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2009 BMW 3 Series

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2009 BMW 3 Series do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 23.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

38 reports with mileage · 15 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

4 crash reports2 fire reports4 injury reports

Tires complaints

1 reports
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Mileage unknown · Sep 13, 2010
Tires

I LESSEE A BMW 2009 3 SERIES VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 RFT 225/45R17 RUN-FLAT TIRES. I HAVE 9,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A FOUR WHEEL DRIVE, PLUS THE TIRES ARE CUPPING SO BAD ITS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A BRIDGESTONE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE DEFECTIVE BUT HE CAN'T REPLA…

Read full complaint

I LESSEE A BMW 2009 3 SERIES VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 RFT 225/45R17 RUN-FLAT TIRES. I HAVE 9,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A FOUR WHEEL DRIVE, PLUS THE TIRES ARE CUPPING SO BAD ITS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A BRIDGESTONE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE DEFECTIVE BUT HE CAN'T REPLACE THEM BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY TIRES IN 2005 ' 2007. THEY HAVE LOST A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THESE TIRES BEFORE, WHY CANT I GET MINE REPLACED? BY THEM'.. "THE LAWSUIT ALLEGES THAT DEFENDANTS SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND PRONE TO EXCESSIVE NOISE AND/OR IRREGULAR WEAR, RESULTING IN THE TIRES NEEDING FREQUENT REPLACEMENT AND CAUSING THE VEHICLES TO RIDE ROUGHLY." ...AND IT GOES ON A NATIONWIDE CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT ('SETTLEMENT') HAS BEEN REACHED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC ('BMW NA'), BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS TIRE OPERATIONS, LLC ('BATO') AND BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION ('BRIDGESTONE') (COLLECTIVELY 'DEFENDANTS'), ACCORDING TO THE BMW BRIDGESTONE RUN FLAT TIRE RFT CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT NOTICE. THE BMW BRIDGESTONE RUN FLAT TIRE RFT CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT REPORTEDLY CONCERNS BMW 2006 AND 2007 3 SERIES VEHICLES ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 RFT 205/55R16 OR 225/45R17 RUN-FLAT TIRES ('TURANZA TIRES,' 'TURANZAS' OR 'TIRES'). THE BMW BRIDGESTONE RUN FLAT TIRE RFT CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT (CHANDRAN V. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC, ET AL., CASE NO. 2:08-CV-02619-KSH-PS) REPORTEDLY ALLEGES THAT DEFENDANTS SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND PRONE TO EXCESSIVE NOISE AND/OR IRREGULAR WEAR, RESULTING IN THE TIRES NEEDING FREQUENT REPLACEMENT AND CAUSING THE VEHICLES TO RIDE ROUGHLY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10355239

Official recalls

1

22V119000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (pcv)

Mar 2, 2022

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 1 Series Coupe (128i); 2007-2013 3 Series Coupe (328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive); 2007-2010 X3 SAV (X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i); 2008-2013 1 Series Convertible (128i); 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi); 2006-2012 3 Series Wagon (328i, 328i xDrive); 2007-2013 3 Series Convertible (328i); 2006-2010 5 Series Sedan (525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi); 2006-2007 5 Series Wagon (530xi); 2007-2010 X5 SAV (X5 3.0si, X5 xDrive30i); 2006-2008 Z4 Coupe (Z4 3.0si); and 2006-2011 Z4 Roadster (Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si, Z4 sDrive30i) vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An electrical short can cause the PCV valve heater to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire while driving or, soon after driving when parked.

Remedy: This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Dealers will install an electrical wiring harness with fuse protection for the PCV Valve heater in potentially affected vehicles, free of charge. This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Vehicles previously repaired under the prior recalls will need to come back for the new recall remedy. The remedy is currently being developed. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 1, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 22, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.