2016 BMW M3

Routine

Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine. It has been recalled 3 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine3
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Structure › Body1
000

3 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Power Train › Driveline › Driveshaft18V713000
Filed Oct 11, 20182,661 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2016-2017 BMW M3 Sedans, 2016-2017 BMW M4 and M4 GTS Coupes and 2017 BMW M4 Convertible vehicles. The connection between the driveshaft and the flange may fail resulting in a loss of propulsion.

Risk. A loss of vehicle propulsion can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. BMW will notify vehicle owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Structure › Frame and Members16V653000
Filed Sep 9, 2016196 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. BMW North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2016 BMW M2 Coupe vehicles, 2015-2017 M3 Sedan vehicles and 2015-2016 M4 Coupe and M4 Convertible vehicles. During servicing of the rear differential for a prior service action, the rear sub-frame bolts may have been reused instead of being replaced. Reuse of the existing bolts may cause the bolts to loosen.

Risk. Loose rear sub-frame bolts may adversely affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear sub-frame bolts with new bolts, free of charge. The recall began on November 3, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Power Train › Driveline › Driveshaft15V782000
Filed Nov 23, 201542 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 M3 Sedan vehicles manufactured May 30, 2015, to September 2, 2015, 2016 M4 Coupe vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to September 11, 2015, and 2015-2016 M4 Convertible vehicles manufactured May 29, 2015, to August 4, 2015. The affected vehicles have a driveshaft with a slip-joint that may not have been filled with grease. As a result, the slip-joint may fail over time.

Risk. If the slip-joint fails, there would be a loss of power to the rear axle and therefore the vehicle would stop moving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driveshaft, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 14, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine
Filed Dec 19, 201920,000 milesCO

THERE'S A KNOWN ISSUE WITH 2015+ BMW F80 M3 S55 ENGINE. THE ISSUE IS THE CRANK HUB SPINNING OUT AND DAMAGING THE CAR. IT LEAVES THE VEHICLE IN A DANGEROUS STATE WHEN DRIVING ON THE ROAD AND TO OTHERS NEAR BY. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS TO STOCK VEHICLES AND MODDED ONES. IF THE CRANK HUB SPINS WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING, IT CAN LEAVE THE CAR IN A DANGEROUS STATE WITH NO POWER. LINKS ABOUT IT: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/RESULTS... SPECIFIC VIDEO THAT EXPLAINS THE CRANK HUB ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL OF A CAR: HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/SJR3ZHEGS_U?T=160 THIS ISSUE HAS PERSONALLY HAPPENED ON MY M3. I WAS COASTING DOWN A HILL TOWARDS A GREEN STOPLIGHT, AND A DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION ERROR POPPED UP ON MY SCREEN. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED IN THE CLUTCH, AND WITHIN 1 SECOND MY ENGINE TURNED OFF. MY CAR WAS LEFT WITH NO POWER, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. I GOT THE CAR HOME BY TOWING IT, THEN USING A WINCH TO GET IT IN MY GARAGE. I USED MY OBD2 READER TO READ THE DTC'S AND ALL THE CODES THAT CAME UP WERE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE CRANK HUB SPINNING. IT WAS DANGEROUS BECAUSE I WAS APPROACHING A BUSY INTERSECTION. I HAD TO PUSH MY CAR OUT OF THE INTERSECTION. I WAS NOT INJURED, I DID NOT CRASH, AND I DID NOT LOSE CONTROL. ALTHOUGH IF I WAS GOING AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED, IT WOULD BE EASY TO LOSE CONTROL FROM THIS ISSUE.

Engine
Filed Dec 18, 201928,000 milesAZ

THE CRANKHUB ON THESE CARS ARE TICKING TIME BOMBS AND IS LIKELY TO FAIL JUST OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY FORCING HUGE REPAIR BILLS. IN SOME CASES, A "LUCKY" FEW JUST NEED TO BE RETIMED AND ONLY REQUIRE 18 HOURS OF LABOR. HOWEVER, OTHERS HAVE NOT BEEN SO LUCKY AND HAVE REQUIRED AN ALL-NEW ENGINE. THIS IS AN ISSUE BMW IS FULLY AWARE OF BUT HAS NOT TAKEN RESPONSBILITY FOR THEIR INSUFFICIENT ENGINEERING.

Engine
Filed Dec 18, 201920,000 milesCO

THERE'S A KNOWN ISSUE WITH 2015+ BMW F80 M3 S55 ENGINE. THE ISSUE IS THE CRANK HUB SPINNING OUT AND DAMAGING THE CAR. IT LEAVES THE VEHICLE IN A DANGEROUS STATE WHEN DRIVING ON THE ROAD AND TO OTHERS NEAR BY. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS TO STOCK VEHICLES AND MODDED ONES. IF THE CRANK HUB SPINS WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING, IT CAN LEAVE THE CAR IN A DANGEROUS STATE WITH NO POWER. LINKS ABOUT IT: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/RESULTS... SPECIFIC VIDEO THAT EXPLAINS THE CRANK HUB ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL OF A CAR: HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/SJR3ZHEGS_U?T=160

Structure › Body
Filed Jul 15, 201948,234 milesFL

KEEP HEARING A KNOCKING SOUND ON DRIVER SIDE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. FEELING VIBRATION UNDER CAR UNDER ACCELERATING AND BREAKING. CARBON FIBER ROOF LAMINATE PEELING OFF.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jun 5, 20183,000 milesCA

I'VE TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN TO THE SERVICE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE I'VE PURCHASED THE CAR BACK IN NOV. 2016. I NOTICED A CLUNKING AND JOLTING SENSATION FROM MY REAR AXLE WHICH I KNEW WAS NOT NORMAL. THE DEALER AFTER DIAGNOSING THE ISSUE TOLD ME IT IS NORMAL AND THERE ISN'T AN ISSUE AT ALL. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH ONLINE AND PERSONAL FRUSTRATION KNOWING I'M PAYING FOR A NEW CAR WHICH DOESN'T FEEL NEW AT ALL, I FOUND THE ATTACHED RECALL NOTICE. MY CAR HAS A PRODUCTION DATE OF MAY 20, 2016 WHICH FALLS IN BETWEEN THE TIMELINE MENTIONED IN THE ATTACHED RECALL MEMO WHICH WILL REQUIRE A REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. ALSO, SEARCHING ONLINE ON THE BMW M3 FORUMS, MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS SIMILAR VEHICLE HAVE SUCH AN ISSUE AND I AM WORRIED THIS MIGHT ALSO POSE A SAFETY THREAT TO ME. FOR THESE REASONS, I AM SUBMITTING THIS FORM HERE.

5 of 5 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2008
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20252000Routine
20231100Routine
20221000Routine
20213300Routine
20189010Routine
20173200Routine
2016 — this page5300Routine
20154300Routine
20140100Routine
201313200Routine
20126300Routine
201131410Routine
201015400Routine
200945500Routine
200882520Routine
20070300Routine
200614500Do not drive
200512300Do not drive
200431300Do not drive
200354510Do not drive
200240510Do not drive
200114400Do not drive
20000200Do not drive
199911100Routine
199814100Routine
199719200Routine
19961100Routine
199512400Routine
19940100Routine
19930100Routine
19920100Routine
19910100Routine
19900100Routine

Compare every M3 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Oct 11, 2018. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.