2021 BMW M3 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2021 BMW M3 has 3 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 0 per year. That is about even with the other M3 years here. Their median is 0 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Seat belts, Buckle, and Hydraulic brakes.

2012 BMW M3 — Photo by Yu Chu Chin, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (1 of 3), then Seat belts (1) and Steering (1).

Next to 2018 and 2022

The 2018 M3 has 9 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2022 has 1 complaint, 0 per year. The 2021 has fewer 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 M3. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

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 Hydraulic brakes 2021-02-10 · NHTSA campaign 21V062000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 8 Series Coupe, Grand Coupe and convertible 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8 and 740 Li, 740 Li xDrive, 750 Li xDrive, M760 Li xDrive, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xdrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, and 2019-2021 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M50i, X5M, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, and 2021 M3, M3 Competition, M4 Coupe, M4 Competition Coupe, X5 xDrive45e, 745 Le xDrive. The rotor and shaft within the integrated brake system may not have been welded properly and could separate during a hard braking event, possibly resulting in a loss of the Antilock Brake System (ABS) and braking assistance.

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the integrated brake system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 25, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Complaints by component (3 total)

Air bags

Seat belts

Steering

Suspension

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"Sunroof shattered while driving, no impact from outside."
Unknown or other · filed 2026-04-01
"Loud clunking and creaking noise from front suspension when driving on uneven or bumpy road surfaces."
Steering, Suspension · filed 2025-08-02
"Unknown. I was driving home when I get a message stating “passenger restraint system malfunction”"
Air bags, Seat belts · filed 2024-08-28

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2021 BMW M3 4 DR AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2021 BMW M3 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
M3	3L, 6-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	16	23	19 MPG	$4200
M3 Competition	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	16	23	19 MPG	$4200

Specs and fitment

G80 M3, 2021–present

Body styles Sedan

Oil 0W-30 (S58) , 7.4 qt capacity

Tire size 275/40ZR18 (OE); 275/35ZR19 optional front / 285/35ZR19 (OE); 285/30ZR20 optional rear

Compare

Previous year 2018 BMW M3 See every BMW M3 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 BMW M3 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2021 BMW M3?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (1 of 3), then Seat belts (1) and Steering (1).

Is the 2021 BMW M3 more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2021 BMW M3 been recalled?

The 2021 BMW M3 has 3 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 M3?

Owners have filed 3 complaints about the 2021 BMW M3 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 BMW M3 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 BMW M3 is 19 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a BMW M3 use?

Viscosity depends on generation: late E90 models use 10W-60 (about 9.3 qt on the S65 V8), F80 uses 0W-30 (about 6.9 qt on the S55), and G80 specs cite 0W-30 with generation-specific capacity—confirm in the manual.

What are typical BMW M3 tire sizes?

Staggered fitments are common—for example 245/40ZR18 front and 265/40ZR18 rear on late E90, 255/40ZR18 and 275/40ZR18 on F80, with optional 19-inch sizes; always match the placard for your M3 year.

What NHTSA recalls mention the BMW M3?

Campaigns on file include 20V-017 (Takata driver air bag on many 2008-2013 BMW cars including late E90 M3), 15V-782 and 16V-653 (F80 driveshaft and rear sub-frame bolts with small shared M3/M4 unit counts).