2013 BMW 3 Series problems & reliability
21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 BMW 3 Series. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 7 | 33% |
| Engine | 7 | 33% |
| Power Train | 6 | 29% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 19% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 14% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 10% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 5% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 5% |
| Structure | 1 | 5% |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
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…”
Electrical System · filed Mar 26, 2019
“Driver and passenger trapped in car after parking at as gas pump. Doors would unlock but not open resulting in the potential of killing its passengers in a crash. There is a video on youtube of a similar incident.”
Electrical System · filed Jan 14, 2019
“Two wheel rims cracked, only 38,000 miles on vehicle. Rims won't withstand normal road conditions. They are a safety hazard never know when they will crack and causing loosing control while driving.”
Wheels · filed Jan 16, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- Loss of power assist braking
Preliminary Evaluation PE13030 · opened Sep 6, 2013 · closed Oct 25, 2013 · led to recall 13V454000
Technical service bulletins
42 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 BMW 3 Series. The 10 most recent:
The Footwell Module (FRM) limited warranty for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been supplementarily increased to 15 years / 240,000 miles as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.
B012016 · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Feb 20, 2025
Only fuel nozzles with the recommended “specified” diameter for diesel engine passenger vehicles can beinserted into the filler neck. Most fuel stations have their diesel fuel pumps fitted with this recommendeddiameter…
B131110 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 16, 2024
Radio R/C with FEM Return
B063824 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 3, 2024
The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
B510819 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2024
The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information…
B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 11, 2024
Spl Parts, Inc. communications index accompanying MCP uploads 23mc40464 & 23mc40471
SB23-01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 2, 2023
This is the companion to SPL Parts, Inc.'s SB 23-01 mailed by private label independent distributor Turner Motorsports.
sb23-01TMS · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 17, 2023
SPL Parts, Inc. manufacturers and distributes aftermarket lower control arms for dedicated competition vehicles and "track day" cars some of which may be used on both track and highway. SB 23-01 adresses proper…
SB 23-01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2023
Butt connector for repairing a plug connection. The ?top up coolant? message is displayed in the central display (CC message ID 166). When checking the cooling system there are no leaks found and the expansion tank is…
B170318 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2018
Shipping specific non-deployed vehicle safety devices to lighting resources, llc. This service Information bulletin provides information on shipping "specific" noin-deployed vehicle safety devices that are classified as…
SIM010917 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2017
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2013 BMW 3 Series in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2013 BMW 3 Series?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.