BMW 135I Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 153 consumer complaints across the 6 model years of the BMW 135I (2008–2013) that have at least 5 complaints. 2008 has the most, with 51. Across all years, the part named most often is fuel system (51 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All 135I model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 12 | 26,106 | 2 | 102 | — | Not enough data |
| 2012 | 19 | 50,000 | 6 | 104 | — | Falling |
| 2011 | 27 | 57,100 | 6 | 103 | 31 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2010 | 15 | 7,540 | 4 | 111 | — | Stable |
| 2009 | 29 | 9,000 | 4 | 102 | 63 · Typical | Falling |
| 2008 | 51 | 42,000 | 4 | 102 | 50 · Typical | Falling |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Fuel system51 30%
- Air bags35 21%
- Engine29 17%
- Electrical system20 12%
- Transmission and drivetrain13 7.7%
- Exterior lighting9 5.3%
- Other or unknown7 4.1%
- Wheels5 3.0%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2010: “The wiring going to the blower motor on my 2010 Bmw 135I is melted. I could smell something burning and the blower motor started working intermittently. The vehicle was running in my driveway with the heat on at the time. The problem is the same as recall 17v-676 which covers the Bmw 3 series from the same year but not the 1 series which uses the same parts.”
NHTSA complaint #11063922, filed 2018-01, 79,862 miles2012: “When I had fewer than 50k miles, my thermostat broke suddenly while I was driving. I had no previous issues or warning lights. Since that repair, I have had 2 coolant leaks, and one related pipe crack. This week, I had air in my coolant system and had to have it drained. These all appear to be related.”
NHTSA complaint #11307058, filed 2020-02, 50,000 miles2009: “At 8,532 miles my Bmw 135I had a high pressure fuel pump failure that caused my car to decelerate below the speed of traffic. At 24,384 miles the car illuminated a engine caution for over temperature. The only gauge available was for oil temperature which did not indicate hot. There was not a shoulder to pull over for 3 miles.”
NHTSA complaint #10705277, filed 2015-04, 8,500 milesOther BMW models
3,165 complaintsBMW 328I
2,576 complaintsBMW X3
2,016 complaintsBMW 325I
1,377 complaintsBMW Z4
1,271 complaintsBMW 3 Series
832 complaintsBMW 528I
830 complaintsBMW 330I
813 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology