Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: running costs are the problem rather than the car itself.
Owners have filed 168 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 BMW 335i xDrive, and it carries no recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 43 | 26% |
| Engine | 29 | 17% |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 12 | 7% |
| Electrical system | 11 | 7% |
| Power train | 8 | 5% |
| Unknown or other | 6 | 4% |
| Engine and engine cooling | 5 | 3% |
| Wheels | 5 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 3 | 2% |
| Engine | 2 | 1% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
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 clunki
NHTSA complaint: Engine and engine cooling
hard to explain. looks like my NIV is ''bad''. There are 11 recalls on BMW 335xi Sedan 2011 and mine has 0 (same car, BUT special limited edition). For now, BMW is of no help at all, they follow their procedure which do
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
Wiring harness in the engine compartment caught fire about 2 weeks after changing a water pump, battery kept being draining even after battery replacement. Locking of the trunk trunk forced usage of a BMW authorized jum
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
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 tha
NHTSA complaint: Engine
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 335I. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the passenger’s side air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but became persistent
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
Transmission failure, while driving 45mph the car automatically downshifted then stopped pulling rolled to a complete stop was able to put into park turn car off then when tried to restart that is when the transmission f
NHTSA complaint: Power train
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
NHTSA complaint: Engine
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 335I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front passenger’s side air bag sensor warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed wit
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
| Reliability raw | 68 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 68 | good |
| Maintenance | 45 | below average |
| Depreciation | 64 | average |
| Performance | 72 | good |
| Efficiency | 37 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other compact cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 168 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and air bags is the most reported area with 43 of them (26%). No recalls are on record for it.
AVOIR scores its reliability 68/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 68/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2011 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: skip unless cheap, because running costs are the problem rather than the car itself. Its overall ownership score is 60/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.