Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Real-world fuel consumption
27,592 BMW 3 Series cars first registered in Europe in 2023 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Diesel hybrid versions use 6.5 l/100 km on the road against 5.4 in the WLTP test (+21%).
| Fuel | Cars | On the road | WLTP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 5,508 | 8.0 | 6.9 | +16% |
| Petrol hybrid | 249 | 10.3 | 8.3 | +24% |
| Diesel | 477 | 6.7 | 5.7 | +18% |
| Diesel hybrid | 14,607 | 6.5 | 5.4 | +21% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 6,751 | 6.6 | 1.5 | +329% |
Litres per 100 km from the cars' own fuel meters (OBFCM), collected in 2024; the year is the year of first registration. All years together · European Environment Agency · CC BY 4.0
Engines
The most common engines in 2023 BMW 3 Series cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 hybrid (135 kW, 181 hp), 2.0 hybrid (120 kW, 161 hp) and 2.0 petrol (115 kW, 154 hp), out of 8 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 hybrid | 135 kW 181 hp | 1,213 |
| 2.0 hybrid | 120 kW 161 hp | 1,160 |
| 2.0 petrol | 115 kW 154 hp | 368 |
| 2.0 petrol | 135 kW 181 hp | 209 |
| 2.0 petrol | 180 kW 241 hp | 145 |
| 3.0 hybrid | 275 kW 369 hp | 115 |
| 2.0 hybrid | 110 kW 148 hp | 27 |
| 2.0 hybrid | 140 kW 188 hp | 26 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
3,300 first registered in 2023 are on Dutch roads; 37% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €64,516.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde31
- Band beschadigd19
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld11
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm8
- Band onvoldoende profiel6
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage5
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht4
- Band vertoont uitstulping(en)4
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
9,893 cars built in 2023 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 51 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
523 of these cars first registered in 2023 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 33,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
158 2023 cars are on the New Zealand register; 2% arrived as used imports, 97% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
5 Transport Canada recalls for the 2023 BMW 3 Series.
| 2026331 8 Jul 2026 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine starter may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the starter could overheat. Note: This recall is an exp… |
| 2026040 30 Jan 2026 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine starter may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the starter could overheat. Safety Risk: A starter … |
| 2024544 15 Aug 2024 | Label Issue: On certain vehicles, the tire and loading information label does not list that there is no spare tire in both official languages. The label reads as "N… |
| 2023646 6 Dec 2023 | Powertrain Issue: On certain vehicles, the integrated transmission control unit (ITCU) may not be sealed properly. As a result, transmission oil could leak into the uni… |
| 2023093 24 Feb 2023 | Electrical Issue: This recall is for certain vehicles that had the body domain controller (BDC) electronic control unit (ECU) replaced during a dealer service visit. … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota GR Supra, 3 Series Sedan (330i xDrive, M340i xDrive, M3), 5 Series Sedan (530i, 530i xDrive, M5), 4 Series Gran Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive), 4 Series Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive), 4 Series Convertible (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive), 8 Series Coupe (840i, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Convertible (840i, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Gran Coupe (850i xDrive, M8), X3 SAV (X3 xDrive30i, X3M), X4 SAV (X4 xDrive30i), X5 SAV (X5 xDrive40i, X5 M50i, X5M), X6 SAV (X6 xDrive40i, X6 M50i, X6M), and Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i vehicles. The weld seam of the integrated transmission control unit's cover may not have been manufactured properly, which could allow automatic transmission oil to leak into the transmission control unit.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What BMW told its dealers about the 2023 BMW 3 Series: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11006766 | There is a jerking or shuddering during either or both of the following: Cornering or accelerating from low speeds Driving with low to medium loads There are no warning lights or Check Control messages. |
| 11002861 | A rattling/ droning noise is heard in the vehicle interior when the air conditioning (AC) is activated. Vibrationsare felt in the drivers footwell. |
| 11000616 | The Central information Display (CID) screen goes black and the Headunit (HU-H3) resets sporadically.After a short period of time, the function of the CID and HU-H3 is available again. Additionally, fault code B7F8F9 HU-H: Reset will be stored in the HU-H3. The issue may occur multiple times while driving longer distances. CAUSE Unfavorable |
| 11000563 | At low outside temperatures (below 40 degrees F) and slow driving speeds (i.e. when parking, maneuvering)with a large steering angle, the front end can be slightly axially misaligned. |
| 11000529 | In vehicles that are not mapped to a BMW ID, the manual time setting option is not selectable (greyed-out)in the System Settings menu. Time cannot be manually set in the vehicle. |
| 11000500 | There is a jerking or shuddering during either or both of the following: Cornering or accelerating from low speeds Driving with low to medium loads There are no warning lights or Check Control messages. |
| 10253731 | Certain vehicles with a Wireless Charging Tray installed may experience operation issues with ComfortAccess or remote functions. |
| 10252038 | Check Control message (CCM) indicates: (ID 213): Stop, exercising due care. Voltage supply The Service Engine Soon light is on with the following DME Fault Code: 21B209 - Starter alternator / belt for 48V system (OSA_RIEMEN_RISS): Belt betweenCombustion engine and starter generator torn And/or one or more of the following other issues are also occurring: Noise in the area of the belt drive. Odor from the engine compartment. Smoke formation in the area of the belt drive. Drive belt damaged or prematurely worn. Torn drive belt. |
| 10250374 | An interference noise (groaning noise) can be heard from within the heating and air-conditioning unit in thecenter of the instrument panel. The groaning noise always occurs when either a ventilation flap, air stratification flap or the recirculated airflap moves to a different position. Due to the complex design of the heating and air-conditioning unit, the kinematics causing it (top or bottom,left or right) may not be able to be precisely located. Depending on the vehicle model, the number of servomotors (and the associated kinematics unit) varies.Various models use either 2 or 3 servomoto |
| 10249437 | The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. |
| 10249032 | The Central Information Display goes black intermittently due to resets of the Head Unit (HU-H3). FaultB7F8F9 HU-H: Reset will be stored in the HU-H3. |
| 10249027 | The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle discharged battery complaints. |
| 10249023 | Customer states one of the front seats is inoperative. The seat heater and power supply are inoperative. During the vehicle test, the seat module does not respond. The power supply fuse for the seat module isfound to have blown. |
| 10249018 | At low outside temperatures (below 40 degrees F) and slow driving speeds (i.e. when parking, maneuvering)with a large steering angle, the front end can be slightly axially misaligned. This can be felt (jerking)/ heard via an acoustic acknowledgement (clunk) as seen at the 11 second mark of the video. See attached video V36 01 21. |
| 10249015 | A vehicle arrives at your center to be diagnosed for a micro-leak in the fuel evaporative (EVAP) system(NVLD natural vacuum leak detection). For this condition, the following fault is stored in the DME: 190302 - fuel tank ventilation and scavenging air system, micro-leak: leakage more than 0.5mm For: Model vehicles other that the ones listed above, or for EVAP faults related to a large leak, after confirming that the fuel filler cap is fitted properly, then, proceed to follow the corresponding test plan |
| 10246223 | BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective November 17, 2023) on certain Model Year 2024 BMWvehicles that were produced between August 18, 2023, and September 29, 2023. Do not deliver to a customer, a New, Certified Pre-Owned or Used vehicle subject to a Delivery Stop,until the vehicle is repaired. Do not use or sell replacement equipment/parts subject to a DeliveryStop. The bulletin will be updated when additional information becomes available. |
| 10245367 | Check Control message (CCM) indicates: (ID 213): Stop, exercising due care. Voltage supply The Service Engine Soon light is on with the following DME Fault Code: 21B209 - Starter alternator / belt for 48V system (OSA_RIEMEN_RISS): Belt betweenCombustion engine and starter generator torn And/or one or more of the following other issues are also occurring: Noise in the area of the belt drive. Odor from the engine compartment. Smoke formation in the area of the belt drive. Drive belt damaged or prematurely worn. Torn drive belt. |
| 10242970 | BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective September 28, 2023) on certain Model Year 2023 BMWvehicles that were produced between January 23, 2023, and June 15, 2023. |
| 10242967 | BMW AG has requested the inspection of all dealer stock of the following part number(s) listed below to ensure the spacer is conformed to drawing. |
| 10242879 | A groaning noise is present from the door frame of any door, most commonly when driving over rough roadsor during body flex. This situation may be worse in vehicles which are regularly waxed in the area of the door jamb. Note: This service information bulletin contains diagnostic and repair information which was previouslyincluded in an NED test plan that has been removed. |
| 10242874 | Customers may be experiencing one or more of these following issues with Bluetooth operation: Bluetooth cannot be switched on or off in the head unit (HU-H4) Paired mobile devices cannot be deleted Customer is unable to make phone calls or stream music with mobile device Customer is unable to connect a new mobile device via Bluetooth Mobile device does not automatically reconnect via Bluetooth in the next drive cycle (after short sleep cycle) |
| 10242870 | Intermittently the GPS location in 3 Party Navigation Apps (i.e., Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze) will drift fromthe correct location. In addition, the location of the vehicle in the My BMW app may be incorrect. BMW Navigation isnot affected. |
| 10240273 | This is the companion to SPL Parts, Inc.'s SB 23-01 mailed by private label independent distributor Turner Motorsports. |
| 10240266 | SPL Parts, Inc. manufacturers and distributes aftermarket lower control arms for dedicated competition vehicles and "track day" cars some of which may be used on both track and highway. SB 23-01 adresses proper installation torque of cap bolt fasteners attaching SPL's aftermarket lower control arms, recurring inspection and confirmation of torque setting and removal and replacement of damaged or under torqued fasteners to reduce risk of premature failure and accident. SB-23-01 was mailed, emailed and posted on SPL website to known resellers, race teams and users of the affected parts and is b |
| 10236398 | Central information display. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)