Engine complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 7 | 33% | 2,000 miles |
| 2012 | 3 | 43% | 51,000 miles |
| 2011 | 1 | 100% | — |
| 2010 | 6 | 20% | 66,000 miles |
| 2009 | 8 | 15% | 59,000 miles |
| 2008 | 18 | 26% | 70,000 miles |
| 2007 | 23 | 20% | 88,000 miles |
| 2006 | 15 | 7% | 90,000 miles |
| 2003 | 5 | 7% | 75,000 miles |
| 2002 | 2 | 8% | 200,000 miles |
| 2001 | 1 | 3% | 23,000 miles |
| 2000 | 9 | 10% | 125,000 miles |
| 1997 | 1 | 20% | 199,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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.
August 6, 2016 - car stalled at about 50mph, just when about to go uphill. I wasn't able to make it to the shoulder leaving the car blocking traffic with my wife and daughter in it. Once it stops, it puts itself in park, making it impossible to push aside. We created a traffic jam and police barricaded while we were trying to move the car. Eventually, in about 30 mins, the car turns on. Happened after an hour of highway driving. Car seemed fine after that. August 17, 2016 - on another long trip, the car stalled on the highway. Would crank but not turn on. Almost exhausted the battery. Called a tow truck but by the time it got there, after about an hour, the car restarted. Had my odb-ii scanner with me and got code used my obdii reader and got code p142e - pressure too low in high-pressure system, which is consistent with not starting and the and the fuel system malfunction message. …
While in line in a drive thru the vehicle turned off suddenly losing all electrical power and power steering. Upon trying to start "charging malfunction" appeared on the information screen in with a red warning sign. Tried 2-3 times to turn over starter. When vehicle turned on it was time to move forward. When trying to exit drive thru drive way vehicle was very heavy and almost impossible to turn. Finally after several back and forth attempts vehicle was moved about 50 feet to a safe parking location.
When driving on pa-401, I approached stop sign at pa-82. My speed was approximately 40 MPH, slowing to make a routine stop. When approaching the intersection at low speed, I started hearing a pulsing thump from the passenger side of the car. Drove slowly home and had the car towed to a BMW dealer. It turned out that the two aluminium engine mount bolts on the passenger side of the car snapped. This meant that the engine was not properly fastened to the frame - a very dangerous situation. Engine mount bolts should not snap for no reason. And BMW should cover their replacement (parts and labor) at no charge to the owner. (my car was certified pre-owned, so I only had a $50 out of pocket cost, but once it expires later this year, my cost would have been significantly higher, not to mention the danger of driving a car with a bouncing, unsecured engine)
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 BMW 3 Series. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, smoke started to emit from the front driver side of the vehicle. The vehicle was merged to the side of the road in order to inspect the vehicle. The contact stated that once the hood of vehicle was open, he observed flames coming from the engine. The contact extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who stated the emission valve overheated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,000.
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.
In November 2017 I received two (2) recall notices for my 2009 BMW 328i. I was advised that the blower motor wiring (recall campaign # 17v-676) and pcv valve heater (recall campaign # 17v-676) were defective. I was further notified that no remedy for either defect was available at that time. It is now September 2018. I have contacted BMW and been advised that at this time a remedy remains unavailable. I am considering selling or trading in my vehicle but because this recall has not yet been completed my resale price May be lowered. If two (2) recall repairs have not been performed 10 months after a recall notice has been issued, why bother issuing the recall notice in November 2017 if it is for any other purpose than bureaucratic paper shuffling for BMW to claim to the NHTSA that BMW is going to fix a defect while actually doing nothing to remedy the defect?
Related recalls (2)
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2010-2012 1 Series Coupe, 1 Series Convertible, 3 Series Sedan, 3 Series Convertible, 2010-2011 3 Series Sportswagon, 3 Series Coupe, 5 Series Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, X3 xDrive 30i, X5 xDrive30i, and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the four VANOS bolts, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed December 18, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed June 19, 2024.
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control › Crankcase (pcv)
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 1 Series Coupe (128i); 2007-2013 3 Series Coupe (328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive); 2007-2010 X3 SAV (X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i); 2008-2013 1 Series Convertible (128i); 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi); 2006-2012 3 Series Wagon…
Remedy: This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Dealers will install an electrical wiring harness with fuse protection for the PCV Valve heater in potentially affected vehicles, free of…
Frequently asked questions
Which BMW 3 Series years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (23), 2008 (18), 2006 (15), 2000 (9) and 2009 (8) model years. Engine complaints make up 20% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for BMW 3 Series engine problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 23V-707 (engine, Oct 20, 2023); 22V-119 (crankcase (pcv), Mar 2, 2022). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do BMW 3 Series engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles; 28% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (4 mentions), followed by the cooling system (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.