U.S. public vehicle records

2011 Bmw 335I problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

97 owner complaints analyzed

7 distinct recall campaigns

50,600 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2011 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 48 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 31 of 97 complaints (32.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Engine operation	13	13.4%
Fuel system concerns	11	11.3%
Electrical and battery issues	9	9.3%
Braking behavior	6	6.2%
Steering behavior	4	4.1%
Transmission and shifting	3	3.1%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags

Engine

Electrical System

Fuel/Propulsion System

Unknown Or Other

Engine And Engine Cooling

Power Train

Vehicle Speed Control

Air Bags: 31; Engine: 29; Electrical System: 16; Fuel/Propulsion System: 11; Unknown Or Other: 7; Engine And Engine Cooling: 6; Power Train: 5; Vehicle Speed Control: 5

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 8; 25,000 to 49,999: 13; 50,000 to 74,999: 11; 75,000 to 99,999: 7; 100,000 to 149,999: 8; 150,000 and above: 1

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (13). 49 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2011: 1; 2012: 1; 2013: 2; 2014: 8; 2015: 8; 2016: 8; 2017: 25; 2018: 8; 2019: 9; 2020: 4; 2021: 5; 2022: 5; 2023: 4; 2024: 4; 2025: 5

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 13 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 11 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 9 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10442573 · 2012-01-05 (January 5, 2012)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 335I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN THROUGH FOUR INCHES OF WATER WHEN IT STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE HYDRO LOCK FAILED AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 7,400. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Owner-reported narrative. 7,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10442573 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10705251 · 2015-04-13 (April 13, 2015)

MY 2011 335I BMW CONVERTIBLE STALLED FOR 2ND TIME WHILE LESS THAN 200 MILES DRIVEN IN BETWEEN. VEHICLE STALLED IN SLOW SPEED WHILE TURNING LEFT IN BOTH CASES. VEHICLE LOST TOTAL POWER IN BOTH CASES. TOOK TO THE BMW MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA DEALERSHIP IN FIRST OCCURRENCE. DEALER CHECKED AND NO FAULT FOUND IN THE SYSTEM. TECHNICIAN DROVE ~60 MILES AND COULDN'T REPRODUCE THE ISSUE. DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THE CAR AS IT STALLS. VEHICLE HAS ONLY ~38K MILES ON IT. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10705251 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10641525 · 2014-10-05 (October 5, 2014)

DRIVING 40MPH, SMOOTHLY AT CONSISTENT SPEED, IN MIDDLE LANE OF 3 LANE ROAD DURING MORNING RUSH HOUR. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES AFTER CAR HAD BEEN IN GARAGE THE NIGHT BEFORE. ATTEMPTED SMALL ACCELERATION, CAR DID NOT RESPOND, ENGINE HAD TURNED OFF UNCLEAR IF BEFORE OR AT TIME OF ATTEMPTED ACCELERATION. POWER STEERING WAS OFF. I PUT ON MY HAZARDS, SLOWLY DRIFTED TO STOP, PUT CAR IN PARK, ATTEMPTED RESTART, FIRST ATTEMPT FAILED, WAITED 15 SECONDS AND SECOND ATTEMPT SUCCESSFUL. FOR NEXT 3 HOURS, THE ENGINE HAD A RHYTHMIC GRINDING S…

Owner-reported narrative. 44,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10641525 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10653620 · 2014-11-08 (November 8, 2014)

AFTER STARTING THE CAR, THE CENTER CONSOLE GAVE AN ERROR MESSAGE "ENGINE MALFUNCTION. ENGINE OPERATING AT REDUCED OUTPUT. POSSIBLE TO CONTINUE. DRIVE WITH CAUTION. HAVE THE SYSTEM CHECKED BY THE NEAREST BMW CENTER." THE CAR COULD NOT GO MORE THAN 2MPG AND THE ENTIRE CAR WAS SHAKING. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT DID THE SAME THING. I TOOK IT TO THE BMW CENTER AND I AM WAITING TO GET IT BACK. THEY CLAIM IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE FUEL PUMP OR THE FUEL INJECTORS AND THE DETECTION OF ETHANOL IN THE GASOLINE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 24,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10653620 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10836681 · 2016-02-17 (February 17, 2016)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 335-I. COMMENTS: I WAS DRIVING MY ON A LONG UPHILL SECTION WITH PLENTY OF ROOM TO PASS AND I STARTED PASSING TWO CARS WHEN MY ENGINE LOST POWER AND STALLED. THE CARS I WAS PASSING KINDLY STARTED TO SLOW DOWN TO LET ME MOVE PAST THEM, BUT I KEPT SLOWING DOWN AT THE SAME RATE AS THEY WERE, REMAINING SIDE BY SIDE WITH THEM, LEAVING ME NO ROOM TO MOVE BACK TO THE RIGHT AND WITH THE TRUCK COMING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION CLOSER AND CLOSER. EVENTUALLY I FELT I HAD NO CHOICE, AND MANAGED TO GET OFF THE ROAD ON THE OPPO…

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10836681 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10865425 · 2016-05-17 (May 17, 2016)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 335I. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE ENGINE COOLANT WAS STILL FULL. THE FAILURES RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE COOLANT UNIT AND THE BATTERY FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILUR…

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10865425 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10543298 · 2013-09-12 (September 12, 2013)

THIS COMPLAINT IS CONCERNING MY 2011 BMW 335I. I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY BMW SINCE ABOUT 9000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKES KEEP LOCKING, THE ROTORS KEEP GRINDING AND GROOVING, NOSE COMING FROM THE BRAKES WHILE DRIVING AND STOPPING, AND THE DEALER HAS CHANGED THEM MORE THAN 3 TIMES AND THE ISSUES CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. THEY ADVISED ME THAT THEY CANNOT FIX IT AND THERE IS NOTHING ELSE THEY CAN DO. PLEASE HELP ME WITH MY VEHICLE ISSUE. IT HAS BEEN PARKED FROM MORE THAN A YEAR AND A HALF AND I FEEL THAT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I FEEL LIKE…

Owner-reported narrative. 9,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10543298 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10628240 · 2014-08-25 (August 25, 2014)

UPON DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED (70+MPH) THE CAR SLOWED DOWN (ENGINE BRAKING) TO APPROX 40MPH INSTANTLY. THE CARS BEHIND ME WERE FORCED TO BRAKE FORCEFULLY. AN ACCIDENT WAS AVOIDED BECAUSE IT WAS SUNDAY MORNING AND LIGHT TRAFFIC. THE CAR DISPLAYED "ENGINE MALFUNCTION-DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP". THE CAR WAS WITHOUT POWER - JUST COASTING AT 40MPH OR SO, NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE. I MANAGED TO GET IT OVER TO THE DEALER - FIELDS BMW OF NORTHFIELD, IL. THEY KEPT IT FOR A WEEK - TOLD ME IT WAS A COMPUTER MALFUNCTION THAT CUT OFF POWER TO THE PRESSURE CONVER…

Owner-reported narrative. 39,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10628240 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10658601 · 2014-11-17 (November 17, 2014)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 335I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE STRUCK A CURB. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES, THE FRONT SUSPENSION, AND REAR AXLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000. ..UPDATED 12/29/14 *BF

Owner-reported narrative. 41,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10658601 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11291045 · 2019-12-24 (December 24, 2019)

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WILL AUTOMATICALLY GO INTO NEUTRAL. WHEN IDLE TOO THE CAR GOES INTO NEUTRAL AND YOU CAN'T SHIFT INTO DRIVE. WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IT HITS NEUTRAL AND THE CAR REDLINES, THE CAR WILL COAST DOWN THE HIGHWAY UNTIL IT HOPS BACK INTO GEAR

Owner-reported narrative. 75,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11291045 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11554338 · 2023-11-09 (November 9, 2023)

I bought a BMW on November 3rd and within 48 hours on the 5th of November at 6:30 the engine seized while the car was driving when I took it to BMW they did a carfax on it, it said the car had 197,000 miles on it and the car was listed with 97,790 miles and the odometer still says 97,000 and the transmission is also slipping because it had 197,000 miles on it and the font headlights won't work.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11554338 at NHTSA ↗