULLETIN ( SIB 11 09 08 ) THE POWER STEERING PULLEY IMPACTS THE SUB-FRAME BECAUSE OF MOTOR MOVEMENT WHEN HITTING BUMPS ETC.. THIS CAUSED MY BELT TO BE RIPPED INTO SHREDS AND BREAK OFF BIG CHUNKS OF MY POWER STEERING PULLEY. *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 .