2002 BMW M3 problems
Owners have filed 48 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 BMW M3. Engine is the most reported problem area, at 27% of complaints. After that come air bags (15%) and body & structure (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 48 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 27% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 2 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 1 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 78,000 miles 33 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 | 8 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 0 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 2 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 7 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 8 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 2 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 33 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 78,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 2 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 1 injury reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2002 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 7 model years of the BMW M3 with enough data (18 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 5 safety recall campaigns.
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.
Dt: drivers side door air bag deployed while driving for no reason. There was no accendent, no pot hole, and no objects were hit. Took to dealer on friday, and they still have the car. The injuries were burns and bruises to the left arm.
BMW M 3 parked in the driveway and had been turned off for several hours I was wax the car when I noticed a puff of smoke coming out of the air condition vent so I sat in the driver seat to investigate out of habit I close the door I planed to open the windows and the convertible top to take a look the car went into antitheft mode and locked me inside the smoke became thick quickly I tried to break the window with my elbow with no luck I was getting ready to try to kick the window if I could reach it with my foot…
While driving and changing gears could hear a grinding noise. Had vehicle at dealership for a third transmission. Problem with transmission has happened twice before, and replaced twice.
The transmission has failed 4 times. It has been repaired 4 times with no effect. The dealer drove it over 300 mile to "test drive" the car. BMW does not respond with anything but rhetoric and poor service. Other owners have had their engines literally blow up! BMW is a terriblel company with defective products and poor service. *nlm
Multiple incidents since the day after we purchased the car: ?driving in 4th gear (anywhere from 10 to 40 mins of driving) will suddenly feel as if clutch is engaged so I cannot accelerate, yellow transmission warning light comes on, then I have to coast to a complete stop and shut the engine off. It can take several attempts to restart the car to re-engage back into 1st gear. Noticed if I wait long enough, once the transmission warning light also turns off then I can restart back in first gear.