What breaks most · 2007 to 2015 model years
BMW 335xi problems by year
Owners have filed 135 safety complaints with NHTSA about the BMW 335xi across model years 2007 to 2015. Three years stand out: 2008 for fuel system complaints, 2011 for air bags complaints and 2009 for fuel system complaints. The quietest years are 2012, 2013 and 2010.
- Years to check closely: 2008, 2011, 2009
- Fewest complaints: 2012, 2013, 2010
- Complaints on file
- 1352007 to 2015, all trims
- Worst year
- 200853 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 511 fires · 3 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 30kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 21Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 0 | 4 | Electrical system (5) | |
| 53 | 0 | 3 | Fuel system (15) | |
| 18 | 2 | 3 | Fuel system (9) | |
| 11 | 0 | 3 | Fuel system (6) | |
| 22 | 0 | 3 | Air bags (5) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Air bags (2) | |
| 9 | 2 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (2) | |
| 4 | 1 | 2 | Engine (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Traction Control System (1) |
What fails on the 2008 BMW 335xi
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 28% |
15 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2008 BMW 335xi |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 25% |
13 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2008 BMW 335xi |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 19% |
10 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2008 BMW 335xi |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 8% |
4 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2008 BMW 335xi |
| Air bags | 8% |
4 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 8% |
4 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel System, Other | 6% |
3 | 0 | — |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 4% |
2 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2008 BMW 335xi |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Long crank, stuttering, engine dying at idle (or in traffic), check engine light/limp mode. Bmw dealers don't know exactly how to fix it once and for all. They just keep replacing the high pressure fuel pump.
-
Sometimes "depend on the speed" when i press the brake, the vehicle accelerate first several seconds and then slow down.
-
1 ) high pressure fuel pump (hpfp) failed with no prior indication. 2 ) the failure occurred several times between inception and correction by the dealer, resulting in starting and engine running issues for the car. 3 ) the part was replaced under warranty.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which BMW 335xi years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2008, 2011, 2009 carry the most filings on the BMW 335xi. The 2008 alone has 53 complaints, led by fuel system.
What is the most common BMW 335xi problem?
On the 2008 model year, the most-reported component is fuel system with 15 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do BMW 335xi problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all BMW 335xi complaints that include mileage is about 30,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.