2013 BMW 335i reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 44 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 BMW 335i over 14 years — 2 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 6 335i years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Inflator and Exterior lighting.

2012 BMW 335i — Photo by IFCAR, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (12 of 44), then Engine (12) and Electrical system (11). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 335i has 26 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2014 has 20 complaints, 1 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 BMW 335i. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2020-01-15 · NHTSA campaign 20V017000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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.

Recall Exterior lighting 2015-08-17 · NHTSA campaign 15V520000

Summary BMW North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 320i, 320xi, 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi, and ActiveHybrid3 vehicles manufactured October 20, 2011, to June 22, 2015, 2014-2015 328xi Sports Wagon vehicles manufactured March 21, 2013, to March 17, 2015, 2014-2015 328d, 328xd vehicles manufactured June 28, 2013, to April 21, 2015, and 2014-2015 328xd Sports Wagon vehicles manufactured July 5, 2013, to April 21, 2015. The affected vehicles may have been programmed with new software that inadvertently makes the front side marker lights inoperative in conjunction with the parking lights or the headlights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will upload revised software to correct the issue, free of charge. The recall began on October 7, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or by email at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

Complaints by component (44 total)

Air bags

Engine

Electrical system

Powertrain

Fuel and propulsion system

Speed control

Seat belts

Engine and engine cooling

Fuel system, gasoline

Seats

Steering

Equipment

Exterior lighting

Service brakes

Tires

Visibility

Show 8 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"My vehicle has a defect with electric water pump, shorted by its factory connector due to unprotected electrical plug on water pump. BMW issued a recall to cover the defect but refusing to pay for repairs performed.…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-07-21
"The car died without warning on highway. Lost control because of no power. Car was towed. no codes found. Car died again on highway, lost control no power to brakes and steering. Car was hit trying to got off into…"
Electrical system, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-02-17
"The water pump runs all of the time and drains the battery completely overnight. The water pump runs even after the car is shut off. It seems like the water pump is shorted. The water pump connector appears to have the…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-02-17
"The contact owns a 2013 BMW 335i. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the following day, while attempting to start the…"
Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system · filed 2026-01-09
"I haven’t even had my bmw 335i 2013 with 84000 miles on it yet for more than 8 months but somehow for some reason my electronic power steering rack has gone out twice in the span of 5 months.this is a issue. Everytime…"
Steering, Electrical system · filed 2025-09-29

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2013 BMW 335 I 2 DR RWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	5 stars
2013 BMW 335 I 4 DR RWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	5 stars
2013 BMW 335 I C RWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	5 stars
2013 BMW 335 I Xdrive 2 DR AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	5 stars
2013 BMW 335 I Xdrive 4 DR AWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
335i	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	23	32	26 MPG	$3050
335i	3L, 6-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	20	29	23 MPG	$3450
335i convertible	3L, 6-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	19	27	22 MPG	$3650
335i convertible	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	18	27	21 MPG	$3800
335i Coupe	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	18	27	21 MPG	$3800
335i Coupe	3L, 6-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	19	27	22 MPG	$3650
335i Coupe xDrive	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	18	26	21 MPG	$3800
335i Coupe xDrive	3L, 6-cyl	Manual 6-speed	All-wheel drive	20	28	23 MPG	$3450
335i xDrive	3L, 6-cyl	Manual 6-speed	All-wheel drive	20	28	23 MPG	$3450
335i xDrive	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	20	30	24 MPG	$3300

Specs and fitment

E90/E92/E93 generation, 2012–2013

Body styles Coupe, Convertible

Oil SAE 0W-30 (N55; confirm BMW LL spec on under-hood label)

Tire size 225/35R19–225/45R18, 255/30R19–255/35R19 (trim-dependent; staggered on M Sport) front / 255/30R19–255/35R19 (trim-dependent; staggered on M Sport) rear

Known issues for this generation

Recall 20V017000 covers certain 2007-2013 335i Coupe models (with many other BMW models in the same Takata campaign) for a driver frontal air bag inflator that can explode and send sharp metal fragments into the cabin; dealers replace the driver air bag.

Compare

Previous year 2012 BMW 335i Next year 2014 BMW 335i See every BMW 335i model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 BMW 335i reliable?

What are common problems with a 2013 BMW 335i?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (12 of 44), then Engine (12) and Electrical system (11). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2013 BMW 335i more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 335i has 26 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2014 has 20 complaints, 1 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 BMW 335i been recalled?

The 2013 BMW 335i has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 BMW 335i?

Owners have filed 44 complaints about the 2013 BMW 335i with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 BMW 335i get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 BMW 335i is 22.6 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What 335i chassis does this site cover?

E90 coupe years 2012-2013 and F30 sedan years 2012-2015 are listed as separate generations here.

What does recall 20V017000 cover on E90 335i?

Certain 2007-2013 335i Coupe models (with many other BMW models) for a driver frontal Takata air bag inflator that can explode and send sharp metal fragments into the cabin; dealers replace the driver air bag.

What does recall 24V288000 cover on F30 335i?

Certain 2014-2015 335i and 335i xDrive sedans (with 2 Series, 4 Series, 328d, and M4): head air bag inflators may rupture or leak; dealers replace the head air bags.