BMW 335D · model year

2011 BMW 335D

51 NHTSA complaints, and 6 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011BMW335D carries 51 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 4 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 335D is electrical system with 10 filings, followed by engine (8) and air bags (7). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 6 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2011 335D. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

51
Complaints
0
Crashes
4
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

51 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM10
ENGINE8
AIR BAGS7
SEATS5
SEAT BELTS4
POWER TRAIN3
STEERING3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM2
TIRES1
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)1
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER1
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL1

Recalls (6)

17V67600025/10/2017

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. The wiring and electrical connectors for the system that controls air flow for the heating and ai

19V47200019/06/2019

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.

20V01700015/01/2020

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,

18V31400014/05/2018

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.

24V51300003/07/2024

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. The original steering wheel may have been replaced with a spor

17V06700002/02/2017

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

Recent Complaints

20231006AIR 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. Have the system checked by the nearest BMW center." - I have contacted both my local BMW dealer (BMW Seattle) and the BMW North America customer relations depar

20231006SEATS

- 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. Have the system checked by the nearest BMW center." - I have contacted both my local BMW dealer (BMW Seattle) and the BMW North America customer relations depar

20230601FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 335D. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed on a 6-hour trip, there was thick fumes coming into the cabin of the vehicle from the exhaust. The contact stated that he drove the vehicle to the dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed with a clogged DEF filter. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacture was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.

Mileage: 119,000

20230601FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:FUEL FILTER

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 335D. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed on a 6-hour trip, there was thick fumes coming into the cabin of the vehicle from the exhaust. The contact stated that he drove the vehicle to the dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed with a clogged DEF filter. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacture was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.

Mileage: 119,000

20220920ENGINE

YEARS OF MY 335D OVERHEATING AND STALLING AND DEALER CANT FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE. I’VE REPLACED INJECTORS, DONE CARBON BLASTING, REPLACED NOX SENSOR, REPLACED WHOLE BATTERY/ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. JUST RECENTLY REPLACED THE ALL BELTS, HOSES, AND EGR MODULE TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. AFTER REMOVING THE COMPONENTS YOU CAN SEE FLUIDS GOT MIXED AND EVEN GOT INTO MY TURBO ALL BECAUSE OF THE EGR WAS LEAKING. SO MANY IDENTICAL ISSUES RESULTED IN RECALLS FROM BMW FOR ALMOST EVERY SINGLE MODEL FROM EARLY 2000S TO NEW MODELS DUE TO FAULTY EGRS, EXCEPT THE 2011 335D. AND OF THE NEARLY 1 MILLION VEHICLES RECALLED BY BMW THIS YEAR ALONE, ONLY THE 2011 335D IS NOT RECALLED FOR FAULTY PCV AND EGR WHICH WAS FINALLY DETERMINED BY THE DEALER TO BE THE CAUSE OF MY OVERHEATING, BLACK PARTICLES COMING FROM THE EXHAUST, MELTED PLASTIC UNDER MY HOOD, AND DISGUSTING SMELL FROM AIR VENTS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME EXACT VEHICLE WITH THE SAME EXACT ISSUES ON NHTSA AND NOTHING IS BEING

20220920FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

YEARS OF MY 335D OVERHEATING AND STALLING AND DEALER CANT FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE. I’VE REPLACED INJECTORS, DONE CARBON BLASTING, REPLACED NOX SENSOR, REPLACED WHOLE BATTERY/ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. JUST RECENTLY REPLACED THE ALL BELTS, HOSES, AND EGR MODULE TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. AFTER REMOVING THE COMPONENTS YOU CAN SEE FLUIDS GOT MIXED AND EVEN GOT INTO MY TURBO ALL BECAUSE OF THE EGR WAS LEAKING. SO MANY IDENTICAL ISSUES RESULTED IN RECALLS FROM BMW FOR ALMOST EVERY SINGLE MODEL FROM EARLY 2000S TO NEW MODELS DUE TO FAULTY EGRS, EXCEPT THE 2011 335D. AND OF THE NEARLY 1 MILLION VEHICLES RECALLED BY BMW THIS YEAR ALONE, ONLY THE 2011 335D IS NOT RECALLED FOR FAULTY PCV AND EGR WHICH WAS FINALLY DETERMINED BY THE DEALER TO BE THE CAUSE OF MY OVERHEATING, BLACK PARTICLES COMING FROM THE EXHAUST, MELTED PLASTIC UNDER MY HOOD, AND DISGUSTING SMELL FROM AIR VENTS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME EXACT VEHICLE WITH THE SAME EXACT ISSUES ON NHTSA AND NOTHING IS BEING

20220920POWER TRAIN

YEARS OF MY 335D OVERHEATING AND STALLING AND DEALER CANT FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE. I’VE REPLACED INJECTORS, DONE CARBON BLASTING, REPLACED NOX SENSOR, REPLACED WHOLE BATTERY/ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. JUST RECENTLY REPLACED THE ALL BELTS, HOSES, AND EGR MODULE TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. AFTER REMOVING THE COMPONENTS YOU CAN SEE FLUIDS GOT MIXED AND EVEN GOT INTO MY TURBO ALL BECAUSE OF THE EGR WAS LEAKING. SO MANY IDENTICAL ISSUES RESULTED IN RECALLS FROM BMW FOR ALMOST EVERY SINGLE MODEL FROM EARLY 2000S TO NEW MODELS DUE TO FAULTY EGRS, EXCEPT THE 2011 335D. AND OF THE NEARLY 1 MILLION VEHICLES RECALLED BY BMW THIS YEAR ALONE, ONLY THE 2011 335D IS NOT RECALLED FOR FAULTY PCV AND EGR WHICH WAS FINALLY DETERMINED BY THE DEALER TO BE THE CAUSE OF MY OVERHEATING, BLACK PARTICLES COMING FROM THE EXHAUST, MELTED PLASTIC UNDER MY HOOD, AND DISGUSTING SMELL FROM AIR VENTS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME EXACT VEHICLE WITH THE SAME EXACT ISSUES ON NHTSA AND NOTHING IS BEING

20211028UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Fine, white particles are blowing out of the cabin air ducts whenever the air conditioner or fan is turned on. My local BMW service center, Herb Chambers BMW of Boston, determined that the debris is flakes of aluminum from the deteriorated aluminum alloy fins of the AC evaporator coil and heater exchanger. The cabin air ducts were scoped and found to be intact with no intrusion of outside contaminants. The dealer determined that if not replaced, “the A/C Evaporator will fail…” and quoted the cost of repairs at $5,286.18. As I am sure you are aware, aluminum is a neurotoxin when absorbed by the body. The science is well established and can be easily sourced using Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C22&q=neurotoxicity+of+aluminum&oq=neuroto. The fine aluminum particles blowing from the heating and cooling system of my BMW have been absorbed into my eyes, mouth and airways, putting me at risk from internal exposure to aluminum. They have also rende

20210201ENGINE

IT STARTED MAY, 2017, WHEN MY 335D WAS IDLING ROUGH AND JERKED AS I WAS DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED. I TOOK IT INTO CREVIER BMW IN SANTA ANA. THE CAR HAD 53,000 MILES AND THEY SAID IT HAD CARBON BUILD UP ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND #1 & 5 FUEL INJECTOR. THEY REPLACED THE FUEL INJECTORS AND WALNUT BLAST THE MANIFOLD. SWIRL PORTS, EGR AND THROTTLE HOUSING CLEANED AS WELL. APR, 2018 58,000 MILES, FAULTY ACTIVE TANK TEMPERATURE SENSOR REPLACED. AUG, 2018 60,000 MILES, REPLACED FAULTY FUEL INJECTORS #2,3,4,5 AND FAULTY CAM SENSOR. JAN, 2019 64,000 CAR RUNNING ROUGH AT IDLE. STARTED USING FUEL INJECTOR CLEANER IN FUEL TANK. THIS STOPPED THE ROUGH IDLE. CAR RUNS ROUGH EVERY TIME IF I DON'T ADD THE INJECTOR CLEANER. MARCH 2020 73,000 MILES, INTAKE MANIFOLD REMOVED AND WALNUT BLAST AGAIN. REPLACED BOTH FAULTY NOX SENSORS. FAULTY CODES ON AIR MASS INTAKE. NOV 2020 76,000 MILES, FAULTY FUEL INJECTORS # 1,2,4, #5 GLOW PLUG, MASS/VOLUME AIR FLOW, INTAKE TEMPERATURE SENSOR. DID NOT PASS SMOG. TOOK

20200211AIR BAGS

PASSENGER AIRBAG MALFUNCTION, SEAT SENSITIVITY IS TOUCHY, REPORTS AN OCCUPANT WHEN EMPTY AND GIVES AN OCCASIONAL MALFUNCTION WARNING, AT ANY SPEED, ANY TIME.

Mileage: 115,000

20200211SEATS

PASSENGER AIRBAG MALFUNCTION, SEAT SENSITIVITY IS TOUCHY, REPORTS AN OCCUPANT WHEN EMPTY AND GIVES AN OCCASIONAL MALFUNCTION WARNING, AT ANY SPEED, ANY TIME.

Mileage: 115,000

20191229AIR BAGS

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.

Mileage: 84,000

20191229SEAT BELTS

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.

Mileage: 84,000

20190710FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

LESS THAN 70K MILES AND HAD TO REPLACE MANIFOLD, INJECTORS ETC DUE TO EXCESS CARBON BMW NEEDS TO DO MORE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF POLLUTION ON THESE VEHICLES

Mileage: 69,000

20190606ENGINE

I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE EGR MODULE TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. AN IDENTICAL ISSUES RESULTED IN A RECALL FROM BMW FOR DIESELS FROM OTHER YEARS: HTTPS://WWW.CONSUMERREPORTS.ORG/CAR-RECALLS-DEFECTS/BMW-RECALLS-DIESEL-CARS-AND-SUVS-FOR-FIRE-RISK/ . HOWEVER, BMW HAS CHOSEN NOT TO EXPAND THE RECALL TO COVER THIS ENGINE FAILURE IN ALL OF THE DIESELS. IT'S POTENTIALLY ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS STARTS TO SHOW UP WITH INCREASED FREQUENCY.

Mileage: 77,000

20190306POWER TRAIN

THE 2011 VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 65,000 MILES NORMAL RUNS AT HIGHWAY SPEED IN A RANGE OF 2K RPMS. A WARNING REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION IMMEDIATELY CAUSED THE CAR TO REV UP TO 5K RPM (VERY HIGH FOR A DIESEL ENGINE SEDAN) AND THE SPEED REDUCES 30-40MPH WHILE DRIVING. IT IS INCREDIBLY SCARY AND DANGEROUS. ASSUMED THIS WAS A ONE-OFF. PULLED TO THE SHOULDER, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND IT RAN FINE. TOOK IT TO BMW FOR INSPECTION AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BUT WOULD REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND CHARGE ME MORE THAN HALF THE VALUE OF THE CAR. THE ISSUE HAS SINCE REPEATED AND IS VERY DANGEROUS TO ALL ON THE ROAD.

Mileage: 66,000

20190306VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE 2011 VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 65,000 MILES NORMAL RUNS AT HIGHWAY SPEED IN A RANGE OF 2K RPMS. A WARNING REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION IMMEDIATELY CAUSED THE CAR TO REV UP TO 5K RPM (VERY HIGH FOR A DIESEL ENGINE SEDAN) AND THE SPEED REDUCES 30-40MPH WHILE DRIVING. IT IS INCREDIBLY SCARY AND DANGEROUS. ASSUMED THIS WAS A ONE-OFF. PULLED TO THE SHOULDER, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND IT RAN FINE. TOOK IT TO BMW FOR INSPECTION AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BUT WOULD REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND CHARGE ME MORE THAN HALF THE VALUE OF THE CAR. THE ISSUE HAS SINCE REPEATED AND IS VERY DANGEROUS TO ALL ON THE ROAD.

Mileage: 66,000

20190210STEERING

STEERING WHEELS IS SUCK WANT TURNING IN MY DRIVEWAY STEERING WHEELS LOCK UP CAN GETTING TURNING WHAT CAN WE DO

Mileage: 11,000

20181026STEERING

WHILE COMING TO A STOP IN A PARKING LOT THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT AND THE SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER WAS PRESENT. HAD THE CAR BEEN GOING A HIGH RATE OF SPEED IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS.

Mileage: 90,484

20181016ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2011 BMW 335D. CONSUMER WRITES WITH REGARD TO RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. 18V-314: POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM, AND INQUIRES WHEN REPAIRS WILL BE DONE. *AS THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME COMPLETING THE RECALL REPAIR. *JS

Compare 2011BMW335D to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 BMW 335D have?
The 2011 BMW 335D has 51 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 4 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2011 BMW 335D?
The 2011 BMW 335D received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2011 BMW 335D?
Yes, the 2011 BMW 335D has 6 recall(s). The most common affected component is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 BMW 335D?
The most-complained component for the 2011 BMW 335D is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 10 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and AIR BAGS.
Is the 2011 BMW 335D safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2011 BMW 335D has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.