Acura RSX vs BMW M3

Owner complaints, worst years and recall history side by side, from official NHTSA data. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Acura RSX

Total complaints: 156
Avg per model year: 35
Recall campaigns (all years): 2
Most complained year: 2002 (75)

Top problems: Power Train, Air Bags, Engine and Engine Cooling

BMW M3

Total complaints: 302
Avg per model year: 21
Recall campaigns (all years): 20
Most complained year: 2008 (82)

Top problems: Power Train, Air Bags, Engine

Complaints by model year

Year	Acura RSX	BMW M3
2006	24	14
2005	32	12
2004	17	31
2003	25	54
2002	75	40

Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports per model year. A model that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — compare the shape across years, not just the raw totals, and read the year pages for what actually fails.