2009 BMW 135I problems & reliability
29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 BMW 135I, alongside 4 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.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 BMW 135I vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 13 | 45% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 14% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 10% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 10% |
| Engine | 2 | 7% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 7% |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 3% |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 3% |
| Structure | 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 11 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 25 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 9,000 miles (middle 50% between 4,500 and 27,056 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 2009 bmw 135i. The contact stated that upon taking his vehicle for service at otto's bmw (1275 wilmington pike, west chester, pa 193820) he was informed that the roll over control module was defective. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that the vin was not under recall. The…”
Structure · filed May 5, 2021
“Tail lights burn out and require entire housing to be replaced instead of just bulbs. Led's burn out very quickly, contrary to typical led's and are costly to replace”
Exterior Lighting · filed Jan 20, 2021
“The wiring of my 2009 bmw headlights, both sides, has its insulation disintegrate, exposing bare copper wire (as it is made of biodegradable material) to the point where my daytime running lights have shorted out and the adaptive headlight control on the passenger headlight is stuck at an angle that is too high. As…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Sep 23, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
Technical service bulletins
102 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 BMW 135I. The 10 most recent:
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
CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT: N54/N54T/N55 ELECTRIC ENGINE COOLANT PUMP . With the court's FINAL approval, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) has entered a nationwide settlement with the plaintiffs in the following class…
B011321 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2021
CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT: N54/N54T/N55 ELECTRIC ENGINE COOLANT PUMP . With the court's FINAL approval, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) has entered a nationwide settlement with the plaintiffs in the following class…
B011321 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2021
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
Discharged Battery Energy Diagnosis Must Be Performed: 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…
B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2020
Power Reduction, FC2A82 Intake VANOS and/or FC2A87 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 Sep 1, 2020
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
Service Action: CIC - Install Navigation Road Map Database 2013. Before delivering affected vehicles to the customer, the Car Information Computer (CIC) road map database 2013 must be installed onto the CIC internal…
651512 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2019
"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
Convertible Top Does Not Open Properly. When opening the convertible top, the interior cover flap remains open. CAUSE: The cable for the flap operation is either kinked or dislodged.
540810 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 10, 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 2009 BMW 135I has 4 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 2009 BMW 135I?
- · 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 9,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.