2002 Bmw 3 Series: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 40 complaints
40
Total Complaints
92,000mi
Median Mileage
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Top Issue
2
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

18,500 25th Percentile
92,000 Median Mileage
130,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
6
AIR BAGS
6
POWER TRAIN
3
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
3
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
3
SUSPENSION
2
STEERING
2
WHEELS
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1

Severity Assessment

2
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE 50MPH WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE WOULD INCREASED SPEED 10MPH THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF. TS"
"RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM MY BMW CONVERTIBLE 325CIC, BY THE PASSENGERSIDE. CAR HAS BEEN IN THE 3 DIFFERENT AUTHORIZED BMW DEALERSHIPS FOR FIX AND PLUS A FINAL ATTEMPED FIX AT ANOTHER AUTHORIZED BMW DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CAR WAS BOUGHT FROM. TOTAL OF MORE THAN 8 TIMES IN THE DEALER SHIP WITH ONE AT..."
"I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE 2 WEEKS AGO. ONE NIGHT WHILE DRIVING ON THE BELTWAY ABOUT 70 MPH THE CAR STARTED LOSING POWER. ALMOST ALL THE SENSORS WERE ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH BOARD. I BARELY MADE IT OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. TO MAKE MATTERS WORST BMW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE STATED THEY ARE NOT ALLOW..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28