Fuel System complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Vehicle stalls when accelerating from a stopped position. Several time, while stopped at an intersection with crossing traffic, I attempted to drive through the intersection but the car failed to accelerate. I tried shifting from auto to manual but the car still failed to accelerate for at least 5 seconds at which time it jolted forward. The issue started at around the 50K mile mark 3 years ago and continues still today (~90K miles). I am not seeing my vehicle listed under recalls related to loss of electrical power/stalling from 2/7/2013 and have not had any recall notifications related to my car since 2017. I have been attempting to resolve a constant problem with cracking sounds from front suspension when turning. To date, I have had the entire front suspension rebuilt including; control arm assy, sway bar assy, bearing, struts, and u-joints. …
I was stopped at a traffic light so when the light turned green for the left turn I turned onto the middle lane of a 6 lane highway and started to accelerate when suddenly there was a vibration and the suspension light came on so I slowed down and moved to the far right lane where I noticed I had no acceleration. I limped into a parking lot and the car seemed to be vibrating and running rough so I shut it down and walked home. After towing it to BMW of daytona I got the news that I blew a charge pipe. They said the charge pipe is made of plastic and got brittle over time and blew off the throttle body. I found numerous remarks of others that had that problem when I googled it. Many of them stated they had it replaced with an aluminum charge pipe so I called BMW back and ask them what they were replacing it with plastic or aluminum. …
Two times within a year the vehicle has experienced a reduction of power and the check engine light came on. On 4-3-18 I took the vehicle to the modesto BMW dealer and was advised I needed the fuel pump replaced which I did spending $1355. Late in December the same problem occurred and I again took it to the same dealer who now advised me I needed the "high pressure fuel pump " replaced to the tune of $1750. This car has 57,000 miles. I am aware there were recalls on the same vehicles in the years preceding 2011 and wonder if the problem continued without resolution. This is a safety problem as losing power at highway speeds is dangerous.
I have been having misfires. First cylinder 3&5. Changed all plugs and coil packs. Ran well for a couple days. Then boom. Misfires again. Long cold start cranks. I can bring the rpms all the way up to redline as long as I don't step on the throttle more than 25%. As son as I go to put so throttle into it. It's hesitates/stutters. Then service engine soon and CEL light come one. The high pressure fuel pump is the culprit. Same type of problems I had on my n54 motor. I thought BMW fixed this issue. Guess they need a recall on these as well.
On August 5th 2010, when starting my car I received several long cranks. Once started it drove fine. On August 7th, (at about 1:00 am) when starting the car, it cranked for about 7 seconds and finally started. It drove fine. I stopped at a store, and when leaving, it started up fine, but as I pulled out into the road, the engine light came on and the car had reduced power. The car (with only 5500 miles or so) was shaking violently when going under 10 miles an hour. The RPM's fluctuated at idle to where the car almost stalled several times. I drove the 15 or so miles home with my flashers on as the car was having trouble. The above is a description of hpfp failure on the n54 engine. I would say many, many people get a bad fuel pump. BMW has covered the part for 10 years/120K miles, but it will fail again. There is no fix at this point. Just a new pump that eventually gives way. …
2010 BMW 135i recently had my car in for brake service (5/7/10) at BMW. The following day I noticed a long crank x1 at start up. I headed to work and noticed decreased power but didn't think much of it. On my way home I was accelerating onto the freeway when my car lost all power (engine still on, but felt like it was stalling out) and the traffic behind me nearly crashed into me due to how sudden and without warning of the deceleration. I was luckily able to pull off to the shoulder immediately avoiding a multicar accident. My check engine light flashed on and my car was in limp mode. Unsteady idle, very poor acceleration and couldn't go above 20mph. …
At 8,532 miles my BMW 135i had a high pressure fuel pump failure that caused my car to decelerate below the speed of traffic. At 24,384 miles the car illuminated a engine caution for over temperature. The only gauge available was for oil temperature which did not indicate hot. There was not a shoulder to pull over for 3 miles.
I own a 2009 BMW 135i with the n54 twin turbo engine. One day I was driving down the interstate at 70mph when suddenly the car lost all power and suddenly decelerated. A warning lamp on the dash came on indicating the car was only operating at half engine power. The car was running very roughly and shook and shuddered violently when I pressed on the accelerator....I was unable to maintain a vehicle speed above 50mph. I finally had to pull off the road and let traffic pass. When I put the car in park it was still shaking and heaving. I reported this immediately to the BMW service department where I purchased my vehicle. While I was told it was due to the high pressure fuel pump, I was told that BMW was unable to offer any resolution at this time. Since then, this has happened three times, each time in heavy rush hour traffic. …
Frequently asked questions
Which BMW 135i years have fuel system problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2008 (18), 2009 (16), 2010 (8) and 2012 (5) model years. Fuel System complaints make up 35% of all complaints for the 2008.
Is there a recall for BMW 135i fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for any BMW 135i model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do BMW 135i fuel system problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 23,000 miles; 76% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the delivery › fuel pump (1 mentions).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.