The headlight and tail light went out unexpectedly. I brought my vehicle to a shop and they told me that my headlight got water inside of it. The shop informed me that this is a known issue with multiple BMW models. The headlight seal will slowly fail allowing moisture inside the housing which damages the electronics. The taillights have to have their electronics replaced due to some defect form the factory. This defect was covered under warranty but my car is out of warranty.
The worst 2015 BMW M235I problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags1
- Electrical1
- Lights1
- Seat belts1
- Tires1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags1
- Electrical1
- Lights1
- Seat belts1
- Tires1
Recalls 2
Air bags: side/window: head
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 25V871000 · Recall details
Air bags: side/window
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 24V288000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2015 BMW M235I 319
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few...
- Functional noises (squealing/honking) when braking shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop
- After programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes...
- The 3G network in the US has been shut down
- After an automatic engine start (MSA start), the transmission intermittently goes into the Park "P" or...
- The sunroof and/or panoramic sunroof jams sporadically.
- Vehicle cannot be opened or closed using comfort access, engine start is not possible, and the vehicle may...
- The Headunit High (HU-H), also called NBT, began replacing the Car Information Computer (CIC) on certain...
- Component and Issue Specific Limited Emission Warranty Extension
- Component and Issue Specific Limited Emission Warranty Extension
What 2015 BMW M235I owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The seat belt failed due to a short. I am not sure if my safety was really at risk but the car said it was. There was warning on startup on the large display in the middle of the car and a constant warning in the gauge cluster. The fault has been confirmed at the dealership. The seat belt was inspected at the dealership and they are suggesting a replacement for $662.74. The warning did not cause any drivability issues.
I purchased 4 new Pirelli P zero tires a year and half ago since then I’ve replaced 5 tires where the sidewalls have blown out in that year and half time frame. I’ve only kept two of the tires and I’m not sure if the other tire has a different DOT # but it is the same brand and size. I gave the dot from the most recent tire. Pirelli has a road hazard warranty but will not honor it and swears their is no recall on p zero tires but it states on their website that size r19 have a recall. Mine are size 225/40 R18 Pirelli P-zeros. The last picture is of another tire about to blow out its sidewalk.
I was driving down the interstate at approximately 70 MPH, windows up, sunscreen closed, and sunscreen shade closed as well. I hear what can only be described as a shotgun blast above my head and then pieces of glass bouncing off the top of my car. The explosion was extremely loud, obviously startling, and caused me to swerve my car at highway speeds. I was not passing under a bridge and there were no cars in front of me either. I slow down and looked up through the vents in the sunscreen shade and I noticed a gaping hole in the glass of my sunscreen. There was a car behind me with a man and a woman in the front seats who pulled up alongside me with their windows down. I roll down my window as well and we both slowed to a speed where we could hear each other. I asked what happened and the woman said it just exploded outwards making hand gestures of an explosion. I asked if they saw anything hit my roof and they said no. I got off the interstate and pulled over to inspect the damage and sure enough the remaining glass around the hole was dramatically bowed outwards away from the car. No foreign object was found collected in the sunscreen shade besides glass from the explosion.
Just received a recall notice may apply to me
Compare the 2015 BMW M235I
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Questions about the 2015 BMW M235I
Is the 2015 BMW M235I reliable?
Owners have filed 5 complaints about the 2015 BMW M235I, close to a typical M235I model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2015 BMW M235I?
Airbags, with 1 complaint. Next is electrical (1).
How many recalls does the 2015 BMW M235I have?
2 recalls, covering air bags.
Was there a recall on the 2015 BMW M235I airbags?
Yes, 2 recalls: 25V871000, 24V288000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
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