BMW 335I · model year

2013 BMW 335I

69 NHTSA complaints, 9 crash reports, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2013BMW335I carries 69 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 9 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 5/5 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 2013 335I is air bags with 12 filings, followed by engine (11) and electrical system (10). 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 2 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 2013 335I. 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.

69
Complaints
9
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

69 filings

Crashes Reported

9 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: 5/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS12
ENGINE11
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM10
POWER TRAIN9
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM5
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL4
SEAT BELTS3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
SEATS2
STEERING2
SERVICE BRAKES1
TIRES1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING1

Recalls (2)

15V52000017/08/2015

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

BMW North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 320i, 320xi, 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi, and ActiveHybrid3 vehicles manufactured October 20, 2011, to June 22, 2015, 2014-2015 328xi Sports Wagon vehicles manufactured March 21, 2013, to March 17, 2015, 2014-2015 328d, 328xd vehicl

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,

Recent Complaints

20260217CrashFUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The car died without warning on highway. Lost control because of no power. Car was towed. no codes found. Car died again on highway, lost control no power to brakes and steering. Car was hit trying to got off into breakdown lane. High pressure fuel pump no good.

20260217CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The car died without warning on highway. Lost control because of no power. Car was towed. no codes found. Car died again on highway, lost control no power to brakes and steering. Car was hit trying to got off into breakdown lane. High pressure fuel pump no good.

20260217ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The water pump runs all of the time and drains the battery completely overnight. The water pump runs even after the car is shut off. It seems like the water pump is shorted. The water pump connector appears to have the same issue as many other recalled BMWs but for some reason my VIN has not been included in the recall. The photo is of the stream of coolant being pumped by the water pump while the car is turned off. I cannot drive the car. It is sitting with the battery disconnected. I have called the dealer and they said my car is not part of the recall, but it should be.

20260109ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

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. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant pump failure. The contact was informed that the coolant pump had an electrica

Mileage: 140,000

20260109ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant pump failure. The contact was informed that the coolant pump had an electrica

Mileage: 140,000

20250929ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I haven’t even had my bmw 335i 2013 with 84000 miles on it yet for more than 8 months but somehow for some reason my electronic power steering rack has gone out twice in the span of 5 months.this is a issue. Everytime I’m getting on or off on ramps and taking the turns and curves at 35-40 mph then when you go to let your wheel slide through your hands so you can continue going straight is supposed to be smooth and effortless I shouldn’t have to worry about my life everytime I drive a car because the [XXX] wheel wants to snap back to the center angle at Mach 7 speed. The steering wheel feels loose when I’m driving straight and is heavy when I turn. Even going over bumps it will just start to pull to that side the bump was on its hard to even switch lanes cause I have to fight with my steering wheel. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20250929STEERING

I haven’t even had my bmw 335i 2013 with 84000 miles on it yet for more than 8 months but somehow for some reason my electronic power steering rack has gone out twice in the span of 5 months.this is a issue. Everytime I’m getting on or off on ramps and taking the turns and curves at 35-40 mph then when you go to let your wheel slide through your hands so you can continue going straight is supposed to be smooth and effortless I shouldn’t have to worry about my life everytime I drive a car because the [XXX] wheel wants to snap back to the center angle at Mach 7 speed. The steering wheel feels loose when I’m driving straight and is heavy when I turn. Even going over bumps it will just start to pull to that side the bump was on its hard to even switch lanes cause I have to fight with my steering wheel. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20241105ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

There is TSB by BMW where they know there is an issue with there Fan.. according to them the fan is a 650w fan which causes a condition where the transmission gets a code. The car all of a sudden gets a dramatic power loss with no warning or check engine light.. i almost got into an accident when my car with no warning lost power… I called bmw of America and they are telling me I’m responsible to bring in the car and pay for the repair

20240527AIR BAGS

All BMWs have a defect with passenger seat occupancy mat; airbag will not deploy in accident for passenger because passenger seat restraint system is defective in passenger seat (they call it passenger occupancy mat)- it is a life threatening issue found in my model of car and several other models. Issue Recall and save lives

20240527SEATS

All BMWs have a defect with passenger seat occupancy mat; airbag will not deploy in accident for passenger because passenger seat restraint system is defective in passenger seat (they call it passenger occupancy mat)- it is a life threatening issue found in my model of car and several other models. Issue Recall and save lives

20230627AIR BAGS

Out of nowhere, on 6/24, the warning light came on saying that there is an issue with the passenger restraint system. It stays on when there is no one in the seat and then, even if someone is in the seat, it will turn off. I have not had an accident or had the car flooded to warrant a system malfunction like that. I have read that this has happened to other owners of this model and it is a faulty mat sensor that costs over $1000 to repair.

20230627SEAT BELTS

Out of nowhere, on 6/24, the warning light came on saying that there is an issue with the passenger restraint system. It stays on when there is no one in the seat and then, even if someone is in the seat, it will turn off. I have not had an accident or had the car flooded to warrant a system malfunction like that. I have read that this has happened to other owners of this model and it is a faulty mat sensor that costs over $1000 to repair.

20221230ENGINE

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. I do think that bmw should be responsible for this system as it fails very early on. I only have 58,000 m

20221025POWER TRAIN

This incident happened twice while I was driving. After driving for about 20 minutes my 2013 BMW 335i (Sedan) shifted into neutral as I was making a turn. I was shown a drivetrain malfunction error along with an error that my car was not in Park position and my car's motor suddenly shut off while it was in neutral. I pulled over to the side of the road and I managed to start my car again without any problem. A few weeks later while I was driving on the I-10 driving past Banning, CA. my vehicle shifted into neutral and my motor shut off. I had to make an emergency stop on the side of the freeway and I managed to restart my car and drive to my family's home. My girlfriend and I were in the car at that time and this sudden shut off of my motor could have caused us to get rear ended on the freeway. When I got back home I scanned my car using an OBD II reader and found 0 faults pertaining to the transmission. I did find the following codes: 11A002 Fuel High Pressure, Plausibility Pressure

20220115FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Fuel system leaks when full. It emits a strong odor both in the car and in the garage. Visible fuel leak on exterior of tank. This poses health, environmental, and safety concerns. This is, after internet searching, a fairly common issue.

20211103ENGINE

Loss of power/won't Rev over 2500rpms No fault codes displayed on dash Radiator fan goes to max and cuts off consistently every 30sec-45sec Very dangerous situation when pulling out in front of traffic. I've only owned this car for 3 months! I need to get this fixed asap. Also, this problem occurs at random times in all different conditions. It will also "reset" after turning car off and restarting. It has happened to me 7 - 8 times in 3 months!

20211103ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Loss of power/won't Rev over 2500rpms No fault codes displayed on dash Radiator fan goes to max and cuts off consistently every 30sec-45sec Very dangerous situation when pulling out in front of traffic. I've only owned this car for 3 months! I need to get this fixed asap. Also, this problem occurs at random times in all different conditions. It will also "reset" after turning car off and restarting. It has happened to me 7 - 8 times in 3 months!

20211103VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Loss of power/won't Rev over 2500rpms No fault codes displayed on dash Radiator fan goes to max and cuts off consistently every 30sec-45sec Very dangerous situation when pulling out in front of traffic. I've only owned this car for 3 months! I need to get this fixed asap. Also, this problem occurs at random times in all different conditions. It will also "reset" after turning car off and restarting. It has happened to me 7 - 8 times in 3 months!

20210408ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

1 DAY I DROVE THE CAR ALL THE DOOR LOCKES EXCEPT FOR THE REAR LEFT STOPED WORKING AND I GOT STUCK IN THE CAR FOR 30 MINUTES THEN THE DOOR UNLOCKED AND THEN STOPED WORKING CAR DOORS HAVE TO BE OPENS WITH THE KEY HOLE OR FROM INSIDE THE CAR MAJOR DEATH HAZARD.ALL HAPPENED IN ONE DAY IN A PARKING GARAGE

Mileage: 67,000

20201204ENGINE

CHARGE INTAKE PIPE FAILED AND EXPERIENCED SEVERE POWER LOSS DURING ACCELERATION ONTO THE INTERSTATE. NO WARNINGS OR CAUTION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME OF THE POWER LOSS. I CONTINUED DRIVING TO MY SERVICE DEALER (VALENCIA BMW IN VALENCIA, CA). UPON ARRIVAL, I OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW THAT THE CHARGE INTAKE WAS TORN AWAY FROM THE HOUSING. UPON FURTHER REVIEW, THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE PART FAILED AND NEEDED BE REPLACED. I HAD THE SERVICE CENTER REPLACE THE PART IN FULL ACCORDANCE WITH BMW FACTORY RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROCEDURES. THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE IS NOT MODIFIED IN ANY WAY.

Mileage: 84,500

Compare 2013BMW335I to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2013 BMW 335I have?
The 2013 BMW 335I has 69 NHTSA complaints, 9 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2013 BMW 335I?
The 2013 BMW 335I 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 5/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2013 BMW 335I?
Yes, the 2013 BMW 335I has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is EXTERIOR LIGHTING. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 BMW 335I?
The most-complained component for the 2013 BMW 335I is AIR BAGS with 12 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2013 BMW 335I 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 2013 BMW 335I 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.