2011 Bmw 135i
The Verdict
The 2011 Bmw 135i has 66 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are electrical (32 complaints) and engine (27 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 83/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Bmw 135i, consider the 2013 model year which has 77% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2013 has 77% fewer complaints
View the 2013 Bmw 135i dashboard →
Klunk Score: Smooth Ride
This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
Recalls 1
Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 1 Series M Coupe and 135i Convertible vehicles, 2011 Z4 sDrive 35i, 335i, 335d, 335i Coupe, 335is Coupe, 335i Convertible,...
Risk
If the CV joint breaks, the vehicle may have a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear driveshaft CV joint and, based on its production date, will replace it, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017. Owners may conta...
Reported Feb 2, 2017
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 135I. The contact stated that the A/C system and the blower motor were intermittently inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the blower motor was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V579000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 66,800.
BMW Series 135I2011 - Engine/Vanos bolts failed/failing! When it's started, you can total tell there is an issue with it...Car is basically NON-Drivable due to this condition due to safety concerns! The vin is not being covered by the recall due to but this is a SERIOUS issue! This needs to be covered by BMW! We've taken it to the mechanic who said this needs to be towed to the dealership due to the recall and because of the specific issue but once at the dealership, where it's sitting now, they are saying due to vin not popping up, they can't cover it as well as BMW's customer service line but this is SERIOUS and needs to be covered!
the vanos bolts failed.
I had two situations in which my car would unexpectedly lurch forward after coming to a complete stop with my foot on the brake pedal, and another case in which I could not place the vehicle in park with the DCT Shift lever malfunctioning and making the car undrivable.
Sudden catastrophic engine shutdown After 3weeks of investigation came back as bad crank posisition sensor
The headlights are failing due to wiring rotting and falling aaprt inside the headlight units similar to the wiring failure in the blower motor
ROD BEARINGS FAILURE WHICH COULD CAUSE ENGINE SEIZING WHILE DRIVING.
VEHICLE HESITATES WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR WHEN PASSING VEHICLES OR MERGING INTO TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY NEARLY CAUSING COLLISION WITH OTHER VEHICLES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON WHEN WHEN VEHICLE IS ACCELERATING 99% OF THE TIME. WHEN VEHICLE IS STOPPED VEHICLE WILL TRY TO SURGE FORWARD. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS VEHICLE. SHAME ON BMW FOR NOT RECALLING ALLOF THESE MODELS!
HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE - CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET.
ON JUNE 18TH,I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. ON JUNE 19TH I WAS IN ROUTE TRANSPORTING MY DAUGHTER TO COLLEGE WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SEVERELY SMOKE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. A STATE TROOPER INFORMED ME THAT THE VEHICLE COULD CATCH ON FIRE IF IT WAS CONTINUOUSLY DRIVEN. I HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME (CHICAGO, IL). CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE DEALERSHIP. THE OWNER [XXX] HAD ANOTHER TOW TRUCK PICK THE VEHICLE UP. HE ASSURED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD BE FIXED. THEY CALLED ME 4 DAYS LATER AND STATED THAT THE CAR WAS READY. WITHIN A WEEK THE CAR WAS SMOKING AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED. I WAS TOLD TO BRING THE CAR BACK IN. I DID SO THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR 2 WEEKS. THE OWNER [XXX] THEN CALLED ME JULY 24,2019 STATING THAT THE MECHANIC SAYS THE VEHICLE IS REPAIRED AND WHY IS IT THAT I'M BRINGING IT BACK. I TRIED EXPLAINING TO HIM THAT THE CAR IS NOT FIXED AND THAT THERE IS PROOF (A VIDEO AND PICTURES). HE BECAME UPSET WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT AND BLATANTLY TOLD ME THAT HE WASN'T FIXING ANYTHING AND NEXT TIME NOT TO BUY A USED CAR. WITH HANGING UP IN MY FACE. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THE HELP IF IT IS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
I JUST HAD THE BOLTS ON BOTH THE (INTAKE AND EXHAUST REPLACED) THIS IS LISTED IN THE UNSPECIFIED RECALL AND NO ONE NOTIFIED ME ON THIS RECALL I DRIVE THE 2011 128I SERIES COUPE AND THIS COST ME OUT OF POCKET $1,800 DOLLARS TO REPLACE, WHAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IS WHY I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND ALSO I HAVE 2 OTHER RECALL ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING TO MY CAR THE AIR BAG THE SIGNAL KEEPS COMING ON AND OFF AND ALSO THE PCV VALVE OFF AND ON I SMELL SOMETHING BURNING I DO HOPE SOMEONE CAN CONTACT ME SO I CAN GET THESE RECALLS FIX NOW I AM REALLY SCARED THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. I HAVE MY RECEIPT OF ME GETTING THE BOLTS ISSUE FIXED AND REQUESTING A REFUND
I BRING IN TO LONGBEACH BMW DEALERS AND THEY MASS UP THE CAR AND THEY WANTED 10,000 DALLORS TO FIXED IT AND I ONLY BRING TO IN FOR RECALLS I DON'T LET ME PICK UP THE CAR
I HAVE BEEN HAVING MISFIRES. FIRST CYLINDER 3&5. CHANGED ALL PLUGS AND COIL PACKS. RAN WELL FOR A COUPLE DAYS. THEN BOOM. MISFIRES AGAIN. LONG COLD START CRANKS. I CAN BRING THE RPMS ALL THE WAY UP TO REDLINE AS LONG AS I DON'T STEP ON THE THROTTLE MORE THAN 25%. AS SON AS I GO TO PUT SO THROTTLE INTO IT. IT'S HESITATES/STUTTERS. THEN SERVICE ENGINE SOON AND CEL LIGHT COME ONE. THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP IS THE CULPRIT. SAME TYPE OF PROBLEMS I HAD ON MY N54 MOTOR. I THOUGHT BMW FIXED THIS ISSUE. GUESS THEY NEED A RECALL ON THESE AS WELL.
TWO TIMES WITHIN A YEAR THE VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION OF POWER AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ON 4-3-18 I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MODESTO BMW DEALER AND WAS ADVISED I NEEDED THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED WHICH I DID SPENDING $1355. LATE IN DECEMBER THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AND I AGAIN TOOK IT TO THE SAME DEALER WHO NOW ADVISED ME I NEEDED THE "HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP " REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $1750. THIS CAR HAS 57,000 MILES. I AM AWARE THERE WERE RECALLS ON THE SAME VEHICLES IN THE YEARS PRECEDING 2011 AND WONDER IF THE PROBLEM CONTINUED WITHOUT RESOLUTION. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AS LOSING POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IS DANGEROUS.
THE CAR WAS MOVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITH AC RUNNING. SMOKE PLUMED FROM VENTS AND UNDER FRONT PASSENGER FOOTWELL. ELECTRICAL FIRE STEMMING FROM BLOWER MOTOR FINAL STAGE UNIT AND WIRING HARNESS.
THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND THE BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR HARNESS BEGAN TO SMOKE HEAVILY. THE A/C STOPPED WORKING. I PULLED OVER AND DISCONNECTED THE WIRING HARNESS AND PULLED THE FUSE. THE WIRES MELTED, THE CONNECTOR MELTED, AND THE RESISTOR IS BROKEN. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I SEE THAT BMW HAS RECALLED OTHER CARS FOR THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE, BUT NOT THE 1 SERIES.
BLOWER MOWER WIRING OVERHEATING AND BURNING/CORRODING WHILE FAN WAS ON LOW SPEED.
FAN BLOWER WIRE CAN CATCH FIRE, BMW 3 SERIES E90 2006 TO 2013 ALREADY GOT THE RECALL DONE, PLEASE RECALL THIS.
THE SAME BLOWER MOTOR WIRING ISSUE IN THE BMW 3 SERIES THATS CAUSING THEM TO CATCH ON FIRE AND BURN TO THE GROUND. I HAVE COMPARED THE PROBLEM WITH ANOTHER 3 SERIES WITH THE SAME EXACT ISSUE. ALTHOUGH THE WIRING PART NUMBER IS DIFFERENT, THE PLUG AND WHERE THE NEGATIVE AND POS TERMINALS ARE PLACED IS THE SAME EXACT SPOT AS THE 3 SERIES. THE CAR WILL SHUT OFF FROM VOLTAGE SPIKES WHEN DRIVING AND CAUSE SPARKS AND ARCHING NOISES WHERE THERE NEG AND POS WIRES MEET CAUSING BOTH OF THE WIRING HOUSINGS TO MELT AND POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE. I HAVE TAKEN OFF THE KICK PANEL THAT COVERS THE WIRES AND NOTICED THE KICK PANEL ITSELF WAS BURNT AND MELTED. I HAVE TALKED TO MANY OTHER 1 SERIES OWNERS AND THEY ALSO HAVE THIS ISSUE BUT IT'S NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT CAN POTENTIALLY INJURE OR KILL SOMEONE.
THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP HAS FAILED AND BEEN REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES. IT BEGINS WITH THE CAR TAKING MUCH LONGER TO CRANK AND START. THEN IT COMPLETELY FAILS POTENTIALLY WHILE DRIVING, CREATING A SAFETY ISSUE, OR WILL NO LONGER START. THE HPFP IS EASILY REPLACED WITH JUST 3 BOLTS HOLDING IT TO THE SIDE OF THE MOTOR. ANY COMPETENT SHOP CAN REPLACE IT IN A COUPLE HOURS AT THE MOST. THE PROBLEM IS EXACERBATED AND MADE EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING BY THE SERVICE CENTERS REFUSING TO ADDRESS THE OBVIOUS PROBLEM. INSTEAD THEY FEIGN IGNORANCE WHILE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF THESE ARE REPLACED AFTER HAVING REPLACED NUMEROUS OTHER THINGS. THESE OTHER DISTRACTIONS ARE ALL MORE TIME CONSUMING TO REPLACE AND THE ROOT DEFECTIVE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP IS THE LAST THING TO BE ADDRESSED WHEN IT SHOULD BE THE FIRST AND QUICKEST. EVERY TIME ONCE THIS HAS BEEN REPLACED, IT HAS BEEN FIXED RIGHT AWAY. IT IS OFTEN THAT IT WILL LAST FOR A FEW MONTHS OR FEW THOUSAND MILES BEFORE FAILING AGAIN. BMW NEEDS TO PROPERLY DESIGN AND REPLACE THESE DANGEROUS FAILING UNITS ON N55 AND OTHER 3.0L TURBO DIRECT INJECTION MOTORS.
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