NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 BMW 3 Series. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
THIS CAR DOESN'T HAVE A WAY FOR DRIVERS TO PUT THE GEAR IN NEUTRAL IF THE ELECTRICAL PANEL AND THE ENGINE IS DEAD. I WAS IN THE FLOODED AREA IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND FELT SCARED WHEN BIG TRUCKS PASSED ME SIDE BY SIDE. EVEN THE SHERIFF WHO HELPED ME COULDN'T FIND IT IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. I HAVE A 12 MONTHS OLD GRANDSON AND I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR.
2018 BMW 330 IX. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE CONTINENTAL RUN FLAT TIRES ON VEHICLE BLEW OUT AND AS A RESULT CAUSED DAMAGE TO RIMS ON VEHICLE. CONSUMER IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR DAMAGED RIMS. *LD *JS
CAR MAKING A EXPLOSIVE, CRANKING MECHANICAL NOISE UPON UNLOCKING THE CAR BEFORE YOU EVEN OPEN THE DOOR. THERE SEEMS TO BE A FUEL PUMP MAKING NOISE FROM INSIDE A GAS TANK. BMW AUTHORIZED DEALERS ACKNOWLEDGED THE NOISE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A "HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP" AND REFER TO THIS AS "NORMAL" I BELIEVE THE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM IN THIS CAR AND OTHER SIMILAR MODELS ARE THE RESULT OF DEFECTIVE COMPONENT(S) AND/OR A RESULT OF A FLAWED ENGINEERING. THIS NOISE HOWEVER CONTINUES ON WITH A HUMMING/BUZZING SOUNDS FOR SEVERAL MINUTES WHICH ALSO EFFECTS THE CAR'S OVERALL PERFORMANCE WHICH SEEMS TO BE CAUSING THE CAR TO PERFORM AT A DIMINISHED LEVEL OVERALL WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT AFFECT VEHICLE'S OVERALL SAFETY COMPONENTS SUCH AS BRAKES AND OTHER CONTROL APPARATUS. AT TIMES, UPON UNLOCKING THE CAR, IT FEELS AND VERY WELL SOUNDS LIKE THE VEHICLE IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE?! AND THIS BY ITSELF CAUSING A GRAVE CONCERN AND I FEEL THAT IT MUST BE INVESTIGATED, ESPECIALLY THAT BMW HAS BEEN RELUCTANT/UNABLE TO REPAIR DESPITE REPEATED 8 ATTEMPTS WITH CAR BEING IN SERVICE FOR OVER 30 DAYS. THIS CAR IS STILL UNDER MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. ALL REPAIR ORDERS HAVE BEEN DONE AT BMW AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP. ALL REPAIR ORDER DOCUMENTS AS WELL AS A SHORT 15 SECONDS VIDEO CLIP ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
WAS ON A ROAD TRIP, DROVE 600 MILES PREVIOUS DAY. NEXT DAY EVENING, PIRELLI RUN FLAT TIRE BLOWS OUT ON A FREEWAY. I HAD JUST PASSED THE TOLL PLAZA AND WAS ACCELERATING TO MERGE WITH THE TRAFFIC. RUN FLAT REINFORCED SIDEWALLS SHOULD'VE ALLOWED THE TIRES TO BE USABLE EVEN AT 0 PSI BUT I EXPERIENCED SEVERE VIBRATION COMING THROUGH THE CHASSIS, CAR PULLING TO THE LEFT AND EMITTING A TERRIBLE GRINDING NOISE THAT FELT TERRIBLE AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. DESPITE APPEARING FINE AT FIRST GLANCE, THE TIRE WAS ACTUALLY SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE INNER SIDEWALL HAD A LARGE GASH. THE CAR WAS FINALLY TOWED TO A BMW SERVICE STATION AND THE ONLY OPTION WAS TO REPLACE THE TIRE. IN THE MEANTIME, THE BMW IDRIVE INFOTAINMENT DISPLAY SAID I COULD SAFELY DRIVE 50 MPH FOR 50 MILES.
I WAS ON THE CAPITAL BELTWAY OUTSIDE WASHINGTON DC GOING ABOUT 60 MPH AND MY SUNROOF SUDDENLY SHATTERED. IT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY BECAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT GOING OFF. IT WAS A VERY HOT DAY, LOW 90S. LUCKILY I HAD JUST CLOSED THE SUN VISOR SO THE GLASS DID NOT POUR DOWN ON ME OR MY PASSENGERS. WHEN WE PULLED OVER, WE FOUND A LARGE HOLE IN THE FRONT PANEL OF THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF AND SHATTERED GLASS SITTING ON THE FABRIC SUN VISOR.THE REMAINING GLASS WAS CRACKLED. I JUST GOT THIS CAR, BRAND NEW, 2 WEEKS AGO AND I KNOW IT HAD BEEN IN A HAIL STORM AND HAD DENTS THAT HAD TO BE REPAIRED JUST BEFORE I LEASED IT. I'M SUSPICIOUS THAT HE HAIL STORM MAY HAVE DAMAGED THE SUNROOF GLASS AS WELL.
VEHICLE HAD 300 MILES ON IT. ALL POWER WENT OUT IN THE VEHICLE INCLUDING THE STEERING GOING STRAIGHT 45MPH WITH MY SMALL CHILD IN THE CAR. ALMOST DIED, BUT WAS ABLE TO CONTROL CAR TO GET IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ALMOST GETTING HIT HEAD ON. CALLED BMW FROM WITHIN THE CAR AND WENT LATER THAT DAY TO GET A LOANER. I REFUSED TO TAKE BACK CAR DUE TO SAFETY ISSUES. AFTER A WEEK OF THEM "FIXING" IT THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A MAIN CONTROL PANEL FOR THE FUEL PUMP THAT WENT OUT. I DO SEE THROUGH WHEN CHECKING RECALLS FOR 2018 BMWS THAT THERE WAS ONE ISSUED FOR A PUMP, BUT NOT UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2018. THIS HAPPENED TO ME IN MARCH OF 2018, SO IF IT IS THE SAME ISSUE THE RECALL SHOULD BE SHORTENED.
WHEN REAR WINDOWS ARE DOWN, THERE IS A LOUD REVERBERATING ROARING SOUND THAT THAT INCREASES W SPEED AND IS VERY DISTRACTING TO DRIVER. IT IS A RECURRING PROBLEM ON 330I EVEN ONES BEFORE 2018. BMW SERVICE MANAGER SAY IT IS A DESIGN DEFECT.
AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY IN SERIOUS ACCIDENT CAUSING INJURY. VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING WHEN STUCK IN FRONT LEFT BUMPER BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MPH