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, Jul 24, 2010
1 ) HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP (HPFP) FAILED WITH NO PRIOR INDICATION. 2 ) THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES BETWEEN INCEPTION AND CORRECTION BY THE DEALER, RESULTING IN STARTING AND ENGINE RUNNING ISSUES FOR THE CAR. 3 ) THE PART WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jul 16, 2010
THIS IS AN UPDATE TO ODI 10290275. MY CAR (2009 335XI) IS YET AGAIN EXPERIENCING LONG STARTING TIMES AND I HAVE HAD ANOTHER ABRUPT LOSS OF POWER. ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" ON YET I BELIEVE IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP IS AGAIN REPLACED. THIS IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM THAT IS RECOGNIZED BY BMW (AS THEY HAVE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMPS) BUT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING SAFETY CONCERN OF A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER THAT WILL ULTIMATELY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jul 15, 2010
I WAS DRIVING UPHILL LAST NIGHT AND AN ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE NAVIGATION SCREEN SAID REDUCED POWER. I HAD TO SHIFT DOWN INTO THIRD GEAR AND PUT MY FOOT TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR HARDLY KEPT GOING UP THE HILL. I TURNED IT OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN AND ALL SEEMED FINE. ON THE WAY HOME THE SAME LIGHTS CAME ON BUT THEN THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON AND BEGAN FLASHING AND THE CAR BEGAN SHAKING AND IDLING VERY ROUGH. THE CAR WAS VERY HARD TO DRIVE AND HAD ALMOST NO POWER WHATSOEVER. PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN THIS MORNING AND THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP ON A FLAT BED. THIS WOULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF IT HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR ON AN OPEN STRETCH OF HIGHWAY WITH LITTLE ACCESS TO SERVICES AND/OR REPAIR FACILITIES. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS IT IS THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jul 15, 2010
FUEL PUMP FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH. COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AND ENGINE. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jun 20, 2010
2009 BMW 335I HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILED ON MAY 30TH. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME WITH REDUCED POWER. I SUBSEQUENTLY BROUGHT THE CAR TO MOUNTAIN VIEW BMW ON JUNE 10TH. NEW FUEL PUMP WAS INSTALLED WITH SOFTWARE UPDATE. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jun 2, 2010
DURING ROUTINE DRIVING THERE IS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER DUE TO A DEFECTIVE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. THE PUMP HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONCE BY BMW AND THE CAR IS GOING BACK INTO THE SHOP FOR A SECOND TIME TO REPLACE THE PUMP AGAIN. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, May 30, 2010
2009 BMW 335I, HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE. 9500 MILES ON VEHICLE. ENGINE IS SLOW TO START. WHILE DRIVING AND RPM ABOVE 3000, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND ENGINE REDUCES POWER SIGNIFICANTLY. IF PUMP WERE TO FAIL COMPLETELY, ENGINE WOULD DIE, LEAVING DRIVER WITHOUT POWER STEERING. THIS COULD BE A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM ON HIGHWAYS WITH DENSE TRAFFIC. AFTER READING INTERNET BLOGS ON VEHICLE, THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT FOR BMW N54 ENGINES. SOME DRIVERS HAVE HAD THE PUMP REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES WITH SAME OUTCOME EACH TIME. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, May 14, 2010
FUEL PUMP FAILED ON BMW 335I. ON THE FREEWAY, CAR INFORMATION PANEL INDICATED "ENGINE MALFUNCTION -- REDUCED POWER" AND THE CAR WENT INTO A LIMP MODE, WITH RADICALLY LOW POWER AND ROUGH RUNNING. BECAUSE OF THE PREVAILING SPEED OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, MY INABILITY TO MAINTAIN NORMAL FREEWAY SPEED DID NOT SERIOUSLY ENDANGER ME OR OTHER MOTORISTS. I AM REPORTING THIS FAILURE BECAUSE I HAVE LEARNED THAT THE SAME FAILURE IS EPIDEMIC WITH ALL APPLICATIONS OF THE ENGINE IN MY CAR. INJURIES ARE INEVITABLE IF THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP IS NOT REDESIGNED. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Apr 26, 2010
FOURTH REPLACEMENT OF HPFP ON 2009 BMW 335 XI LESS THAN 12K MILES. LESS THAN 12 MONTHS OLD. *TR
Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Gasoline, Apr 14, 2010
INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I AM THE OWNER OF A 2009 BMW 335I PURCHASED AUGUST 2009. ON APRIL 6, 2010, I STARTED THE ENGINE IN THE MORNING AND WAS GREETED WITH LONG CRANKS AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON WITH AN ERROR MESSAGE OF ENGINE FAILURE, REDUCED POWER. THE CAR HAS BEEN FINE BEFORE THIS MORNING AT 7,200 MILES APPROX. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN. THE CAR WAS STILL DRIVABLE. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE CAR STALLED AND COMPLETELY LOSE POWER ON THE HIGHWAY AND ON THE INSIDE STREET CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO QUICKLY PUT THE GEAR IN P AND RESTART THE CAR. I INFORMED THE DEALER ABOUT THE STALL AND ENGINE FAILURE BUT WAS MET WITH NO REGARDS. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT IT IS A HIGH PERFORMANCE FUEL PUMP FAILURE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE AS I DO NOT WANT TO BE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAVE THE ENGINE COMPLETELY STALL AND SHUT DOWN AGAIN. [XXX] *TR
Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Gasoline, Apr 9, 2010
VEHICLE LOST POWER, ENGINE LITE CAME ON. TOOK FOR REPAIR, WAS TOLD SINCE IT WASN'T DOING IT @ TIME I BROUGHT IT IN BMW WOULDN'T REPAIR. A COUPLE MONTHS LATER> SAME THING HAPPENED BUT IT DIED THIS TIME & LEFT ME STRANDED. MY NEW CAR NOW HAS 7,000 MILES AND I DON'T TRUST IT! CALLING THEM TO COME GET IT TODAY. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Mar 19, 2010
BMW 335I CAR HAS CRANKING PROBLEMS. DEALER RESET COMPUTER. WHILE DRIVING AT HI-WAY SPEED CAR FAILED. POWER WENT TO HALF. SPEED DROP FROM 65 TO 35 IN SECONDS. THERE APPEARS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH FUEL PUMP WHICH BMW HAS FAILED TO ADDRESS. CAR HAS 6,600 MILES. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Feb 8, 2010
I WAS DRIVING AND THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP ON MY 2009 BMW 335I WENT OUT AND I RECEIVED A WARNING SIGN INDICATING REDUCED POWER. THE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. POTENTIALLY UNSAFE WITH CARS COMING AT ME AS MY VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.