NHTSA vehicle safety data

2015 BMW M235I Recalls & Complaints

The 2015 BMW M235I has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns and 5 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized BMW dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2015 BMW M235I. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2015 BMW M235I owner complaints

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 BMW M235I, describing incidents dated August 8, 2017 to January 8, 2025.

Most-cited components

Air Bags 1 complaint
Electrical System 1 complaint
Exterior Lighting 1 complaint
Seat Belts 1 complaint
Tires 1 complaint
Unknown or Other 1 complaint

Newest complaints

ODI #11635190 · Filed January 10, 2025
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 headlight seal will slowly fail allowing moisture inside the housing which…
ODI #11594245 · Filed June 13, 2024
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 cluster. The fault has been confirmed at the dealership. The seat belt was…
ODI #11454453 · Filed February 28, 2022
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 other tire has a different DOT # but it is the same brand and size. I gave the dot…

Read all 5 complaints

Air Bag Inflators May Rupture

NHTSA #25V871000 · Air Bags — Side/Window — Head · NHTSA notice

Reported December 17, 2025 · BMW of North America, LLC

Potentially affected: 851 vehicles

Repair completion: 17.27% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified February 12, 2026

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

An inflator that ruptures may cause sharp metal fragments to enter or exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, an inflator that leaks gas may only partially inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Manufacturer 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.

Air Bag Inflators May Rupture

NHTSA #24V288000 · Air Bags — Side/Window · NHTSA notice

Reported April 24, 2024 · BMW of North America, LLC

Potentially affected: 5,761 vehicles

Repair completion: 34.84% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified November 4, 2024 · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

Manufacturer 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.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

2015 BMW M235I 2 DR RWD

—

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Not Rated

Frontal Crash

Not Rated

Driver: Not Rated, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Driver: Not Rated, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Pole

Not Rated

Rollover

Not Rated

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control Forward Collision Warning (Optional) Lane Departure Warning (Optional)

5 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2015 BMW M235I.

Electrical System; Exterior Lighting

ODI #11635190

Incident: January 8, 2025 · Filed: January 10, 2025

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 headlight seal will slowly fail allowing moisture inside the housing which damages the electronics. The taillights have to have their electronics replaced due to some defect form the factory. This defect was covered under warranty but my car is out of warranty.

Seat Belts

ODI #11594245

Incident: June 3, 2024 · Filed: June 13, 2024

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 cluster. The fault has been confirmed at the dealership. The seat belt was inspected at the dealership and they are suggesting a replacement for $662.74. The warning did not cause any drivability issues.

Tires

ODI #11454453

Incident: February 9, 2022 · Filed: February 28, 2022

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 other tire has a different DOT # but it is the same brand and size. I gave the dot from the most recent tire. Pirelli has a road hazard warranty but will not honor it and swears their is no recall on p zero tires but it states on their website that size r19 have a recall. Mine are size 225/40 R18 Pirelli P-zeros. The last picture is of another tire about to blow out its sidewalk.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11267818

Incident: October 10, 2019 · Filed: October 10, 2019

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 BOUNCING OFF THE TOP OF MY CAR. THE EXPLOSION WAS EXTREMELY LOUD, OBVIOUSLY STARTLING, AND CAUSED ME TO SWERVE MY CAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I WAS NOT PASSING UNDER A BRIDGE AND THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME EITHER. I SLOW DOWN AND LOOKED UP THROUGH THE VENTS IN THE SUNSCREEN SHADE AND I NOTICED A GAPING HOLE IN THE GLASS OF MY SUNSCREEN. THERE WAS A CAR BEHIND ME WITH A MAN AND A WOMAN IN THE FRONT SEATS WHO PULLED UP ALONGSIDE ME WITH THEIR WINDOWS DOWN. I ROLL DOWN MY WINDOW AS WELL AND WE BOTH SLOWED TO A SPEED WHERE WE COULD HEAR EACH OTHER. I ASKED WHAT HAPPENED AND THE WOMAN SAID IT JUST EXPLODED OUTWARDS MAKING HAND GESTURES OF AN EXPLOSION. I ASKED IF THEY SAW ANYTHING HIT MY ROOF AND THEY SAID NO. I GOT OFF THE INTERSTATE AND PULLED OVER TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE AND SURE ENOUGH THE REMAINING GLASS AROUND THE HOLE WAS DRAMATICALLY BOWED OUTWARDS AWAY FROM THE CAR. NO FOREIGN OBJECT WAS FOUND COLLECTED IN THE SUNSCREEN SHADE BESIDES GLASS FROM THE EXPLOSION.

Air Bags

ODI #11015988

Incident: August 8, 2017 · Filed: August 17, 2017

JUST RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE MAY APPLY TO ME

Other BMW M235I model years

Check your 2015 BMW M235I VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your BMW M235I at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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