2009 BMW 3 Series
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 388 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 7th highest complaint count among 21 3 Series model years with reports.
Of the 2009 reports, 15 involved a crash and 19 involved a fire. 17 people were injured.
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
Representative owner complaints: electrical system
101 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Mar 4, 2026
The security system, alarm system and lock were all tampered with.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Feb 23, 2026
The security system, alarm system and key fob have all been tampered with.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Feb 13, 2026
UNKNOWN- The wiring system/ security system is faulty and requires attention.
Electrical system, Jan 12, 2026, fire
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheating warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the intended destination, which was nearby. The contact stated that the temperature gauge was displayed at 240. The contact stated he went inside the friend's residence, and when the contact walked back outside five minutes later, the entire front hood was engulfed in flames. The vehicle was unoccupied. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. The contact was informed of the loose wires; however, the cause of the fire had not been confirmed. The contact stated that the vehicle was consumed in the fire. The contact stated that the trunk of the vehicle was the only part left. The vehicle was not towed away. The remains of the vehicle were still in the contact friend's driveway. A fire report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was a total loss; however, the insurance company had not confirmed. The contact stated that his insurance did not cover fire insurance. No injuries were sustained. No Police report was filed. In addition, the contact stated that the fire caused the contact's friend's residential window to shatter. The contact received a recall notification: NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V676000 (Electrical System) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the local dealer was contacted several times to schedule an appointment; however, the contact stated that the dealer informed the contact that he would receive a call back to schedule the appointment. The contact stated that he never received the call back to schedule the appointment. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 132,150.
Electrical system, Air bags, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 23, 2025
Car running lean oil leak getting hot,loss of power,jolting forward also my car has been in dealership shop for 2 years I'm being charged for services I know weren't done,overcharged,and my car still isn't fixed also the service manager told me he was aware of the recalls,when I told him to this was 4 days ago,however my car is being withheld from me,recalls have been known if it's been two yrs,they filed a lien June of last year I opposed it and they never responded back! My car still sits there causing injury to my livilyhood I've missed almost 1year of work I live in the Sierra's where it snows I can't get to work with no car!
Electrical system, Air bags, Engine, Mar 13, 2025, fire
One recall was for air bag deployed I had the light for it on but it was on when I got it the original owner said it popped on him well he was parked and he never fixed it or did anything ... The other was a part of the computer pretty much in charge of cooling the car down it can make fire from melting and cause unfixable/ to constant issues .... Well my hole engine stopped working it was getting too hot miss firing coolent mixing with oil and started to smoke it was white smoke that came out didn't smell like anything crazy maybe mostly coolent and pretty much it had electric issues since I got it so the recall issue makes sense so I took it in to bmw Riverside they said they will fix all that and contact me it's been almost 2 weeks I live in my car I'm disabled and a mom I can't even go drive and see my child over this I have no income disabled type thing and no word what's wrong they said they might charge me a few of 287 but I'm disabled no income yet so that's out it tells me it will be fixed free and if the dealer won't fix the electric system on everything in the car and not charge me later like they said they will then I want to sue big time and if that's not dun when clearly safety was in danger fire issues and crap I want the same car but a new one off the lot not brand new car or fix then I'm sueing for my losses that simple
Electrical system, Jan 13, 2025
My car lost all power as if the battery died. BMW had a recall for the positive battery cable running from the battery in the trunk to the fuse box behind the glove box. This recall was apparently remedied prior to my ownership according to the dealership. I began to troubleshoot the issue and when the positive battery cable near the fuse box was moved by hand, the vehicle powered up immediately. The random loss of power issue persists even after the recall. While driving on the interstate prior to this happening, my dash lights went out along with the radio. Losing complete power to the vehicle while traveling at interstate speeds is an obvious hazard. The dealership says that recall repairs are not warrantied by the manufacturer and it would be an out of pocket expense to fix something that BMW already knows is a problem.
Electrical system, Engine, Dec 4, 2024
I was driving my car when all of a sudden the lights in the odometer started flickering and the car started putting and then shut off. Basically broke down on me. I cannot get it to stay on it feels like it has no power.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, May 27, 2023, fire
Car caught fire in driveway spontaneously. It had not been used since the previous day and had been sitting atleast 16 hours since last use. We woke up and black smoke and flames coming from car taller than our house. Significant damage to other three cars in driveway and side of our house. Car that caught fire is totaled
Electrical system, Oct 31, 2022, fire
vehicle caught on fire while no one was driving and the engine was not on. It was parked for approximately 45 minutes. The fire started at the front under the hood. It destroyed melted the engine parts
Electrical system, Aug 23, 2022, crash
My car is suffering from recall 19V472000 for my bmw 328i . My car horn dash lights windshield wipers and all my electric functioning in this aspect have continued to go on and off causing me to almost wreck numerous times as well as causing others to wreck into my car. Yet my vin is not included in this recall when I type in my vin. My car type year and model is however. I have another recall just fixed by bmw for the blower motor wiring and one supposedly waiting on a remedy. Bmw you need to vin to this recall list and stop hiding that you screwed so many . We pay for luxury cars for a reason… not so they stall out, catch fire whether on or off, or the entire electric system fails. The problems started around 108k.This had put my family and granddaughter at risk.
Steering, Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 28, 2022
Car doesn’t hold a battery Wants to start 2% of the time Engine shook the pulley off so have troubles steering It’s under recall for a few things I would love a new car from bmw because this one is a nightmare the bmw tech advised me not to drive it so have been carless all year pretty much
Power train, Electrical system, Air bags, Jun 19, 2022
Consistent steam coming through hood of vehicle. Electrical panel indicators. Vehicle has been serviced regularly and sent to BMW Mountain View for recall repairs.
Power train, Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Apr 15, 2022, fire
Positive battery cable heat up cause fire above battery. Blow off wire worked blowing off. Distribution box and power pole connection sparking heating up causing arc fire. No recalls for my specific Vin but 2008 through 2012 recalls this part but not for my vehicle. 2009 335 convertible. ? $1132 to fix. 9 months ago 2021 BMW could not find problem recommended changing my alternator never recommended changing the recalled part that I am now having changed at my own expense. Very scary I have the car returned to me but I was only able to drive limited distances as the cable deteriorated I was limited more and more use of the vehicle until ultimately I drove to BMW to have it fixed and the wire exploded a mile before exiting the freeway very scary.
Electrical system, Mar 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328i. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V676000 (Electrical System) however, upon picking up the vehicle and driving 25 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated and the vehicle started making abnormal beeping sounds. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who informed the contact that he needed to purchase the parts to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The contact stated that the beeping sounds would stop and the air bag warning light turned off whenever he buckled the front passenger seat belt. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 95,911.
Electrical system, Feb 17, 2022
My car is losing power and the instrument panel tends to flicker on and off at times. I had to replace the battery cables, due to water entering the battery compartment and corroded the cables. Once that was repaired it was determined that the the positive battery cable at the front power distribution box may be damaged by vehicle vibrations or something which cause no power going to the distribution box. I repaired the issues with the battery cables and the water collecting in the battery compartment. Now the problem I outlined above with the power not reaching the the front distribution box is now being worked on. I reached out to BMW and was told that my specific vin # was not impacted. However, it's hard to tell based on the description of the problem as outlined in the recall 13V-044. At this time I can't find the copy of the repair bill, however, the repairs were completed at Motorsports gmbh, 101 Park Ave, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071 approximately $2,000.00
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 9, 2021, fire
The contact owned a 2009 BMW 335i. The contact stated that he parked his vehicle in the driveway of his residence and the next morning his wife informed him that the vehicle was engulfed in flames. There was no damage to the residence from the flames. The fire department was contacted and arrived to extinguish the flames. A fire report was made. There was no injury sustained. The police arrived and started an investigating however, a police report was not filed. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the Vin was not under recall. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the fire department. The insurance provider was contacted and informed the contact that fire coverage was not included in his policy. The contact mentioned NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) as a possible solution to the failure however, the Vin was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
Electrical system, Jun 9, 2021, fire
The contact owned a 2009 BMW 335i. The contact stated that he parked his vehicle in the driveway of his residence and, the next morning his wife informed him that the vehicle was engulfed in flames. There were no damages to the residence from the flames. The fire department was contacted and arrived to extinguish the flames. A fire report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. A police investigation was started however, a report was not yet provided. A local dealer was contacted and the contact was informed that the Vin was not under recall. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the fire department. The insurance company was contacted however, informed the contact that fire protection was not included in his policy. The contact mentioned NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V676000 (Electrical System) as a possible solution to the failure however, the vin was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
Electrical system, Jun 7, 2021, fire
The contact owned a 2009 BMW 335i. The contact stated that he parked the vehicle in the driveway at his residence and the next morning his wife informed him that the vehicle was engulfed in flames. There was no damage to the residence from the flames. The fire department was called out and arrived and extinguished the flames. A fire report was filed. There was no injury sustained. An investigation was started by the local police department however, a police report was not yet filed. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the fire department. The insurance company was contacted however, informed the contact that there was no fire coverage included on his policy. The contact mentioned NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V676000 (Electrical System) as a possible solution to the failure however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, not further assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
Electrical system, Air bags, Seat belts, Nov 20, 2020
RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING AND SOMETIMES WHEN STATIONARY MY CAR'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM STARTED GOING HAYWIRE INCLUDING MY GAUGES AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG AS WELL SOME OTHER SAFETY FEATURES WITH TTHE SEATBELT WERE DISABLED WITH & WITHOUT A PASSENGER IN THE CAR. I KEEP GETTING A WARNING SCREEN THAT TREAD AS FOLLOWS: "RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. 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." AFTER LOOKING ONLINE IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM BUT FOR SOME REASON MY VIN ISN'T INCLUDED ON THE RECALL.
Electrical system, Aug 29, 2020
I BOUGHT A 2009 BMW 335I OFF OF A FRIEND OF MINE KNOWING THAT THE CAR DID INDEED HAVE FEW ISSUES BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2019. WHEN I HAD RECEIVED THE CAR THE BACK LEFT STRUT WAS OUT. I REPLACED ALL OF THEM INCLUDING THE BRAKES AS WELL AS PREFORMED A SIMPLE SERVICE. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A DIAGNOSIS FOR THE CAR NOT WANTING TO START PROPERLY TO BMW FOR A PROPER CHECK UP. I LEGIT GET TWO STARTS BEFORE HAVING TO LET IT SIT FOR A WHILE BEFORE I CAN START IT AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE AFTER WHAT I THOUGHT COULD POSSIBLY BE A STARTER ISSUE. BUT IT WASNT, THE CAR DOESNT CRANK; IT CLICKS ALMOST AS IF IT WANTS TO TURN OVER AND RUN AS A SELF SUSTAINING MECHANISM. INSTEAD I MUST LET IT SIT FOR A COUPLE HOURS UNTIL I CAN YET AGAIN START IT BACK UP AND ITS FINE. THIS CAR HAS MADE ME SIT AND WAIT COUNTLESS TIMES AT FRIENDS HOUSES AND PUBLIC PLACES. BMW TOLD ME THAT IT IS THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL AND CABLE FROM THE START PORT THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION. THEY SENT ME A FULL INSPECTION SUMMARY AS A VIDEO FOR ME TO SEE AND YES THAT RED CABLE DOESNT LOOK TO GOOD BEHIND THE WHEEL WELL LEADING TO THE BATTERY. OF COURSE I DID MY RESEARCH AND FOUND MANY OTHER BMW'S ALIKE HAVE THE SAME EXACT ISSUES. I DONT WANT TO HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET $3000 FOR A PIECE OF HARDWARE THAT IS BOND TO DECAY. THATS A HUGE OBLIGATION FOR MYSELF AND A LARGE SAFETY ISSUE FOR MANY OTHERS. THIS IS MY DAILY AND I DONT WANT TO RISK ANYTHING UPON MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE THAT MAY OWN THIS SAME MODEL AND OR HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AGAIN. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED AND ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. THE DATE FOR WHEN IT OCCURRED IS THE DATE BMW SENT AN INSPECTION VIDEO BACK FOR MYSELF TO VIEW.
Electrical system, Air bags, Engine, May 28, 2020
VEHICLE NEEDS AN AIRBAG REPLACEMENT, AND TWO ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FIXED. ONE OF THOSE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS MAY LEAD TO THE CAR OVERHEATING WHICH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND A FIRE HAZARD. *DT I HAVE CALLED THE BMW ROSEVILLE, CA DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY DO NOT ANSWER. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE I COMMUTE FOR WORK AND I ALSO DRIVE AROUND MY PREGNANT WIFE AND MY 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER.*JB
Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, May 17, 2020
FUEL PUMP LEAKING GASOLINE LEAVING A STRONG ODOR IN THE CAR AND FOOTWELL MODULE IS BAD
Electrical system, Aug 13, 2019
THE BATTERY CONNECTIONS IN THE REAR COMPARTMENT HAVE COMPLETELY CORRODED. MY MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH MANY BMW SERIES NOT JUST THE 3 SERIES. WATER SEEPAGE APPEARS TO BE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM WITH FAILURES TO RUBBER GASKETS IN THE TRUNK/REAR LIGHTS IN THIS CONVERTIBLE. THE REPAIR IS $2,000.00 AS THE ENTIRE CABLE SYSTEM MUST BE REPLACED TO THE ENGINE AN 11 HOUR JOB. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE BUT NOT ACCEPTABLE FROM A CAR THAT HAS BEEN GARAGED ITS ENTIRE LIFE. THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS MANY CONSUMERS ARE PAYING AN ENORMOUS BILL DUE TO BAD DESIGN, WORKMANSHIP AND ENGINEERING. THE DX OCCURRED AFTER MUCH INVESTIGATION AND THE INABILITY TO START THE CAR FOR 2 WEEKS AFTER $300.00 WORTH OF REPAIRS (NEW BATTERY, STARTER, RELAY SWITCH) THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT WE WERE LUCKY THERE WAS NOT A FIRE AS THE BOTH MAIN CABLES WERE ARCING AT THE CONNECTION POINT.
Electrical system, Aug 12, 2019
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW 328I. WHILE DRIVING 68 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE "MALFUNCTION IN DRIVE" AND "MALFUNCTION IN TRANSMISSION" WARNING MESSAGES DISPLAYED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHCLE ONTO THE ROAD SHOULDER AND APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, BUT CONTINUED TO STALL. THE CONTACT'S FAMILY MEMBER REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V044000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.