28 of the
205 complaints filed about the BMW 335XI
are about the electrical system —
14% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2008.
the component that failed involved 4 wires (pictures available); that somehow grounded against a cross member that wouldn't have been previously visible due to their location hidden by the under car shielding. the car is at the wrecking yard that the police called. i wanted triple a to come and get it, but was told by an officer that they didnt have time for that. i had to go in to the tow company, and sign my title over to cover towing, and avoid further billing. as of 2 weeks ago it was still there. my safety was at risk due to the electrical fire that then caught the shielding on fire, and desperately try to put it out, and no luck. the problem has not been confirmed, by anyone beside me. i have pictures and evidentally showing where the fire started. in the images it shows one and maybe two areas of toning where the wire(s) fused to the cross member about 12 inches back from the firewall in the middle on the underside of the car. the car has only been inspected by me. i retrieved the fire fighters report, and have not been able to get the police report yet due to financial constraints. though the car is being picked off of; as of the last time i took pictures, the area that caused the incident was still intact. i had been in the car no longer than 7-10 minutes of operating it when it went into limp mode and probably travelled 50 feet until it came to a complete stop; then i noticed smoke coming out from the hood; so i popped the hood, jumped out, and opened it. that when i saw an orange glow obscured by the firewall. i then ran to the passenger side, and saw a relatively small fire. so i took my coat off and tried to smother it, but then my coat caught fire, and it grew from there. when the fire department engaged the fire with water; there were 2 to 4 times that firemen ran up to me asking if it was a hybrid, and i answered no. it flared up several times creating increasing difficulty for the fire fighters; that an educated guess was caused from electrolysis.
NHTSA complaint #11672981 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
What happened: While driving, steering system malfunction warning appeared, power steering felt normal. Within 5 sec the HVAC blower quit, A/C shut off, and “Transmission not in Park” flashed although shifter was untouched (in Drive). All cluster gauges began sweeping randomly; iDrive screen flickered. Within 10 seconds, I heard a loud pop from passenger-side engine bay; voltage warnings continued. Pulled over immediately, switched ignition off, opened hood: active flames at passenger side of engine bay. Fire spread rapidly. Fire dept arrived within 5 min, but vehicle was fully engulfed. Total loss. No injuries. Suspected root cause: BMW’s PCV valve-heater (“blow-by heater”) or electric coolant-pump connector short-circuited, causing a massive current draw that browned out control modules (explaining the cascading warnings) and started the fire. These parts are the subjects of recalls 22V-119 (PCV heater, build cutoff 10 Oct 2013) and 24V-608 (water-pump connector, N20 engines only). My VIN shows NO open recalls, yet the failure sequence and fire origin perfectly match the defects acknowledged in those campaigns. Damage & consequences Complete destruction of vehicle forward of the firewall and significant damage to cabin. Towing, tow-yard and haz-mat cleanup fees incurred in excess of $1300 I only have liability coverage on the vehicle, so insurance will not get involved. Request to NHTSA Please investigate 2014 335i GT (N55) models excluded from 22V-119 and 24V-608. Evidence suggests the same defective components are present and can cause in-motion engine-bay fires. Please advise if I have any recourse on this matter.
NHTSA complaint #11664177 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 335xi. The contact stated after parking the vehicle at a parking lot, he noticed smoke exiting the center dashboard. The contact detached the plastic kickboard and saw the fire located in the wires. A bystander had a fire extinguisher available and was able to extinguish the fire. The contact burned his left hand but declined medical attention. The fire department arrived at the location and filed a fire report. The fire department informed the VIN was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V676000 (Electrical System). A police report was not filed. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where they associated the failure with the recall. The contact stated a manufacturer inspector, later on, informed the recall was not associated with the fire. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.
NHTSA complaint #11532997 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My car hasn't start up for 2 years now. 1st it started with a dead starter, then alternator, then the radiator and water pump bursted, and as i was standing outside of my car the passenger air bag deploys while the car was off and key out of the ignition. Luckily no one was in my car but now my car doesn't and wont crank or turnover, it makes a buzzing noise for a split second when i hit the start/stop button and thats all. I'm getting full voltage to it. Every time i run my scanner, i get different codes every time, i bought a 2nd scanner (carly) to compare and both threw out different codes every time but the main ones was the starter and pcv code; which i got 3 different starters put in, all new and the code was still ahowing. Ive spent more time researching and more money buying parts to fix my car then what I bought the car for which was $6k. Worst part is that My car wont even start so i cant take it to the shop and im definitely not paying a toll fee just to have the shop tell me what i already know. Ive looked up forums and multiple people is facing the same issues as i am with their results ending with a "please help if anyone finds out what this issue is". I've replaced the battery 3 times and registered the batteries each time. I have a new starter, alternator, radiator, radiator fan, water pump, thermostat, reservoir, crankshaft and camshaft position sensor, battery, ibs cables, power distribution box, ground straps, oil filter, oil filter housing, spark plugs, coil packs, manifold and gaskets, pcv valves, start/stop switch, relays, fuses, and I still get the same results which is no crank/no start and a buzzing noise. When i spoke with BMW customer support i told them that the closest BMW repair shop is 2 hours away from me and the lady replied "that's going to be a huge chunk of money for towing". I mean seriously, BMW should be paying for or that and fixing their mess but won't own up to it.
NHTSA complaint #11495879 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
July 28 2022 while parked and I. The off position my 2007 b.m.w 335xi began bellowing black smoke from under the hood of the vehicle. I quickly discovered the origin was behind was in the housing for the vehicles blower motor. Once I realized I could put the fore out I called emergency services, they responded but the vehicle was completely destroyed.
NHTSA complaint #11476621 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CENTRAL LOCKING ISSUE. THE DOORS NEITHER LOCK NOR UNLOCK WITH KEY FOB, AND THE CENTRAL LOCKING BUTTON INSIDE THE CAR DOES NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS. THE DOUBLE PULL METHOD ALSO DOES NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS. SEEMS LIKE A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE 4 OTHER PEOPLE IN THE CAR AND GET T-BONED, FLIP THE CAR AND IT CATCHES FIRE, AND NOW ALL OF US HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE PASSENGER DOOR. NOT SURE WHERE TO GO FROM HERE !
NHTSA complaint #11397169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CAR HAS ISSUES WITH COLD START, LONG CRANK, RPM SURGE, CYLINDER MISFIRES. CAR HAS INDEX 5 AND INDEX 8 FUEL INJECTORS. THE CAR IS SHOWING CODES FOR ISSUES WITH THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP.
NHTSA complaint #11325671 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 335XI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE CONTACT CALLED BMW OF GREENWICH AND BMW OF MAMARONECK AT 914-881-3600 (LOCATED AT 110 MIDLAND AVE, PORT CHESTER, NY 10573) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
NHTSA complaint #11160981 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 335XI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V044000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE DEALER (INTERNATIONAL BMW, 2400 S 108TH STREET, WEST ALLIS, WI 53227, 414-543-3000) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
NHTSA complaint #11139869 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 BMW 335XI. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, SMOKE WAS NOTICED COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THE BOTTOM OF THE DASHBOARD ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WAS ON FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE WITHOUT INJURIES AS THE VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN INSURANCE COMPANY'S TOW LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,889.
NHTSA complaint #11112380 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BLOWER MOTOR RECALL. MY BMW CAUGHT ON FIRE ON 5/17/2018. I BELIEVE IT MAY BE RELATED TO THE CURRENT RECALL CONCERNING ENGINE FIRES IN SEVERAL MODEL LINES. IT WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. HAD BEEN TURNED OFF FOR OVER 1 1/2 HOURS. DAMAGE WAS PRIMARILY ISOLATED TO THE FRONT AND REAR. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND ARRIVED WITHIN 3 MINUTES TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. COMMENTS MADE BY ARSON INVESTIGATORS WERE ODD BURN PATTERNS. FIRST THOUGHT WAS ELECTRICAL RELATED FIRE. THEY HAD TO CALL BACK FIRE FIGHTERS DUE TO WORRY THE BATTERY WOULD REIGNITE.
NHTSA complaint #11097717 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CAR WAS PARKED SEVERAL HOURS AFTER DRIVING IT. NOTICED DISCOLORATION ON WINDOWS. SMOKE IN INTERIOR, FIRE BURNED DASHBOARD, BLOWER MOTOR FELL OUT. NOTE: I FOUND AN EXISTING RECALL, 17V676, OCTOBER 2017, BUT NO RECALL LETTER WAS RECEIVED.
NHTSA complaint #11083362 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
OCTOBER 25, 2017 | RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. 17V-676 BLOWER MOTOR WIRING TO DATE THERE IS STILL NO REMEDY FOR THIS RECALL ISSUED 5 MONTHS AGO. I'M NOT SURE WHAT CONSTITUTES A 'REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME' FOR A RECALL LIKE THIS BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT HAS BEEN A WHILE, ESPECIALLY FOR A RECALL THAT COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE..
NHTSA complaint #11083211 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I RECEIVED A LETTER IN THE MAIL THAT THERE MAY BE A RECALL ON THE AIRBAGS IN MY CAR. I USED THE WEBSITE GIVEN TO CHECK FOR ANY RECALLS. IT SAID THE BLOWER MOTOR ON MY CAR HAS A RECALL NOTICE AND I NEEDED TO CALL MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. I CALLED AND THEY CHECKED THEIR DATA BASE AND VERIFIED MY CAR INDEED DOES HAVE A RECALL THAT COULD POTINTIALLY CAUSE FIRE. HOWEVER BMW USA HAS NOT PROVIDED REPLACEMENT PARTS. SO THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #11048686 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 335XI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
NHTSA complaint #11047921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR I WASN'T DRIVING MY CAR NO MORE THAN 15 MIN. I FELT MY AC CUT OFF THEN I SAW WHITE SMOKE ABOVE THE DASHBOARD I PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND RAISE THE HOOD UP NO SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM ABOVE THE DASHBOARD THEN FLAMES FELL OUT ABOVE THE GLOVE APARTMENT IN WHICH THE ENTIRE CAR CAUGHT FIRE MY CAR WAS WELL TAKING CARE OF NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEM WIT MY CAR (A BMW CERTIFIED MECHANIC WORK ON MY CAR ) IM VERY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT MY CAR CATCHING ON FIRE FOR NO REASON AT ALL I COULD HAVE LOST MY LIFE.
NHTSA complaint #11030254 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BMW SAID THEY REPLACED AND FIXED THE AIR BAG ISSUE AND BATTERY CABLE (POSITIVE) RECALL. IT'S BEEN OVER 2 WEEKS AND I JUST SEARCHED ON SAFERCAR.GOV AND THEY BOTH STILL SHOW AS OPEN ISSUES. DID BMW LIE?
NHTSA complaint #10903662 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
MY FAMILY TOOK HE CAR TO THE GROCERY STORE AND WHEN THEY ATTEMPTED TO EXIT THE CAR, THE DRIVERS DOOR WOULDN'T OPEN. I EVENTUALLY DISCOVERED THAT FUSE #73 FAILED CAUSING THE DOORS TO LOCK THE PASSENGERS INSIDE THE CAR. INITIALLY IT WAS JUST THE DRIVERS DOOR, BUT AS I WAS PRESSING THE DOOR LOCK BUTTONS ON THE KEY AND THE CENTRAL LOCKING BUTTON ALL DOOR WERE EVENTUALLY AFFECTED. I SEE THIS AS A SAFETY HAZARD SINCE PASSENGERS COULD BE TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY.
NHTSA complaint #10875604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.