Engine complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I recently was advised by BMW that my valve cover had a leak as well as a rear axle. I feel that after only 8 years and less than 80,000 miles those component should NOT be failing so soon. My biggest complaint is that I recently had my power steering system completely fail on me. I was able to limp my car home and turn it off to let it sit for 15 minutes which the dealer recommended. I started the car back up and it has been working fine. The dealer inspected the vehicle and advised that I should have the entire system replaced for a little under $6,000. My largest concern is that the steering system is going to give out when my wife is driving the car or when we are hundreds of miles away from a dealer to fix it. The aggravating portion of this is that there is a recall for this issue on 2015-2017 SUV's and the 4 series (Recall 16v-704) and BMW will not cover the costs for repairs. …
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 335I. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be jumpstarted. The battery discharge warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump and determined that a short in the water pump was preventing the water pump from turning off. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 88,000.
After the car is shut off, the coolant pump will stop with the car but after a min the car will stay off but the coolant pump will kick on. Runs until battery is drained. I do understand there is a feature to circulate the coolant so help mitigate burn/hot spots but this continues until the battery is disconnected by ECU. Then it won't start because the battery is too low. Ongoing issue for the past 2 years now, happens intermittently. Frequency is random but happens more when it's cold out. But average happens a few times a week when cold out, sometimes it runs well for a few weeks then starts happening again. We had tried to troubleshoot by BMW but no luck. They have replaced battery, alternator, have tried to diagnose about 4 times now but they haven't fixed it since they can't replicate at the BMW Shop. I can hear the coolant pump running as well as feel the water moving. …
Driving on 4 lane road at 40mph when 2104 BMW 335i xdrive vehicle experienced total failure-starting with the navigation screen then the entire dashboard went black and engine shutdown (all in few seconds). There was no shoulder (concrete curb) so vehicle came to stop in the right lane. Headlights were "stuck" on but nothing else worked including the emergency flashers! Contacted BMW assist but they were unable to help but sent out police and tow truck. Car would not shift into neutral and was dragged onto a flatbed damaging the vehicle. This was extremely frightening! We could have been injured or killed as cars were bearing down on us then swerving as we could not warn them without emergency flashers. …
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 335i. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the following day, while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle started. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with battery failure. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, and the battery was replaced for the second time. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic and the battery was replaced a third time, but the failure reoccurred. …
I have an F30 body style bmw with the N55 engine. After purchasing the car I noticed a very rough idle for a few moments when warming up the car. The idle would be so rough that when in gear to reverse out of my driveway, it would jerk the car further than it should be meant to go. A slight tap of the throttle and the jerking would propel the car forward resulting in a dangerous situation. I almost collided with a couple of cars so far and I have kids in the car. Upon much research and performing car diagnostics, it was found that the cars valvetronic system which controls the idle for fuel efficiency is defective. After looking into this further and joining a few online forum groups with the same vehicle, it has been known that this is a vastly common issue with this vehicle. Thousands of owners had come up with top issues with this engine and this issue is at the top of the list. …
on my car there is what is called the bowden cable that works to open and release the hood so that it can be opened. The problem with the design of the cable is that it sits right over a coolant hose leading to the engine. What happens is that the coolant hose gets very hot and the bowden cable that sits right over it melts along with the coolant hose. I just noticed this and felt it is a huge problem that could cause the coolant hose to either burst over time.
On Saturday 8/8/15, I was parking my BMW 335i car to get groceries, and while entering the parking spot, the engine began racing out of control. I hit the brakes hard, but the car would not stop. I tried to shift into neutral, but the shift control was locked in drive and would not move. Lastly I finally hit the stop engine button, and the car finally stopped, but not after I had bumped into the car in front of me in my parking space. As I was resting against the bumper of the car in front of me, I had been able to move the shifter after stopping the car's engine into park, and re-started the car. The engine idled at 7000 RPM, totally racing again. I turned the engine off and sat there for about two minutes. I turned the engine on again, and it finally idled normally at 800-1000 RPM, put it in reverse, and backed off the bumper of the car in front of me. …
Related recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 128i Coupe, 128i Convertible, 328i Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 328i Coupe, 328i Convertible, 328i Sports Wagon and Z4 sDrive 30i, 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 135i Convertible, 335i Sedan, X5 xDrive 35i, and X6 xDrive 35i, 2011 335i xDrive Sedan, 335i Coupe, 335i…
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four VANOS housing bolts for both VANOS units (intake and exhaust), free of charge.
Frequently asked questions
Which BMW 335i years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (51), 2008 (38), 2011 (36), 2009 (16) and 2013 (13) model years. Engine complaints make up 18% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for BMW 335i engine problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 14V-176 (engine, Apr 10, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do BMW 335i engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles; 43% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (14 mentions), followed by the engine › gasoline › belts and associated pulleys (2).
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.