KnownCarProblems2008 BMW M3 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 82 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 BMW M3, most often about the transmission (45% of complaints, typically around 6,500 miles). It is the most complained-about M3 model year since 2000 and has 5 recalls.
Most common 2008 BMW M3 problems
Transmission
37 complaints · 45%Half of these problems showed up before 6,500 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, manual transmission, driveline.
Hesitation in the automatic mode when decreasing speed then trying to initiate a turn. For example going down the road at 50mph then braking to turn left, once braking occurs a significant hesitation will occur which may result in the oncoming traffic hitting you.
During a rolling stop situation which is followed by any acceleration (such as a left or right hand turn), there is a throttle delay and the vehicle has the feeling of an "engine stall" and losses all power for 1-2 seconds while it searches for a gear. The problem is consistent and can be recreated at anytime. The…
Engine
21 complaints · 26%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine.
I have a BMW e92 chassis. I have spoken to many, many owners of the same BMW and they have said the same thing. The throttle body actuators are defective on these bmws. When the malfunction takes place the BMW goes into limp mode. The car is not able to rev above 3k RPM nor go a speed of over 55 MPH. This is…
Received a loss of power warning for the car. Took it to the shop, shop was unable to diagnose the problem but stated that it was probably a bent red. Took it to get a second opinion. No compression in the 4th cylinder but there is obvious cylinder wall deformation and small piston shrinkage.
Electrical
9 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 56,000 miles. Parts named most often: 12v/24v/48v battery, wiring.
Nhtsa recall number: 17v676 this recall was issued over a year ago and still have yet to be contacted by BMW to resolve the recall or provide any recourse. What is the typical response time?
The contact owns a 2008 BMW M3. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked in reverse on a hill. The emergency brake was not applied properly and the vehicle rolled down the hill and crashed into another vehicle. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The air bags did not deploy. The contact's vehicle…
Air bags
9 complaints · 11%The contact owns a 2008 BMW M3. While accelerating, the throttle became stuck and caused the rear tires to spin. The contact struck a curb, crashed into a tree, and then a fence. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a back injury that needed medical attention. The vehicle was…
I have been trying to reach my dealer to fix the steering wheel airbag (takata) and they are still saying ' no solution available yet' I need this fixed to feel safe driving my BMW again.
Fuel system
5 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 4,000 miles. Parts named most often: delivery.
Car had longer and longer crank times at startup. Over the span of a week the startup time before ignition took up to 5 seconds. The car was brought in, and the high pressure fuel pump was found to be faulty. Replaced by dealer free of charge.
Cruising on the highway, the vehicle starts misfiring and loses power. Afterward the engine is running rough and continues in "engine failure" mode with reduced power. Problem diagnosed as high pressure fuel pump failure. Fuel pump replaced three times in the last month and keeps failing with the same symptoms. The…
Stability control
3 complaints · 4%Incident 1 I was making a left turn after the signal and entering into the freeway at 25 MPH, and during the turn, there was a slight inclination in the road like a bump and the car landed on the front right wheel and immediately the I lost steering control and had dsc (dynamic stability control) and brake warning and…
Abs hydro unit on e92 M3 2008 just failed, it is a common issue on all BMW cars, though problem is over the year and because of poor soldiering these unit fails, causing braking problem, cruise control not working irresponsive, and stability control problems.
Speed control
3 complaints · 4%The contact owns a 2008 BMW M3. While accelerating, the throttle became stuck and caused the rear tires to spin. The contact struck a curb, crashed into a tree, and then a fence. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a back injury that needed medical attention. The vehicle was…
Abs hydro unit on e92 M3 2008 just failed, it is a common issue on all BMW cars, though problem is over the year and because of poor soldiering these unit fails, causing braking problem, cruise control not working irresponsive, and stability control problems.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2008 BMW M3 recalls
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver air bag. On x5 and x6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began march 11, 2020. Owners may contact bmw customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Full defect summary
Bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain 2008-2013 128i and 135i convertibles, 128i, 135i, and m coupes, 2007-2010 x3 30si and x3 xdrive30i, 2013-2015 x1 sdrive28i, x1 xdrive28i and x1 xdrive35i, 2007-2013 328i, 328i xdrive, 335i, 335is, 335i xdrive and m3 coupes, 2006-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xdrive, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xdrive and m3, 2009-2011 335d, 2006-2012 325xi, 328i, 328xi and 328i xdrive, 2010-2011 x6 activehybrid, 2007-2013 328i, 335i, 335is, m3 coupes, x5 30si, x5 xdrive30i, x5 xdrive35i, x5 48i, x5 xdrive48i, x5 xdrive50i and x5 m, 2009-2013 x5 xdrive35d and 2008-2014 x6 xdrive35i, x6 xdrive50i and x6m vehicles equipped with non-desiccated driver frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (psan) that were used as interim remedy parts for previous takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradat
Electrical: fuses and circuit breakers
Risk: A loss of electrical power can cause the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will replace and secure the positive battery cable connector, free of charge. The recall began august 14, 2019. Owners may contact bmw customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: this recall is an expansion of a previous recall, number 18v-314.
Full defect summary
Bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain 2009 328i and 328xi, 2009-2011 335d, 2008-2012 m3 coupe and m3 convertible, and 2008-2011 m3 sedan vehicles. The connection of the positive battery cable at the fuse box terminal may degrade, resulting in an intermittent loss of electrical power.
Electrical: wiring
Risk: Wiring that overheats could cause the electrical connectors to melt, and increase the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is unattended.
Fix: Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiring and electrical connectors, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on november 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact bmw customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Full defect summary
Bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain 2006-2011 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi and m3, 2007-2011 328i xdrive, 335i xdrive and 335is and 2009-2011 335d vehicles. The wiring and electrical connectors for the system that controls air flow for the heating and air conditioning system may overheat.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module or inflator depending on the vehicle model, free of charge. The recall began march 9, 2018. Owners may contact bmw customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Full defect summary
Bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 128i and 135i coupes and convertibles and 1 series m coupes, 2006-2011 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xdrive, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xdrive sedans, 2009-2011 335d sedans, 2006-2012 325xit, 328i and 328xi sports wagons, 2007-2013 328i, 328xi, 328i xdrive, 335i, 335xi, 335i xdrive, 335is and m3 coupes and convertibles, 2013-2015 x1 sdrive28i, x1 xdrive28i and x1 xdrive35i savs, 2007-2010 x3 xdrive30i savs, 2007-2013 x5 xdrive30i, x5 xdrive35i, x5 xdrive48i, x5 xdrive50i and x5 m savs, 2009-2013 bmw x5 xdrive35d savs, 2008-2014 x6 xdrive35i, x6 xdrive50i, and x6 m sacs, 2010-2011 bmw x6 xdrive50i sacs and 2008-2011 m3 sedan vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Transmission: clutch assembly
Risk: In that situation, at low vehicle speeds, it is possible for the engine to stall increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the engine and transmission electronic control unit with updated software free of charge. The recall began on december 3, 2008. Owners may contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117.
Full defect summary
Bmw is recalling 2,500 my 2008-2009 m3 passenger vehicles with an optional double clutch transmission. The problem involves the double clutch gearbox. In a situation of rapid vehicle deceleration, the transmission software may perform a multistage downshift.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture
Summary
From 2000 through 2017, takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("psan") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004l. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 blomquist report at www.NHTSA.gov/sites/NHTSA.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Questions about the 2008 BMW M3
- What are the most common problems with the 2008 BMW M3?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (37 complaints, typically around 6,500 miles); engine (21 complaints, typically around 80,000 miles); electrical (9 complaints, typically around 56,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2008 BMW M3 have?
- 5 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from January 15, 2020 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2008 a bad year for the BMW M3?
- It is the most complained-about M3 model year since 2000, with 82 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.