The contact owns a 2011 BMW 335I. While driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost power. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode before shutting off. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The contact connected a diagnostic scanner, which indicated an inability to read or establish engine timing. The engine cranked and turned over for 10 seconds but shut off immediately afterwards. The contact believed that the issue was related to a timing failure. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.
2011 BMW 335I engine problems
36 complaints (37% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 50,000.
- owner complaints
- 36
- of this car's complaints
- 37%
- typical mileage
- 50,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
BMW 335I engine problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2011 BMW 335I engine
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Loss of power 12Stalling 11Check engine light 7Engine failure 6
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 128i Coupe, 128i Convertible, 328i Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 328i Coupe, 328i Convertible, 328i Sports Wagon and Z4 sDrive 30i, 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 135i Convertible, 335i Sedan, X5 xDrive 35i, and X6 xDrive 35i, 2011 335i xDrive Sedan, 335i Coupe, 335i Convertible, 528i Sedan, 535i Sedan, 535i xDrive Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, and X3 xDrive 35i, 2010 X3 xDrive 30i, and X5 xDrive 30i, 2012 640i Coupe, and 640i Convertible and 2010-2012 535i Gran Turismo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit can loosen over time and may possibly break.
- Risk
- If the bolts loosen or break the engine may have reduced power or stall. An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four VANOS housing bolts for both VANOS units (intake and exhaust), free of charge. In addition, owners of approximately 170,172 model year 2010-2012 BMW vehicles equipped with inline 6 cylinder engines not covered by this recall, will receive an extended warranty to address this condition. The recall began on September 24, 2014. Owners may contact BMW at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 14V176000 · Recall details
What 2011 BMW 335I owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 335I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Loss of Oil Pressure" message displayed, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle made an abnormally loud clunking sound. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact used an OBD scanner to retrieve a diagnostic trouble code for the VANOS bolts; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
I was in the middle of driving on the freeway and my motor started to get loss in power. Moments later a malfunction engine sign popped up. The codes I was able to pull from the vehicle were pointing towards a recall that already exists for BMW but for some reason my vehicle was not a part of the recall. The recall I am reffering to is 23V707000. It shows that there are 11 open recalls for 2011 335i including the vanos bolt recall. I called the dealer and according to my VIN, the vanos bolt recall is not covered. There are multiple reports online where the dealer is refusing to cover the recall for vehicles within a certain production date. There is clearly a safety issue going on as this has happened to plenty of people. Someone with the same motor as I could get covered for the recall due to the production date and I am in a position where BMW knows that this is an issue but will not cover it.
2011 BMW 335i COUPE E92 My vehicle has broken vanos bolts which caused the engine to shut off while driving. This was a terrifying experience in which i was on the freeway doing around 70mph and lost power steering and power brakes. This is a known recall with these vehicles and my vehicle fits the criteria for BMW Recall 23V‑707, including year, make, model, production date and engine. My vin does not show up as a recalled vin and the dealer refuses to fix my vehicle for that reason although it is confirmed the vanos bolts have snapped.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 335I. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for repair, he was informed that the camshaft bolts were damaged and required replacement. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Colling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.
I bought a BMW on November 3rd and within 48 hours on the 5th of November at 6:30 the engine seized while the car was driving when I took it to BMW they did a carfax on it, it said the car had 197,000 miles on it and the car was listed with 97,790 miles and the odometer still says 97,000 and the transmission is also slipping because it had 197,000 miles on it and the font headlights won't work.
BMW has made their early 2011-13 engines(n55) a defective engine, the problem I’ve been experiencing with these engines is there new engine system called the valvetronic system. If the something in the valtronic system goes bad and most likely does when you listen to bmw recommendation of changing oil every 10,000 it becomes very annoying to fix and can also lead to damaging the car ecu/dme so they built a car that would have problems and would also take out your car ecu which would make costly repairs
Without any warning, the vehicle experienced a major engine failure while I was driving at about 70 mph on the highway. The vehicle immediately lost power and went into limp mode, making it impossible to safely maintain speed on a busy highway. Vehicle was towed to the dealership and it was determined that it had experienced a VANOS bolts failure on the intake side. Inspection of the failed VANOS bolts revealed that they were of the old design that BMW had issued a Recall for. Even though the Recall status for the vehicle in regard to the VANOS bolts indicates that it was completed, it appears the wrong components had been used in the repair. I have been informed that BMW has denied my request to have the recall done properly with the proper components.
2011 BMW 335i Sedan: Please attempt to get my car included in the current recall. I have contacted BMW USA and my local dealership. Both said that my car does not qualify for repair. On a weekly basis, the car produces large amounts of smoke from the engine compartment and enters the passenger compartment through the vents. BMW has stated that there is a fire risk for this year, make, and model but will not address it for my car: [XXX] The check engine light turns on while engine smokes. The BMW Dealership will not inspect the car unless it appears on the recall list. In addition, occasionally, the entire electrical system dies preventing all electronics including the starter from working. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
I had just parked and about a minute later, there was a huge amount of smoke coming through the front cabin vents and hood. I immediately turned my car off and opened the hood to find more smoke and hearing popping sounds coming from my catalytic converter. The smoke left residue all over my windshield as well as an unpleasant smell lingering in the car. I emailed my local mechanic and he told me this is likely my PCV and not a VCG leak like I thought it was. This problem had scared me from driving my vehicle again because I was worried a fire would start whether I was in the vehicle or not. I took it to my mechanic to get it repaired and was charged $1700 for it. I had no lights or unusual car prior to this happening
Questions about the 2011 BMW 335I engine
Does the 2011 BMW 335I have engine problems?
Owners have filed 36 complaints about the engine of the 2011 BMW 335I, 37% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2011 BMW 335I engine problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 50,000 miles.
Is there a recall for the 2011 BMW 335I engine?
Yes, 1 recall: 14V176000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
Other 2011 BMW 335I problems
Airbags 32Electrical 16Fuel system 12Acceleration 5Transmission 5Lights 4Seat belts 3Steering 3Brakes 2Seats 2Wheels 2Driver assistance 1Suspension 1Tires 1Visibility 1
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