2009 BMW 3 Series problems and complaints
Owners have filed 388 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 BMW 3 Series. The most-reported areas: Air Bags (126), Electrical System (101), Engine (74).
Key takeaways
- 388 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 15 involve a crash, 19 a fire, 17 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 126 | 32% |
| Electrical System | 101 | 26% |
| Engine | 74 | 19% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 42 | 11% |
| Fuel System | 42 | 11% |
| Gasoline | 38 | 10% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 33 | 9% |
| Seat Belts | 25 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 21 | 5% |
| Unknown Or Other | 19 | 5% |
| Seats | 18 | 5% |
| Steering | 15 | 4% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 BMW 3 Series 2-DR. w/SAB | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated |
| 2009 BMW 3 Series Wagon w/SAB | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 4/5 |
| 2009 BMW 3 Series Convertible w/SAB | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated |
| 2009 BMW 3 Series 4-DR. w/SAB | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Air Bags - filed 2026-07-16
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 335I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the air bag warning illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the result was unknown. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure...
Air Bags,unknown Or Other - filed 2026-03-21
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. Th...
Electrical System,unknown Or Other - filed 2026-03-04
The security system, alarm system and lock were all tampered with.
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More for the 2009 BMW 3 Series
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.