Car · BMW problems

BMW problems by model year

What BMW owners report to NHTSA, year by year, with the service bulletins, recalls and repairs that fit. Pick a model year.

Each bar is the owner complaints on file with NHTSA for that model year. NHTSA has no sales count, so a bigger bar may only mean more cars were sold. Do not use it to rank models.

A model year gets a page when it has 200 or more complaints on file. 71 other BMW model years with recalls have fewer, so they are not listed. NHTSA files many complaints under trim names such as 328i or 535i; they are counted with the 3 Series or 5 Series.

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  3 Series

  2010 to 2015 · 2,250 complaints · 27 recalls · most reported: engine and engine cooling

  Only model years with 200 or more complaints are listed. 11 other years have fewer.

  • 2015219 complaints10 recalls
  • 2014410 complaints12 recalls
  • 2013396 complaints9 recalls
  • 2011936 complaints13 recalls
  • 2010289 complaints11 recalls
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  5 Series

  2011 to 2013 · 933 complaints · 11 recalls · most reported: engine and engine cooling

  Only model years with 200 or more complaints are listed. 14 other years have fewer.

  • 2013204 complaints4 recalls
  • 2012262 complaints5 recalls
  • 2011467 complaints7 recalls
• 

  X5

  2011 to 2012 · 534 complaints · 17 recalls · most reported: engine and engine cooling

  Only model years with 200 or more complaints are listed. 15 other years have fewer.

  • 2012271 complaints10 recalls
  • 2011263 complaints14 recalls
• 

  X3

  2013 · 226 complaints · 7 recalls · most reported: engine and engine cooling

  Only model years with 200 or more complaints are listed. 16 other years have fewer.

  • 2013226 complaints7 recalls

More for BMW: recalls by model, check-engine codes, car repair costs. All makes.

Source: NHTSA complaint files, checked October 29, 2026. Counts are owner reports as filed.