BMW 3 Series review – Reliability & safety

BMW enjoys an enviable reputation as a maker of high-quality cars that appeal to driving enthusiasts. The name the company has made for itself manifests itself in the way its cars traditionally hold on to a healthy percentage of their initial purchase price when it comes to selling them on.

While BMW doesn’t do particularly well in the Driver Power customer satisfaction surveys overall, it does at least hold its own when compared to other premium German rivals. It came in 14th place ahead of Mercedes in 25th and Audi in 27th, but behind Lexus in 12th and Jaguar in ninth in the 2024 brand survey. 

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BMW 3 Series reliability

The BMW 3 Series performed quite well in our latest Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, coming 21st out of 50 cars. That included strong scores for its infotainment, engines and interior. However, it did less well in the value and running cost categories. 

In 2024, 21.4% of BMW owners reported having experienced an issue with their car in the first year of ownership, which is slightly better than average. 21.3% of Audi owners, 26.3% of Mercedes owners and a shocking 43.6% of Jaguar owners reported the same, although Lexus was ahead with just 17.9% reporting an issue.

Safety

Euro NCAP tested the latest BMW 3 Series in 2019, where it scored the maximum five-star safety rating. It scored very well in all categories but a particularly high 97% safety score for adult occupant protection is one of the best Euro NCAP have seen. The Audi A4 saloon also managed a five-star crash test, but adult protection was rated at 89%.

Every model comes with an Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system that incorporates pedestrian detection, as well as lane departure warning. As well as promising to reduce driver workload, the optional Driving Assistant Professional package works to mitigate the likelihood of a crash by combining Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go, a steering and lane-control-assistant system, Wrong-way Warning and Cross-Traffic Alert systems.

Drivers can also add the Driving Assistant Professional Pack for just over £1,200, bringing extra features like Evasion Assistant and Crossing-traffic Warning, along with a system that can point out cyclists and pedestrians to the driver when turning.