Car Defect Radar
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated September 22, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.

Recalls

0 total

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

No recalls on record for this model

No safety recalls were found in this dataset. It is still worth entering the exact VIN on NHTSA before purchase, since recalls can be added at any time.

Owner complaints by system

29 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Worth reading
11

Most reports here involve sudden stalling.

sudden stalling 3loss of steering 1
A recent report: The contact owns a 2011 BMW 335D. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed on a 6-hour trip, there was thick fumes coming into the cabin of the vehicle from the…
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The contact owns a 2011 BMW 335D. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed on a 6-hour trip, there was thick fumes coming into the cabin of the vehicle from the exhaust. The contact stated that he drove the vehicle to the dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed with a clogged DEF filter. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacture was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11524811 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Worth reading
6

Most reports here involve fire.

fire 2sudden stalling 1
A recent report: 2011 BMW 335D. CONSUMER WRITES WITH REGARD TO RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. 18V-314: POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM, AND INQUIRES WHEN REPAIRS WILL BE DONE. *AS THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE…
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2011 BMW 335D. CONSUMER WRITES WITH REGARD TO RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. 18V-314: POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM, AND INQUIRES WHEN REPAIRS WILL BE DONE. *AS THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME COMPLETING THE RECALL REPAIR. *JS

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11140888 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Minor
3

Most reports here involve loss of steering.

loss of steering 2
A recent report: STEERING WHEELS IS SUCK WANT TURNING IN MY DRIVEWAY STEERING WHEELS LOCK UP CAN GETTING TURNING WHAT CAN WE DO

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11176032 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Minor
7

Most reports here involve airbags not deploying.

airbags not deploying 3software faults 2
A recent report: - The component that has failed is the front passenger seat occupancy sensor, as indicated by an OBDII scan showing fault code 93C3, seat-occupancy detector, passenger. - The safety of any person in…
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- The component that has failed is the front passenger seat occupancy sensor, as indicated by an OBDII scan showing fault code 93C3, seat-occupancy detector, passenger. - The safety of any person in the front passenger seat is compromised because the passenger airbag will not deploy while this sensor is not operating properly, as indicated by the "passenger airbag off" light which is now always illuminated. The vehicle has not been in an accident and nobody has been injured as a result. - The problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. - The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance, etc. - There is a restraint system malfunction warning message stating "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." - I have contacted both my local BMW dealer (BMW Seattle) and the BMW North America customer relations department and have been informed by both that there are no open recalls or technical service bulletins related to this sensor on my model/year and that the vehicle is out of warranty, so the financial responsibility to repair the vehicle is on me.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11548697 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Worth reading
2

Most reports here involve electrical shorts. Of these, 3 mention an injury.

electrical shorts 1premature wear 1
A recent report: Fine, white particles are blowing out of the cabin air ducts whenever the air conditioner or fan is turned on. My local BMW service center, Herb Chambers BMW of Boston, determined that the debris is…
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Fine, white particles are blowing out of the cabin air ducts whenever the air conditioner or fan is turned on. My local BMW service center, Herb Chambers BMW of Boston, determined that the debris is flakes of aluminum from the deteriorated aluminum alloy fins of the AC evaporator coil and heater exchanger. The cabin air ducts were scoped and found to be intact with no intrusion of outside contaminants. The dealer determined that if not replaced, “the A/C Evaporator will fail…” and quoted the cost of repairs at $5,286.18. As I am sure you are aware, aluminum is a neurotoxin when absorbed by the body. The science is well established and can be easily sourced using Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C22&q=neurotoxicity+of+aluminum&oq=neuroto. The fine aluminum particles blowing from the heating and cooling system of my BMW have been absorbed into my eyes, mouth and airways, putting me at risk from internal exposure to aluminum. They have also rendered my BMW 335d unusable due to this health safety hazard. I filed a request for recourse with BMW of North America and was denied.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11438480 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 29 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2017 and 2023, roughly 4 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.