2008 BMW 3 Series
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 691 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 3rd highest complaint count among 21 3 Series model years with reports.
Of the 2008 reports, 15 involved a crash and 63 involved a fire. 25 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Engine and engine cooling, exhaust system, emission control, crankcase (pcv)Mar 2, 2022
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 1 Series Coupe (128i); 2007-2013 3 Series Coupe (328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive); 2007-2010 X3 SAV (X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i); 2008-2013 1 Series Convertible (128i); 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi); 2006-2012 3 Series Wagon (328i, 328i xDrive); 2007-2013 3 Series Convertible (328i); 2006-2010 5 Series Sedan (525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi); 2006-2007 5 Series Wagon (530xi); 2007-2010 X5 SAV (X5 3.0si, X5 xDrive30i); 2006-2008 Z4 Coupe (Z4 3.0si); and 2006-2011 Z4 Roadster (Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si, Z4 sDrive30i) vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
An electrical short can cause the PCV valve heater to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire while driving or, soon after driving when parked.
This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Dealers will install an electrical wiring harness with fuse protection for the PCV Valve heater in potentially affected vehicles, free of charge. This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Vehicles previously repaired under the prior recalls will need to come back for the new recall remedy. The remedy is currently being developed. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 1, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 22, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Campaign 22V119000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, cooling system, fanAug 10, 2012
This recall involves aftermarket parts sold by Valeo. Valeo is recalling certain engine cooling fans, part numbers 696121, 696273, and 696275, used as service replacement parts for model year 2008-2011 BMW 1-Series, 2006-2011 BMW 3-Series, 2000-2009 BMW 5-Series, 2004-2005 BMW 6-Series, and 2006-2007 BMW 7-Series vehicles. A metal-oxide semiconductor may overheat due to insufficient screwing of the semiconductor on the aluminum heat sink. This primary failure could cause adjacent components on the fan assembly motor circuit board to overheat and short.
This condition could cause the fan motor to become inoperative, or cause the motor circuit board in the assembly to overheat, potentially leading to a fire in the engine compartment.
Valeo will notify owners and replace the fans free of charge. The safety recall began on August 22, 2012. This recall is being conducted by Valeo, not by BMW. For further information, owners may contact Valeo at 1-888-718-2536.
Campaign 12E029000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalJul 8, 2009
BMW IS RECALLING 2,350 MY 2008 1-SERIES AND 3- SERIES PASSENGER CARS. INCORRECT CRIMP CONNECTORS MAY HAVE BEEN USED ON THE SIDE AIR BAG AND BELT TENSIONER WIRING. AS A RESULT SUFFICIENT CONTACT BETWEEN THE CRIMP CONNECTORS AND THE CORRESPONDING PLUG MAY NOT OCCUR WHICH COULD LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN THE ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE OF THAT CONNECTION.
IF THAT HAPPENED, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR THE SIDE AIR BAG AND/OR THE SAFETY BELT TENSIONER NOT TO DEPLOY AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROPERLY PROTECT AN OCCUPANT, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURIES.
BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-525-7417.
Campaign 09V257000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: fuel/propulsion system
55 reports, newest first. Show all
Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 30, 2014, crash
CAR HAD FUEL PUMP INITIALLY REPLACED WHEN CAR STILL UNDER THE FACTORY WARRANTY. BMW NA WILL TRY TO AVOID THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH. NOTE INJECTORS FOR THE N54 ENGINE ARE ALSO ON A WORLD WIDE RECALL. NOW THE INJECTION PUMP FROM A RECALL IS BEING CALLED EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 10 YEARS OR 120,000. MILES WELL IT HAPPENED, GOT HIT BY A CAR FROM REAR WHEN MY 335I STALLED!!!!!! I WAS EXPERIENCING EXTENDED STARTS, FOLLOWED BY ENGINE STALLING REPEATEDLY FOR 3 ATTEMPTS THEN IT WILL CLEAR OUT. NOW WHEN LIGHT LOAD IS APPLIED THE ENGINE LIGHT WITH THE ENGINE HALF GRADED OUT APPEARS (REDUCED POWER), ENGINE RUNNING VIOLENTLY ROUGH CODES COMES UP ARE P142E & P3090. THEY WANTED ME TO REPLACE MY INJECTORS FIRST BECAUSE THEY SAID I HAVE "OLD INJECTORS" NOTE WHEN HPFP WAS REPLACED THEY REPLACED THE RECALLED INJECTORS BUT THEY CHANGED ONLY 4 ! EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW IT'S A 6 CYLINDER I WANTED TO TELL BMW THAT WHEN THEY BUILT THE ENGINE THEY INSTALLED ALL 6 NEW INJECTORS. THEIR REPLY WAS IT ONLY NEEDED 4 AT THAT TIME, WELL WHAT A OUT NOW YOUR TELLING ME I NEED TO REPLACE ALL 6 BECAUSE THEIR OLD INJECTORS SO THE REPLACEMENT DONE WAS TO MASK THE PROBLEM!!! TO THIS DATE THEY HAVE ISSUES WITH THE CURRENT ENGINE PLATE FORM N54 - N55 EPIC FAILURE. SOME SAY ITS ALSO REPLACEMENT OF JUST A FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR. I'M CHANGING MINE ON MONDAY BOUGHT IT ONLINE FROM A BMW DEALER INSTALLATION IS 2-2.5 HOURS BASIC TOOLS NEEDED AND CARE. *TR
Service brakes, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 4, 2013
## VIN PASSED ## BMW 335 2008 ## PURCHASED CAR W/ 18000 MILES AND MY 2ND FUEL PUMP IS ON ITS WAY OUT (SCHEDULING APPT NEXT WEEK), BRAKES MAKE NOISE WHEN BRAKING (PADS ARE FINE), AND LOW PRESSURE FUEL SENSOR IS NOW THROWING FUEL PRESSURE CODE 29F3.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion system, May 3, 2013
WHILE DRIVING, ATTEMPTING TO PASS A VEHICLE, I PRESS THE ACCELERATOR AND THE PEDAL HAD NO RESPONSE AND THE RPMS DROPPED. AFTER TRYING TO ACCELERATE, THE ENGINE DIES AND I DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ATTEMPTING TO DODGE TRAFFIC AS THE CAR'S GAS PEDAL IS NOT RESPONDING. UPON PULLING OVER SAFELY, NEARLY HITTING CARS ALONG THE WAY I COME TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR THEN NO LONGER STARTS. CRANKING CAN BE HEARD BUT ENGINE DOES NOT TURN OVER OR START. HAD IT REPAIRED, THE REASON IS A FUEL PUMP FAILURE, FUEL PUMP MODULE FAILURE, AND BLOWN FUSE ON FUEL PUMP. CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND COST TO REPAIR IS $1,800 AND A RISK TO MY SAFETY. *TR
Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 29, 2012
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 335. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE ENGINE REDUCED IN POWER AS THE SPEED VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONING AND THE REDUCE SPEED WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER THE MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,000.
Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 18, 2012
I HAVE HAD MY CAR IN AT LEAST THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR MY 2008 BMW 328XI E90 SEDAN LOSING ALL POWER RANDOMLY! THE LATEST INCIDENT, IN THE FIRST WEEKS OF AUGUST, ALMOST GOT ME KILLED! A TRANSPORTATION BUS STOPPED SUDDENLY IN FRONT OF ME ON A 3 LANE HIGHWAY AND I WENT INTO THE MIDDLE LANE TO PASS THE BUS. I HAD SLOWED FROM THE SPEED LIMIT OF 55 DOWN TO ABOUT 30 MILES AN HOUR, SWITCHED LANES AND THEN PUNCHED THE GAS IN ORDER TO RESUME SPEED OF THE REST OF TRAFFIC. THE CAR STALLED WITH NO POWER WHATSOEVER FOR ABOUT THREE SECONDS. AN 18 WHEEL TRUCK CAME WITHIN 50 FEET OF ME OR SO AND ALMOST KILLED ME, THEN THE CAR SUDDENLY REGAINED ALL POWER AND I WAS ABLE TO AVERT THE COLLISION! IT IS SO FRUSTRATING THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE OTHER OWNERS OUT THERE THAT HAVE REPORTED THIS ISSUE ONLINE AND BMW HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE NO CODES, NO LIGHTS, NOTHING. I JUST HAD MY CAR IN THE DEALER FOR TWO WEEKS AND THEY RAN FUEL PRESSURE TESTS, DROVE THE CAR, ETC. THE CAR STALLED ONCE ON THEM, BUT THEN THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AGAIN. I READ ON WWW.E90POST.COM SOME OTHERS HAD THE LEARNING COMPUTER IN THE TRANSMISSION RESET TO ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. SEEMS THE COMPUTER GETS CONFUSED ON DRIVING HABITS OF OWNER AND FORGETS WHAT GEAR TO BE IN WHEN DRIVING, SO IT STALLS. I HAD DEALER RESET COMPUTER TO ZERO SO IT RELEARNS MY DRIVING HABITS AND I WILL SEE IF THIS FIXES THE PROBLEM. I WILL SAY, THE HESITATION ISSUE DOES SEEM TO BE A TRANSMISSION ISSUE TO MY OBSERVATIONS. SEEM LIKE TRANNY IS FIGURING OUT WHAT GEAR TO BE IN. I THINK THERE IS A GLITCH IN THE SW/TRANNY WHERE THE ECU GETS CONFUSED AND DOES NOT KNOW WHAT GEAR TO PUT THE CAR INTO, THEN IT HESITATES UNTIL THE ALGORITHM FIGURES OUT WHAT TO DO. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS 2-3 SECOND LOSS OF POWER, WHEN PASSING, GETTING ONTO A HIGHWAY OR PULLING IN FRONT OF TRAFFIC CAN KILL YOU! *TR