2021 BMW 3 Series problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 33 owner complaints about the 2021 BMW 3 Series, or 5.7 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.14, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #10 of 85 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other BMW models its rate is 52% lower; against other Luxury sedans it is 17% higher.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2021-12-25 and 2026-09-02. Median delay from incident to filing: 2 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2020) drew 7.8 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2022) drew 1.7 per year, fewer than this one.
The most common problem area is Engine (36.4% of complaints), followed by Electrical (30.3%) and Airbags & seat belts (6.1%). Engine complaints are 1.6 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 4 reports (12.1%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 2 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 58 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (48% of incidents). In the last 12 months 20 new complaints were filed, versus 5 in the 12 months before — up 300%.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.14
- vs. other BMW models0.48
- vs. other 2021 models0.15
- vs. other Luxury sedans1.17
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (4)0.07
- #10 of 85 · 2021Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Engine · Electrical
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 1
- Fires reported: 3
- Injuries: 2
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 58 months
What owners report
The contact owned a 2021 BMW 330i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V056000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2021 BMW 330I. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH and coming to a stop at a red traffic light, the contact started smelling smoke. There was no warning light illuminated.
I am getting error code 21A50A and 216115 which Starter Overheating that can cause fire. Similar error code were coming on other cars and BMW have recalled it the recall number is 26V056.
The contact owns a 2021 BMW 330I. The contact stated that while entering the vehicle, there was an audible alert heard, and a red air bag light was displayed on the instrument panel.
I phoned BMW today for an update on this recall. After 6 months, Manufacturer still does not have a fix or repair for your recall 25V636000 and no solution date. This is completely unacceptable.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2021 · Luxury sedans
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Audi A4 | 12 | 2.1 | 0.05 |
| 2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 15 | 2.6 | 0.06 |
| 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 20 | 3.5 | 0.09 |
| 2021 BMW 5 Series | 27 | 4.7 | 0.12 |
| 2021 BMW 3 Series | 33 | 5.7 | 0.14 |
| 2021 Lexus ES | 35 | 6.0 | 0.15 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.