BMW M235I · model year

2014 BMW M235I

8 NHTSA complaints, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2014BMWM235I carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2014 M235I is engine with 2 filings, followed by power train (2) and fuel/propulsion system (1). 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 3 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 2014 M235I. 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.

8
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

8 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE2
POWER TRAIN2
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
AIR BAGS1
SEATS1
STRUCTURE:BODY1

Recalls (3)

15V18900031/03/2015

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014 228i Coupe, M235i Coupe, 320i, 320xi, 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi, ActiveHybrid 3, 328xi Sports Wagon, 428i Coupe, 428xi Coupe, 435i Coupe, 435xi Coupe, 428i Convertible, 428xi Convertible, 435i Convertible, 328xi Gran Turismo, 335xi G

24V28800024/04/2024

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2015 2 Series Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i), 3 Series Sedan (320i, 320i xDrive, 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335i xDrive, M3, 328d, 328d xDrive), 4 Series Coupe (428i, 428i xDrive, 435i, 435i xDrive, M4), and 2015 4 Series Gran Coupe (428i, 42

25V87100017/12/2025

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:HEAD

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014 4 Series Coupe (428i, 428i xDrive, 435i, 435i xDrive), 3 Series Sedan (320i, 320i xDrive, 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335i xDrive), and 2014-2015 2 Series Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i, M235i xDrive) vehicles. The head air bag inflator may fai

Recent Complaints

20201002ENGINE

DUE TO THE POORLY DESIGNED OILING SYSTEM IN THE N55 ENGINE. WHEN THE CAR IS SUBJECTED TO HIGH G FORCES FROM THINGS SUCH AS TRACK DRIVING OR SPIRITED DRIVING. THE OIL SLOSHES IN IN THE PAN AND THE OIL PICK UP DOESN'T GET ANY OIL. THEREFORE THE ENGINE OIL STARVES AND MY CASE PRODUCES ROD KNOCK. WHICH BASICALLY MEANS THE ENGINE IS DESTROYED. I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON TRACK WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE CAR HAD FRESH OIL AND WAS FILLED TO THE MAX. GOT A DRIVETRAIN WARNING, COOLED THE CAR DOWN. WOULDN'T RESTART UNLESS A JUMP BOX WAS USED TO GET ENOUGH CRANKING POWER. ONCE RESTARTED THE ENGINE HAD DEVOLPED A ROD KNOCK.

Mileage: 84,400

20180618STRUCTURE:BODY

WHEN CAR IS PARKED, DRIVER SIDE DOOR OCCASIONALLY WILL NOT UNLOCK WHEN PULLING ON DOOR HANDLE. THE LOCK ON THE DOOR WILL COME UP, BUT WILL NOT STAY AND RETURNS TO LOCKED POSITION. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, DOOR CAN ONLY BE UNLOCKED BY USING THE DOOR LOCK/UNLOCK BUTTON OR UNLOCK BUTTON ON KEY.

Mileage: 30,000

20180318AIR BAGS

WHILE PARKED I WAS MOVING THE DRIVER SEAT BACK ALL THE WAY BACK AND THEN TRIED TO MOVE IT FORWARD AGAIN AND IT WOULD NOT MOVE. IT WAS STUCK IN THE POSITION. THE SEAT WOULD NOT RESPOND AND AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND RESTARTING THE CAR IT FINALLY RESPONDED. AFTER THIS THE AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON AND SAID 'DRIVER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION'

Mileage: 32,000

20180318SEATS

WHILE PARKED I WAS MOVING THE DRIVER SEAT BACK ALL THE WAY BACK AND THEN TRIED TO MOVE IT FORWARD AGAIN AND IT WOULD NOT MOVE. IT WAS STUCK IN THE POSITION. THE SEAT WOULD NOT RESPOND AND AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND RESTARTING THE CAR IT FINALLY RESPONDED. AFTER THIS THE AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON AND SAID 'DRIVER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION'

Mileage: 32,000

20170302POWER TRAIN

AS I WAS MERGING ON TO THE EXPRESSWAY (TRYING TO GET TO 70MPH) THE CAR SUDDENLY WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND A WARNING FLASHED UP SAYING "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION: DRIVE MODERATELY". I HAVE ATTACHED A PICTURE. AFTER WHICH I WAS RESTRICTED TO 50MPH AND AROUND 1700RPM. CAR WAS SLUGGISH AND SLOW AND WAS DANGEROUS CONSIDERING I WAS ON AN EXPRESSWAY.

Mileage: 43,000

20150511FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AROUND 11 AM AT 35 MPH AND THE CAR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON STATING DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION SEE AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE CAR JUST STALLED. YOU COULD NOT START ENGINE BECAUSE LATER ON ABOUT A WEEK WE LEARNED THAT IT WAS A BMW RECALL OF THE FUEL PUMP WHICH THE DEALER WASN'T EVEN INFORMED ON BY BMW CORPORATE. I COULDN'T EVEN GET THE CAR IN NEUTRAL BECAUSE THE ENGINE WOULDN'T START SO THE CAR KEPT GOING BACK INTO PARK SO THE CAR WOULDN'T ROLL AS SAFETY FEATURE. WE NOTIFIED BMW EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND IT TOOK THEM 7 HOURS TO SEND TOW TRUCK AFTER 3 DIFFERENT CALLS BACK INTO THEM. THE FIRST TOW TRUCK THEY SENT COULDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE AS OF 2010 BMW TOOK OUT FROM THEIR CARS AN EMERGENCY BACK UP WAY TO GET THE CAR IN NEUTRAL.

Mileage: 6,599

20150511ENGINE

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AROUND 11 AM AT 35 MPH AND THE CAR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON STATING DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION SEE AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE CAR JUST STALLED. YOU COULD NOT START ENGINE BECAUSE LATER ON ABOUT A WEEK WE LEARNED THAT IT WAS A BMW RECALL OF THE FUEL PUMP WHICH THE DEALER WASN'T EVEN INFORMED ON BY BMW CORPORATE. I COULDN'T EVEN GET THE CAR IN NEUTRAL BECAUSE THE ENGINE WOULDN'T START SO THE CAR KEPT GOING BACK INTO PARK SO THE CAR WOULDN'T ROLL AS SAFETY FEATURE. WE NOTIFIED BMW EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND IT TOOK THEM 7 HOURS TO SEND TOW TRUCK AFTER 3 DIFFERENT CALLS BACK INTO THEM. THE FIRST TOW TRUCK THEY SENT COULDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE AS OF 2010 BMW TOOK OUT FROM THEIR CARS AN EMERGENCY BACK UP WAY TO GET THE CAR IN NEUTRAL.

Mileage: 6,599

20150511POWER TRAIN

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AROUND 11 AM AT 35 MPH AND THE CAR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON STATING DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION SEE AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE CAR JUST STALLED. YOU COULD NOT START ENGINE BECAUSE LATER ON ABOUT A WEEK WE LEARNED THAT IT WAS A BMW RECALL OF THE FUEL PUMP WHICH THE DEALER WASN'T EVEN INFORMED ON BY BMW CORPORATE. I COULDN'T EVEN GET THE CAR IN NEUTRAL BECAUSE THE ENGINE WOULDN'T START SO THE CAR KEPT GOING BACK INTO PARK SO THE CAR WOULDN'T ROLL AS SAFETY FEATURE. WE NOTIFIED BMW EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND IT TOOK THEM 7 HOURS TO SEND TOW TRUCK AFTER 3 DIFFERENT CALLS BACK INTO THEM. THE FIRST TOW TRUCK THEY SENT COULDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE AS OF 2010 BMW TOOK OUT FROM THEIR CARS AN EMERGENCY BACK UP WAY TO GET THE CAR IN NEUTRAL.

Mileage: 6,599

Compare 2014BMWM235I to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2014 BMW M235I have?
The 2014 BMW M235I has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2014 BMW M235I?
Yes, the 2014 BMW M235I has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2014 BMW M235I?
The most-complained component for the 2014 BMW M235I is ENGINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM.
Is the 2014 BMW M235I safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. 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.