Used BMW 3 Series 2019-present reliability review

What should I look for in a used BMW 3 Series?

What are the most common problems with a used BMW 3 Series?

Most examples of this generation 3 Series will still be found within the BMW franchised dealer network, so they’ll most likely still look like new. Do all the usual checks, though, such as looking for kerb damage on alloy wheels, scratches to the paintwork, damage to the bumpers and any stains in the carpet and or seat upholstery. All the electronics should still work, but they’ll still be covered under warranty if anything isn’t operating as it should.

Is a used BMW 3 Series reliable?

In our latest What Car? Reliability Survey, the 3 Series petrol finished in second place in the executive car class out of 18 cars with an excellent overall score of 97.5%. The diesel finished in fifth place with a good score of 96%.

Reliability rating 97.5%

Petrol and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions of the latest BMW 3 Series are more dependable than diesels: owners told us 13% went wrong, with the most common fault areas being electrics, the engine and infotainment. BMW paid for 96% of repairs and fixed two-thirds of cars in less than a week.

On the whole, the 3 Series scored higher than its rivals the Audi A4 and the Mercedes C-Class, with the exception of the diesel-engined cars. Check out the full list of executive cars here.

BMW as a brand does better on average than Mercedes and Audi, finishing in eighth place overall out of 30 car manufacturers. Check out the full list of manufacturers here.

To read more from our Reliability Survey in detail, check out the full results here.

Used BMW 3 Series reliability: the owners' view

The BMW 3 Series owners told us about their experiences as part of our annual Reliability Survey. While most said their cars had been reliable, there were some notable exceptions. Most of these were for minor issues and mainly related to glitches with the car’s infotainment system.

Some readers expressed dissatisfaction with the cost of servicing their cars using BMW main dealers, with several noting that this was more costly than they were expecting. A small number of readers also expected their cars to come with a longer warranty than the three years BMW offers.