Electrical complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 7 | 33% | 4,000 miles |
| 2010 | 5 | 17% | 62,000 miles |
| 2009 | 8 | 15% | 78,000 miles |
| 2008 | 19 | 28% | 63,000 miles |
| 2007 | 31 | 27% | 55,000 miles |
| 2006 | 32 | 16% | 69,000 miles |
| 2005 | 2 | 8% | 126,000 miles |
| 2004 | 12 | 16% | 94,000 miles |
| 2003 | 12 | 16% | 110,000 miles |
| 2002 | 6 | 23% | 123,000 miles |
| 2001 | 6 | 17% | 94,000 miles |
| 2000 | 4 | 5% | 200,000 miles |
| 1999 | 1 | 17% | 155,000 miles |
| 1997 | 1 | 20% | 74,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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.
In November 2017, BMW sent me letters regarding possible fire hazards due to defects of the blower motor wiring and the pcv valve heater (recall numbers 17v-676 and 17v-683). No recall has been issued and no repair offered to correct possible defects. I have experienced no problem related to these parts. However, due to the serious nature of these issues, BMW should be required to recall and repair affected cars promptly.
Noticed the passenger side blinker started to blink quickly. The brakes and tail lights use a bulb while the blinker has approximately 15 leds. Therefore the entire light assembly has to be replaced. Several of the leds do not light up and the ones that do are dim. Two weeks later the driver side blinker did the same thing. This concerns me as another driver May not be aware that I am turning until it is to late.
He tenido varios problemas con el carro, corriendo al voltear se me apago dos veces y fue muy peligroso porque los carros que iban atras casi me pegan y claro se molestaron mucho al sacar la vuelta rapido para no golpear mi carro, lo lleve al mecanico y tardo mucho para hallar el problema, la flecha derecha (blinking light) esta quebrada lo hace muy rapido y al checar me dijeron que se tiene que reparar todo incluido el foco de atras, problema con los cables de bateria eso si me lo arreglaron gratis porque tiene recall, pero luego la bateria empezo a fallar y hubo que cambiarla, el volante esta muy duro y al voltear tengo que hacerlo con mucho cuidado para no pegarle al del otro carril, el mecanico no ha podido componer ese problema, a veces se hacelera solo cuando estoy haciendo un alto y no se ni porque lo hace, y tampoco se cuando va a pasar.
Recall # 17V676, 17V683 it has been nearly a year and I'm still unable to make repair appointment with BMW dealer for reason of parts unavailable. My air conditioning system couldn't keep car cool enough as heat from the engine is high.
Car was parked in the driveway, drove it earlier that day for about an hour, parked it 3 pm and 2 hours later neighbor came knocking saying car was smoking. Ran outside and car was on fire. Interior was smoked out. Keyless entry was dead. Broke the window to get the car open, turned the garden hose on to try and stop the car from burning. Called 911 fire dept arrived and had to pry the truck open because it was still sizzling. Fire dept cut the battery cables and said it looked like an electrical fire under the dash. Glove box and passenger side front seat was completely charred. After 22 days, a BMW engineer and allstate ins called it a total loss. BMW engineers report still has not been published. Total loss on a parked vehicle; clearly this vehicle was unsafe and a design fault. Manufacturers are suppose to engineer cars to withstand fires.
My 2008 BMW 335xi with 42000 miles was stored in my heated shop. The car started on fire and destroyed the contents of my shop and the car. BMW sent an inspector to check the damage and took hundreds of pictures. Clearly the fire started under the glove compartment area and continued to burn until the front of the car, windshield and interior was destroyed. Contents in my shop were destroyed and the interior of the building had to be gutted to the studs. BMW offered nothing. Damages totalled more than $150,000. I received a recall letter from BMW 3 weeks after the fire. * (recall related incident)
Frequently asked questions
Which BMW 3 Series years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2006 (32), 2007 (31), 2008 (19), 2003 (12) and 2004 (12) model years. Electrical complaints make up 16% of all complaints for the 2006.
Is there a recall for BMW 3 Series electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 77,000 miles; 26% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the ignition (2 mentions), followed by the wiring (1).
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.