2021 BMW 330e reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2021 BMW 330e has 4 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 0 per year. That is more complaints per year than most 330e years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Seat belts, Buckle, and Camera.

2016 BMW 330e — Photo by Charles from Port Chester, New York, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (3 of 4), then Electrical system (2) and Powertrain (2). Those filings include 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2018 and 2022

The 2018 330e has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2022 has 2 complaints, 0 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2018. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 BMW 330e. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (5)

Recall Seat belts 2021-07-21 · NHTSA campaign 21V554000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 2 Series (230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive), 330e, 330e Xdrive, 4 Series Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive) M4 Coupe, M4 Competition Coupe, BMW 4 Series Convertible (430i, M440i), BMW X1 sDrive28i, xDrive28i, 2 Series Gran Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i xDrive), M2 Competition Coupe, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, M3, M3 Competition, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper, CooperS, JCW), X2 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i, X2 M35i, Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i, MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper SE), MINI Convertible (Cooper, Cooper S, JCW), MINI Clubman (Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW), MINI Countryman (Cooper, Cooper All4, Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW All4), Rolls Royce Ghost, MINI Countryman (Cooper S E All4), Rolls Royce Phantom, Rolls Royce Cullinan, and Toyota Supra vehicles. The passenger seat belt Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) may deactivate early, before the webbing fully retracts. As such, these assemblies fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Remedy Dealers will inspect the seat belt retractors (including the seat belts) and, if necessary, replace the retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417; 1-866-825-1525 (MINI); 1-877-877-3735 (Rolls Royce); and 1-888-270-9371 (Toyota).

Recall seat belts, front, buckle 2021-04-28 · NHTSA campaign 21V298000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M3, and 330e xDrive vehicles. The bolt securing the seat belt assembly to the frame was not tightened to specification.

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seat belt buckle assembly connection and, if necessary, replace it, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 25, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2021-02-19 · NHTSA campaign 21V096000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series Coupe, Convertible and Grand Coupe, 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le, 745Le xDrive, X5 xDrive45e, X3 xDrive30e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 740i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, M760i Drive, M760Li xDrive, 750Li xDrive Alpina, Alpina B7 xDrive, and 2021 4 Series Coupe 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive vehicles. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Recall electrical system, propulsion system, traction battery 2020-09-30 · NHTSA campaign 20V601000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 530e iPerformance and X3 xDrive30e and MINI Cooper Countryman All4 SE, 2020 BMW i8, and 2021 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le xDrive and X5 xDrive45e vehicles. Debris may have entered one or more of the hybrid battery cells during their production.

Remedy BMW will inspect and, if necessary, replace the battery module free of charge. The remedy is currently being developed. Until the remedy is completed, drivers are instructed to not charge their vehicles. Drivers are instructed to not drive in manual mode, sport mode, and to not use the shift paddles. Owners were notified of the safety risk October 23, 2020. The recall began November 24, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Recall electrical system, 12V/24V/48V battery 2020-08-18 · NHTSA campaign 20V490000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 330e and X5 xDrive45e, 2020-2021 X3 xDrive30e, and 2020 MINI Countryman SE ALL4 vehicles. Loose welding beads may form a conductive path between the hybrid battery cells which could lead to a short-circuit.

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the battery modules, free of charge. BMW issued owners an interim notification on October 16, 2020. Although potentially affected BMW owners received interim owner notification letters, all potentially affected BMW owner vehicles have been remedied; therefore, BMW Final owner notification letters will not be necessary. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Complaints by component (4 total)

Engine

Electrical system

Powertrain

Fuel and propulsion system

Service brakes

Steering

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"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. I ask BMW and NHTSA to include…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-02
"1. The engine starter motor (specifically the pinion starter) has failed, and the auxiliary battery is also showing reduced capacity (only a portion of its 660 cold cranking amps). The vehicle is currently at a service…"
Powertrain, Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-02-24
"On 5/22/24 had a catastrophic failure of the Electric Motor Electronics and 12v Battery. I have requested that the BMW Serice Assistant provide me with all affected parts for inspection. Shutdown of the vehicle high…"
Steering, Electrical system, Service brakes · filed 2024-05-23
"In Buford GA at the corner of Elm Tree Terrace and Buford Dam road, I was waiting for the light to turn on a decline. It is important to note that the car was driving in all-electric mode on a full charge. Once the…"
Powertrain, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2021-12-25

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2021 BMW 330e 4 DR AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2021 BMW 330e 4 DR RWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
330e	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	25	33	28 MPG / 320 mi range	$2850
330e xDrive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	22	30	25 MPG / 290 mi range	$3200

Specs and fitment

G20 generation, 2021–2024

Body styles Sedan

Oil 0W-20 , 6 qt capacity

Tire size 225/50R17, 225/45R18, 255/40R18

Known issues for this generation

Recall 20V601000 covers certain 2021 330e and 330e xDrive vehicles (with 530e, X3 xDrive30e, MINI Countryman SE, i8, 745Le, and X5 xDrive45e; ~4,509 units total) where debris in hybrid battery modules can short-circuit and raise fire risk. Recall 20V490000 covers certain 2021 330e vehicles (with X5 xDrive45e, X3 xDrive30e, and MINI Countryman SE; ~713 units) where loose welding beads may form a conductive path between hybrid battery cells. Recall 22V747000 covers certain 2023 330e and 330e xDrive vehicles (~1,296 units) where rearview-camera software may obstruct part of the reverse image. Recall 21V554000 covers certain 2021 330e / 330e xDrive models among a multi-model campaign (~21,537 units) listed with 2 Series and 4 Series vehicles in NHTSA's summary.

Compare

See every BMW 330e model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 BMW 330e reliable?

What are common problems with a 2021 BMW 330e?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (3 of 4), then Electrical system (2) and Powertrain (2). Those filings include 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2021 BMW 330e more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2021 BMW 330e been recalled?

The 2021 BMW 330e has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 BMW 330e?

Owners have filed 4 complaints about the 2021 BMW 330e with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 BMW 330e get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 BMW 330e is 26.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a US BMW 330e use?

0W-20 With filter, about 6 qt is commonly listed for this generation—confirm in the owner manual.

What tire sizes fit a US BMW 330e?

Published US specs commonly list front 225/50R17, 225/45R18, 255/40R18 and rear 225/50R17, 225/45R18, 255/40R18; confirm on the door jamb placard for your trim.

What NHTSA recalls affect the US BMW 330e?