Reliable Auto DB

2015 BMW M235i reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 BMW M235i over 12 years — 0 per year. That is more complaints per year than most M235i years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Head and Side and window.

2014 BMW M235i
Photo by Calreyn88, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

5

Per year

0

Recalls

2

Years on the road

12

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (1 of 5), then Electrical system (1) and Exterior lighting (1).

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 M235i has 5 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2016 has 8 complaints, 1 per year. The 2015 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2014. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016.

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 2015 BMW M235i. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall air bags, side and window, head 2025-12-17 · NHTSA campaign 25V871000
Summary 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.
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 air bags, side and window 2024-04-24 · NHTSA campaign 24V288000
Summary 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.
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.

Complaints by component (5 total)

Air bags
1
Electrical system
1
Exterior lighting
1
Seat belts
1
Tires
1
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1201712019120221202412025
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Electrical system, Exterior lighting · filed 2025-01-10
  • "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…"
    Seat belts · filed 2024-06-13
  • "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…"
    Tires · filed 2022-02-28
  • "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…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2019-10-10
  • "JUST RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE MAY APPLY TO ME"
    Air bags · filed 2017-08-17

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2015 BMW M235I 2 DR RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

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
M235i 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Rear-wheel drive 21 31 25 MPG $3200
M235i 3L, 6-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 19 28 22 MPG $3650
M235i convertible 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Rear-wheel drive 21 31 25 MPG $3200
M235i convertible 3L, 6-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 19 26 22 MPG $3650
M235i xDrive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 20 30 23 MPG $3450

Specs and fitment

F22/F23 Coupe/Convertible, 2014–2016
Body styles Coupe, Convertible
Oil 0W-30 , 6.9 qt capacity
Tire size 225/40R18, 245/35R18

Known issues for this generation

Recall 24V288000 covers certain 2014-2015 2 Series Coupe M235i vehicles (with 228i, 3 Series, and 4 Series models in the same ~5,761-unit campaign) where the head air bag may rupture or leak gas; dealers replace the head air bags. Recall 25V871000 covers certain 2014-2015 2 Series Coupe vehicles including M235i (with 3 Series and 4 Series; ~851 units) in a related head-air-bag campaign.

Compare

Previous year 2014 BMW M235i Next year 2016 BMW M235i See every BMW M235i model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 BMW M235i reliable?

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 BMW M235i over 12 years — 0 per year. That is more complaints per year than most M235i years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Head and Side and window.

What are common problems with a 2015 BMW M235i?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (1 of 5), then Electrical system (1) and Exterior lighting (1).

Is the 2015 BMW M235i more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 M235i has 5 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2016 has 8 complaints, 1 per year. The 2015 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2014. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 BMW M235i been recalled?

The 2015 BMW M235i 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 2015 BMW M235i?

Owners have filed 5 complaints about the 2015 BMW M235i with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 BMW M235i get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 BMW M235i is 23.4 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a US BMW M235i use?

0W-20 With filter, about 5.6 qt is commonly listed for this generation—confirm in the owner manual.

What tire sizes fit a US BMW M235i?

Published US specs commonly list front 225/40R18, 245/35R18 and rear 225/40R18, 245/35R18; confirm on the door jamb placard for your trim.

What NHTSA recalls affect the US BMW M235i?

Recall 21V091000 covers certain 2020-2021 M235i xDrive vehicles (with 228i and 228i xDrive; ~14,011 units total) where an automatic sunroof close can continue after the vehicle key is turned off or locked; dealers update sunroof electronic coding software.