Most common 2011 BMW 335d problems
Share of the 29 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
BMW 335d complaints by model year
Best 335d years: 2009, 2010. Years to avoid: 2011. Compare all years →
2011 BMW 335d recalls (6)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (324i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi), 2006-2012 3 Series Sportswagon (325xi, 328i, 328xi), and 2009-2011 3 Series Sedan (335d) vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's air bag module as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 128i and 135i Convertibles, 128i, 135i, and M Coupes, 2007-2010 X3 30si and X3 xDrive30i, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i, 2007-2013 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335is, 335i xDrive and M3 Coupes, 2006-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 325i, 325xi,…
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver air bag. On X5 and X6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020.
Electrical system › Wiring › Fuses and circuit breakers
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2009 328i and 328xi, 2009-2011 335d, 2008-2012 M3 Coupe and M3 Convertible, and 2008-2011 M3 Sedan vehicles. The connection of the positive battery cable at the fuse box terminal may degrade, resulting in an intermittent loss of electrical power.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace and secure the positive battery cable connector, free of charge. The recall began August 14, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Electrical system › Wiring › Fuses and circuit breakers
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2010-2011 BMW 335d vehicles with diesel engines. The connection of the positive battery cable at the fuse box terminal may degrade over time, possibly resulting in an intermittent loss of electrical power.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the positive battery cable connector and secure it with an improved method, free of charge. The recall began on June 29, 2018.
Electrical system › Wiring
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi and M3, 2007-2011 328i xDrive, 335i xDrive and 335is and 2009-2011 335d vehicles.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiring and electrical connectors, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017.
Power train › Driveline › Constant velocity joint
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 1 Series M Coupe and 135i Convertible vehicles, 2011 Z4 sDrive 35i, 335i, 335d, 335i Coupe, 335is Coupe, 335i Convertible, 335is Convertible, 535i, 535i xDrive, 535i Gran Turismo and 550i xDrive Gran Turismo vehicles and 2012 740i and 740Li vehicles.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear driveshaft CV joint and, based on its production date, will replace it, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017.
What 2011 BMW 335d owners say
Electrical system
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.
Car stalled multiple times while driving. Each time it was a sudden death while driving. Every time got lucky that I was not followed by a truck and no one hit me from behind. Dealer replaced engine earlier, diesel pump and now dealer said reported all injectors failed. History: 1/5/17 - car stalled while in motion on city street - speed 30/hr 3/3/17 - car stalled again while in motion on highway - 50/hr 5/20/17 - check engine light - no stalling 5/31/17 - car stalled - on city street at red light. 2/13/18 - car stalled while driving - speed 50/hr 3/1/18 - car stalled - speed 15/hr - after stopping and starting at red light in city street. Downhill. No break . Started rolling down. Used hand brake. 3/7/18 - car stalled while driving in snow city street - speed 25 /hr repairs: 5/23/17 - EGR cooler , injectors replaced 5/31 - 6/18 - car was at dealer and engine, intake manifold replaced. …
Engine & cooling
While driving the car the reduced power message came on, drove car for another 15 minutes home, at home in the driveway opened the hood and saw that the engine was glowing red on passenger side, very hot under the hood, within minutes flames ignited and black smoke came from under the hood. We ran for water hose and put out the fire. Vehicle now has multiple error messages due to damaged wire harness according to BMW dealer, wire harness will need to be replaced before full understanding of the condition of the car can be determined.
Car stalled multiple times while driving. Each time it was a sudden death while driving. Every time got lucky that I was not followed by a truck and no one hit me from behind. Dealer replaced engine earlier, diesel pump and now dealer said reported all injectors failed. History: 1/5/17 - car stalled while in motion on city street - speed 30/hr 3/3/17 - car stalled again while in motion on highway - 50/hr 5/20/17 - check engine light - no stalling 5/31/17 - car stalled - on city street at red light. 2/13/18 - car stalled while driving - speed 50/hr 3/1/18 - car stalled - speed 15/hr - after stopping and starting at red light in city street. Downhill. No break . Started rolling down. Used hand brake. 3/7/18 - car stalled while driving in snow city street - speed 25 /hr repairs: 5/23/17 - EGR cooler , injectors replaced 5/31 - 6/18 - car was at dealer and engine, intake manifold replaced. …
Air bags
- 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. …
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.
2011 BMW 335d engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 23 / 35 / 27 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 BMW 335d a good car?
Based on 29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 335d rates use caution: 3.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the 335d at the same age. It is one of the 335d years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 BMW 335d?
The electrical system — 10 complaints, 34% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (8) and air bags (7).
How many recalls does the 2011 BMW 335d have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2011 BMW 335d, the most recent from July 3, 2024 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the BMW 335d?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009 and 2010. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2011. See the full BMW 335d years comparison.
At what mileage do 2011 BMW 335d problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 84,000 miles; 15% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.