BMW 335I Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 184 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the BMW 335I across 8 model years. The 2008 model year has the most (43). The words owners use most often: “takata air bags” (23% of reports).
- 184air bags complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 12mention a crash
- 10mention an injury
- 6related recalls
- 36%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Takata air bags: mentioned in 43 of 184 complaints (23%)
- Passenger restraint: mentioned in 17 of 184 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 63 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 184 complaints, 12 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 10 an injury.
BMW 335I air bags complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (6)
Air bags:side/window:head
Model years: 2014
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014 4 Series Coupe (428i, 428i xDrive, 435i, 435i xDrive), 3 Series Sedan (320i, 320i xDrive, 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335i xDrive), and 2014-2015 2 Series Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i, M235i xDrive) vehicles. The head air bag inflator may fail at the weld joint, which can cause gas to leak from the inflator or result in an inflator rupture.
Risk: An inflator that ruptures may cause sharp metal fragments to enter or exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, an inflator that leaks gas may only partially inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the head air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 12, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Model years: 2014, 2015
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2015 6 Series Gran Coupe, 2014 5 Series Gran Turismo, 2014 5 Series Sedan, 2015 6 Series Convertible, 2015 6 Series Coupe, 2014 X5, 2013-2014 X3, 2014-2015 3 Series Sedan, 2014 4 Series Coupe, 2014 4 Series Convertible, 2014 3 Series Gran Turismo, and 2015 4 Series Gran Coupe vehicles. Please see the recall report for the complete list of models. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury or death.
Fix: The driver's front air bag will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Model years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (324i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi), 2006-2012 3 Series Sportswagon (325xi, 328i, 328xi), and 2009-2011 3 Series Sedan (335d) vehicles. The original steering wheel may have been replaced with a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with an inflator that can explode during deployment.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's air bag module as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air bags:side/window
Model years: 2014, 2015
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2015 2 Series Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i), 3 Series Sedan (320i, 320i xDrive, 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335i xDrive, M3, 328d, 328d xDrive), 4 Series Coupe (428i, 428i xDrive, 435i, 435i xDrive, M4), and 2015 4 Series Gran Coupe (428i, 428i xDrive, 435i, 435i xDrive) vehicles. The head air bag inflator may fail at the weld joint, which can cause gas to leak from the inflator or result in an inflator rupture.
Risk: An inflator that ruptures may cause sharp metal fragments to enter or exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, an inflator that leaks gas may only partially inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the head air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 4, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Model years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 128i and 135i Convertibles, 128i, 135i, and M Coupes, 2007-2010 X3 30si and X3 xDrive30i, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i, 2007-2013 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335is, 335i xDrive and M3 Coupes, 2006-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive and M3, 2009-2011 335D, 2006-2012 325xi, 328i, 328xi and 328i xDrive, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 2007-2013 328i, 335i, 335is, M3 Coupes, X5 30si, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 48i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M, 2009-2013 X5 xDrive35d and 2008-2014 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6M vehicles equipped with non-desiccated driver frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver air bag. On X5 and X6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
Model years: 2007
Problem: BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2006 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi sedans and 325xi sports wagons, model year 2007 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi sedans and 328i and 328xi sports wagons, model year 2006-2007 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 550i sedans and 530xi sports wagons, model year 2006 760i sedans, model year 2006-2007 750i, 750Li, and 760Li sedans, and model year 2006 X5 sports activity vehicles, equipped with certain seat types. The front passenger seat occupant detection mat that determines if and how the passenger frontal air bag should deploy in a crash may fatigue and develop cracks which could lead to a system failure.
Risk: Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: BMW will notify owners with an interim notification letter in January 2014 since parts are not currently available. When parts are available, BMW sent a second letter in August and dealers will repair the occupant detection mat to eliminate the possibility that it may crack, free of charge. Additionally, owners of model year 2006-2007 3 Series with standard seats, 5 Series with comfort seats, and Z4 models, will receive an extended warranty on their front passenger seat occupant detection mat. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at [email protected].
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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…
SUBJECT: Catastrophic Steering Failure and Erroneous Safety Recall Notification - 2014 BMW 335i 105,000 milles INCIDENT DESCRIPTION: While driving, the vehicle completely lost steering control. The electronic steering rack disengaged due to a failure in the aluminum mounting bolts. This incident…
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 335I. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V017000 (AIR BAGS); however, shortly after the vehicle was retrieved, the air bag warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined…
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 335I. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the passengerâs side air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but became persistent whenever the vehicle was started. The contact had taken the vehicle to a…
Frequently asked questions
Do all BMW 335Is have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 184 owner complaints about air bags for the BMW 335I. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the BMW 335I air bags?
Yes: 6 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the BMW 335I?
The most frequent phrase is “takata air bags”, in 43 of 184 complaints, followed by “passenger restraint” (17).
Other BMW 335I problems
- Fuel System, Gasoline problems (182)
- Electrical System problems (147)
- Engine problems (127)
See all BMW 335I problems.