Home · 2012 BMW 335i · Complaints
What 33 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 BMW 335i
These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.
3 of 33 complaints match · Steering · clear filters
Sep 20, 2023SteeringAirbagsSeatsCrash1 injury
The car Hydroplaned while driving on the interstate, spun out of control and slammed into a tree in the rear end. My son was going approximately 65 mph and upon impact no airbags deployed and the steering wheel was in his hands after impact. His seat broke and collapsed into a laying position. His head sustained a huge blow to the interior side of the car in addition to another head injury in the front, a fractured wrist and multiple bruises along with a sore neck & back. The insurance adjuster saw the car and could not believe the steering wheel came completely detached in addition to no airbags deployed. My son is [XXX] ” and weighs [XXX]. I would have expected from his body weight alone the side airbag deploying. The car is totaled beyond repair. The car had no warnings or indicators regarding faulty airbags or steering issues. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI 11545689
Aug 3, 2016SteeringSpeed controlEngine
WHILE IN LINE IN A DRIVE THRU THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF SUDDENLY LOSING ALL ELECTRICAL POWER AND POWER STEERING. UPON TRYING TO START "CHARGING MALFUNCTION" APPEARED ON THE INFORMATION SCREEN IN WITH A RED WARNING SIGN. TRIED 2-3 TIMES TO TURN OVER STARTER. WHEN VEHICLE TURNED ON IT WAS TIME TO MOVE FORWARD. WHEN TRYING TO EXIT DRIVE THRU DRIVE WAY VEHICLE WAS VERY HEAVY AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. FINALLY AFTER SEVERAL BACK AND FORTH ATTEMPTS VEHICLE WAS MOVED ABOUT 50 FEET TO A SAFE PARKING LOCATION.
NHTSA ODI 10892703
May 23, 2014SteeringBrakesEngine
MY 2012 BMW 335I COUPLE M SPORT PACKAGE (AUTOMATIC) ENGINE STALLS RANDOMLY (5 TIMES SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR IN NOVEMBER OF 2013). AS A RESULT, THE POWER STEERING FAILS AND POWER BRAKE ASSIST ALSO FAILS. RESULTING IN SOME SCARY SITUATIONS INDEED. THIS TYPICALLY HAPPENS BETWEEN 5-40 MPH. ENGINE TYPICALLY RESTARTS AFTER 10-15 MIN. THE LAST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED WAS ON 5/21/14 AT AROUND 9AM PST. I WAS STRANDED ON CA HIGHWAY 85. VEHICLE HAS ONLY 7K MILES. NO ENGINE FAULT CODES REGISTER WHEN TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SEND ME BACK TELLING ME THAT THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE. HERE IS A LINK TO THE VIDEO I CAPTURED AFTER THE LAST STALL: HTTP://YOUTU.BE/QWVJCFAFO2Y BMW OF NORTH AMERICA DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM (EVEN THOUGH I HAVE SENT THEM THIS VIDEO) AND KEEPS SENDING ME BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHICH IS UNABLE TO READ ANY FAULT CODES IN THE COMPUTER. IN RETURN, THE DEALERSHIP SENDS ME BACK TO BMW OF NORTH AMERICA. ENDLESS LOOP WITH NO SOLUTION. THIS VIDEO IS MADE TO DOCUMENT THE EVIDENCE OF THIS VERY HAZARDOUS ISSUE. *TR
NHTSA ODI 10593767
Working with the data? Download all 33 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 28, 2026
How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your
pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the
full 2012 BMW 335i verdict →