There are 1 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2009 BMW M3in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
S65 V8 ENGINE IN A BMW M3 E90/92/93 AND M5'S WITH A V10 HAS TWO THROTTLE VALVE ACTUATORS THAT FAIL PREMATURELY AT 40-80K MILES. BOTH THE INTERNAL NYLON GEARS AND ELECTRONICS WILL FAIL, AFFECTING ACCELERATOR PEDAL RESPONSE AND CAUSING HESITATION, ESPECIALLY WITH THE DCT TRANSMISSION. THESE PARTS ARE NOT A MAINTENANCE ITEM. WHEN FAILED, THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION, EXCESS EMISSIONS, SKID CONTROL, AND ABS BRAKING WARNING LIGHTS ARE TRIGGERED. ENGINE GOES INTO LIMP MODE. THIS IS DANGEROUS WHEN IT HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY, SNOWY, AND ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. THE THROTTLE VALVE ACTUATOR DESIGN DEFECT SHOULD HAVE TRIGGERED A BMW RECALL. REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE $1000-1300 EACH PLUS $1000 LABOR AND HAVE NEVER BEEN REDESIGNED BY BMW/BOSCH. SO THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE ALSO DEFECTIVE AND WILL FAIL PREMATURELY. REPAIRS OCCURRED ON DEC. 2012 AT 80K MILES FOR $2000 AND ON JAN. 2016 AT 140K MILES FOR $3000. A BMW M3 AND M5 RECALL AND REDESIGNED PARTS ARE WARRANTED. BMW TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS SHOULD BE ISSUED FOR THIS DESIGN FLAW. 8YR/80KM FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY SHOULD COVER THESE REPAIRS AS WELL.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026