Total Complaints
15 filings
BMW ACTIVEHYBRID 3 · model year
2013 BMW ACTIVEHYBRID 3
15 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2013BMWACTIVEHYBRID 3 carries 15 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2013 ACTIVEHYBRID 3 is air bags with 4 filings, followed by seat belts (2) and electrical system (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2013 ACTIVEHYBRID 3. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
15
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 4 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| ENGINE | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
Recalls (1)
15V52000017/08/2015
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
BMW North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 320i, 320xi, 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi, and ActiveHybrid3 vehicles manufactured October 20, 2011, to June 22, 2015, 2014-2015 328xi Sports Wagon vehicles manufactured March 21, 2013, to March 17, 2015, 2014-2015 328d, 328xd vehicl
Recent Complaints
20181128AIR BAGS
WASTE GATE RATTLE OR TURBO RATTLE, THE VEHICLE RATTLES DURING COLD START, RATTLE UPON DECELERATION,LOSS OF POWER, CHECK ENGINE ILLUMINATION, MANUFACTURE SPECIFIC OBD TROUPE CODE P30FF, ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON AND OFF AND OFF AFTER REFILLING GAS.THE TURBO CHARGER MUST BE REPLACED.
20181128ENGINE
WASTE GATE RATTLE OR TURBO RATTLE, THE VEHICLE RATTLES DURING COLD START, RATTLE UPON DECELERATION,LOSS OF POWER, CHECK ENGINE ILLUMINATION, MANUFACTURE SPECIFIC OBD TROUPE CODE P30FF, ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON AND OFF AND OFF AFTER REFILLING GAS.THE TURBO CHARGER MUST BE REPLACED.
20181001ENGINE
HIT A POT HOLE FOR THE SECOND TIME BLOW OUT A RIM BUT NOW THE INDICATORS SAY DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTIONS AND WONT START WHO KNOWS WHERE THE OIL GOES KEEPS RUNNING LOW EVEN THOUGH NO LEAKS HAVEN'T SEEN MY CAR IN MONTHS PUT SOMETHING ON THE SEAT IT SAYS TO LOCK SEAT BELT THESE CARS ARE LEMONS WHAT'S WITH ALL THE SENSORS BEFORE SENSORS CARS DIDN'T BREAK DOWN AND IF THEY DID YOU COULD FIX IT YOURSELF
Mileage: 63,567
20181001POWER TRAIN
HIT A POT HOLE FOR THE SECOND TIME BLOW OUT A RIM BUT NOW THE INDICATORS SAY DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTIONS AND WONT START WHO KNOWS WHERE THE OIL GOES KEEPS RUNNING LOW EVEN THOUGH NO LEAKS HAVEN'T SEEN MY CAR IN MONTHS PUT SOMETHING ON THE SEAT IT SAYS TO LOCK SEAT BELT THESE CARS ARE LEMONS WHAT'S WITH ALL THE SENSORS BEFORE SENSORS CARS DIDN'T BREAK DOWN AND IF THEY DID YOU COULD FIX IT YOURSELF
Mileage: 63,567
20181001UNKNOWN OR OTHER
HIT A POT HOLE FOR THE SECOND TIME BLOW OUT A RIM BUT NOW THE INDICATORS SAY DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTIONS AND WONT START WHO KNOWS WHERE THE OIL GOES KEEPS RUNNING LOW EVEN THOUGH NO LEAKS HAVEN'T SEEN MY CAR IN MONTHS PUT SOMETHING ON THE SEAT IT SAYS TO LOCK SEAT BELT THESE CARS ARE LEMONS WHAT'S WITH ALL THE SENSORS BEFORE SENSORS CARS DIDN'T BREAK DOWN AND IF THEY DID YOU COULD FIX IT YOURSELF
Mileage: 63,567
20170405AIR BAGS
DROVE A SHORT DISTANCE WITH A WOMEN'S PURSE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. SINCE THAT TIME, I GET TWO FAULT MESSAGES EVERY TIME I START THE CAR, REGARDING AN ERROR IN THE PASSENGER AIR BAG OR SEAT BELT RESTRAINT SYSTEM. MESSAGE STATES TO ENSURE PASSENGER WEARS SEAT BELT AS THEY AIR BAG MAY NOT OPERATE.
Mileage: 60,000
20170405SEAT BELTS
DROVE A SHORT DISTANCE WITH A WOMEN'S PURSE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. SINCE THAT TIME, I GET TWO FAULT MESSAGES EVERY TIME I START THE CAR, REGARDING AN ERROR IN THE PASSENGER AIR BAG OR SEAT BELT RESTRAINT SYSTEM. MESSAGE STATES TO ENSURE PASSENGER WEARS SEAT BELT AS THEY AIR BAG MAY NOT OPERATE.
Mileage: 60,000
20160726ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I PURCHASED 2013 VEHICLE 3 MONTHS AGO. I HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS W SAME ERROR 4XS - ERROR "DRIVETRAIN - VEHICLE CAN NOT BE RESTARTED" I HAVE BEEN ON FREEWAY AND ON STREET WHEN ERROR HAS OCCURRED. WJEN THIS ERROR OCCURS VEHICLES ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS NO LONGER WORK. VEHICLE CAN STILL BE DRIVEN BUT WITH CAUTION. I AM VERY CONCERNED AND CANNOT TAKE LONG TRIPS AWAY FROM BMW SERVICE LOCATIONS SINCE THIS ERROR APPEARS WITHOUT WARNING. BMW DEALER KEPT VEHICLE FOR MORE THAN 7 DAYS LAST REPAIRS, HOWEVER I STILL HAVE ERROR APPEARING AND VEHICLE IS STILL NOT REPAIRED. DEALER NONCHALANT SINCE WARRANTY IS STILL IN PLACE -- I BELIEVE THEY ARE IGNORING AS NOT TO RELATE DRIVE TRANSMISSION. TOMORROW I HAVE NO VEHICLE SINCE CAR WON'T START. CONTACTED DEALER TO COME AND DELIVER RENTAL VEHICLE. I HAVE TO WORK! ERROR APPEARS WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ALWAYS. I AM CONCERNED WITH MY SAFETY - NOT SURE WHAT ELSE WILL TAKE PLACE WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. TODAY WEATHER WAS 112 AND NO AIR CONDITIONI
Mileage: 24,000
20160726FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I PURCHASED 2013 VEHICLE 3 MONTHS AGO. I HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS W SAME ERROR 4XS - ERROR "DRIVETRAIN - VEHICLE CAN NOT BE RESTARTED" I HAVE BEEN ON FREEWAY AND ON STREET WHEN ERROR HAS OCCURRED. WJEN THIS ERROR OCCURS VEHICLES ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS NO LONGER WORK. VEHICLE CAN STILL BE DRIVEN BUT WITH CAUTION. I AM VERY CONCERNED AND CANNOT TAKE LONG TRIPS AWAY FROM BMW SERVICE LOCATIONS SINCE THIS ERROR APPEARS WITHOUT WARNING. BMW DEALER KEPT VEHICLE FOR MORE THAN 7 DAYS LAST REPAIRS, HOWEVER I STILL HAVE ERROR APPEARING AND VEHICLE IS STILL NOT REPAIRED. DEALER NONCHALANT SINCE WARRANTY IS STILL IN PLACE -- I BELIEVE THEY ARE IGNORING AS NOT TO RELATE DRIVE TRANSMISSION. TOMORROW I HAVE NO VEHICLE SINCE CAR WON'T START. CONTACTED DEALER TO COME AND DELIVER RENTAL VEHICLE. I HAVE TO WORK! ERROR APPEARS WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ALWAYS. I AM CONCERNED WITH MY SAFETY - NOT SURE WHAT ELSE WILL TAKE PLACE WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. TODAY WEATHER WAS 112 AND NO AIR CONDITIONI
Mileage: 24,000
20160726UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I PURCHASED 2013 VEHICLE 3 MONTHS AGO. I HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS W SAME ERROR 4XS - ERROR "DRIVETRAIN - VEHICLE CAN NOT BE RESTARTED" I HAVE BEEN ON FREEWAY AND ON STREET WHEN ERROR HAS OCCURRED. WJEN THIS ERROR OCCURS VEHICLES ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS NO LONGER WORK. VEHICLE CAN STILL BE DRIVEN BUT WITH CAUTION. I AM VERY CONCERNED AND CANNOT TAKE LONG TRIPS AWAY FROM BMW SERVICE LOCATIONS SINCE THIS ERROR APPEARS WITHOUT WARNING. BMW DEALER KEPT VEHICLE FOR MORE THAN 7 DAYS LAST REPAIRS, HOWEVER I STILL HAVE ERROR APPEARING AND VEHICLE IS STILL NOT REPAIRED. DEALER NONCHALANT SINCE WARRANTY IS STILL IN PLACE -- I BELIEVE THEY ARE IGNORING AS NOT TO RELATE DRIVE TRANSMISSION. TOMORROW I HAVE NO VEHICLE SINCE CAR WON'T START. CONTACTED DEALER TO COME AND DELIVER RENTAL VEHICLE. I HAVE TO WORK! ERROR APPEARS WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ALWAYS. I AM CONCERNED WITH MY SAFETY - NOT SURE WHAT ELSE WILL TAKE PLACE WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. TODAY WEATHER WAS 112 AND NO AIR CONDITIONI
Mileage: 24,000
20140702ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
AT LEAST UP TO 5 ISSUES WITH THE BACK UP AND FRONT CAMERA SYSTEMS, AND AN ISSUE WITH THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE CAMERA SYSTEMS ARE ESPECIALLY TROUBLING SINCE THE GO OUT AT RANDOM. THE LAST TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENTIRE CAMERA MODULE SYSTEM AND THE ISSUE CAME UP AGAIN. *TR
Mileage: 11,000
20140312AIR BAGS
THE VEHICLE COMPUTER STATES THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG(S). I HAVE DROPPED OFF THE CAR AT THE DEALER AND ITS BEEN A WEEK NOW AND THERE IS NO SOLUTION YET. I READ A SIMILAR ISSUE FROM ANOTHER 2013 ACTIVEHYBRID 3 OWNER ON THIS SITE. DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT'S A RARE CASE AND THEY ARE CALLING ENGINEERS TO CHECK IT OUT. STILL WAITING... *TR
Mileage: 18,000
20140124AIR BAGS
WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING, I WAS BOMBARDED WITH DRIVER'S AIRBAG AND SEAT BELT FAULTS, INFORMING ME OF "MALFUNCTION IN SEAT BELT, AIR BAGS, OR BELT TENSIONER. CONTINUE WEARING SEATBELT, CONSULT NEAREST SERVICE CENTER". VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH FAULTS FOR "DRIVER'S SEAT BELT TENSIONER - LINE CONNECTED INCORRECTLY" AND "BATTERY SAFETY TERMINAL 2 - LINE CONNECTED INCORRECTLY". BMW CORPORATE INSTRUCTED RUNNING NEW REPLACEMENT WIRING FROM THE BATTERY, AND I WAS TOLD BY CUSTOMER RELATIONS THAT BMW STANDS BEHIND THIS PRODUCT AND THEY OFFERED A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO BUY MY SATISFACTION. I INFORMED BMW THAT AS A FORMER AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER, I FIND THE REPAIR JOB TO BE INCONSISTENT WITH THE FAULT AND EXPECT THE ERROR TO RETURN. BMW DID NOT RESPOND, AND SURELY ENOUGH ONE WEEK LATER I STARTED THE CAR TO FIND THE SAME TWO FAULT LIGHTS ON AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE IS BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP. BMW IS ATTEMPTING TO REPLACE ADDITIONAL PARTS IN THE CAR INCLUDING THE ACTIVE CRASH SAFETY MODULE, LEAVING
Mileage: 16,000
20140124SEAT BELTS
WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING, I WAS BOMBARDED WITH DRIVER'S AIRBAG AND SEAT BELT FAULTS, INFORMING ME OF "MALFUNCTION IN SEAT BELT, AIR BAGS, OR BELT TENSIONER. CONTINUE WEARING SEATBELT, CONSULT NEAREST SERVICE CENTER". VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH FAULTS FOR "DRIVER'S SEAT BELT TENSIONER - LINE CONNECTED INCORRECTLY" AND "BATTERY SAFETY TERMINAL 2 - LINE CONNECTED INCORRECTLY". BMW CORPORATE INSTRUCTED RUNNING NEW REPLACEMENT WIRING FROM THE BATTERY, AND I WAS TOLD BY CUSTOMER RELATIONS THAT BMW STANDS BEHIND THIS PRODUCT AND THEY OFFERED A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO BUY MY SATISFACTION. I INFORMED BMW THAT AS A FORMER AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER, I FIND THE REPAIR JOB TO BE INCONSISTENT WITH THE FAULT AND EXPECT THE ERROR TO RETURN. BMW DID NOT RESPOND, AND SURELY ENOUGH ONE WEEK LATER I STARTED THE CAR TO FIND THE SAME TWO FAULT LIGHTS ON AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE IS BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP. BMW IS ATTEMPTING TO REPLACE ADDITIONAL PARTS IN THE CAR INCLUDING THE ACTIVE CRASH SAFETY MODULE, LEAVING
Mileage: 16,000
20130911SERVICE BRAKES
DURING LOW SPEED BRAKING BRAKE PEDAL FEELS HARD, BUT PRESSING HARDER DOES NOT STOP CAR. YOU FEEL LIKE YOU LOST CONTROL OF THE BRAKES. CAR WILL ROLL AND SLOWLY DECELERATE, BUT NOT ENOUGH. AFTER A FEW FEET OF SLOW DECELERATION, BRAKES KICK IN AND PROVIDE A LARGE BITE WHICH STOPS THE CAR. *TR
Compare 2013BMWACTIVEHYBRID 3 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2013 BMW ACTIVEHYBRID 3 have?▼
The 2013 BMW ACTIVEHYBRID 3 has 15 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2013 BMW ACTIVEHYBRID 3?▼
Yes, the 2013 BMW ACTIVEHYBRID 3 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is EXTERIOR LIGHTING. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 BMW ACTIVEHYBRID 3?▼
The most-complained component for the 2013 BMW ACTIVEHYBRID 3 is AIR BAGS with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2013 BMW ACTIVEHYBRID 3 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.