2013 BMW 3 Series problems
The 2013 BMW 3 Series has 34 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (21%) concerns electrical system. Next are engine (21%) and drivetrain & axles (18%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 34 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 21% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 4 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 0 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 3,000 miles 31 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 28 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 1 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 0 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 2 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 0 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 31 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 3,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 4 complaints mention a crash.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2013 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 12 model years of the BMW 3 Series with enough data (32 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I was rearended, on the freeway, on the passenger side, by an SUV going about 40MPH, I slammed in to another SUV in front of me. My vehicle is totaled. The display indicated that there was an airbag deploy error. Also, the reason my car was totaled was because all of the electrical wires for the computer system are behind the rear tail light, and they were melted after impact. This is concerning because this is also where the fuel tank is.
Transmission problem resulting in violent shuddering of the vehicle body and abrupt engine stops resulting in dangerous driving conditions. Fluctuations in the tachometer when the car attempted to stop and the car would automatically change gears to neutral or park.
The car has displayed "drivetrain malfunction, drive moderately" twice now in less than one year of ownership. When this display has occurred, the car goes into "limp mode" and can only be driven at low speeds or with very sluggish acceleration. This is a safety hazard, as it becomes easy to be rear-ended by another driver when it slows substantially.