Total Complaints
43 filings
BMW 3-SERIES · model year
43 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2010BMW3-SERIES carries 43 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2010 3-SERIES is air bags with 10 filings, followed by engine (6) and electrical system (5). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 4 investigation files overlapping the 2010 3-SERIES. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
Total Complaints
43 filings
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 10 |
| ENGINE | 6 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 5 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| TIRES | 2 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 1 |
AIR BAG LIGHT JUST CAME ON, HAD IT CHECKED BUT STILL THERE
Mileage: 85,000
FOUND A BROKEN BOLT OF THE INTAKE CYLINDER HEAD, WAS BROKE WITHOUT ANY REASON. I NOT THE ONLY ONE, FOUND THIS VIDEO. HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=A7HIZIB96PQ THERE ARE 3 MORE BOLTS INSIDE THE CYLINDER HEAD THAT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE ON THE ENGINE IF BROKEN.
Mileage: 100,000
TAKATA RECALL - I THINK AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS ARE ON ALL THE TIME. BMW SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL AFFECTING THIS. BOTH STATIONARY AND MOVING.
Mileage: 103,000
TAKATA RECALL - I THINK AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS ARE ON ALL THE TIME. BMW SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL AFFECTING THIS. BOTH STATIONARY AND MOVING.
Mileage: 103,000
TAKATA RECALL - I THINK AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS ARE ON ALL THE TIME. BMW SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL AFFECTING THIS. BOTH STATIONARY AND MOVING.
Mileage: 103,000
TAKATA RECALL - I THINK AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS ARE ON ALL THE TIME. BMW SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL AFFECTING THIS. BOTH STATIONARY AND MOVING.
Mileage: 103,000
TOO LONG TO REMEDY
IN NOVEMBER 2017, BMW SENT ME LETTERS REGARDING POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARDS DUE TO DEFECTS OF THE BLOWER MOTOR WIRING AND THE PCV VALVE HEATER (RECALL NUMBERS 17V-676 AND 17V-683). NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED AND NO REPAIR OFFERED TO CORRECT POSSIBLE DEFECTS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED NO PROBLEM RELATED TO THESE PARTS. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE SERIOUS NATURE OF THESE ISSUES, BMW SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO RECALL AND REPAIR AFFECTED CARS PROMPTLY.
TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL
BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRE TREAD SEPARATING FROM THE TIRE - DELIMITATION? NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING IN ARIZONA. TIRE APPEARS TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT TREAD LEFT AND STILL HOLDS AIR. SEE PHOTO.
Mileage: 53,000
TAKATA RECALL. I AM STILL WAITING FOR MY AIRBAG TO BE REPLACED.
Mileage: 60,000
FAULTY FUEL INJECTORS. KNOWN PROBLEM AT BMW AND MECHANICS. BMW HAS OFFERED AN "LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION". WHY WASN'T IT A FULL RECALL? MY VEHICLE WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT. I'M REPORTING IT ONLY AS A CONCERN.
Mileage: 80,000
TAKATA RECALL. THE RECALL WAS ISSUED IN FEBRUARY 2016. IT IS NOW ALMOST AUGUST 2017. 18 MONTHS FOR A SAFETY RECALL IS BEYOND REASONABLE TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE.
Mileage: 52,300
TAKATA RECALL.
"TAMARA RECALL" - AFTER CALLING MY DEALER TO ASK WHEN MY CAR WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF I STILL HAVE NOT BEEN INFORMED ABOUT WHEN THAT WILL HAPPEN. I RECEIVED MY RECALL LETTER EARLY LAST YEAR. IT SEEMS TO ME AS THOUGH SOMEONE IS DRAGGING THEIR FEET. MAYBE YOUR AGENCY NEEDS TO LIGHT A FIRE UNDER THOSE INVOLVED IN EXPEDITING THIS RECALL FULFILLMENT.
TAKATA RECALL BMW PROMISED TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE AIR BAG IN 2016 LATE SUMMER. BUT NOW IT IS JANUARY, 2017. THEY STILL HAVEN'T PROVIDED PARTS TO GET IT FIXED IN A TIMELY MANNER. I CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY ARE JUST GIVING BS. THERE ARE 17 SIMILAR CUSTOMERS LIKE ME WAITING FOR PARTS. BMW SHOULD NOT ALLOW TO SELL ANY NEW CARS IN NC UNTIL WE GET THE PARTS. BECAUSE ALL NEW CAR COMES WITH NEW AIR BAG. IF THEY CAN SELL NEW CAR, THEY SHOULD HAVE AIR BAG. SO WHY NOT PUT THE SAFETY OF EXISTING CUSTOMER IN THE HIGHEST PRIORITY? *TR
CATALYTIC PERMANENT FAILURE-REPLACE, 08MAY14, 30KMILES. OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACE, 16JUN14, 30KMILES. EXTREME CARBON BUILD UP-WALNUT BLAST CYLINDERS,CLEAN INTAKE&EXHAUST SIDE, 23MAR15, 35KMILES. REPLACE INJECTOR, 08APR15, 35K MILES. REPLACE NOX SENSOR, 17APR15, 29KMILES. DIESEL ACTIVE TANK FAILURE 28 SEPT 15, 37K MILES. CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE-PART ON BACK ORDER, 28SEPT15, 37KMILES. DSC REAR SENSOR FAILURE,07DEC15, 38K MILES. ABOVE ENGINE AND RELATED EMISSIONS FAULTS CAUSED POOR MILEAGE AND POOR ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND EXPENSIVE REPAIRS, LIKELY TO BE NEEDED AGAIN-SPECIFICALLY WALNUT BLASTING. PER BMW PROBLEM CAUSED DUE TO CAR BEING DRIVEN IN CITY AND NOT HIGHWAY, "TO BLOW IT OUT"- LUCKILY NO ACCIDENTS
CATALYTIC PERMANENT FAILURE-REPLACE, 08MAY14, 30KMILES. OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACE, 16JUN14, 30KMILES. EXTREME CARBON BUILD UP-WALNUT BLAST CYLINDERS,CLEAN INTAKE&EXHAUST SIDE, 23MAR15, 35KMILES. REPLACE INJECTOR, 08APR15, 35K MILES. REPLACE NOX SENSOR, 17APR15, 29KMILES. DIESEL ACTIVE TANK FAILURE 28 SEPT 15, 37K MILES. CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE-PART ON BACK ORDER, 28SEPT15, 37KMILES. DSC REAR SENSOR FAILURE,07DEC15, 38K MILES. ABOVE ENGINE AND RELATED EMISSIONS FAULTS CAUSED POOR MILEAGE AND POOR ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND EXPENSIVE REPAIRS, LIKELY TO BE NEEDED AGAIN-SPECIFICALLY WALNUT BLASTING. PER BMW PROBLEM CAUSED DUE TO CAR BEING DRIVEN IN CITY AND NOT HIGHWAY, "TO BLOW IT OUT"- LUCKILY NO ACCIDENTS
WHEN DRIVING ON PA-401, I APPROACHED STOP SIGN AT PA-82. MY SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, SLOWING TO MAKE A ROUTINE STOP. WHEN APPROACHING THE INTERSECTION AT LOW SPEED, I STARTED HEARING A PULSING THUMP FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. DROVE SLOWLY HOME AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A BMW DEALER. IT TURNED OUT THAT THE TWO ALUMINIUM ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR SNAPPED. THIS MEANT THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT PROPERLY FASTENED TO THE FRAME - A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS SHOULD NOT SNAP FOR NO REASON. AND BMW SHOULD COVER THEIR REPLACEMENT (PARTS AND LABOR) AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER. (MY CAR WAS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED, SO I ONLY HAD A $50 OUT OF POCKET COST, BUT ONCE IT EXPIRES LATER THIS YEAR, MY COST WOULD HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER, NOT TO MENTION THE DANGER OF DRIVING A CAR WITH A BOUNCING, UNSECURED ENGINE)
Mileage: 68,000
PASSENGER SIDE REAR TURN SIGNAL CEASED TO FUNCTION....UPDATED 03/31/15 *BF THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TAIL LIGHT. IT WAS JUST A LOOSE CONNECTION.
Mileage: 58,511
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2010 BMW 3-SERIES; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.