BMW 3 Series

878 complaints across 12 scored model years and 4 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · BMW 3 Series Full report

Grade 2010–2021

2014 vs model median 3.7×

Model median3× median

Fuel System 30

Engine 23

Drivetrain 18

Avoid

2011 · 2014

Best

2019 · 2020

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Severity-weighted complaint volume and grade by model year for the BMW 3 Series
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2010	0.91×	60	C
2011	2.70×	122	F
2012	1.09×	62	C
2013	3.99×	181	F
2014	3.74×	157	F
2015	1.24×	67	C
2016	1.40×	60	C
2017	0.37×	26	B
2018	0.60×	32	B
2019	0.26×	16	A
2020	0.42×	19	A
2021	0.45×	24	A
2022 P	0.15×	10	A
2023 P	0.38×	18	A
2024 P	0.58×	20	A

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What it costs to run

EPA figures for the most recent model year on record.

EPA fuel economy and drivetrain
Combined MPG	28
City / Highway	25 / 33.5
Engine	2L, 4 cyl
Drive	Rear-Wheel Drive
Annual fuel cost	$2,700

Recalls

4 campaigns on record.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign	Component	Model years	Units affected
22V119000	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)	2010–2012	917,106
23V707000	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE	2010–2012	157,796
12E029000	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN	2010, 2011	585
23V821000	POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)	2023	552

Others in Midsize Cars

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Other models in the same segment
Model	Years to avoid	Grade
Acura TL	2012	C
Acura TLX	20152020	C
Acura TSX	2010	C
Alfa Romeo Giulia	2017	C
Audi A4	none flagged	B
Audi A4 Allroad	2013	C
Audi A5	none flagged	C
Audi S4	none flagged	B

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2014 3 Series

Complaints in window: 157
Severity-weighted: 322
Model median (weighted): 86
vs model median: 3.74×
Recall campaigns (weighted): 0
Open investigations: 2

Score 18.3 F