BMW 3 Series by model year

1,174 owner complaints are on file with NHTSA for the BMW 3 Series across 16 model years. Choose a year for problems, recalls, fuel economy and crash ratings in one place.

See the best and worst years for the BMW 3 Series

Complaints by model year

Older model years have had longer to collect complaints, so a taller bar on an older year is not necessarily a worse year. The best and worst years page corrects for this.

View the numbers

Model year	Complaints
1999	6
2000	111
2001	49
2002	40
2003	95
2004	93
2005	29
2006	288
2007	190
2008	93
2009	74
2010	43
2011	1
2012	11
2013	34

All model years

Model year	Complaints	Most reported	Recalls
2023			1
2013	34	Electrical system (21%)
2012	11		3
2011	1		2
2010	43	Air bags (26%)	2
2009	74	Air bags (20%)	1
2008	93	Electrical system (20%)	2
2007	190	Air bags (21%)	1
2006	288	Air bags (38%)	3
2005	29	Air bags (55%)
2004	93	Lighting (46%)
2003	95	Lighting (26%)
2002	40	Air bags (15%)
2001	49	Air bags (16%)	1
2000	111	Body & structure (27%)	1
1999	6		1