Most common 2013 BMW M3 problems
Share of the 13 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
BMW M3 complaints by model year
Best M3 years: 2007, 2006, 2017. Years to avoid: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2010, 2003. Compare all years →
2013 BMW M3 recalls (2)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 128i and 135i Convertibles, 128i, 135i, and M Coupes, 2007-2010 X3 30si and X3 xDrive30i, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i, 2007-2013 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335is, 335i xDrive and M3 Coupes, 2006-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 325i, 325xi,…
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver air bag. On X5 and X6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 128i and 135i coupes and convertibles and 1 Series M coupes, 2006-2011 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive Sedans, 2009-2011 335d sedans, 2006-2012 325xiT, 328i and 328xi sports wagons, 2007-2013 328i, 328xi, 328i…
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module or inflator depending on the vehicle model, free of charge. The recall began March 9, 2018.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2013 BMW M3:
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 M3 owners say
Air bags
The contact filed the complaint on behalf of her son who owned a 2013 BMW M3. The contact stated the vehicle was parked in a school parking lot, and the contact's son was sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle when the vehicle was crashed into violently by four vehicles. The vehicle was damaged in the front end, passenger's side, and rear. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was condemned to total loss. The son was forced out of the vehicle by the attackers and the occupants of all 4 vehicles inflicted bodily harm in addition to the unknown injuries sustained due to the crash. The son ran into the highway where the ambulance provided medical attention. The police department arrived at the scene however the son had fled from the scene due to being fearful for his safety; the attackers provided details for the police report. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2013 BMW M3. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 16V071000 (air bags). While driving 40 MPH, the contact rear ended another vehicle. The air bags deployed. The contact's left arm was struck by the air bags and was injured by metal fragments. Medical attention was not received. A police report was filed. The dealer (motorwerks BMW, 1300 American blvd w, bloomington, mn 55420, [phone]) was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. Usaa insurance company towed the vehicle to a salvage yard and deemed the vehicle a total loss. The failure mileage was 18,000.
Engine & cooling
Rod bearings. There is clicking noise that I am hearing more and more often. Since summer of last year, I had heard subtle clicking noises occasionally which I wasn't able to locate at the time and had scheduled an appointment with the service department at park ave BMW service on October 2016 to get my car checked for few reasons. One of the reasons included this clicking noise which I had mentioned to the service agent and that he would get this checked out along with the other service maintenance. At the end of the service, he stated that everything is fine and there isn't any issues. Recently, I have started to hear the same clicking noise but louder which allowed me to locate the sound coming somewhere near the front of the vehicle near the engine bay. I have a BMW service appointment this Saturday to get it checked again to see if there is any issues. …
Vehicle has 3,100 miles on it. I stopped to get fuel and on the way back home the engine started to misfire heavily, then stall out in heavy traffic almost causing me to get rear ended. Luckily the car started but felt like it had only 10% of the power, BMW told me to drive it to the nearest service center to have it looked at. They called me the next day to tell my my engine has failed. Im not sure how in 3,100 well cared for miles the engine would fail, almost causing me to get rear-ended in traffic. I am disappointed that BMW could release a car that costs $77,000 dollars that has total engine failure in such little time and miles. BMW customer care has been the worst experience as well. They never return phone calls, and basically tells me every time there is no need to worry about the engine failing again in 3,100 miles.
Transmission & drivetrain
I initially experienced abrupt catastrophic clutch failure this past December 2019 when without any prior warning. I depressed the clutch and it failed to release leaving the vehicle in gear. Fortunately I was on a secondary road in 2nd gear and was able to bring the car a stop and then pushed it to the side of the road. The car was towed to morristown BMW in morristown nj. BMW na agreed to provide the parts and the clutch was repaired. Unfortunately, last week I again experienced the exact same issue without warning. I am now told that the master cylinder needs to be replaced. My concern is that if this failure had occurred on a major highway at speed. I would have lost control of the vehicle which would have been life threatening. …
Takata recall. Reasonable time has passed since the airbag recall. But I have not heard as to when this safety issue will be resolved.every time I drive the car I feel I am risking my life or chance for serious injury. BMW has been completely negligent with regards to resolving this issue. BMW should temporarily remedy the situation by replacing the car with a similar vehicle. I need this to be resolved now!!!. Also the drive train has a clunking noise of which I have been complaining since new. They have made temporary adjustment but the problem still surfaces. This happens when I shift gears even at slow speeds (6 spd manual transmission).
2013 BMW M3 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0L 8-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 14 / 21 / 16 |
| 4.0L 8-cyl | 7-speed dual-clutch | RWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2013 BMW M3 a good car?
Based on 13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 M3 rates average: 1.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the M3 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 M3?
The air bags — 7 complaints, 54% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (4) and transmission & drivetrain (3).
How many recalls does the 2013 BMW M3 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2013 BMW M3, the most recent from January 15, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the BMW M3?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2007, 2006 and 2017. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2010 and 2003. See the full BMW M3 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2013 BMW M3 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 28,000 miles; 80% 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.