Most common 2013 BMW 3 Series problems
Share of the 21 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
BMW 3 Series complaints by model year
Best 3 Series years: 2011, 1999, 2001. Years to avoid: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2000. Compare all years →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2013 BMW 3 Series:
Loss of power assist braking
In a letter dated September 26, 2013, BMW Group submitted a safety recall notice to NHTSA identifying a defect condition in the vacuum pump oil supply that may result in loss of power assist braking in 76,191 model year (MY) 2012 through 2014 BMW 3-Series, 5-Series, X1 SAV, X3 SAV, and Z4 vehicles equipped with 4-cylinder engines (NHTSA Recall 13V-454).According to BMW, movement of the seal disk within the camshaft…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2013 BMW 3 Series owners say
Electrical system
The door lock actuators have failed. This makes it so that the doors do not open when you are inside the vehicle attempting to get out by pulling the door handle. This is a safety issue not allowing me to get out of my vehicle. If this issue is not resolved by paying the $1500 to fix the issue the doors will stop opening completely making this even more of a safety issue over time. This issue only gets worse and is directly related to the functionality of the car. This door lock actuator should be recalled on all vehicles BMW makes that are having this same issue. This is a known long-standing issue with these vehicles and has yet to be recalled even though it is absolutely a safety issue. BMW should not be able to profit off of their poor safety manufacturing mistakes.
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. Luckily, I walked away with a sore neck and few bruises, but it is concerning that the airbags did not deploy, when they were clearly suppose to. I had the car for less than 2 months prior to the accident, and bought it brand new.
Engine & cooling
As I was approaching the on ramp for the highway, I sped up in order to merge into oncoming traffic. I depressed the gas pedal completely to the floor but the car picked up extremely slowly as if it did not have any power. I also noticed at the same time that my engine temperature seemed to be unusually low for a vehicle that had been running for over an hour. There had also been an extremely loud fan noise that would come on every 2 minutes or so. As a result of the lack of power, I nearly caused a collision between myself and the vehicle behind me because the oncoming vehicle did not anticipate someone merging onto the highway at such a slow pace. I continued to drive without power for about 20 minutes as if the car was a naturally aspirated vehicle even though it was clearly turbo charged but the turbo never kicked in. …
Auto start/stop function has malfunctioned before where when I take my foot off the brake, the car doesn't start again. Normally I can just press the start button and put it in drive. This time, however, I went to start it again after it had an "auto start/stop malfunction", and it wouldn't turn back on. An error popped up saying "ignition malfunction -- do not turn engine off. Car will not start again." currently waiting to hear back from the dealership after I had to flatbed it. Also the car wouldn't go into neutral so they had to drag it on the flatbed.
Transmission & drivetrain
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.
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.
2013 BMW 3 Series engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 23 / 35 / 28 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo hybrid | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 25 / 32 / 28 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | RWD | 23 / 35 / 27 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 23 / 34 / 27 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 23 / 32 / 26 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | AWD | 22 / 33 / 26 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 20 / 30 / 24 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | RWD | 20 / 29 / 23 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | AWD | 20 / 28 / 23 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 19 / 28 / 22 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2013 BMW 3 Series a good car?
Based on 21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 3 Series rates average: 28% fewer complaints than a typical year of the 3 Series at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 BMW 3 Series?
The electrical system — 7 complaints, 33% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (7) and transmission & drivetrain (6).
How many recalls does the 2013 BMW 3 Series have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2013 BMW 3 Series. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the BMW 3 Series?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011, 1999 and 2001. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2000. See the full BMW 3 Series years comparison.
At what mileage do 2013 BMW 3 Series problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 4,000 miles; 89% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.