2024 BMW 3 Series

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
26–29 mpgcombined; city 22–25, highway 31–34; every version of this model year; plug-in hybrid versions on gasoline, 68–73 MPGe on electricity
Five years of fuel
$13,880–$15,480U.S. average; Ohio $13,070–$14,580 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026. Plug-in hybrid versions: $15,250–$15,750, EPA's own estimate for plug-in hybrids: its national gasoline and electricity prices and the share of miles it expects on electricity; not priced for any state
NHTSA overall safety rating
5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
2over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
9filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 9 complaints with NHTSA about the 2024 3 Series. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Unknown or other4202
Engine3301
Electrical system2100
Service brakes2201
Vehicle speed control2200
Air bags1101
Back over prevention1000
Forward collision avoidance1000
Lane departure1000
Power train1100
Steering1101

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 20061,238
  2. 20071,038
  3. 2008686
  4. 2009387
  5. 2010273
  6. 2011892
  7. 2012174
  8. 2013388
  9. 2014403
  10. 2015212
  11. 2016105
  12. 201778
  13. 201873
  14. 201941
  15. 202053
  16. 202133
  17. 202215
  18. 202312
  19. 20249
  20. 20255
  21. 20261

Every 3 Series year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2024 3 Series over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Electrical system: starter assembly

NHTSA campaign 26V056000 · reported Jan 30, 2026 · 87,394 vehicles potentially affected

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Toyota Supra, 2022-2023 2 Series Coupe, 2021-2024 5 Series (xDrive), 2021-2022 Z4, 2022-2024 4 Series (Gran Coupe), 2021-2024 4 Series (Convertible and xDrive Convertible), 2021-2023 4 Series (Coupe), 2021-2024 3 Series, 2021-2023 X4, 2021-2024 X3 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all models. The engine starter may overheat and catch fire due to wear on an internal component.

Risk: Fire increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 24, 2026.

NHTSA's record and documents

Steering

NHTSA campaign 23V770000 · reported Nov 16, 2023 · 201 vehicles potentially affected

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2024 2 Series Coupe (230i), 330i, X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i vehicles. The steering gear may not have been tightened properly, which can allow it to loosen.

Risk: A loose steering gear can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 11, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 70 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2024 3 Series, the latest on Sep 9, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (24), engine (13), unknown or other (7), fuel/propulsion system (5), steering (5).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2024 3 Series.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2024 BMW 3 Seriess for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.

Specs

EPA class: compact cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5–8 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
330e
Rear-Wheel Drive		2.0 L, 4 cyl, turboAutomatic (S8)Premium Gasoline or Electricity
22 miles on electricity, 310 miles in all		24 / 32 / 27 on gasoline
73 MPGe on electricity
330e xDrive
All-Wheel Drive		2.0 L, 4 cyl, turboAutomatic (S8)Premium Gasoline or Electricity
20 miles on electricity, 300 miles in all		22 / 32 / 26 on gasoline
68 MPGe on electricity
330i
Rear-Wheel Drive		2.0 L, 4 cyl, turboAutomatic (S8)Premium Gasoline25 / 34 / 29
330i xDrive
All-Wheel Drive		2.0 L, 4 cyl, turboAutomatic (S8)Premium Gasoline24 / 33 / 27
M340i
Rear-Wheel Drive		3.0 L, 6 cyl, turboAutomatic (S8)Premium Gasoline23 / 31 / 26
M340i xDrive
All-Wheel Drive		3.0 L, 6 cyl, turboAutomatic (S8)Premium Gasoline23 / 31 / 26

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data