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2008 BMW 335I

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most 335I years

Owner complaints for the 2008 BMW 335I are substantially higher than the model-year median of 31.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

163 reports with mileage · 38 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports8 fire reports4 injury reports

Seats complaints

4 reports
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100,000 miles · Jan 19, 2018
Air BagsSeats

PASSENGER AIRBAG SEAT MAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR FAULT. THE PROBLEM BEGAN WHENEVER A PASSENGER WOULD SIT ON THE SEAT, THE AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD GO ON. AFTER SOME TIME PASSED THE LIGHT STAYS ON PERMANENTLY. I NOTICED RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM IN PREVIOUS YEARS. UPON RESEARCHING, IT SEEMS TO BE A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM THAT JUST ISN'T REPORTED…

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PASSENGER AIRBAG SEAT MAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR FAULT. THE PROBLEM BEGAN WHENEVER A PASSENGER WOULD SIT ON THE SEAT, THE AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD GO ON. AFTER SOME TIME PASSED THE LIGHT STAYS ON PERMANENTLY. I NOTICED RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM IN PREVIOUS YEARS. UPON RESEARCHING, IT SEEMS TO BE A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM THAT JUST ISN'T REPORTED. IT LEADS TO MANY JUST FIXING IT THEMSELVES, OR JUST BUYING BYPASSES TO AVOID FORKING OUT OVER $1200 TO GET IT FIXED. THE PROBLEM DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR SITUATION, AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED

NHTSA ODI #11063808

70,000 miles · Aug 29, 2014
Seats

MY CAR IS IN PERFECT CONDITION, MINT...I AM A CERTIFIED FRAUD EXAMINER. I WAS ON A ROAD TRIP FROM BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON TO RICHMOND, BC. WHILE DRIVING IN RICHMOND, BC NEAR THE AUTO WEST BMW DEALERSHIP, MY DRIVER'S SEAT BEGAN GOING FORWARDS AND BACKWARDS AS I DROVE. SOMETIMES THE AUTOMATIC BUTTON WOULD WORK AND THE SEAT WOULD STOP…

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MY CAR IS IN PERFECT CONDITION, MINT...I AM A CERTIFIED FRAUD EXAMINER. I WAS ON A ROAD TRIP FROM BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON TO RICHMOND, BC. WHILE DRIVING IN RICHMOND, BC NEAR THE AUTO WEST BMW DEALERSHIP, MY DRIVER'S SEAT BEGAN GOING FORWARDS AND BACKWARDS AS I DROVE. SOMETIMES THE AUTOMATIC BUTTON WOULD WORK AND THE SEAT WOULD STOP. A MINUTE OR TWO GOES BY AND THE DRIVER'S SEAT GOES CRAZY AND PINS ME AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL AND PINS MY KNEES AGAINST THE DASHBOARD. I AM BARELY ABLE TO STEER AND LIFT MY FOOT OFF OF THE GAS AND APPLY THE BRAKES. DUE TO MY TRAINING, I DID NOT PANIC...I PULLED OVER INTO A PARKING LOT, AND DID ALL I CAN TO SQUEEZE MYSELF OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE SEAT BUTTON WAS NON RESPONSIVE, SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME. I WAS TWO BLOCKS FROM THE DEALERSHIP. I CALLED BMW NORTH AMERICA AND THEY REGISTERED MY COMPLAINT. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE SEAT BACK, AND DROVE IT TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP IN RICHMOND, AS I PULLED INTO THEIR PARKING LOT, AND SEAT REPEATED ITSELF AGAIN. WAY TO CRAZY...THEY DISABLE THE MOTOR CONTROL UNIT FOR THE SEAT. I AM GETTING IT SERVICED NEXT WEEK AT THE BELLEVUE WASHINGTON BMW DEALERSHIP. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WILL COVER IT...700 BUCKS... *TR

NHTSA ODI #10629389

40,000 miles · Mar 19, 2014
Air BagsElectrical SystemSeats

MY 2008 BMW 335I HAS THE SAME ISSUE FOR WHICH THE BELOW RECALL WAS ISSUED. THE RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED TO 2008 MODEL YEAR. RECALL SUBJECT : FRONT SEAT OCCUPANT PROTECTION MAT REPORT RECEIPT DATE: NOV 12, 2013 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V564000 COMPONENT(S): AIR BAGS POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED: 76,565 MANUF…

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MY 2008 BMW 335I HAS THE SAME ISSUE FOR WHICH THE BELOW RECALL WAS ISSUED. THE RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED TO 2008 MODEL YEAR. RECALL SUBJECT : FRONT SEAT OCCUPANT PROTECTION MAT REPORT RECEIPT DATE: NOV 12, 2013 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V564000 COMPONENT(S): AIR BAGS POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED: 76,565 MANUFACTURER: BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC SUMMARY: BMW OF NORTH AMERICA LLC (BMW) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 325I, 325XI, 330I, 330XI SEDANS AND 325XI SPORTS WAGONS, MODEL YEAR 2007 328I, 328XI, 335I, 335XI SEDANS AND 328I AND 328XI SPORTS WAGONS, MODEL YEAR 2006-2007 525I, 525XI, 530I, 530XI, 550I SEDANS AND 530XI SPORTS WAGONS, MODEL YEAR 2006 760I SEDANS, MODEL YEAR 2006-2007 750I, 750LI, AND 760LI SEDANS, AND MODEL YEAR 2006 X5 SPORTS ACTIVITY VEHICLES, EQUIPPED WITH CERTAIN SEAT TYPES. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT THAT DETERMINES IF AND HOW THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIR BAG SHOULD DEPLOY IN A CRASH MAY FATIGUE AND DEVELOP CRACKS WHICH COULD LEAD TO A SYSTEM FAILURE. CONSEQUENCE: SHOULD THE SYSTEM FAIL, IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG WOULD BE DEACTIVATED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY. REMEDY: BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS WITH AN INTERIM NOTIFICATION LETTER IN JANUARY 2014 SINCE PARTS ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. WHEN PARTS ARE AVAILABLE, ANTICIPATED TO BE IN MARCH 2014, BMW WILL SEND A SECOND LETTER AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT TO ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT MAY CRACK, FREE OF CHARGE. ADDITIONALLY, OWNERS OF MODEL YEAR 2006-2007 3 SERIES WITH STANDARD SEATS, 5 SERIES WITH COMFORT SEATS, AND Z4 MODELS, WILL RECEIVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THEIR FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AT 1-800-525-7417 OR EMAIL BMW AT CUSTOMERRELATIONS@BMWUSA.COM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10573602

47,000 miles · Oct 17, 2013
Air BagsSeats

FAULT IN PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM ERROR IS BEING CONSISTENTLY DISPLAYED. FRONT PASSENGER SEAT MAT SENSOR WAS RECALLED FOR PRIOR MODEL YEARS BUT NOT FOR 2008. THIS RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO 2008 MODEL YEAR. MY VIN WAS NOT ON RECALL LIST. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10548301

Official recalls

4

24V513000 · Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Jul 3, 2024

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 sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with an inflator that can explode during deployment.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's air bag module as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Additional source detail variants (2)

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 sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with an inflator that can explode during deployment.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's air bag module as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Air Bags:frontal

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 sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with an inflator that can explode during deployment.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's air bag module as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

20V017000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Jan 15, 2020

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, 328i xDrive, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive and M3, 2009-2011 335D, 2006-2012 325xi, 328i, 328xi and 328i xDrive, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 2007-2013 328i, 335i, 335is, M3 Coupes, X5 30si, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 48i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M, 2009-2013 X5 xDrive35d and 2008-2014 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6M vehicles equipped with non-desiccated driver frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver air bag. On X5 and X6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

17V676000 · Electrical System:wiring

Oct 25, 2017

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 air conditioning system may overheat.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Wiring that overheats could cause the electrical connectors to melt, and increase the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is unattended.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiring and electrical connectors, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

13V044000 · Electrical System; Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery:cables; Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers

Feb 7, 2013

BMW is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 1-Series coupes and convertibles manufactured December 2007 through September 2011; and 2007-2011 3-Series coupes and convertibles manufactured March 2007 through October 2011; 2007-2011 3-Series sedans manufactured March 2007 through October 2011; 2007-2011 3-Series sports wagons manufactured March 2007 through June 2011; and 2009-2011 Z4 vehicles manufactured March 2009 through June 2011. In February 2013, BMW recalled 504,545 vehicles. In July 2013, BMW informed the agency that it was adding 1-Series, 3-Series, and Z4 vehicles, representing an additional 12,094 vehicles. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 516,791. The connector for the positive battery cable connector and the corresponding terminal on the fuse box may degrade over time. Over time, the high current flow and heat from electrical resistance may lead to a breakage of the connection, and a loss of electrical power to the vehicle.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If there is a loss of electrical power to the vehicle, the vehicle may unexpectedly stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the positive battery cable connector and secure it with an improved method, free of charge. The recall began on March 13, 2013. Owners may call BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers

BMW is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 1-Series coupes and convertibles manufactured December 2007 through September 2011; and 2007-2011 3-Series coupes and convertibles manufactured March 2007 through October 2011; 2007-2011 3-Series sedans manufactured March 2007 through October 2011; 2007-2011 3-Series sports wagons manufactured March 2007 through June 2011; and 2009-2011 Z4 vehicles manufactured March 2009 through June 2011. In February 2013, BMW recalled 504,545 vehicles. In July 2013, BMW informed the agency that it was adding 1-Series, 3-Series, and Z4 vehicles, representing an additional 12,094 vehicles. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 516,791. The connector for the positive battery cable connector and the corresponding terminal on the fuse box may degrade over time. Over time, the high current flow and heat from electrical resistance may lead to a breakage of the connection, and a loss of electrical power to the vehicle.

Consequence: If there is a loss of electrical power to the vehicle, the vehicle may unexpectedly stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the positive battery cable connector and secure it with an improved method, free of charge. The recall began on March 13, 2013. Owners may call BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery:cables

BMW is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 1-Series coupes and convertibles manufactured December 2007 through September 2011; and 2007-2011 3-Series coupes and convertibles manufactured March 2007 through October 2011; 2007-2011 3-Series sedans manufactured March 2007 through October 2011; 2007-2011 3-Series sports wagons manufactured March 2007 through June 2011; and 2009-2011 Z4 vehicles manufactured March 2009 through June 2011. In February 2013, BMW recalled 504,545 vehicles. In July 2013, BMW informed the agency that it was adding 1-Series, 3-Series, and Z4 vehicles, representing an additional 12,094 vehicles. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 516,791. The connector for the positive battery cable connector and the corresponding terminal on the fuse box may degrade over time. Over time, the high current flow and heat from electrical resistance may lead to a breakage of the connection, and a loss of electrical power to the vehicle.

Consequence: If there is a loss of electrical power to the vehicle, the vehicle may unexpectedly stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the positive battery cable connector and secure it with an improved method, free of charge. The recall began on March 13, 2013. Owners may call BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

Electrical System

BMW is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 1-Series coupes and convertibles manufactured December 2007 through September 2011; and 2007-2011 3-Series coupes and convertibles manufactured March 2007 through October 2011; 2007-2011 3-Series sedans manufactured March 2007 through October 2011; 2007-2011 3-Series sports wagons manufactured March 2007 through June 2011; and 2009-2011 Z4 vehicles manufactured March 2009 through June 2011. In February 2013, BMW recalled 504,545 vehicles. In July 2013, BMW informed the agency that it was adding 1-Series, 3-Series, and Z4 vehicles, representing an additional 12,094 vehicles. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 516,791. The connector for the positive battery cable connector and the corresponding terminal on the fuse box may degrade over time. Over time, the high current flow and heat from electrical resistance may lead to a breakage of the connection, and a loss of electrical power to the vehicle.

Consequence: If there is a loss of electrical power to the vehicle, the vehicle may unexpectedly stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the positive battery cable connector and secure it with an improved method, free of charge. The recall began on March 13, 2013. Owners may call BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.