NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 BMW 3 Series. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
2009 BMW 3 Series with factory optioned Sport Steering wheel has no recalls, but still has a 2017 production Takata PSDI-5 airbag with the yellow sticker. This airbag was replaced during the interim period, before the revised design was released. It was manufactured in 2017, but used the same design as the original. This airbag is now 9 years old, and I fear it has the same shrapnel risk as the original unit replaced in 2017. East Bay BMW did not take my concern seriously when I made an appointment, citing the fact that there were no recalls for my VIN. There was no inspection performed. The only option I have is buying a used airbag with a 2018+ production date and white sticker. I would like reassurance that my airbag won't kill me, or some help from the manufacturer.
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.
UNKNOWN- The wiring system/ security system is faulty and requires attention.
The security system, alarm system and key fob have all been tampered with.
The security system, alarm system and lock were all tampered with.
Seat occupancy sensor -- seat belt is inoperable on passenger side. Seat belt stuck in passengers seat back. "Active fault for seat occupancy sensor." Belt tensioner - "Drive belt starting to walk off tensioner pulley"
While driving the car stalled. It happened multiple times. While driving and at a stop.
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
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 335I. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V017000 (AIR BAGS); however, shortly after the vehicle was retrieved, the air bag warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 102,000.
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.
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.
BMW told me they would not be covering reimbursement for repairs/part replaced which I believe were damaged/failed directly as a result of failed PCC value. Now the RECALL notice for the PCV value does state that certain parts would be replaced or reimbursement paid if they were damaged /repaired as a result of failed PCV VALUE. Here is a brief summary… I purchased the vehicle in April 2024. At the time had a mechanic check out the car. May 15 - took the car to BMW for outstanding PCV VALUE RECALL. the tech told me they also did courtesy inspection and I would need front shock n tires soon. I opted not to have the work done that day. May 23 - washed the car /checked fluids/tire pressure etc - and found the coolant was nearly empty. I called and texted the BMW tech who I was in contact with for the recall work - no response. June 4 - drive the car 100 miles stop at friends. During the trip the AC was not blowing cold air like it usually did. No check engine lights or any other on the dash. An hour later the car won’t start. Took the car to my mechanic ( not BMW) and end up needing starter/ manifold gasket/ intake throttle gasket. I get the car back and shortly after more problems - when I would start the car the engine would shake for 15-20 seconds when I would start the vehicle while the engine was still warm. Also the fan motor would run extremely loud when in stop n go traffic. After researching online, I found all these issues others had experienced due to faulty PCV value. I contacted local BWM and BMW CORP - was told reimbursement was not available for this latest pcv recall but only reimbursement for previous recall.
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!
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering assist while driving at an undisclosed speed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact used excessive force while driving back to the residence. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where metal shavings were found in the steering pump. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
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
Unknown/ Had recall on pcv heater control valve done by authorized BMW DEALER about 2 weeks ago. On date May 5 2023 Parked car, shut of engine,a smell of plastic and smoke started coming from hood area, flames erupted right away . Total loss
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormally loud squeaky sound. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the PCV valve had failed. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light and the ABS warning light were illuminated. The message "Do Not Drive" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V017000 (Air Bags). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The contact drove the vehicle to his residence. Later when the vehicle was started there was a large white cloud of smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was driven to his spouse's medical appointment; however, the vehicle could not be started, and the contact had the vehicle towed to his residence. The contact made several attempts to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle had not been taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. The contact had experienced a similar failure several months prior and had taken the vehicle to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
My mat sensor in my passenger seat is not working properly. Nobody ever really sits in the passenger seat and the light came on stating that someone is sitting in the passenger seat when there is actually nobody sitting in the seat! Which means the airbag will not deploy this seems to be an issue with many 09 bmw 328i vehicle’s! I noticed through research that vehicles prior to said year had same issues and was part of a recall. I feel this should also be part of a new recall with this vehicle year
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
My car randomly started throwing an error for a failure with the passenger restraint system. From what I have read it has something to do with the OC3 Mat in the seat that detects if there is an occupant, and if the weight of the occupant is considered to be that of an adult, so the airbag does not deploy in the wrong circumstances, which is potentially dangerous to anyone that may ride in the passenger seat. There has been an extended warranty, and recall for previous years of E90 BMWs, but 2009 may not be included, even though the seats should be the same. I plan on contacting the dealership for further investigation, but I know I cannot afford to have this safety feature fixed out of my pocket at this time. Thank you for your time.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the recall was repaired however, while driving approximately 20 MPH, the contact heard a sharp whistling sound coming from the engine. The service engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the valve cover needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,161.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Coolant) however, the contact stated that he smelled a burning odor inside the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer was notified of the recall notice and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and informed the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was approximately 123,492.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.
I have the seatbelt and airbag light illuminated on my car for the passenger. I have researched this issue and it seems to be a common problem on BMWs. It was part of a recall for the 2006 model but nothing past that year. Apparently, it is the sensor that is in the passenger seat that has broken. So the airbag can't sense whether or not a person is occupying that seat.
Consistent steam coming through hood of vehicle. Electrical panel indicators. Vehicle has been serviced regularly and sent to BMW Mountain View for recall repairs.
The vehicle hasbeen over heating, my 18 year old son, uses this car for transportation to his school, we are very afraid something can hapen, at this point we need BMW to fix the problem. We are stressing about this problem, every day.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming out from underneath the hood of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact continued driving to her nearby residence. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly and she could smell a strong burning odor inside the vehicle while driving. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the failure was associated with the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated there was a burning odor coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 119,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact received notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V1190000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms part not available.
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.
Received written Safety Recall Notice from BMW April 2022. To date, no more contact from BMW, and the NHSTA website has no update about a repair. This has been 8 months with no repair or resolution.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated on 8/2/2022 while parking at a gas station, he started to smell smoke. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he inspected under the hood but did not locate where the smoke was coming from. The contact stated while walking away from the vehicle, he saw smoke exiting the rear of the vehicle, but was unable to open the trunk. The contact called the fire department to open the rear trunk with a crowbar and they were able to extinguish the fire. The police also arrived at the scene. The contact was unaware if any police or fire reports were filed. The contact stated no one was injured or sought medical attention. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to a junkyard. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was also associated to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V676000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Recall for PCV valve (NHTSA 17V683) has been outstanding since Oct 2017. I received a letter July 2021 from BMW saying I needed to urgently have this repaired and could lead to a fire. It said parts and remedy are available. Went to BMW dealer 3/8/22 and the dealership is telling me that the system tells them there is no fix available for this recall. (Service agent: Yordano Rios Reyes, and Service center Manager: Mike) I told them I was experiencing an active issue with my car related to the PCV valve (excessive vacuum leading to erratic RPM, loud whistling, and stalls). They said their is nothing they can do, so they are telling me I should drive around with an active safety issue.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced an unstated failure and the vehicle was no longer being driven. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer had been notified about the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I turned my car on an out of nowhere a seatbelt and airbag light came on. I did not get into a bump up or disconnect any sensors it just popped up one day.
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
I am filing a complaint based on the recalls for my vehicle. There are two recalls with no solutions. My car has not been functional in over 6 months. I have called BMW and they have offered me no solutions. I want to receive compensation so I can be done with this vehicle and get one that I can actually drive.
Not a particular incident, but this recall has been active for a little more then two months. While also my car has been affected since Fall of 2021. Not once have BMW even reached out or provide any type of consultation of maybe having a rental car for the time being, or simply buy back the car or something along those sorts.
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
Multiple misfiring due to faulty injectors. Bmw has revised the part 12 times. This is a very common and known problem in the EU where a recall was issued.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 216,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle went into limp mode and the engine overheated. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to her residence. The contact then towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing a wiring harness replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the water pump and the radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The contact had the vehicle repaired for a second time however, the vehicle continued to experience the failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was unknown.
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.