2016 BMW M235i recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Power train

  Our M235I has a transmission leak "thru the wall of the case" (i.e. THROUGH THE METAL CASE) as determined by a local BMW Dealer. They are not able to provide any Technical Service Bulletins or etc. from BMW for this "leaky case" issue. But they are saying this is a KNOWN problem with the transmission cases. They are advising a new transmission for $10K. Only alternative is to install used transmission and take old electronic valve module out of existing trans and place into used transmission and hope for the best. Loss of transmission fluid could cause unit to malfunction or fail!!!

  Jan 13, 2022
• Service brakes

  BMW 2 series cars from about 2015-2018 have faulty wiring and brake light assemblies. BMW has admitted this design flaw in the harness and light - they extended the warranty for one year. As you know, brake light failures represent a real risk. It is unreasonable for BMW to charge $900 per light to fix a safety issue caused by a design flaw that they have admitted. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PASSENGER TAIL LIGHT HAS FAILED, ALSO.

  Sep 24, 2021
• Electrical system

  Rear brake light failure due to faulty wiring. Identical to the details located in this article (https://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/01/bmw-recalling-241-000-3-series-models-over-faulty-tail-lights/) for which the NHTSA had issued a recall for older BMW models in the past. This issue is common and wide-spread amongst bmw models produced between 2014 - mid 2016. After which BMW modified the wiring harness for the brake lights to fix the electrical shorting failures. This failure renders the entire housing inoperable - Brake light, turn signal and reverse lamp. Summary: OVER TIME, RESISTANCE IN THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS MAY CAUSE ONE OR MORE REAR LAMP FUNCTIONS (TAIL LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT, AND/OR…

  Aug 3, 2021
• Seat belts

  DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT IS SLOW TO RETRACT AND KEEPS GETTING TWISTED WHEN RETRACTING. YOU HAVE TO CAREFULLY HELP FEED THE BELT INTO THE B PILLAR FOR IT NOT TO DO THAT. IF NOT, IT WILL ALMOST GET JAMMED IN THE B PILLAR AND GET STUCK AND BECOMES NON-FUNCTIONAL. IT TAKES A LOT OF STRENGTH AND EFFORT TO PULL TO PULL IT BACK OUT. VERY UNSAFE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE ALWAYS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT WHILE DRIVING. SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO UNFASTEN OUR BELTS WHILE DRIVING TO REACH OR ADJUST SOMETHING. AND IT USUALLY GETS JAMMED AND STUCK IN THE B PILLAR AND BECOMES NON-FUNCTIONAL. OWNED AND DRIVEN SEVERAL CARS. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE WITH ANY OTHER CAR. NEVER WITH THIS REGULARITY.

  Mar 5, 2021 · 18,000 miles
• Fuel system, gasoline

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 BMW M235I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE THE ODOR OF FUEL WAS PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL TANK HAD CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAUSE OF THE DAMAGED FUEL TANK WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED AND THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000. *LN *AS

  Sep 1, 2020 · 28,000 miles
• Unknown or other

  IN LATE FEBRUARY 1, 2019, THE SUNROOF ON MY 2016 BMW M235I XDRIVE EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY. I WAS NOT GOING UNDERNEATH ANY OVERPASS, AND NOTHING HIT THE GLASS. THE EXPLOSION WAS UNPROVOKED. THE SUNSHADE WAS NOT CLOSED, AND THE GLASS FELL ALL OVER ME, LARGE AND SMALL SHARDS. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 65MPH IN HEAVY MORNING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, AND PIECES OF GLASS FLEW OFF THE CAR AND LIKELY HIT OTHER CARS. IT WAS VERY ALARMING AND SCARY. I WAS ABOUT 5 MILES FROM A BMW DEALER AND DROVE RIGHT TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CAR IS STILL SITTING WAITING TO BE FIXED. BMW IS REPLACING THE GLASS AND SUNROOF ASSEMBLY UNDER WARRANTY. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND WITH THE GLASS…

  Feb 1, 2019 · 45,000 miles
• Exterior lighting

  THE CAR HAS INSTRUMENTS (SPEEDOMETER AND TACH) WITH LOW CONTRAST BETWEEN THE BACKGROUND AND LETTERING. THE INSTRUMENTS ARE HIGHLY VISIBLE WHEN THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTING IS ENABLED, BUT ARE NEARLY INVISIBLE WHEN THE LIGHTING IS OFF. THERE IS AN AMBIENT LIGHT SENSOR THAT TURNS THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTING ON AND OFF AS YOU DRIVE IN MIXED SUN AND SHADE, SO AS YOU DRIVE FROM A SHADED AREA TO A SUN-LIT AREA, THE INSTRUMENTS ALTERNATE BETWEEN VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE. IT IS DISCONCERTING AND DANGEROUS TO SUDDENLY LOSE INSTRUMENT VISIBILITY AS YOU DRIVE. THERE IS NO WAY TO SWITCH THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS ON AT ALL TIMES, EVEN IF THE HEADLIGHTS ARE SWITCHED ON.

  Sep 3, 2016 · 14 miles
• Visibility/wiper

  WAS TRAVELING AT 55 MPH ON AN EXIT RAMP WITH THE NEAREST CAR ABOUT 5 OR 6 CAR LENGTHS IN FRONT OF ME. SMOOTH, PAVED ROAD WITH NO DEBRIS. THE SUNROOF MADE A LOUD POP AND SHATTERED SPONTANEOUSLY, RAINING GLASS DOWN ON ME. THE GLASS HAD AN OUTWARD BEND TO IT AS IF IT HAD EXPLODED OUTWARDS WITH PRESSURE RELIEF. NO ROCKS OR DEBRIS WERE SEEN OR POSSIBLE FROM NEARBY VEHICLES GIVEN THE DISTANCES BETWEEN MY CAR AND THEIRS, AND NOTHING BEING SEEN TRAVELING THROUGH THE AIR. IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS DUE TO A FLAW IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE GLASS ITSELF (I.E. FLAWS IN CONSTRUCTION, IMPURITIES, ETC.), AND THAT THE SPONTANEOUS EXPLOSION OF THE GLASS WITHIN THE SUNROOF FRAME WAS NOT A RESULT OF ANY KIND OF…

  May 2, 2016 · 3,000 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.