Avg. Price Paid:$16,331 - $25,327
Original MSRP: $32,700 - $49,500
MPG: 18 City / 28 Hwy
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BMW 3-Series Recalls & Reliability

These scores and this review are from when the car was new.

Scorecard

Overall: 2008 BMW 3-Series U.S. News Best Cars 9.6
Critics' Rating: 9.8
Performance: 9.1
Interior: 7.9
Safety: 9.2
Reliability:
How we calculate scores
Research analyzed for this review

Pros & Cons

  • Unparalleled balance and handling
  • Sports car power in a sedan
  • Outstanding active safety systems and excellent crash test performance
  • Better than average long-term cost of ownership, even in an expensive class
  • Some confusing electronic controls

Research Other Years

Review Last Updated: 2/18/09

Recalls

There has been 1 safety recall issued from NHTSA.

SEAT BELTS:FRONTRecall Date: 07/01/2009
  • Consequence: IF THAT HAPPENED, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR THE SIDE AIR BAG AND/OR THE SAFETY BELT TENSIONER NOT TO DEPLOY AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROPERLY PROTECT AN OCCUPANT, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURIES.
  • NHTSA Campaign ID: 09V257000
  • Potential Number of Units Affected: TBD
  • Summary: BMW IS RECALLING MY 2008 1-SERIES AND 3- SERIES PASSENGER CARS. INCORRECT CRIMP CONNECTORS MAY HAVE BEEN USED ON THE SIDE AIR BAG AND BELT TENSIONER WIRING. AS A RESULT SUFFICIENT CONTACT BETWEEN THE CRIMP CONNECTORS AND THE CORRESPONDING PLUG MAY NOT OCCUR WHICH COULD LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN THE ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE OF THAT CONNECTION.
  • Remedy: THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET PROVIDED THE AGENCY WITH A REMEDY OR NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
  • Notes: OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

Reliability

Our reliability score is based on the J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) rating or, if unavailable, the J.D. Power Predicted Reliability rating.

Dependability Ratings1 2008
Overall Dependability
Powertrain Dependability
Feature & Accessory Dependability
Body & Interior Dependability

1These scores come from consumer ratings of their vehicles after three years of ownership.

  • Key:
  • Among The Best
  • Better Than Most
  • About Average
  • The Rest

J.D. Power and Associates Power Circle Ratings do not include all information used to determine J.D. Power and Associates awards. See JDPower.com for more information on Power Circle Ratings. Your experience may vary.

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Warranty

All 3-Series are covered by a four-year or 50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. BMW also has a full maintenance program that covers the same period, during which regularly scheduled maintenance is free through BMW dealerships. BMW Assist, essentially a breakdown notification service, is offered as an option on 328 models, and included in the Premium package. All 335 models include BMW Assist as a standard feature.

Next Steps: BMW 3-Series