2013 BMW M3: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2013 BMW M3
On the 2013 BMW M3, the failure owners report most often is airbag inflator rupture, with 6 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 20,000 miles. Overall it scores 73 out of 100, high risk for a 2013.
High risk for a 2013 — 117th riskiest of the 284 2013 vehicles we can rate. 17 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 8 named failure modes on the 2013 BMW M3, and the three most-reported carry 59% of everything filed.
Airbag inflator rupture leads with 6 reports and about 0.5 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other engine problem follows with 3 reports, median 30,000 miles.
Misfire or rough idle follows with 1 report, median 5,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into airbag (6), engine (4) and brakes (1).
At what mileage it happens
14 of the reports on the 2013 BMW M3 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 20,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 86% by 50,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 29% of the dated reports.
64% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
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
Severity, and what it costs
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 6.06, 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: airbag inflator rupture at $0–$0, other engine problem at $300–$4,000, misfire or rough idle at $250–$1,600 and master cylinder or brake booster failure at $450–$2,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
29% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 6 | 3 | — | 7 | — | 0.5 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Other engine problem | engine | 3 | 3 | — | 28k | — | 0.3 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 3k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 55k | — | 0.1 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Blower motor or climate control failure | hvac | 1 | 1 | — | 49k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 47k | — | 0.1 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 20k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 20k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Unclassified problem | other | 2 | 2 | — | 53k | — | 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 2013 BMW M3 draws about 1.5 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 78th percentile of complaint rates among 2013 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 11,200 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2013 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.
Airbag inflator rupture
Takata recall airbag bmw told me not to drive car to park it and they want to give me rental. Unknow how long for repair I lease car at $1245 per month way should I get a lesser car and continue my payments .I have 2 years left I want to trade it in for the same value on a m4 shouldnt they give me the same deal to get me out of my lease.. Florida has a higher risk becauseof the heat for the air bag to explode. Im 5ft 1 and im afraid to drive my car... I havent driven it since they told me about recall ..I happen to bring car for service or I would of never been told.. I spoke to sales person and he said I need to get out of my lease.. They said they would with a much higher payment which is totaly unfair... What can I do.... I want out I want a m4 to replace my m3 . Please leave a message if you try to call
Takata recall. Reasonable time has passed since the airbag recall. But I have not heard as to when this safety issue will be resolved.every time I drive the car I feel I am risking my life or chance for serious injury. Bmw has been completely negligent with regards to resolving this issue. Bmw should temporarily remedy the situation by replacing the car with a similar vehicle. I need this to be resolved now!!!. Also the drive train has a clunking noise of which I have been complaining since new. They have made temporary adjustment but the problem still surfaces. This happens when I shift gears even at slow speeds (6 spd manual transmission).
Other engine problem
When I accelerate quickly at an intersection when I get a green light, the engine looses all power but keeps running. Bmw has no idea as no codes are being saved when this happens. The general manager said it probably computer part but we may never know.
Rod bearings. There is clicking noise that I am hearing more and more often. Since summer of last year, I had heard subtle clicking noises occasionally which I wasn't able to locate at the time and had scheduled an appointment with the service department at park ave bmw service on october 2016 to get my car checked for few reasons. One of the reasons included this clicking noise which I had mentioned to the service agent and that he would get this checked out along with the other service maintenance. At the end of the service, he stated that everything is fine and there isn't any issues. Recently, I have started to hear the same clicking noise but louder which allowed me to locate the sound coming somewhere near the front of the vehicle near the engine bay. I have a bmw service appointment this saturday to get it checked again to see if there is any issues. After doing some research and getting possible suggestions of this issue, my biggest concern is that it could be the rod bearings of this vehicle. Currently, the vehicle is sitting in my garage until the service appointment and unable to use the vehicle until it gets checked…
Misfire or rough idle
Vehicle has 3,100 miles on it. I stopped to get fuel and on the way back home the engine started to misfire heavily, then stall out in heavy traffic almost causing me to get rear ended. Luckily the car started but felt like it had only 10% of the power, bmw told me to drive it to the nearest service center to have it looked at. They called me the next day to tell my my engine has failed. Im not sure how in 3,100 well cared for miles the engine would fail, almost causing me to get rear-ended in traffic. I am disappointed that bmw could release a car that costs $77,000 dollars that has total engine failure in such little time and miles. Bmw customer care has been the worst experience as well. They never return phone calls, and basically tells me every time there is no need to worry about the engine failing again in 3,100 miles.
Recalls on the 2013 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2013 BMW M3, affecting an estimated 11,730 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: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:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
59,965 vehicles 2020-01-15- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 128i and 135i Convertibles, 128i, 135i, and M Coupes, 2007-2010 X3 30si and X3 xDrive30i, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i, 2007-2013 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335is, 335i xDrive and M3 Coupes, 2006-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive and M3, 2009-2011 335D, 2006-2012 325xi, 328i, 328xi and 328i xDrive, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 2007-2013 328i, 335i, 335is, M3 Coupes, X5 30si, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 48i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and…
- 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 driver air bag. On X5 and X6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
840,000 vehicles 2016-02-05- Defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 128i and 135i coupes and convertibles and 1 Series M coupes, 2006-2011 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive Sedans, 2009-2011 335d sedans, 2006-2012 325xiT, 328i and 328xi sports wagons, 2007-2013 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive, 335is and M3 Coupes and Convertibles, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i SAVs, 2007-2010 X3 xDrive30i SAVs, 2007-2013 X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M SAVs…
- 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
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module or inflator depending on the vehicle model, free of charge. The recall began March 9, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
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 2013 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
Better and worse years of the same car
High risk for a 2013 — 117th riskiest of the 284 2013 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
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 2013 itself at 73.
If the model year is negotiable, 1997, 2001, 2004, 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2010 score lower than 2013 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.
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.
The limits of complaint data
17 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 17 reports, 14 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 82% 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 2013 BMW M3?
The most-reported failures are airbag inflator rupture (6 reports, median 7 miles), other engine problem (3 reports, median 30,000 miles) and misfire or rough idle (1 report, median 5,000 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 2013 BMW M3 reliable?
It scores 73 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 117th riskiest of the 284 2013 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2013 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
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