Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 BMW 335i owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The battery light would come on randomly when using the AC. We just took the car out for a 30 minute drive and parked in the garage. When we went back out to get something out of the car 10 minutes later, the car was smoking. We popped the trunk and the battery was on fire! I researched if there were recalls of faulty wiring and came across an article that mentioned this happening when the AC was on. It also mentioned issues with PCV valve heater recalls. After we bought this car, we noticed burn marks around the area near the battery when we replaced it. We wonder if the same thing happened to them but not as much damage. One recall involves the heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve, and the other recall involves wiring and electrical connectors in the system that controls air flow for heating and air conditioning. …
I bought a 2007 BMW 335i convertible on March 10th 2022. On March 18th I left my house and as I was pulling out of my neighborhood the vehicle cut off at about 25 miles an hour and as I pulled over I noticed black smoke coming out from under the hood. There were no warning lights on with the exception of a random airbag light that came on the day after I bought the car and a tire pressure monitor light. My wife and I pulled over and I ran to a nearby house and took a case of Dasani water from painters who were working (with their permission). I got the fire put out within minutes of its starting but the wiring harness is completely melted together along with all of the induction piping to the turbos and the intake manifold and fuel line. I told the car home and had my insurance agent look at it. …
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. …
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. …
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
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 BMW 335i. The contact stated that the vehicle had an abnormal burning odor and noticed black smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road, inspected the vehicle, and noticed a belt had melted and detached. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V676000 (electrical system); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. BMW concord (1967 market street, concord, ca) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I was turning on to a highway, as I accelerated to match the speed of oncoming traffic and merge, the engine power abruptly degraded. I had to swerve out of the lane to avoid an accident. The vehicle had a flashing service engine light and was not producing any power. I had the vehicle towed to park ave. BMW in nj. The dealer diagnosed my vehicle with a failed dme (engine management computer or ECU) at less than 60K. After doing some research I found many others BMW n54 engine owners online who had encountered the same dme failure. It turns out an electrical component that costs a couple of cents was prematurely failing. This was known to BMW in 2007 when the vehicle was being sold. The BMW service builtin si b 12 18 07 clearly indicates that this is an unexpected failure and is caused by a defective diode. …
2007 BMW e92 335i - just took off from my home (car was not turned on since the day before atleast not after 8 pm) 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. …
When parked listening to music, my brother plugged in the USB adapter and it electrocuted him ever since he's scared to be in the vehicle. Well right after the incident the cigar igniters to plug in the adapters wouldn't work anymore. I had just got this car from a dealer as a trade in 3 months ago and I noticed really strong smells of gas from the back seat and my siblings sit back there and that really concerns me. Along with the smell of gas, my coolant reservoir starting spilling out brownish fluid like if a gasket was blown and oil got into the coolant ! I am very irritated I'm being charged thousands that I don't have and only have had the car for a few months. My warranty would not fix any damages, and dealership is not helping me out. I need to go to work and school and I have no transportation at the moment.
Related recalls
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.
Electrical system › Wiring › Fuses and circuit breakers
BMW is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 1-Series coupes and convertibles manufactured December 2007 through September 2011; and 2007-2011 3-Series coupes and convertibles manufactured March 2007 through October 2011; 2007-2011 3-Series sedans manufactured March 2007 through October 2011; 2007-2011 3-Series sports wagons…
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 March 13, 2013.
Electrical complaints in other 335i years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2007 BMW 335i?
NHTSA has 51 complaints about the electrical system of the 2007 BMW 335i, 18% of the model year's 288 complaints. The component named most often is starter assembly (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 BMW 335i electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 17V-676 (wiring, Oct 25, 2017); NHTSA recall 13V-044 (fuses and circuit breakers, Feb 7, 2013). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2007 BMW 335i electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 6 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.