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2009 BMW 3-Series repairs by problem area
Engine (38%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (5%)
Brakes and Traction Control (3%)
Suspension and Steering (9%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (32%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (9%)
Other (4%)
Select a problem area
- Engine
- Transmission and Drivetrain
- Brakes and Traction Control
- Suspension and Steering
- Electrical and Air Conditioning
- Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim
- Other
Chart based on 551 repairs.
2009 BMW 3-Series electrical repair cost distribution
$2500+ (3%)
$1000 - $2499 (5%)
$500 - $999 (7%)
$100 - $499 (29%)
< $100 (56%)
Chart based on 132 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2009 BMW 3-Series
Engine not specified
| 32000 mi | Defective turn signal. Rapid flash only when hot and sitting for hours. acted fine first thing in the morning. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
turbocharged 241hp 3.0L I6 Diesel 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 18000 mi | central locking transponder failed due to water ingress. A common problem garage said. New transponder installed and extra sealant applied. |
| 22000 mi | Adaptive headlight failure. Whole RH headlight unit replaced and system reprogrammed. FOC under warranty. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 108000 mi US $50 |
Driver side tail light malfunction. Known defect in LED circuit board and connection to third section (smallest) group of LED lights. Disassembly of light to remove LED board. Took to a small electronics repair shop to re-connect poor soldier job performed at factory. |
| 115000 mi US $20 |
Broken wiring inside rear hatch. Rear Window glass latch was activating upon starting the vehicle. Latch switch was replaced but did not resolve. It is the wiring insulation that become brittle and the wires often break. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 92000 mi US $760 |
Replace battery. |
| 134000 mi US $150 |
Replace diversity antenna. |
| 117000 mi US $250 |
New battery |
| 16000 mi | Left rear turn signal malfunction |
| 17000 mi | Electrical fault in turn signal assembly. Entire assembly replaced |
| 40300 mi | adaptive headlight malfunction. first they recalibrated it. problem returned; 2nd trip (3 days in shop) replaced right headlight unit |
| 15000 mi | The left turn signal had an intermittent malfunction. The glue used to seal the rear tail light caused the LED blinker to malfunction. A new tail light kit with new sealant was installed. No problems since. |
| 4400 mi US $335 |
Replaced battery as we were told the alternator does not charge the battery when it isn't driven more than once per month |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 1001 mi US $174 |
Went in for BMW alarm activation on 7-1-09. CIC module failed twice during the programing & had to be replaced. Car was not repaired until 7-17-09 after calling in a special BMW tech to resolve the problem. Cost of 174. was the activation charge. |
| 12000 mi | replace steering wheel heating module. at times, the heater would turn off immediately after you turn it on. |
| 25000 mi | Right corner light malfunction alert but right corner light is not malfunctioning. |
| 15900 mi US $200 |
Right rear LED turn signal. Bulb burned out causing warning indicator to come on. Required entire lens unit to be replace. LED bulbs not replaceable. |
| 35000 mi | Movable headlight module broke, dealer claimed it was owner caused, manufacturer finally agreed to replace unit. |
| 68000 mi US $2100 |
Evaporator was replaced. |
| 35000 mi | One door lock was going out. Dealer replaced the door actuator. |
| 60000 mi US $150 |
Low voltage warning. Replaced with a new battery. |
| 39700 mi | Replaced AC condenser. |
| 115000 mi US $1800 |
HVAC fan bearing failing and generating a squeal. |
| 22000 mi | Left rear led's went out and dealer replaced both left and right rear tail lamps per BMW TSB |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 87100 mi US $300 |
Battery died, replaced at dealer. |
| 95050 mi US $200 |
LED tailight failed, assembly replaced |
| 33480 mi | warning light for right headlight. |
| 55660 mi C $150 |
Window Washer pump failed |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 45700 mi US $600 |
Battery was replaced |
| 47000 mi | The radio did not stay on the last station listened to when the car was restarted. |
| 7500 mi | iPod adapter not playing sound. Audio control module replaced to fix non-playing iPod. iPod not playing sound. iPod connection replaced; did not fix non-sound issue. |
| 55000 mi US $75 |
Oil change plus Dealer fixed battery cable from BMW recall. Battery warning still shows in dash |
| 63200 mi US $15 |
Bulb failed from a brand new headlight installed in July |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed manual AWD
| 40920 mi C $650 |
Replaced battery, very expensive for BMW. previous repair recharge AC repair shop indicated evaporator has leak estimated 2 days to repair at cost of over $3000 CDN$ ... will live with no AC |
| 62000 mi | Halo or "angel eye" daylight running lights. Replaced lamp, miserable job for something so simple. |
| 1500 mi | A/C not working. Dealer replaced A/C expansion valve under warranty ($0 cost). |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 265hp 3.0L I6 Diesel 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 46000 mi | Daytime running light out. Quick fix. |
| 162200 mi US $630 |
HVAC blower motor failure. |
| 22000 mi | Seat lumber control |
| 43200 mi US $500 |
Replace light powering "angel eyes" DRL on drivers side. |
| 99000 mi US $4150 |
Low/ end of life original battery |
| 27200 mi | Right rear turn signal led taillights failed |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
414-horsepower 4.0L V8 7-speed automated manual RWD
| 40300 mi | Passenger rear turn signal intermittently not functioning. Both rear turn signal assemblies replaced under warranty. |
| 59000 mi US $20 |
Tried to get into the car after it was sitting for a day and it was completely dead. No lights, no dash, no door locks. Battery was tested as fine at the jump points under the hood. Forum reseach found that there is an issue with the B+ cable which goes from the battery to the fuse box. The connection to the fuse box rattles and wears out over time at which point the fuse box loses all power from the battery. Was fixed by splicing in a new B+ cable. This is a part that was created specifically to address this problem. It was a recall for all 2007 - 2011 3-series, except the M3. M3 has identical part numbers for both the batter cable and fuse box as other 3-series vehicles. |
| 24800 mi | Replaced battery under warranty |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
414-horsepower 4.0L V8 6-speed manual RWD
| 8680 mi | Turn signal not operating properly |
| 12500 mi | Rear turn signal failed |
| 6200 mi | BMW assist not working for past several thousand miles. Finally took into Union Park BMW, after 7 hours, still not fixed. car does not show having it, I am told. Awaiting BMW NA response, I'm told. |
| 12000 mi | Rear driver side blinker light broken/replaced. Only 3/4 of pattern worked & at less intensity/illumination for the LED signal. Dealer replaced. Took 2 trips before complete. 1 to "actually" belive my diagnosis, & order part. 2 to do wrk Rear driver side blinker light broken/replaced. Only 3/4 of pattern worked & at less intensity/illumination for the LED signal. Dealer replaced. Took 2 trips before complete. 1 to "actually" belive ownr diagnosis, & order part. 2 to do wrk |
| 34000 mi US $120 |
Car not start, replace battery |
| 30000 mi | Driving light bulb change, took about 20 minutes. |
| 33000 mi | daytime running lights out |
| 45000 mi US $135 |
1. Faulty sensor of burned out headlight bulb. 2. Faulty Halo light. 3. Moldy smell from HVAC. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 40000 mi | Rear sunshade motor needed to be replaced. |
| 21080 mi | Evaporator leakage, crayon like smell for first minute when car started. AC did not work well. |
| 14000 mi | Rear passenger turn LED turn signal was working, but very dim. The turn indicator in car was blinking quickly. Dealer replaced the LED array. |
| 23500 mi | Intermittent buzzing from rear drivers speaker. When it happens it stays on for 5-10 minutes. |
| 24300 mi | Intermittent buzzing from rear drivers speaker. When it happens it stays on for 5-10 minutes |
| 60000 mi US $50 |
Navigation system goes black and pops up unnecessary malfunction warning lights. |
| 36000 mi | replacement headlight, replacement taillight |
| 53000 mi US $400 |
Replaced led brake light. |
| 62500 mi US $50 |
The condenser was replaced under extended warranty |
| 92000 mi | Starter replaced, had a long crank |
| 19200 mi | Evaporator leaking - replaced under Goodwill warranty |
| 29000 mi | Low tire pressure light wouldn't go off. Found out it needed to be reset. |
| 80431 mi US $71 |
Replaced left front low beam head lamp. |
| 84963 mi US $136 |
Replaced driver side low beam light. Also replaced wiper blades. |
| 19840 mi €90 |
rear brake light replaced |
| 30960 mi | Loud buzz in the rear speakers that goes on for 5 minutes. The noise gets louder and louder and stays on even when the car is off. After 5 minutes the radio restarts and it is ok. It happens once every 6 months |
| 16000 mi | Rear right turn signal not working. Replaced lamp assembly. |
| 17888 mi | replaced both rear lighting modules because of service bulletin. replaced both rear lighting modules because of service bulletin. |
| 25105 mi | drivers side heater core was clogged with foreign substance, so no heat on drivers side of car. in shop 16 days for diagnosis, incremental repair efforts, and finally need to order repair part from Germany (!) repaired under warranty. |
| 41000 mi | A/C was not blowing cold enough. It was easily fixed by recharging the system. They checked for leaks and did not find any. It has been working well since then. |
| 25000 mi | rear directional signals were going out intermittingly, both rear tail light assy's were replaced under TSB?warranty |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 51200 mi US $100 |
AC damaged by stone. covered by insurance. replaced condenser |
| 53000 mi US $70 |
Smaller rear taillight bulb needed replacement |
| 37900 mi | replaced both rear tail-lights for burnt out LED's |
| 37200 mi | Left rear tail light replaced. 2 days later right tail lights had to be replaced |
| 34000 mi | Steering wheel heater was not functioning correctly. BMW replaced the entire steering wheel under warranty. No charge and loaner car provided. |
| 43800 mi | Emissions light - false warning and reset during oil service |
| 71300 mi C $250 |
Tail light, 400 dollars because LED technology, and whole unit to replace. However, after insisting, dealer found a service note from manufacturer and sold right and left units for around 250 dollars |
| 96100 mi C $1300 |
Evaporator leak |
| 97340 mi C $70 |
Left front headlight, element around the main light |
| 37000 mi US $750 |
Had an AC leak. |
| 26800 mi | External Light Warning, tail light bulb replaced |
| 31075 mi US $920 |
Replaced both tail light assemblies. Fixed AC leak. Replaced both tail light assemblies. Fixed AC leak. Replaced lower sterring spindle. |
| 46000 mi | Intermittent issue with radio. Got new one under warentee |
| 55800 mi C $150 |
A/C would not blow cold air. |
| 69440 mi C $330 |
Car sat for 5 months. Battery was dead. Recharged battery but some data would not stay as input. ie clock, calendar etc. replaced and initialized battery. |
| 75520 mi C $140 |
Ac continues to lose coolant. Recharged |
| 82460 mi C $15 |
A/c still leaks slowly. Recharged at home. |
| 78320 mi C $50 |
Passenger side power seat motor failed |
| 100180 mi C $175 |
Needed to replace original OEM battery. |
| 119660 mi C $2200 |
AC not working. Leaking evaporator replaced. |
| 125240 mi C $800 |
Rear passenger LED taillight assembly needed replacing. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 41000 mi | Blower motor not working. Replaced under warranty. |
| 50000 mi US $50 |
Multiple warning lights were illuminated in the dashboard; dashboard illumination not working; power windows not working; turn signals not working |
| 60700 mi US $1600 |
Brake light assembly including LED lights |
| 84500 mi US $145 |
Battery replaced. DIY. |
| 7000 mi | I noticed the voice activated phone system was working eratically, so I used the onboard Assist to request an appointment. Never heard from BMW or local dealer - maybe both are faulty. Will try again and report back. |
| 37500 mi US $10 |
At the same time a defective exterior light warning came on, Bluetooth stopped functioning. Re-pairing my cell phone brought Bluetooth back. Dealer checked the system and found no fault. A warning showing a fault in the exterior lights came on. The dealer kept the car for a day, and replaced a defective rear taillight. The $10 listed below was for gas for the remtal car the dealer provided while the car was in the shop. |
| 51000 mi US $265 |
Replaced failed windshield washer pump. |
| 56000 mi US $250 |
Battery failed and had to be replaced. |
| 57000 mi | After sitting overnight (only), the a/c doesn't begin to cool until the car has been driven. If the car is started and at idle, the a/c doesn't engage - the fan works and air is circulated in the system, but no cool air is produced. |
| 57900 mi US $200 |
My June report turned out to be a low a/c system - recharge by the shop fixed it. |
| 56800 mi US $200 |
Right rear turn signal failed. Replaced both right and left LED turn signals - TSB said to replace both if either failed. Low cost OEM parts found at oembimmerparts.com |
| 61000 mi US $180 |
"Angel" lights replaced. |
| 63000 mi US $215 |
As commented above, the airbag was replaced. The cooling fan for the AC radiator was defective and was replaced. This was a bizarre, intermittant problem, The repair shop diagnosed the problem as the fan motor occasionally stopping on a defective contact, so the motor wouldn't engage until the air flowing over the fan turned the motor to a good contact. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual AWD
| 147000 mi US $190 |
Starter motor quit working. Removed and replaced starter. Requires considerable work, removal of the intake manifold. Took advantage of this opportunity to replace valve cover gasket which had a small leak. |
| 9920 mi | Heated steering wheel worked intermittently |
| 14260 mi | Heated steering wheel would not work and nav system provided erratic destinations |
| 21700 mi | Comfort access |
| 134000 mi US $400 |
Halo light |
| 77000 mi US $50 |
Replaced leaking shreader valve |
| 57800 mi US $250 |
The right rear directional signal stopped working. Since the lights are LED it was not cheap to fix. Apparently problem is with a controller that connects to the rear directional and not the actual bulb or lights. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
215-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 19220 mi | Actuator of door look needed to be replaced. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
215-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual AWD
| 22940 mi | Heated seat indicators lighting up without seats being turned on. Diagnosed as wiring problem. Parts ordered but wrong harness delivered. Parts ordered again with correct harness finaly arriving. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
168-horsepower 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 50840 mi C $470 |
Left signal light burnt out. This is an LED light so whole unit had to be replaced at cost of $470. This price includes 20% discount. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4-door
turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel manual 2WD
| 60100 mi $80 |
Self-levelling xenon sensor failed, replaced with OEM item in at and indy shop. |
| 71920 mi $1200 |
Seat heating (driver's seat) stopped working last year Replacement parts had to be ordered |
2009 BMW 3-Series 4-door
6-cylinder manual 2WD
| 9920 mi | Bluetooth on radio not functioning correctly. Radio would be silent after end of call. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 2dr Hardtop conv.
turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 18800 mi | Four light bulbs replaced. All were accessory bulbs. Three in the headlight assemblies and one backup bulb. Repair took 3 hours. All of these bulbs seemed to fail at the same time, within one week of each other. |
| 1500 mi | Software bug in Nav system displayed POI's when option not selected. a.k.a. "Shopping cart bug" CIC software updated, problem solved. Update Navigation software for display error |
| 52500 mi | power supply system |
| Passenger window intermittently goes back down when convertible top is raised into position. | |
| 4000 mi | Navigation and iPod miscellaneous problems |
| 40000 mi | Recall on battery cable issue that could cause anything from stalling to an engine compartment fire. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 2dr Hardtop conv.
turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 46500 mi | Battery worn. Dealer to replace after 2 trips. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 2dr Hardtop conv.
414-horsepower 4.0L V8 7-speed automated manual RWD
| 39000 mi US $110 |
Daytime (Halo) LED running lights burnt out on driver's side. Replaced light assembly. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 2dr Hardtop conv.
414-horsepower 4.0L V8 6-speed manual RWD
| 11000 mi | motor controlling head rest and seatbelt pulley broken and replaced. Had car back the next afternoon. |
| 14000 mi | all windows up and roof close button don't always work on front windows and results in one of the front windows going back down. |
| 26000 mi US $500 |
Needed new battery (car is 2009 model) |
2009 BMW 3-Series 2dr Hardtop conv.
230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 8300 mi | Radio head unit, intermittent no radio |
| 10700 mi | Intermittent |
| 13000 mi | Radio works intermittently |
| 15500 mi | Battery symbol, sluggish crank |
| 22000 mi | Adaptive cruise control sensor at front of car needed to be re-aligned |
2009 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 62000 mi US $120 |
1 year old battery would no longer hold a charge. Battery was replaced, and car was coded to reflect the change. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 3000 mi | Stereo would not turn on intermittently due to software error. Fixed with simple software reflash. |
| 38440 mi C $300 |
Replaced sensor attached to the battery |
2009 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 1000 mi | My RDS radio information is delayed by several minutes. It will not tell me the title and artist until about 2-3 mins into the song. However if I change stations and come back then the artist and title updates. Told "they all do that..." |
| 26000 mi | DRL and inner brake light out. Manual recommends dealer fix both problems. |
| 50000 mi | Heated steering wheel intermittent; did not stay on 100% of the time. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
414-horsepower 4.0L V8 7-speed automated manual RWD
| 32000 mi US $3000 |
A/C Evap leaking…Removed & replaced but to accomplish had to remove the entire dash. |
| 35000 mi | Vents blowing white ash substance through out car. They cleaned out blower motor, vents and car. No idea what caused it…possibly old evap that was replaced nearly 2 years ago. |
| 36000 mi | Still blowing white ash. Found the new evaporator was the culprit and they replaced that again. |
| 23000 mi | On last visit, they reprogrammed my ecu, and the sat radio disappeared. Reprogrammed and it is back now. |
2009 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
414-horsepower 4.0L V8 6-speed manual RWD
| 48200 mi US $400 |
Battery died, mechanic said alternator was "overcharging" to compensate. |
| 31000 mi US $1300 |
A valve needed replacement due to failure. A special tool was needed by the dealer, so they had to order which caused them to need the car three different times. |
| 39000 mi US $150 |
Battery wasn't charged enough. |
| 27000 mi | Break pad sensor broken Broken brake pad sensor |
2009 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 40200 mi | This was a recall for a bad connection to the battery. |
| 47000 mi | The tire pressure monitor system lost connection with all four tires, reporting them all as low. |
| 49900 mi | Battery would not hold charge and was replaced. |
| 50500 mi | Reverse light burned out & was replaced. Not accessible to the owner, no instructions in the manual. |
| 23000 mi | Rear passenger brake light bulb replaced |
| 39600 mi | Replaced starter |
| 68000 mi US $450 |
Car began to start weak |
2009 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 36200 mi | headlamp burnout |
| 48000 mi US $3760 |
AC evap? had to be replaced. It is located behind the dash so it took a lot of labor hours to fix. Total cost for this was about $2800. |
| 92000 mi US $3200 |
Compressor died. Needed a new one along with some other repairs. |
| 95000 mi US $600 |
Replace windshield washer motor |
2009 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual AWD
| 16000 mi | Fixed rear brake lamp and seat belt extensioner. |
| 32000 mi | Heated steering wheel malfunctioned and replaced by dealer. If not under warranty this wound have cost $1200!!! |
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