2016 BMW M3 problems: recalls, complaints and whether this is a year to avoid
The 2016 BMW M3 has 5 owner complaints on record with NHTSA, which ranks it 1 of 4 BMW M3 model years by complaint volume. That is the highest of any year in the run — the 2021 car has 3. 3 recall entries cover this year.
Is 2016 a good year for the BMW M3?
Complaint volume is fairly even across this nameplate, so the model year is a weaker signal here than it is on many cars. Read the components below rather than the totals.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recall entries |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3 | 3 |
| 2017 | 3 | 2 |
| 2016 ← this page | 5 | 3 |
| 2015 | 4 | 3 |
| 2014 | not retrieved | 1 |
Older years have been on the road longer and collect more complaints for that reason alone, and a year that sold in higher volume collects more while being no worse.
This retrieval holds 5 of the nameplate’s model years. 2018, 2019, 2020 are absent, which means no records came back for them — not that they were clean. The ranking above is among the years shown.
The 2016 accounts for 33% of every complaint filed against the BMW M3 in this retrieval, which works out to 0.5 complaints per year on the road across the 10 years since it was sold new — the figure to compare against other years, because it removes the advantage a newer car gets simply from having had less time to accumulate reports.
Complaint volume is broadly flat against the 2015 (1.2×), so on this measure the two years are interchangeable and the choice between them comes down to condition and price rather than the model year.
Which recalls cover the 2016?
Structure
During servicing of the rear differential for a prior service action, the rear sub-frame bolts may have been reused instead of…
Free remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear sub-frame bolts with new bolts, free of charge. The recall began on November 3, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Power Train
The connection between the driveshaft and the flange may fail resulting in a loss of propulsion.
Free remedy: BMW will notify vehicle owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Take the campaign number to any franchised BMW dealer. Recall repairs are free with no mileage or ownership limit, and they follow the car rather than the owner, so a used 2016 with an unrepaired campaign is a free repair you can claim. How recalls work.
Recall text is abridged from the NHTSA record. Search the campaign number at nhtsa.gov/recalls for the full notice and affected VIN ranges.
What do owners report on the BMW M3?
Across every BMW M3 year, not the 2016 alone — NHTSA does not split component totals by model year.
- Engine — 4 reports
- Unknown or Other — 3 reports
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 2 reports
- Suspension — 1 report
If your 2016 is doing something now, these are the guides for that system — each opens with whether it is safe to keep driving:
Which other BMW M3 years should you compare?
← 2015 BMW M3 · 2017 BMW M3 → · All BMW M3 years
If you are deciding between years, the table above is the short answer and the BMW M3 page carries the full run with the component breakdown. Before money changes hands, run the VIN for open recalls and read the inspection checklist — ten minutes in the seller’s driveway finds most of what matters.
Check a 2016 before you commit
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