What 168 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 BMW 335i Xdrive

Wiring harness in the engine compartment caught fire about 2 weeks after changing a water pump, battery kept being draining even after battery replacement. Locking of the trunk trunk forced usage of a BMW authorized jump start battery charger/start etc. No access to Battery when the battery is discharged.

NHTSA ODI 11643883

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR WHEN THE ENGINE SOUNDED SOMETHING SIMILAR TO IS IF I HAD A MISFIRE. I STARTED SLOWING DOWN BY THE TIME I GOT TO ABOUT 5 MILES AN HOUR SMOKE STARTED COMING THROUGH THE VENTS. OPEN THE HOOD AND THERE WAS A FIRE BETWEEN THE BACK OF THE ENGINE IN THE FIREWALL. WITHIN 15 MINUTES THE CAR COMPLETELY BURNED DOWN. IT IS UNKNOWN WHAT CAUSED THIS SO FAR.

NHTSA ODI 11189763

TENSION STRUT FAILURE (DRIVER SIDE, FRONT); THIS COMPONENT CONTROLS FORE AND AFT MOTION OF THE WHEEL & TIRE. WHEN IT FAILS THE REMAINING FRONT SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY INCLUDING THE WHEEL AND TIRE IMPACT THE WHEEL WELL CAUSING VIOLENT BUCKING AND SHAKING WHICH IS WORSENED WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. MY FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES ON A SMOOTH, PAVED ROAD AT LESS THAN 55 MPH. THE CAR WAS DISABLED AND HAD TO BE TOWED. I BELIEVE THAT HAD I BEEN TRAVELING AT INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SPEEDS I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND POSSIBLY OVERTURNED. THIS SHOULD BE A 'NEVER EVENT' IN MY OPINION.

NHTSA ODI 11131037

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 ODI 11083362

2011 BMW 335I THREE (3) RECALLS: 1) FIRE HAZARD, 2) TAKATA RECALL AND 3) VANOS HOUSING BOLTS - RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF MY 2011 BMW 335I VEHICLE AS CONFIRMED A TOTAL LOSS VEHICLE BY PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE CLAIM NUMBER 17-2120735. CONTRARY TO PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE COMPANY'S REPORT, THERE WAS NO COLLISION. MY 2011 BMW 335I SPORTS MODEL VEHICLE WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE ON APRIL 21 2017 AND I WAS SEVERELY INJURED WITH HIP DAMAGE WHEN MY 2011 BMW CAR OVERHEATED AND STOPPED SUDDENLY WHEN I WAS SLOWLY DRIVING MY CAR ON A CITY STREET IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA. CONTRARY TO PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE'S FALSE REPORT, THERE WAS NO COLLISION. BMW NEVER PROVIDED ANY NOTICE RE: NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 14V176 (VANOS HOUSING BOLTS), NOR PROVIDED ANY NOTICE RE: NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 17V676 (OVERHEATING LEADING TO FIRE). INSTEAD OF OFFERING TO REPAIR OR REPLACE MY RECALLED VEHICLE,BMW, SINCE APRIL 21, 2017 AND FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS, BMW, BMW FINANCIAL SERVICES AND PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE HAVE BEEN ORCHESTRATING TAG TEAM FINANCIAL FRAUD, REFUSING TO REPAIR OR REPLACE MY BMW VEHICLE AND DENYING ME OF STATUTORY PERSONAL INJURY BENEFITS RESULTING FROM INJURIES SUSTAINED IN MY RECALLED 2011 BMW VEHICLE. WITH REGARD TO THE ONLY RECALL NOTICE WHICH BMW DID PROVIDE RE: THE TAKATA AIRBAGS, RATHER THAN AGREEING TO REPAIR MY TOTAL LOSS VEHICLE, BRAMAN BMW OF WEST PALM BEACH USED THE TAKATA RECALL AS A 'BAIT AND SWITCH' OPPORTUNITY TO SELL ME A NEW BMW VEHICLE. EVEN THOUGH BRAMAN'S WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA BMW MANAGER HAD FIRST HAND ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE THAT MY RECALLED BMW VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS, BRAMAN BMW REFUSED TO REPAIR OR REPLACE MY TOTAL LOSS VEHICLE; BUT CONTACTED ME MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED TIMES WITHIN SIX MONTHS TO SELL ME A NEW MODEL BMW. I HAVE FULL DOCUMENTATION OF ALL OF THE ABOVE. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ODI 11052215

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 335I. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE COLLIDED INTO A TREE WITHOUT WARNING. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT DECLINED ASSISTANCE FROM THE EMT, BUT WENT TO AN URGENT CARE. FACILITY FOR CUTS TO THE RIGHT HAND, FRACTURE TO THE RIGHT PINKY FINGER, A CONCUSSION, AN UNKNOWN PARTIALLY DEFLATED LUNG, AND INCONCLUSIVE X-RAYS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO AN AUTO BODY COLLISION CENTER TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE. IT HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED IF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,000.

NHTSA ODI 11051237

WHEN USING THE HEATED SEATS. DRIVERS SIDE WILL GET SO HOT IT BURNS YOUR SKIN. PASSENGER SEAT DOESN'T HEAT UP.

NHTSA ODI 10854677

ANOTHER VEHICLE TOOK A HARD ILLEGAL RIGHT FROM THE LEFT HAND LANE AS I WAS GOING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. I WAS FORCED TO HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE AND BOUNCED OFF AND HIT HEAD-ON INTO A TEXACO SIGN. THE AIR BACK BARELY DEPLOYED OUT OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE PLASTIC,ETC. HIT ME IN THE FACE AND BROKE MY ORBIT BONE AND CHEEK BONE. I HAD FACIAL RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY TO REPAIR MY EYE FLOOR AND CHEEK BONE WITH TITANIUM. I JUST SURVIVED STAGE 4 THROAT CANCER THIS YEAR AND MY JAWS ARE NOW IRREPLACEABLE FROM RADIATION. ON ONE SIDE OF MY FACE I DID HAVE SOME LEVEL OF TRAUMA TO MY JAW BONE BUT DID NOT BREAK IT. HOWEVER I DO WORRY LONG TERM EFFECT ON THE HEALTH OF MY JAW. THE BMW WAS TOTALED...UPDATED 11/19/14 *BF UPDATED 8/12/2015*JS *TR

NHTSA ODI 10650911