Body complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1 | 5% | 3,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 14% | 5,000 miles |
| 2010 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2009 | 1 | 2% | 2,000 miles |
| 2008 | 3 | 4% | 40,000 miles |
| 2007 | 6 | 5% | 68,000 miles |
| 2006 | 9 | 4% | 78,000 miles |
| 2005 | 1 | 4% | 56,000 miles |
| 2004 | 2 | 3% | 40,000 miles |
| 2003 | 5 | 7% | 120,000 miles |
| 2002 | 1 | 4% | 10,000 miles |
| 2001 | 2 | 6% | 100,000 miles |
| 2000 | 30 | 34% | 94,000 miles |
| 1999 | 1 | 17% | 61,000 miles |
| 1997 | 1 | 20% | 55,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Go here for the entire story: www.bmwfire.com I purchased a brand new 2008 BMW 328i for $38,000 from sonnen BMW in san rafael, california. The car had a serious manufacturers defect that caused an electrical fire and resulted in my car being totaled. I had multiple issues with the front passengers side fog light falling out of its casing into the lower corner of the bumper which caused three separate fires. BMW has refused to replace my vehicle that had 11,500 miles and is covered under warranty. At the end of June 2008 I first realized this problem happened upon a closer inspection of the exterior of the car. I brought the car right away to sonnen BMW's service department, as I was worried about the safety of the vehicle. I showed them what happened, but they told me that they had no available appointments until two weeks out and that my car was safe to drive. …
The auc sensor under the hood is not well secured. The bracket securing the sensor is broken leaving the sensor loose under the hood. The loose sensor wire rubs against sharp edge of the car body, breaking the outer protective shield of the wire. The exposed wire is a fire hazard.
First occurrence of problem happened back in May 2012. Me and my fiancee were exiting the vehicle but only my driver door would open. My fiancee was forced to climb over the middle console of the vehicle and exit through my door, with a short dress on. I later looked online on a BMW forum to find the culprit to be the lock actuators blowing fuse 56. I replaced fuse 56 with the appropriate fuse, increasing the 15 amp to a 20 amp at that time. On 30 June 2012 I experienced the same problem with the vehicle while on vacation in ogunquit, me. Once again my passengers were all locked in the vehicle. There is no manual override for the 335i's doors once the fuse blows. All three passengers were forced to climb through the driver side door, creating a dangerous and uncomfortable situation. This time I replaced fuse 57 and it seemed to work just fine afterwards. …
I was driving on the motorway and cleaned my windscreen when a piece of my vehicle fell off and became potentially a dangerous projectile. The failure is due to the screen wash jet cover and jet attached to it coming separated from the vehicle. BMW state that this can come off due to ice forming on the washer jets, so can occur at any time when temperatures are below freezing. The consequences are the cover and jet become separated from the vehicle potentially causing other vehicles to swerve, item acts as a projectile so could damage/crack a windscreen or potentially burst a tire if contact is made. To correct the failure the part needed to be replaced. Old part is not available due to coming off vehicle whilst on the motorway.
Doors will not unlock, serious hazard in emergency situation if doors won't unlock. Doors lock/unlock problem, I've had to exit thru windows. No manual unlock from inside vehicle. Mechanism is operational, must be computer problem. Fuse replaced,ckd many threads with same issue. Www.bimmerfest.com / 3 + times happened to me.
Door locks on 2006 BMW 330xi suddenly stopped functioning properly midway through the day and were unable to be unlocked. I was able to open the door with the embedded physical key in the fob but when I got in the car and tried operating the doors they again locked but were unable to be unlocked neither by the unlock button on the console, the fob or the door handle. The only way I was able to exit the car was to roll down the drivers side window, and use the emergency mechanical key to unlock it by extending my hand out the window. Since the driver's side door is the only door with a physical keylock, it was the only door that was able to open. For the remainder of the day, all 3 passengers had to climb out of their windows to exit.
I arrived home with my son who was sitting in the front passenger seat. When he tried to get out of the car, the door would not open. The lock button stayed down and would not open with two pulls on the handle as it should, with use of the interior locking/unlocking button , or with the remote control key fob. It has now remained non-functional. In the event of a crash on the driver's side, there would be no way to leave the car or received help without breaking a window and trying to slither out through broken glass. In addition, someone who was infirm (e.g., back trouble) and could not climb over the console and driver's seat would be stuck in the car. This is a safety and health hazard and from what I have seen on line, is not unique to me. BMW should be required to make modifications that would eliminate this safety and health hazard.
Driver's side door will not open, either with the inside door latch or the outside latch. The lock plunger goes up and down normally with either the key, the key remote, or the inside door lock/unlock button, but in no case can either door latch open the driver's side door. All other doors operate normally. This makes entering or exiting the car difficult, necessitating either climbing in/out through the window or by climbing across the console from the passenger seat. If there were an emergency, it would be impossible to exit the vehicle quickly. No event appeared to cause this to happen. I entered the vehicle, drove it, exited the vehicle a few times during the morning before driving, parking, stopping the vehicle, and then having the door stick shut.
Frequently asked questions
Which BMW 3 Series years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2000 (30), 2006 (9), 2007 (6) and 2003 (5) model years. Body complaints make up 34% of all complaints for the 2000.
Is there a recall for BMW 3 Series body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for any BMW 3 Series model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do BMW 3 Series body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles; 23% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frame and members (23 mentions), followed by the body (19).
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.