Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1986 BMW 3 Series, most frequently naming the body & structure category. 6 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 1 month of data.
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
VEHICLE SLID ON AN ICY ROAD INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE, LEAVING THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE MANGLED, LUCKILY THERE WERE NO INJURIES, CONSUMER QUESTIONS THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE WHEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. *SLC
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
REAR BULB FAILURE. MODEL E92 (3 SERIES COUPE) VEHICLES PRODUCED UP TO JANUARY 21, 2008 ARE AFFECTED. THE BULB OUT WARNING SHOWS IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. *PE
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OTHER FUEL TYPES:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER
N54 RATTLE NOISE FROM TURBOCHARGER AREA. MODELS E90, E92 AND E93 (3 SERIES) 335I AND 335XI; E60 AND E61 (5 SERIES) 535I AND 535XI, ALL WITH N54 ENGINE FROM THE START OF PRODUCTION TO JANUARY 17, 2008 PRODUCTION. *PE
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
N52 EDK THROTTLE JAMMING FAULTS 2D09, 2CED AND 2CEC. MODEL E90 AND E91 (3 SERIES) AND E60 AND E61 (5 SERIES), ALL MODELS UP TO 11/2005 WITH N52 ENGINE. *PE
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CHECK ENGINE LAMP ILLUMINATED AND/OR VEHICLE OVERHEATS. BMW E90 (3 SERIES) ALL E90 (3 SERIES) AND E60 (5 SERIES) MODELS EQUIPPED WITH N52 ENGINE. *TT
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING: LAMP
SUBJECT REGARDING THE ABS/ASC WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED DURING DYNAMOMETER TEST. *YC *JN
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 42.2 |
| 2012 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 2011 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 30 | 3 | 0 | 45.8 |
| 2009 | 53 | 2 | 0 | 48.8 |
| 2008 | 68 | 3 | 0 | 45.4 |
| 2007 | 115 | 2 | 0 | 46.9 |
| 2006 | 202 | 4 | 1 | 50.9 |
| 2005 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 40.8 |
| 2004 | 77 | 0 | 3 | 42.2 |
| 2003 | 73 | 0 | 3 | 42.5 |
| 2002 | 26 | 0 | 6 | 39.9 |
| 2001 | 36 | 1 | 2 | 41.3 |
| 2000 | 88 | 1 | 2 | 47.3 |
| 1999 | 6 | 1 | 2 | — |
| 1998 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | 5 | 4 | 0 | — |
| 1996 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1993 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1986Viewing | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.