2019 BMW 330I Problems and Recalls (41 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2019 BMW 330I is Engine (20% of 41 owner reports). There are 9 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 41 complaints · 9 recalls

What problems show up on the 2019 BMW 330I?

8 of 41 filings named Engine (20% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Transmission / driveline (4 reports).

There are 9 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags, Rear camera / backup safety, Seat belts, Steering, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2018 has 32 reports on file; this year has 41. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2019 BMW 330I

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 9 campaigns on file below.
  2. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  3. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  4. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Engine. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Engine 8 complaints · 19.5% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 2
  • Fires 5
  • Injuries 2
  • Deaths 0
All BMW 330I years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Engine (ENGINE) appears in 8 of 41 owner complaints (19.5%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 8 complaints, 19.5% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 2 fire reports 8 · 19.5% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 4 complaints, 9.8% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 4 · 9.8% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 3 complaints, 7.3% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 3 · 7.3% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 3 complaints, 7.3% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 3 · 7.3% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 2 complaints, 4.9% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 · 4.9% Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE): 2 complaints, 4.9% of reports Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE) 2 · 4.9% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 2 complaints, 4.9% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 crash reports 2 · 4.9% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 2 complaints, 4.9% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 · 4.9% Wheels (WHEELS): 2 complaints, 4.9% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 2 · 4.9% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 17 complaints, 41.5% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 1 crash reports 2 fire reports 17 · 41.5% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Engine (ENGINE) 8 19.5% 0 crashes · 2 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 4 9.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 3 7.3% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 3 7.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 4.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE) 2 4.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 2 4.9% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 4.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 2 4.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 17 41.5% 1 crashes · 2 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2019; the first recall shown was reported in May 2019. 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2026-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 Owner reports May 2019 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 19V352000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V352000 Recall campaign 19V684000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V684000 Recall campaign 19V732000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V732000 Recall campaign 19V912000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V912000 Recall campaign 20V355000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V355000 Recall campaign 21V096000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V096000 Recall campaign 23V211000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V211000 Recall campaign 23V584000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V584000 Recall campaign 25V636000 ◆ Recall campaign 25V636000
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
2019-Q4 Owner reports 2
2020-Q1 Owner reports 2
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q2 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 3
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q3 Owner reports 2
2025-Q1 Owner reports 3
2025-Q2 Owner reports 2
2025-Q3 Owner reports 2
2025-Q4 Owner reports 6
2026-Q1 Owner reports 6
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q3 Owner reports 3
Recall campaign 1 19V352000
Recall campaign 1 19V684000
Recall campaign 1 19V732000
Recall campaign 1 19V912000
Recall campaign 1 20V355000
Recall campaign 1 21V096000
Recall campaign 1 23V211000
Recall campaign 1 23V584000
Recall campaign 1 25V636000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (9)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags, Rear camera / backup safety, Seat belts, Steering, and Electrical.

  1. Recall campaign 19V352000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    An improperly folded and assembled air bag may not deploy as intended, increasing risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the knee air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began July 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 19V684000

    Rear camera / backup safety

    Report date
    Component:
    Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
    Consequence:
    The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 19V732000

    Safety recall 19V732000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    If the counterbalance shaft loosens, severe engine damage could occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 19V912000

    Seat belts

    Report date
    Component:
    Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash, if the seat belt pretensioners fail to lock, there is an increased risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear seat belts, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 10, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer at 1-800-525-7417.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 20V355000

    Steering

    Report date
    Component:
    Steering (STEERING)
    Consequence:
    A damaged or fractured tie rod may affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    BMW and Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear tie rods, free of charge. The recall began August 14, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Recall campaign 21V096000

    Rear camera / backup safety

    Report date
    Component:
    Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
    Consequence:
    If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
    Remedy:
    BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Recall campaign 23V211000

    Safety recall 23V211000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    An improperly welded seat frame may not properly restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the seat frame and back rest, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Recall campaign 23V584000

    Electrical

    Report date
    Component:
    Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    An audible chime that does not properly alert the driver to fasten their seat belt increases the risk of injury in a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will update the receiver audio module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 12, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  9. Recall campaign 25V636000

    Electrical

    Report date
    Component:
    Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    A short circuit in the starter relay may increase the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is complete. Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 6, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov November 14, 2025.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 9 of 41 complaints · page 1 of 2
2026-08-26Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11759675
CrashFireInjuryDeath
On XXX approximately 2:02am my car was seen on fire parked in driveway on [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2026-07-23Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11752479
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owned a 2019 BMW 330I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at the residence in the driveway, there was an abnormal cracking sound coming from outside the residence. The contact checked and became aware that the vehicle was on fire. The vehicle was unoccupied at the time. The contact stated that the residential camera showed that the fire had started by the front driver's side tire. The Fire Department arrived at the residence and extinguished the fire. The residence and the vehicle were consumed by the fire. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. No injuries were sustained. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
2026-07-10Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11749521
CrashFireInjuryDeath
KAFAS Mid Camera has software malfunction, internal fault, system does not operate as designed. Takes down all driver assistance features. Module unable to accept new coding/programming. BMW service information - B66 20 19
2026-05-12Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11737293
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Please update recall repair status to repaired for this VIN (dealer repair invoice attached)
2026-03-24Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11726631
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2019 BMW 330I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V636000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving up to a red light, the vehicle became inoperable. The "Call Roadside Assistance", "Starter System Failure" and "Engine Could Not Start" messages were displayed. The vehicle was able to restart; however, upon arriving to the residence, the vehicle became inoperable. The failure mileage was 81,652.
2026-02-25Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11720473
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Description of the Problem: •Component/system that failed: The engine starter, which is subject to an open recall issued September 23, 2025. The starter was not replaced during a service visit. The vehicle no longer exists due to the fire, but the VIN and service records are available for inspection. •Safety risk: The starter malfunction caused the vehicle to catch fire while parked, creating a serious safety risk to myself, my child, and others nearby. •Problem reproduction/confirmation: The fire and defect were confirmed by BMW’s inspection as originating from the starter irregularity tied to the recall. •Inspections: The vehicle was inspected by BMW North America’s engineering team after the fire, and insurance representatives confirmed the total loss. •Warning signs prior to failure: There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms indicating the starter defect before the fire. Additional context: The vehicle was serviced at an authorized BMW dealership on December 3, 2025. I was not informed of the recall, and the starter was not replaced. The vehicle caught fire on December 19, 2025, resulting in a total loss. While my insurance resolved the ACV, this incident was caused by BMW’s recall-related defect and procedural failure. I have escalated this matter to BMW North America and am requesting a resolution that restores me to a comparable position (replacement vehicle or financial support). Official confirmation: BMW North America confirmed in a confidential letter that the fire originated from the starter defect tied to the open recall. This letter is available for review upon request.
2026-02-24Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11720158
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Vehicle shudders under acceleration no warning lights or errors . Changed transfer case oil and same problem continues. No recall from manufacturer for issu
2026-02-18Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11718904
CrashFireInjuryDeath
See attached document for complaint.
2026-02-17Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11718383
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I am reporting a premature failure of two critical engine components: the Heat Management Module (Coolant Pump/Thermostat assembly) and the Oil Filter Housing. Despite the vehicle's low mileage (40,000 miles), the Heat Management Module began leaking coolant, posing a significant risk of engine overheating and sudden loss of power while driving. Simultaneously, the Oil Filter Housing has developed a leak, allowing oil to seep onto the engine block and potentially onto the serpentine belt. Both failures represent a safety hazard: Coolant Leak: Risk of thermal engine damage and being stranded in traffic due to overheating. Oil Leak: Risk of oil contacting hot exhaust components (fire hazard) or causing the serpentine belt to slip/fail, resulting in a sudden loss of power steering and charging systems. These components appear to have failed due to manufacturing or material defects rather than standard wear and tear for a vehicle of this age and mileage

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2019 BMW 330I?

Owners named Engine most often — 8 of 41 reports (20%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2019 BMW 330I?

NHTSA lists 9 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags, Rear camera / backup safety, Seat belts, Steering, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2019 BMW 330I?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources