2011 BMW 335D problems & reliability
29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 BMW 335D, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2011 BMW 335D vehicles were involved in 5 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 10 | 34% |
| Engine | 8 | 28% |
| Air Bags | 7 | 24% |
| Seats | 5 | 17% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 14% |
| Power Train | 3 | 10% |
| Steering | 3 | 10% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 7% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 7% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 14 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners 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 the front passenger seat is compromised because the passenger airbag will not deploy while this sensor is not operating…”
Seats · filed Oct 6, 2023
“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…”
Fuel System, Other · filed Jun 1, 2023
“Years of my 335d overheating and stalling and dealer cant figure out the issue. I’ve replaced injectors, done carbon blasting, replaced nox sensor, replaced whole battery/electrical components. Just recently replaced the all belts, hoses, and egr module to avoid catastrophic results. After removing the components you…”
Power Train · filed Sep 20, 2022
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
120 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 BMW 335D. The 10 most recent:
The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
B510819 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2024
The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information…
B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 11, 2024
Diagnosis of Compound Brake System Complaints in M Vehicles: 1. Visible cracks are caused by high thermal stresses during rapid heating and cooling of the brake discs. Braking from high speed with cold brake components…
B340414 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2021
Power Reduction FC2A82 Intake VANOS and/or FC2 A87 Exhaust VANOS Camshaft Fault: The "Service Engine Soon" (MIL) lamp is illuminated and engine power reduction is perceived. This situation can occur after driving for…
B110208 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2020
"Erroneous CC Message "Remote control! Do not switch off the engine" is Displayed. An erroneous CC message, "Remote control!" " Do not switch off the engine" is displayed in the Central Information Display (CID). The…
613312 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 10, 2019
Trunk Lid Intermittently Does Not Open or Latch. Intermittently the trunk lid does not pop open when using the remote, or latch when closing. If the vehicle is driven and the trunk is not closed fully, a Check Control…
513911 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 10, 2019
Power Mirrors and/or Windows are Inoperative. The power windows and/or power mirrors are inoperative. The LED on the headlight switch is flashing. There is a check control message for Windows/Mirrors/ Headlights. There…
610405 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 10, 2019
"Outside Door Mirror Moves when Locking or Unlocking the Vehicle. The door mirror tilts immediately after unlocking or locking. The mirror position does not correspond to the memory position preset by the customer…
513608 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 10, 2019
N55 Engine: Various Faults Stored in DME Related to VANOS and Camshaft Position. A rattling noise can be heard from the engine compartment; the engine has a loss of power; and the Service Engine Soon lamp is…
121412 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2019
Takata air bag recall-related short-term alternate transportation and consequential repairs this service information bulletin supersedes si b01 31 18 dated october 2018.
B013118 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2019
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2011 BMW 335D has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2011 BMW 335D?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.