BMW 335D Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used BMW 335D options? We analyzed 3 model years (2009–2011) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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Model-year trends show patterns — they can't tell you whether this car was crashed, flooded, or rolled back. A VIN check can.
- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the BMW 335D has 58 owner complaints and 15 safety recalls across model years 2009–2011. The most reported issue area is AIR BAGS. 2011 drew the most complaints; 2010 drew the fewest.
- Make
- BMW
- Model
- 335D
- Model years analyzed
- 2009–2011 (3 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 58
- Safety recall campaigns
- 15
- Crash-related complaints
- 1
- Fire-related complaints
- 2
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2011 (58 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2010 (0 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- AIR BAGS
- Reliability signal
- Average
By model year
BMW 335D: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings
What the complaint data suggests
AverageThe BMW 335D has 58 NHTSA complaints and 15 recalls on record. 1 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 58 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 15 federal recall campaigns
- 1 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Jul 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
15 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2009–2011. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 58 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
58 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
See attached document for complaint
- The component that has failed is the front passenger seat occupancy sensor, as indicated by an OBDII scan showing fault code 93C3, seat-occupancy detector, passenger. - The safety of any person in the front passenger seat is compromised because the passenger airbag will not deploy while this sensor is not operating properly, as indicated by the "passenger airbag off" light which is now always illuminated. The vehicle has not been in an accident and nobody has been injured as a result. - The problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. - The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance, etc. - There is a restraint system malfunction warning message stating "Fault in passenger-restraint system affecting airbag, belt tensioner, or belt-force limiter. Continue to wear the safety belt. Have the system checked by the nearest BMW center." - I have contacted both my local BMW dealer (BMW Seattle) and the BMW North America customer relations department and have been informed by both that there are no open recalls or technical service bulletins related to this sensor on my model/year and that the vehicle is out of warranty, so the financial responsibility to repair the vehicle is on me.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 335D. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed on a 6-hour trip, there was thick fumes coming into the cabin of the vehicle from the exhaust. The contact stated that he drove the vehicle to the dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed with a clogged DEF filter. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacture was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.
YEARS OF MY 335D OVERHEATING AND STALLING AND DEALER CANT FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE. I’VE REPLACED INJECTORS, DONE CARBON BLASTING, REPLACED NOX SENSOR, REPLACED WHOLE BATTERY/ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. JUST RECENTLY REPLACED THE ALL BELTS, HOSES, AND EGR MODULE TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. AFTER REMOVING THE COMPONENTS YOU CAN SEE FLUIDS GOT MIXED AND EVEN GOT INTO MY TURBO ALL BECAUSE OF THE EGR WAS LEAKING. SO MANY IDENTICAL ISSUES RESULTED IN RECALLS FROM BMW FOR ALMOST EVERY SINGLE MODEL FROM EARLY 2000S TO NEW MODELS DUE TO FAULTY EGRS, EXCEPT THE 2011 335D. AND OF THE NEARLY 1 MILLION VEHICLES RECALLED BY BMW THIS YEAR ALONE, ONLY THE 2011 335D IS NOT RECALLED FOR FAULTY PCV AND EGR WHICH WAS FINALLY DETERMINED BY THE DEALER TO BE THE CAUSE OF MY OVERHEATING, BLACK PARTICLES COMING FROM THE EXHAUST, MELTED PLASTIC UNDER MY HOOD, AND DISGUSTING SMELL FROM AIR VENTS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME EXACT VEHICLE WITH THE SAME EXACT ISSUES ON NHTSA AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE. ONLY WHEN THESE CARS CATCH ON FIRE AND RESULT IN A CASUALTY WILL BMW FINALLY ADD ALL MODEL TYPES TO THEIR RECALL LISTS. FOR NOW THEY WILL KEEP ADDING MODELS ONE BY ONE, PRETENDING THEY DO NOT HAVE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ISSUE WITH ALL THEIR CARS. RIDICULOUS.
Fine, white particles are blowing out of the cabin air ducts whenever the air conditioner or fan is turned on. My local BMW service center, Herb Chambers BMW of Boston, determined that the debris is flakes of aluminum from the deteriorated aluminum alloy fins of the AC evaporator coil and heater exchanger. The cabin air ducts were scoped and found to be intact with no intrusion of outside contaminants. The dealer determined that if not replaced, “the A/C Evaporator will fail…” and quoted the cost of repairs at $5,286.18. As I am sure you are aware, aluminum is a neurotoxin when absorbed by the body. The science is well established and can be easily sourced using Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C22&q=neurotoxicity+of+aluminum&oq=neuroto. The fine aluminum particles blowing from the heating and cooling system of my BMW have been absorbed into my eyes, mouth and airways, putting me at risk from internal exposure to aluminum. They have also rendered my BMW 335d unusable due to this health safety hazard. I filed a request for recourse with BMW of North America and was denied.
IT STARTED MAY, 2017, WHEN MY 335D WAS IDLING ROUGH AND JERKED AS I WAS DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED. I TOOK IT INTO CREVIER BMW IN SANTA ANA. THE CAR HAD 53,000 MILES AND THEY SAID IT HAD CARBON BUILD UP ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND #1 & 5 FUEL INJECTOR. THEY REPLACED THE FUEL INJECTORS AND WALNUT BLAST THE MANIFOLD. SWIRL PORTS, EGR AND THROTTLE HOUSING CLEANED AS WELL. APR, 2018 58,000 MILES, FAULTY ACTIVE TANK TEMPERATURE SENSOR REPLACED. AUG, 2018 60,000 MILES, REPLACED FAULTY FUEL INJECTORS #2,3,4,5 AND FAULTY CAM SENSOR. JAN, 2019 64,000 CAR RUNNING ROUGH AT IDLE. STARTED USING FUEL INJECTOR CLEANER IN FUEL TANK. THIS STOPPED THE ROUGH IDLE. CAR RUNS ROUGH EVERY TIME IF I DON'T ADD THE INJECTOR CLEANER. MARCH 2020 73,000 MILES, INTAKE MANIFOLD REMOVED AND WALNUT BLAST AGAIN. REPLACED BOTH FAULTY NOX SENSORS. FAULTY CODES ON AIR MASS INTAKE. NOV 2020 76,000 MILES, FAULTY FUEL INJECTORS # 1,2,4, #5 GLOW PLUG, MASS/VOLUME AIR FLOW, INTAKE TEMPERATURE SENSOR. DID NOT PASS SMOG. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT TO REPAIR TO GET IT TO PASS SMOG. VERY FRUSTRATED...
Read 14 more owner reports
PASSENGER AIRBAG MALFUNCTION, SEAT SENSITIVITY IS TOUCHY, REPORTS AN OCCUPANT WHEN EMPTY AND GIVES AN OCCASIONAL MALFUNCTION WARNING, AT ANY SPEED, ANY TIME.
THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT SENSOR MALFUNCTIONS AND SETS OFF THE WARNING SOUND AS IF SOMEONE IS SITING IN THE SEAT WHEN NOBODY OR NOTHING IS IN THE SEAT. THIS MAY CAUSE AIRBAG MALFUNCTIONS OR HAVE IT NOT DEPLOY. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE FIRST DAY I BOUGHT THE CAR SEVERAL WEEKS AGO. THE ISSUE IS CONSTANT WHILE I'M DRIVING.
LESS THAN 70K MILES AND HAD TO REPLACE MANIFOLD, INJECTORS ETC DUE TO EXCESS CARBON BMW NEEDS TO DO MORE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF POLLUTION ON THESE VEHICLES
I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE EGR MODULE TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. AN IDENTICAL ISSUES RESULTED IN A RECALL FROM BMW FOR DIESELS FROM OTHER YEARS: HTTPS://WWW.CONSUMERREPORTS.ORG/CAR-RECALLS-DEFECTS/BMW-RECALLS-DIESEL-CARS-AND-SUVS-FOR-FIRE-RISK/ . HOWEVER, BMW HAS CHOSEN NOT TO EXPAND THE RECALL TO COVER THIS ENGINE FAILURE IN ALL OF THE DIESELS. IT'S POTENTIALLY ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS STARTS TO SHOW UP WITH INCREASED FREQUENCY.
THE 2011 VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 65,000 MILES NORMAL RUNS AT HIGHWAY SPEED IN A RANGE OF 2K RPMS. A WARNING REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION IMMEDIATELY CAUSED THE CAR TO REV UP TO 5K RPM (VERY HIGH FOR A DIESEL ENGINE SEDAN) AND THE SPEED REDUCES 30-40MPH WHILE DRIVING. IT IS INCREDIBLY SCARY AND DANGEROUS. ASSUMED THIS WAS A ONE-OFF. PULLED TO THE SHOULDER, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND IT RAN FINE. TOOK IT TO BMW FOR INSPECTION AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BUT WOULD REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND CHARGE ME MORE THAN HALF THE VALUE OF THE CAR. THE ISSUE HAS SINCE REPEATED AND IS VERY DANGEROUS TO ALL ON THE ROAD.
STEERING WHEELS IS SUCK WANT TURNING IN MY DRIVEWAY STEERING WHEELS LOCK UP CAN GETTING TURNING WHAT CAN WE DO
I PURCHASED NEW PIRELLI PZERO TIRES FROM MY LOCAL BMW DEALER. THE REAR TIRES EXHIBITED INTERMITTENT AIR LOSS AND WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALER BECAUSE THE DEALER BELIEVED THEY WERE DAMAGED DURING INSTALLATION. THE SECOND SET OF REAR TIRES ALSO EXHIBITED INTERMITTENT AIR LOSS. THE DEALER BELIEVED THE WHEELS WERE DAMAGED AND CAUSING THE AIR LOSS. I HAD A WHEEL SPECIALIST INSPECT THE WHEELS, AND THEY FOUND NO DEFECTS TO CAUSE AIR LOSS. THE WHEEL SPECIALIST FOUND THE TIRES TO BE DEFECTIVE AS THEY HAVE EXCESS MATERIAL AT THE BEAD THAT PREVENTS PROPER SEALING ON THE RIM. THE WHEEL SPECIALIST ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE EXCESS MATERIAL FROM ONE TIRE TO DETERMINE IF THAT WOULD IMPROVE THE PROBLEM, WHICH IT DID TO SOME EXTENT. I CALLED PIRELLI AND NOTIFIED THEM OF THE PROBLEM, AND THEY STATED THEY WOULD REPLACE ONE REAR TIRE UNDER WARRANTY BUT NOT THE TIRE THAT WAS WORKED UPON BY THE WHEEL SPECIALIST. IN SUMMARY, I EXPERIENCED TWO SETS OF DEFECTIVE PIRELLI P ZERO TIRES LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH ADDITIONAL TIRES. I HAVE VIDEO EVIDENCE OF THE LEAKS SEEN DURING A LEAK TEST.
WHILE COMING TO A STOP IN A PARKING LOT THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT AND THE SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER WAS PRESENT. HAD THE CAR BEEN GOING A HIGH RATE OF SPEED IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS.
I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD TODAY IN MY 2011 335I XDRIVE AND MY SUNROOF EXPLODED! NO ROCK HIT ME, IT WAS LIKE A SHOTGUN WENT OFF INSIDE MY CAR, I'M RETIRED MILITARY, A VETERANS OF ALL THE WARS/CONFLICTS FROM 89-2009 HAD MORTARS FLYING OVER MY HEAD AND PATRIOT BATTERYS TAKING OUT SCUDS OVERHEAD. IT'S A GOOD THING I DON'T HAVE PTSD, BECAUSE I COULD HAVE CAUSED A HUGE ACCIDENT AT 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE! GLASS PIECES EVERYWHERE, IN MY LAP, MOUTH AND IN THE CAR. THERE ARE TWO PARALLEL LINES OF MISSING GLASS, I HAVE TAPED ALL OF IT SO IT DOESN'T FALL DOWN. I CALLED BMW IF MURRAY UTAH, THEY SAID THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS AND MY WARRANTY IS PAST THEY SAID NO RECALL IS OUT FOR THIS.
2011 BMW 335D. CONSUMER WRITES WITH REGARD TO RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. 18V-314: POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM, AND INQUIRES WHEN REPAIRS WILL BE DONE. *AS THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME COMPLETING THE RECALL REPAIR. *JS
THE CAR IS IN THE SHOP EVERY WEEK I HAVE HAD IT TOWED 12 TIMES SINCE MAY. I TOOK IT IN FOR THE RECALL (ELECTRICAL ISSUED RECENTLY) THE VEHICLE RAN GREAT, NOW THE DEALERSHIP SAYS I NEED 3 NEW INJECTORS. THE INJECTORS ARE BAD. I AM READING REVIEWS AND OTHERS STATED THEIR BMW'S NEED NEW INJECTORS. SO IS THEIR A RECALL FOR INJECTORS I DID NOT SEE? THE CAR STAHLED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO STAHL AND NOW THE DEALER SAID IT WAS THE HIGH/LOW FUEL PUMPS AND INJECTORS WHICH COST MORE THAN THE VEHICLE. I AM STUCK MAKING PAYMENTS THIS CAR IS JUNK AND THE CAR NEEDS TO BE RECALLED...... EVERY MONTH I HAVE A PROBLEM SINCE OCTOBER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 12 TIMES. THE INJECTORS, FUEL PUMP I WAS TOLD THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, INJECTORS AND NOW FUEL PUMP
INTERMITTENT FAULT ON PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM AFFECTING PASSENGER AIRBAG AND BELT TENSIONER. MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL FOR EARLIER E90 MODELS WITH THE SPORT SEATS. FIRST FAULT OCCURRED WITH APPROXIMATELY 118,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND HAS HAPPENED OCCASIONALLY FOR THE LAST 10,000 MILES. FAULT CODE 0093C3
WHILST DRIVING VEHICLE, BATTERY WARNING LIGHT, BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER STEERING, AND WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE. AFTER VISIT TO DEALERSHIP, APPEARS THAT HARMONIC BALANCER WAS COMPLETELY BROKEN OFF, IN TURN, TAKING OUT VARIOUS BELTS, INCLUDING THE BELTS THAT POWER A/C AND MOST IMPORTANTLY POWER STEERING. BMW ALREADY REPLACED THESE BELTS TWICE, UNDER WARRANTY. UNFORTUNATELY, IT APPEARS THE HARMONIC BALANCER APPEARS TO BE AN ISSUE FOR MANY OF THE 335D VEHICLES, AS WELL AS FOR X5 SAVS, EQUIPPED WITH SAME ENGINE. COMPLETE LOSS OF POWERSTEERING, IS AN UNACCEPTABLE DANGER, IN PARTICULAR FOR A PART THAT APPEARS TO BE WEAK (DESIGN FLAW), AS DOCUMENTED BY OTHER BMW 335D OWNERS.
Showing 20 of 58 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact BMW 335D
These pages show model-year patterns across 3 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used BMW 335D, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The BMW 335D has 58 complaints on record across 3 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The BMW 335D has 15 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 1 of the BMW 335D's 58 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all BMW 335D vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two BMW 335D vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The BMW 335D has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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How does the BMW 335D stack up? Compare complaint history with similar vehicles.
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By state
Check a BMW 335D by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used BMW 335D.
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BMW 335D reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the BMW 335D reliable?
Average. The BMW 335D has 58 NHTSA owner complaints and 15 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is AIR BAGS. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which BMW 335D years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2011 (58 complaints), 2009 (0 complaints), 2010 (0 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common BMW 335D problems?
Top reported issues: AIR BAGS (18 complaints); ENGINE (16 complaints); ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (15 complaints).
Does the BMW 335D have recalls?
Yes — 15 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the BMW 335D. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.