2010 Bmw 3 Series: Reliability Data

43
Total Complaints
61,500mi
Median Mileage
Air Bags
Top Issue
1
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

52,300 25th Percentile
61,500 Median Mileage
80,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Air Bags
10
Engine
6
Electrical System
5
Vehicle Speed Control
3
Exterior Lighting
2
Tires
2
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
1
Sun/Moon Roof Assembly
1
Fuel System, Diesel
1
Head Restraint
1

Severity Assessment

1
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER HEAD REST WOULD NOT GO DOWN FAR ENOUGH AND IT WAS APPROXIMATELY AN INCH AND A HALF FROM THE TOP OF THE SEAT. ONE OF THE DRIVERS OF THE VEHICLE IS FIVE FEET TWO INCHES AND THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK. BMW S..."
"WE LEASED A NEW 2010 BMW 335D (DIESEL) ON 12/12/09. ON 2/28/10, THE CAR FAILED TO START FOR THE SECOND TIME AFTER A VERY HEAVY RAIN AND WAS TOWED TO A NEARBY BMW DEALER. WE TOLD THE SERVICE SUPERVISOR THAT WE BELIEVED THERE WAS WATER IN THE SYSTEM RESULTING FROM THE RAIN. AFTER EXAMINING THE CAR, HE..."
"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WITH NO TRAFFIC, ALL WINDOWS CLOSED AND THE AIR CONDITIONER ACTIVATED WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION FOLLOWED BY AN ABNORMAL CRACKING SOUND. HE PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND THEN NOTICED THERE WAS AN..."

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

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Air Bags 10 complaints
25th: 54,225 mi Median: 72,500 mi 75th: 85,133 mi
Engine 6 complaints
25th: 56,000 mi Median: 66,000 mi 75th: 68,000 mi
Electrical System 5 complaints
Median: 61,500 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 11 NC: 5 CT: 4 LA: 4 NJ: 3 FL: 3 NY: 3 PA: 3 SC: 2 00: 1

Who Files Complaints?

2.3%
Original Owners
97.7%
Second+ Owners

Bmw 3 Series — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
20001114
2001491
2002402
2003671
2004931
2005293
200628813
200719011
2008930
2009745
2013344

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