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: gasoline
38 reports, newest first. Show all
Fuel system, Gasoline, Engine, Jun 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 335I. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle independently entered limp mode with the service transmission warning message on the instrument panel. The contact restarted the vehicle and cleared all warning codes before he resumed normal driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. A DTC reader determined that the cause of the failure was related to a defective fuel pump. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Engine, Jan 17, 2020
2009 BMW 335I. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE INDEX 9 FUEL INJECTORS. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE INDEX 9 FUEL INJECTORS WERE DISCONTINUED. ALL 6 FUEL INJECTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH AN INDEX 12. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO BE REIMBURSED THE REPAIR COSTS. *JS *JS
Fuel system, Gasoline, Air bags, Engine, Nov 16, 2017
I WENT TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP (TO HAVE THE SEVERAL RECALL PERFORMED ON MY CAR LASTWEEK 1. RECALL ID 263858 2. RECALL ID 190318 3. RECALL ID 190319 4. RECALL ID 190320 5. RECALL ID 174817 THE SERVICE GUY (HTTPS://WWW.STEVENSCREEKBMW.COM) TOLD ME THAT THEY CANT HONOR THE RECALL BECAUSE MY CAR HAS A REBUILT/SALVAGE TITLE MY CALL VIN NUMBER [XXX] CAR BMW 335I 2009 BASE ON MY UNDERSTANDING RECALLS ARE A SAFETY ISSUE AND BY LAW HAVE TO BE COMPLETED ON THE CAR NO MATTER THE BRANDING ON TITLE. PLEASES LET ME KNOW THE WAY TO GET THE RECALL PROCESS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, May 27, 2014
MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED IN THE ROADWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30PM. I WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. IT WAS LATER FOUND THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED. NO INDICATION AS TO WHY THE PUMP FAILED. *TR
Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Gasoline, Apr 18, 2012
I BUY MY 2009 BMW 335I WITH 39,700 MILES, FULL BMW SERVICE WAS DONE THE SAME DAY, MY NEXT SERVICE WAS AT 49,000 MILES HOWEVER AT AROUND 48,000 MILES. WHEN DRIVING TO WORK ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 50MPH I HAD TO MOVE OVER TO THE PASSING LANE AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE ABOUT AT 65MPH THE CAR STARTED TO SHAKE VERY BAD AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOSS POWER HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO 20-25MPH COULD HAVE CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AS I WAS IN THE FASTER LANE AND CAR SLOW DOWN RAPIDLY!! THANK GOD I WAS ABLE TO MOVE ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE SLOWER LANE WITH LITTLE ISSUE. AFTER I PULLED OVER I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND OPEN THE HOOD AS MY OIL TEMP WAS JUST ABOUT AT 250*, UNDER HOOD TEMPS WAS HOT BUT NOT ANYTHING CRAZY, EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD SO I STARTED THE CAR AND IT IDLE LIKE NORMAL AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOW GONE, I CLOSE THE HOOD AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR LIKE NORMAL, SO I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL BMW DEALER IN MY WORK AREA AND THEY TOLD ME THE ISSUE I AM HAVING IS CAUSE BY THE HPFP HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, SO THEY REPLY IT AND EVERYTHING SEEMS NORMAL FOR ANOTHER 2,000 MILES THEN I HAD THE SAME ISSUE AGAIN! THIS TIME I WAS HEADING HOME AND IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE WITH MOVING TRAFFIC OMG THAT WAS BAD ALL MOST CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT WITH ALL THE CARS, TRUCKS BEHIND ME HAD TO SLOW DOWN RAPIDLY .. WAS GOING 30MPH AND TRIED TO SPEED UP TO 60 .. AT AROUND 45MPH CAR LOST POWER AND WAS SHAKING WORST THAN THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AGAIN THANK GOD I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, I TURN THE CAR OFF AND WAITED FOR 5-6MIN THAN TURN IT BACK ON, THIS TIME THE ENGINE LIGHT REMAIN ON, MY OIL TEMP WAS AROUND 190*, THE CAR STILL IDLE AND DRIVE AS NORMAL EVEN WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT ON, TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL BMW DEALER IN MY HOME AREA AND THEY FOUND THIS TIME IS TWO BAD INJECTORS ONE AT CYLINDER 1 AND THE OTHER AT CYLINDER 5 .COST OF REPAIR $1.1K. *JS
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jan 6, 2012
MAKE : 2009 BMW 328I SEDAN E36 PROBLEM : 11/11 : ENGINE STOP RUNNING, LOSE POWER ASSIST FOR STEERING AND BRAKES. TRIED TO RE-STARTED MY CAR BUT COULD NOT - LONG-CRANK ENGINE STARTING TIMES ALONG WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT. TOWED TO BMW OF SAN DIEGO. 1 WEEK REPAIR AND HAD BEEN TOLD FUEL PUMP MODULE NEED TO BE REPLACED. PAID $730.68 FOR REPLACEMENT. 01/12 : SAME PROBLEM - ENGINE STOP RUNNING, LOSE POWER, LONG-CRANK. TOWED TO BMW OF SAN DIEGO AGAIN. HAD BEEN TOLD FUEL PUMP BROKEN AND CAUSE FUEL PUMP MODULE BURNING. PAID AGAIN $7XX FOR REPLACEMENT FOR SAME PROBLEM. *TR
Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Gasoline, Dec 18, 2011
VEHICLE OIL TEMP WAS JUST UNDER 250. VEHICLE SHAKES WHEN ACCELERATING ON THE HIGHWAY OR ON AN INCLINE. ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND YOU CAN FEEL THE VEHICLE MISFIRING IN THE GAS PEDDLE. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO SHAKE IN PARK. DEALER ADVISED TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND LET IT SIT FOR 30 MIN BEFORE DRIVING AGAIN. SEEMS TO BE A TEMPORARY FIX UNTIL THE ENGINE TEMP INCREASES TO JUST UNDER 250 OR DRIVING ON A INCLINE ON THE HWY. PREVIOUSLY HAD NO ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE UNTIL DEALER REPLACED A HFP (RECALL NOTICE) DURING AN OIL CHANGE. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS ISSUE SINCE 11/23/11 THAT THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX. PREVIOUSLY BEEN TOLD INJECTORS WERE MALFUNCTIONING DUE TO PROGRAMMING AND ALSO BAD GAS. I HAVE ALWAYS USED PREMIUM 91+ OCT GAS. RECENTLY THE DEALER PUT IN A FUEL ADDITIVE AND ADVISED ME TO USE SHELL OR CHEVRON PREMIUM GAS IN THE FUTURE. I DROVE OUT THE FUEL ADDITIVE TANK, NO ISSUES AND REFUELED AT SHELL USING PREMIUM 91 POWER V. FORTY FIVE MINUTES LATER, MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE ON THE HWY ONCE AGAIN AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS FORCED TO SUDDENLY SLOW DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY TO A SPEED / GEAR WHERE I WOULDN'T SHAKE. PREVIOUS DRIVING HISTORY IN EU WITH NO ISSUES ON THE AUTOBAHN AND THE VEHICLE IS A US SPEC. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS SHIPPED TO CA, I DROVE IT TO AZ (800 MILES) WITH NO ISSUES AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL SEPT WHEN I HAD MY OIL CHANGED AND MY HFP REPLACED. MY FIRST LONG HWY DRIVE SINCE THE OIL CHANGE / HFP WAS REPLACED, WE ENCOUNTERED THIS ISSUE. *TR
Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Gasoline, Aug 25, 2011
ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011, MY 2009 328I SHUT DOWN WITHOUT NOTICE IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF I-90 AT MILE MARKER 80.002 ABOUT A MILE FROM OHARE AIRPORT IN CHICAGO. IT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART AND I WAS LEFT TO CALL 911 AND SPEND 10 MINUTES WAITING FOR DOT TO TOW ME OFF THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY AND TO A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD TO WAIT ANOTHER HOUR FOR AAA TO TOW MY CAR TO PERILLO BMW IN CHICAGO TO ASSESS THE ISSUE. JUNE 15TH 2011: ABOUT 3 HOURS AFTER BRINGING MY CAR INTO THE ZIMBRICK BMW SERVICE FACILITY TO HAVE A SET OF AFTER-MARKET LED LIGHTS INSTALLED AT COST, THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT APPEARED ILLUMINATED ON MY DASHBOARD. AS I HAD NEVER SEEN THIS LIGHT APPEAR ON MY LESS THAN 2 YEAR OLD CAR BEFORE, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE PERSON WHO WAS HEAD OF YOUR SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS HOW THIS LIGHT COULD APPEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER HAVING MY CAR IN HOURS EARLIER ON A SERVICE APPOINTMENT THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE TOUCHED THE ENGINE. A LOANER CAR WAS PROMPTLY DRIVEN TO MY OFFICE, TO CHECK INTO THE ISSUE AND TAKE MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR FURTHER INSPECTION, IF NECESSARY. THE FOLLOWING IS THE CONVERSATION THAT TRANSPIRED BETWEEN THE SERVICE REP AND I, UPON HIS REVIEW OF MY VEHICLE, USING A COMPUTER CONNECTION TO PULL DATA FROM MY CARS ONBOARD COMPUTER SYSTEM: SA: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU FILLED THE CAR WITH GAS? ME: (CHECKING THE ODOMETER, AS I RESET IT WITH EACH FULL TANK OF GAS) ABOUT 97 MILES AGO. SA: WELL, THE COMPUTER IS REPORTING THE ISSUE HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH YOUR FUEL PUMP, HOWEVER, I THINK IT MIGHT JUST BE THAT YOUR GAS CAP MAY HAVE BEEN UNSCREWED. ME: I CAN'T SAY THAT MAKES MUCH SENSE, AS I FILLED IT UP 97 MILES AGO AND HAVEN'T SEEN AN ISSUE UNTIL NOW. SA; WELL, LET ME JUST TURN THE INDICATOR LIGHT OFF AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU RUN INTO THIS ISSUE AGAIN.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Power train, Jul 14, 2011, fire
2009 BMW 328I WITH 17K MILES MALFUNCTIONED CAUGHT FIRE AND EXPLODED. I WAS INJURED BY THE FIRE GETTING OUT. IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS VEHICLE FIRE CAUSING PERSONAL INJURY. IN ADDITION TO THE COST OF THE CAR THERE WAS ADDITIONAL 20K PERSONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE. IT WAS NOT CAUSED BY COLLISION OR OPERATOR ERROR. ON 15 NOV 2010 APPROX 7: 30PM AFTER ABOUT 8 MINS OF DRIVING MY CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND THE SES LIGHT CAME ON. IT ACTED AS IF IT WAS RUNNING OUT OF GAS I PULLED OVER OFF OF THE SHOULDER IN THE GRASS. THE CAR DIED AND WOULD NOT START BACK UP I TOOK MY FLASH LIGHT AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD.I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING OR NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. AFTER A LITTLE TIME THE CAR STARTED BACK UP, THE SES LIGHT DID NOT COME BACK ON. IT WAS DARK OUTSIDE, I WAS OUT OF STATE AND BMW WAS CLOSED SO I TURNED BACK. I DROVE APPROX 1 BLOCK TO A DRIVEWAY WHERE I STOPPED AND CALLED MY HUSBAND TO SAY I WOULD NOT COME HOME UNTIL MY CAR COULD BE SEEN. I BEGAN TO DRIVE BACK TOWARDS LONGVIEW, TX. I ENTERED THE HIGHWAY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD AT ABOUT 50 MPH MY CAR BEGAN LOSING POWER. THE ENGINE MADE A LOAD NOISE AND THE RPM GAUGE WENT UP TO 7000 RPMS I WAS IN TRAFFIC AND NEEDED TO PULL OVER. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND COASTED AT APPROX 40 MPH I PUT THE CAR IN 4TH GEAR AND IT REDLINED AGAIN. I PUT IT BACK INTO NEUTRAL THE CLUTCH WENT TO THE FLOOR. STILL COASTING IN TRAFFIC I GOT OFF THE ROAD AS SOON AS I COULD . IT DIED ON TOP OF A BRIDGE WITH A NARROW SHOULDER. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, WHILE TALKING TO THEM I SEEN FLAMES COMING FROM THE DRIVERS FRONT WHEEL AREA. WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT I GOT OUT OF THE CAR I UNDID MY SEAT BELT OPENED THE DRIVERS DOOR AND JUMPED OUT ONLY MY CELL IN HAND. THERE WAS A WALL OF FLAMES TALLER THAN ME I GOT BURNED GETTING AWAY FROM THE CAR I RAN THROUGH THE FLAMES INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC AND WAS ALMOST HIT BY AN 18 WHEELER. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BRIDGE WHEN I HEARD THE 1ST EXPLOSION AND THE 2ND AS I RAN OFF OF THE BRIDGE. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Feb 20, 2011
2009 BMW 335I WITH 11000 MILES STARTED TO SPUTTER WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE YELLOW SERVICE ENGINE AND LOW POWER LIGHTS CAME ON. VEHICLE WAS DRIVABLE BUT WITH LOW POWER. MANAGED TO LIMP INTO TOWN AND HAD CAR TOWED TO BMW DEALERSHIP. PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AS HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE. DEALER REPLACED HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND PERFORMED SOFTWARE UPDATE UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Feb 2, 2011
CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER WHILE ACCELERATING AND ATTEMPTING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE 5 N IN IRVINE. HAD TO EXIT INTERSTATE AND DRIVE SURFACE STREETS. CAR CONTINUED TO OPERATE AT GREATLY REDUCED POWER. DEALER REPLACED HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jan 24, 2011
IT'S AN ONGOING ISSUE WHICH BMW HAS FAILED TO FIX. I BELIEVE I HAVE ISSUES WITH MY HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. I HAVE HAD THE LOW PRESSURE SENSOR REPLACED, AND A SOFTWARE UPGRADE. LAST NIGHT, THE CAR HAD A ROUGH IDLE, AND THE WARNING ENGINE MALFUNCTION, REDUCED POWER WAS DISPLAYED. I DROVE HOME SLOWLY. THE CAR ROUGHED IDLED. IN ADDITION, I CALLED BMW ASSIST TO FILE THE COMPLAINT. THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY RECALL, BUT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY TYPE OF NOTIFICATION FOR MY VEHICLE. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jan 11, 2011
DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH RESULTED IN SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND NEED TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN A VERY DANGEROUS SETTING. FUEL PUMP REQUIRED REPLACEMENT IN A VEHICLE THAT WAS ONE YEAR OLD. APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING. "ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT" AND COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING. AGAIN HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPAIRED (CAR MILEAGE ~ 28,000 MILES) *TR
Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Gasoline, Oct 13, 2010
10/8/2010 - WHILE TRAVELING ON ALLIGATOR ALLEY IN SOUTHERN FLORIDA, 2009 BMW 335I EXPERIENCED A SEVERE LOSS OF POWER WITH ENGINE LAMP TURNING ON. LOSS OF POWER WORSENED FOR THE NEXT SEVENTY FIVE MILES UNTIL THE CAR COULD NOT GO OVER FORTY MILES PER HOUR AND HAD INSUFFICIENT TORQUE TO GO UP ANY INCLINED HIGHWAY OFF RAMPS. TOOK CAR BACK TO BMW DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED LOSS OF POWER WAS DUE TO FAILURE OF HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PUMP WOULD BE REPLACED AND ENGINE SOFTWARE UPDATED. CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. *TR
Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Gasoline, Oct 12, 2010
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW 335XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST ACCELERATION POWER. THE CONTACT HAD TO DRIVE AT A LOW SPEED TO REACH HIS DESTINATION. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED; AFTER THE RESTART, THE VEHICLE FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. WITHIN TWO TO THREE DAYS, THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TURBO HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THERE HAD BEEN NO FURTHER REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,681 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 25,000. UPDATED 01/28/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL PUMP. UPDATED 03/23/11
Fuel system, Gasoline, Sep 29, 2010
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW 335XI. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY STALLED AND THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,500. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Sep 24, 2010
DRIVING ALONG HIGHWAY ON RIGHT LANE, COMING ALONG TO A HIGHSPEED MERGE. VEHICLE LOST SIGNIFICANT POWER, ERROR MESSAGE ON DASH DISPLAYED LIMP MODE ENGINE MALFUNCTION. I WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE AND CAUSED A SEVER BACK UP IN HIGHWAY TO GET ON SHOULDER. BMW STATED A SOFTWARE UPGRADE WAS NEEDED TO CORRECT ERROR. I RECEIVED THE CAR BACK WITHIN A WEEK. AGAIN I WAS DRIVING WHEN THE SAME EXACT ERROR STATED ABOVE HAPPENED. THIS TIME AT LEAST I WAS IN A SOMEWHAT LOW TRAVELED AREA AND HAD NO PROBLEM PULLING OVER. TECH AT BMW SAID THE FUEL PUMP WAS AT FAULT AND MANY CARS OF MY MAKE AND MODEL HAVE THIS PROBLEM, BUT NO REAL SOLUTION TO THE FUEL PUMP FAILURES HAD BEEN FOUND BY BMW. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Sep 16, 2010
I OWN A 2009 BMW 335I WHICH HAS THE TYPE N54 ENGINE. I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR SINCE MAY 2009. I HAVE HAD 2 HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMPS REPLACED. THE LAST MALFUNCTION JUST OCCURRED AS I WAS AT HIGHWAY SPEED 65MPH + AND THE ENGINE WENT INTO THE LIMP HOME MODE. BECAUSE OF THIS MODE THE CAR HAD A DRASTIC REDUCTION OF POWER, WITHOUT ANY WARNING. I WAS LUCKY I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE RIGHT LANE AND LIMP TO DEALERSHIP WITH A TOP SPEED OF 50MPH. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION TO ME AND OTHER DRIVERS ON HIGHWAY. THE N54 ENGINE IS A MAJOR ISSUE FOR BMW, THEIR OWN SERVICE ADVISORS STATE THAT ALMOST 60% OF THESE ENGINES HAVE HAD FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTIONS, RESULTING IN REPLACEMENT. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Equipment adaptive/mobility, Sep 9, 2010
LONG CRANKS, STUTTERING UPON PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATOR WITH LURCHING SENSATION AND FRONT ENGINE BLOCK SHAKING. IT USED TO OCCUR EVERY DAY BEFORE THEY REPLACED MY FIRST HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AT 2500 MILES. SECOND TIME I HAD LONG CRANKS A FEW TIMES A WEEK WITH LURCHING/STUTTERING SENSATION UPON PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATOR WHILE HI-WAY DRIVING EVERY DAY. I HAVE A 2009 BMW 335I . VIN [XXX]. I'VE HAD MY HPFP REPLACED ONCE. THE SECOND TIME AROUND THEY JUST REPROGRAMMED THE HPFP BUT I STILL GET LONG CRANKS 2 A WEEK WITH LURCHING/STUTTERING ON HI-WAY ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Aug 25, 2010
THE CAR'S HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILED ON FREEWAY ON-RAMP ACCELERATION LEADING TO A NEAR REAR-END COLLISION BY A FOLLOWING CAR. THIS FAILURE WAS PRECEDED BY LONG-CRANK STARTING AND ENGINE RACING ON STARTING. THE HPFP WAS REPLACED AT 6,000 MILES (10/09). AT 12,000 MILES THE SOFTWARE WAS REPROGRAMMED. (6/10) THE DEALER SAYS IT IS REPLACING THE HPFP AGAIN. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE BMW 335I ENGINE STARTING WITH THE 2007 MODELS AS REPORTED ON THIS WEBSITE. ACCORDING TO A SURVEY OF 300+ OWNERS NEARLY 50% HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Aug 4, 2010
VEHICLE HAD APROX, 3,400 MILES AND BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE LONG CRANKS DURING START UP. FOR ABOUT 1 MONTH I EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT LONG CRANKS BUT THE VEHICLE PERFORMED NORMALLY. WITH 4,800 MILES ON THE VEHICLE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY ATTEMPTING TO PASS A VEHICLE IN RIGHT LANE AND THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED AND A REDUCED POWER INDICATOR SHOWED ON DASH. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, STALLED ONCE DURING TRIP TO DEALER. DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED BAD HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND REPLACED SAME DAY. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jul 30, 2010
THE CAR IS A 2009 BMW 335I . ABOUT 23 WEEKS AGO, THE CAR LOST POWER. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NOT A ACCIDENT. WHEN THE CAR WENT INTO THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A FUEL PUMP PROBLEM AND THE CHANGED THE PUMP. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jul 27, 2010
FAILURE OF HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP WITH RESULTING LOSS OF POWER AND DRIVABLE. FAILURE HAS OCCURRED ONCE SO FAR AT 10 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP AND APPROXIMATELY 9000 MILES. INITIAL REPAIR WAS A SOFTWARE UPDATE. THIS REPAIR WAS OF NO BENEFIT AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND THE HPFP WAS REPLACED WITH A REMANUFACTURED HPFP. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jul 27, 2010
THE FUEL PUMP ON MY 2009 BMW 335I HAS FAILED AND I BELIEVE IT'S STARTING TO FAIL AGAIN BUT EVERYTIME I TAKE IT IN THEY SAY IT'S FINE AND THEY CANT DO ANYTHING UNTIL IT ACTUALLY FAILS. PROBLEM WITH THAT IS IF IT FAILS ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 70MPH THEN I'M GOING TO BE IN A WORLD OF HURT. THE PUMP HAS ALREADY FAILED ONCE. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jul 24, 2010
I OWN A 2009 BMW 335. IT WAS PURCHASED IN EARLY 2009. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE OF THE PART, THERE WAS NO SIGN OF TROUBLE. WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, MY CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER. CONCURRENT WITH THAT POWER LOSS, THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT APPEARED ON MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. ADDITIONALLY, AN ICON (IT LOOKED LIKE A TRANSMISSION) LIT UP AS WELL. WHEN THE POWER LOSS FIRST OCCURRED, I WAS IN THE FAST LANE ON THE FREEWAY. I HAD TO WORK EXTREMELY QUICK TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, FOR FEAR THAT SOMEONE WOULD HIT ME FROM BEHIND (AS MY CAR SLOWED DOWN). I EVENTUALLY MADE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FREEWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I EVENTUALLY CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST BMW DEALERSHIP. TURNS OUT THAT MY HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILED. I DID NOT HAVE ANY WARNING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. SINCE THEN, I HAVE PUT 5500 MILES ON THE CAR. MY FUEL PUMP IS STILL WORKING PROPERLY. *TR