2021 BMW 3 Series
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 33 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 17th highest complaint count among 21 3 Series model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 1 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 2 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
No safety recalls on file.
Representative owner complaints: service brakes
2 reports, newest first. Show all
Air bags, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Jan 1, 2025, crash
Going into a parking spot. Applied brakes, then the car did not brake, then it accelerated hitting a Jeep and finally stopped when the driver side front hit a parking barrier and then the air bags deployed. Sudden unintended acceleration was the cause of this accident. Car was totaled.
Steering, Electrical system, Service brakes, May 23, 2024
On 5/22/24 had a catastrophic failure of the Electric Motor Electronics and 12v Battery. I have requested that the BMW Serice Assistant provide me with all affected parts for inspection. Shutdown of the vehicle high voltage system could result in a crash. When this part fails along with the 12v battery you lose control of all vehicle electronics (steering, braking, electrical power, and propulsion). Yes, there was a previous voluntary recall campaign 19V-599s Service Information Bulletin (Revision 2) which replaced SI B12 27 19 dated October 2019 by BMW for this device. The vehicle and component has been inspected by the Richmond BMW Service Technician. I started to experience problems with the vehicle in late April and took it in for servicing and repair in early May. I was told that the problem was a computer programming recall that was fixed.