2002 BMW M3: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2002 BMW M3
On the 2002 BMW M3, the failure owners report most often is other engine problem, with 9 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 77,500 miles. Overall it scores 64 out of 100, high risk for a 2002.
High risk for a 2002 — 235th riskiest of the 329 2002 vehicles we can rate. 48 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 16 named failure modes on the 2002 BMW M3, and the three most-reported carry 48% of everything filed.
Other engine problem leads with 9 reports and about 0.5 per 1,000 vehicles.
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure follows with 7 reports, median 115,000 miles.
Other powertrain problem follows with 7 reports, median 55,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into engine (12), suspension (8) and transmission (7).
The mileage the reports cluster at
33 of the reports on the 2002 BMW M3 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 77,500 miles.
Cumulatively, 27% by 50,000 miles, 76% by 100,000 miles and 91% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 80,000 and 90,000 miles, which alone holds 21% of the dated reports.
24% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 16. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 2 mention a crash and 1 a fire. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.29, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other engine problem at $300–$4,000, control arm, ball joint or bushing failure at $400–$2,200, other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500 and steering column or shaft failure at $600–$2,500. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
40% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other engine problem | engine | 9 | 4 | — | 67k | — | 0.5 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 7 | 7 | — | 115k | — | 0.4 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 7 | 6 | — | 56k | — | 0.4 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 3 | 3 | — | 15k | — | 0.2 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 2 | 2 | — | 142k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 2 | 2 | — | 125k | — | 0.1 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 2 | 2 | — | 42k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 2 | 2 | — | 66k | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Complete engine failure or seizure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $4,500–$12,000 | Critical |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Engine knock or bearing noise | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $2,500–$9,000 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 1 | 1 | — | 84k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 86k | — | 0.1 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 4 | 3 | — | 60k | — | 0.2 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2002 BMW M3 draws about 2.5 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 75th percentile of complaint rates among 2002 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 19,133 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2002 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other engine problem
Bmw has had a rash of engine failures on their new e46 m3's. These failures usually (im my case and many others) has resulted in the engine actually blowing up. This is probably one of the most dangerous failures that could happen. Oil dumps all over the road, things lock up and you could easily lose control. Fortunately for me, I was able to get off the road and no one else was involved. Bmw has been replacing these motors under warranty, but will not disclose the reason for the failures or what has been fixed to insure it does not happen again. I have sent request to bmw asking for and official response to my particular failure and what has been done to fix it on the replacement motor. I have not received any response from bmw as of today. I have received e-mails from other concerned m3 owners stating that replacement motors have been know to fail also. I cannot afford to have another engine blow. I might not be so lucky the next time. What worries me most is that bmw seems to be ignoring the problem. Eventually someone is going to get hurt or killed. *ts *nlm **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis*768014
I own a 2002 bmw m3. There are six camshaft bolts behind a plate cover. Bmw speced bolts that were too soft until 2004 when they changed bolt spec to a hardened steel with loctite. Prior to this the bolts had no loctite. The issue is starting to surface all over the web. The failure is that the bolts do not stay screwed in. They back out and stop against the plate cover. Eventually they shear off and if this happens it causes catastrophic failure to your engine. In my case I was going 15mph so the damage was only $10,000. The car hammered to a stop. Bmw is refusing to acknowledge the issue suggesting out of warranty. My concern is that I have 60k on the car when the issue occurred first. A p0011 camshaft timing fault comes up. A bmw service center cleared the fault and replaced some coils and sparkplugs ($663) and sent me on my way. Three days later the bolts sheared. The dealership said they "had never seen this before". They also said bmw had issued no bulletins to address the bolts. Every independent bmw facility I interviewed in portland was well aware of the issue and already doing engine rebuilds for their customers. I think…
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure
After 2.5 years of ownership of vehicle a slight "clunk" coming from the rear of the vehicle is noticed when moving forward from a stop some times. Within a few weeks the "clunk" became louder and occurred more often. In addition the a loud "bang" accompanied by vibrations would come from the rear when going over speed-bumps. During this time the car began feeling unsafe when on hills or in the rain. If I was on a hill and started moving forward I feared after the large "clunk" a major failure could lead to the car losing its rear drivetrain or suspension and falling backwards. I also felt the car was not safe in the rain and the rear of the car would shift around when under load or accelerating. I took the car to a local repair shop and was told the rear subframe was tearing at multiple points. I was told this was a common manufacturer defect of the bmw 3-series that has been a problem for over 15 years and newer model cars would tear the entire floorpan out. The repair is costly and the shop said they would not warranty or guarantee any repair of this part as it is a manufacturer defect. I contacted bmw na and they had a…
After 2.5 years of ownership of vehicle a slight "clunk" coming from the rear of the vehicle is noticed when moving forward from a stop some times. Within a few weeks the "clunk" became louder and occurred more often. In addition the a loud "bang" accompanied by vibrations would come from the rear when going over speed-bumps. During this time the car began feeling unsafe when on hills or in the rain. If I was on a hill and started moving forward I feared after the large "clunk" a major failure could lead to the car losing its rear drivetrain or suspension and falling backwards. I also felt the car was not safe in the rain and the rear of the car would shift around when under load or accelerating. I took the car to a local repair shop and was told the rear subframe was tearing at multiple points. I was told this was a common manufacturer defect of the bmw 3-series that has been a problem for over 15 years and newer model cars would tear the entire floorpan out. The repair is costly and the shop said they would not warranty or guarantee any repair of this part as it is a manufacturer defect. I contacted bmw na and they had a…
Other powertrain problem
The transmission has failed 4 times. It has been repaired 4 times with no effect. The dealer drove it over 300 mile to "test drive" the car. Bmw does not respond with anything but rhetoric and poor service. Other owners have had their engines literally blow up! Bmw is a terriblel company with defective products and poor service. *nlm
2002 bmw m3, repeated smg transmission failures rendering the vehicle inoperable. Bmw has no idea what is causing the problem. Bmw also damaged the vehicle trying to retrive it for yet another repair attempt. It may have started itself without the key in it while the tow truck was picking it up. Bmw is in a constant state of denial. Vehicle has been in the dealer 6 weeks now and counting and it has less than 8000 miles on it.
Recalls on the 2002 model year
NHTSA has issued 5 recall campaigns covering the 2002 BMW M3, affecting an estimated 43,946 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module, air bags and air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
292,948 vehicles 2020-01-15- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2005 323iT, 325iT, 325xiT, 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 330i and 330xi and 2000-2006 323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci, 330Ci, M3 Coupe, 323Cic, 325Cic, 330Cic, and M3 Convertible vehicles equipped with non-desiccated frontal Takata PSAN inflators and PSPI passenger frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high…
- Consequence
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger's front air bag, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
AIR BAGS
574,007 vehicles 2018-06-11- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000 323i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sports Wagons; 2000 328i sedans and coupes; 2001-2005 325i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sport Wagons; 2001-2005 325xi sedans and Sports Wagons; 2006 325i coupes and convertibles; 2001-2006 330i sedans, coupes, and convertibles; 2001-2005 330xi sedans; and 2001-2006 M3 coupes and convertibles to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag which may produce excessive internal pressure that could cause the air bag inflator to rupture upon…
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure could cause rupturing of the inflator resulting in metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side frontal air bag, free of charge. An interim notice was mailed to owners in September 2014. A second notice was mailed when an adequate supply of parts became available, on December 1, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
230,117 vehicles 2017-01-20- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2002 BMW 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 323Ci, 325Ci, 330Ci, M3, 323iT, 325iT and 325xiT vehicles, 2001-2002 525i, 530i, 540i, M5, 525iT and 540iT vehicles, and 2001-2003 X5 3.0i, X5 4.4i, and X5 4.6is vehicles. These vehicles may have had a driver-side air bag module installed as replacement equipment such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bag, or as a remedy part for a prior recall. These replacement modules contain an air bag inflator that may rupture due to propellant…
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver side air bag module, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 15, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
419,235 vehicles 2015-05-28- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi Sedans, and 325xi and 325i Sportswagons, 2002-2006 330Ci, 325Ci, and M3 Convertibles and 325i, 330i, and M3 Coupes, 2002-2003 M5, 540i, 525i Sedan, and 530i Sedans, and 540i and 525i Sportswagons, and 2003 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity Vehicles. Please note that the 5-series and X5 vehicles are only included if they are equipped with the optional sports steering wheel. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible…
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-348 in its entirety. Additionally, vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Note: On December 17, 2015 BMW removed the model year 2004 X5 3.0i…
AIR BAGS
43,204 vehicles 2013-05-02- Defect
- BMW is recalling certain model year 2002-2003 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi sedans; 325Ci and 330Ci coupes and convertibles; 325iT and 325xiT Sports Wagons; and M3 coupes and convertibles to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag.
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. BMW intends to issue initial notifications to owners informing them of the safety defect in June 2013. Once replacement parts are available, estimated for July, BMW will notify owners again to contact their dealers and schedule a replacement of the passenger air bag, free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2002 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2002 compares with the other years
High risk for a 2002 — 235th riskiest of the 329 2002 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Across the 11 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 1997 comes out best at 55 and 2008 worst at 80, with 2002 itself at 64.
If the model year is negotiable, 1997, 2001, 2004 and 1998 score lower than 2002 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2002–2004 generation specifically, 2004 is the strongest year at 59 and 2003 the weakest at 68.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2002-2004 generation, 2004 BMW M3 scores best at 59 and 2003 BMW M3 worst at 68.
Where these figures stop being useful
48 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 48 reports, 33 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 69% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 BMW M3?
The most-reported failures are other engine problem (9 reports, median 65,000 miles), control arm, ball joint or bushing failure (7 reports, median 115,000 miles) and other powertrain problem (7 reports, median 55,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2002 BMW M3 reliable?
It scores 64 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 235th riskiest of the 329 2002 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2002 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the BMW M3 is best?
Within the 2002–2004 generation, 2004 scores best at 59 out of 100 and 2003 worst at 68. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed