2023 BMW 3 Series

On one occasion, the car automatically applied the breaks and parked itself while driving on a main road. On another occasion, while parking the car at the home it accelerated aggressively and almost crashed into the garage- driver lost complete control of the car. On a separate occasion, the gauge console (screen behind the steering wheel) became morphed and could not show the MPH- an electrical glitch it seemed. The last occasion the car stopped and parked itself while accelerating or braking on the highway.

Reported

Mar 2026

Incident date

Mar 2026

Mileage

Not provided

Outcome flags

None reported

The contact owned a 2023 BMW 525i. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the mouth of the garage, his foot slipped off the brake and onto the accelerator pedal, and he drove through the rear garage wall into the kitchen and crashed into the concrete block. The electrical circuit was damaged. The brake and accelerator pedals were too close together. While driving across the street, his foot slipped off the brake pedal and onto the accelerator pedal. There were no reported injuries, fire, or air bag deployment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was driven from the crash site and placed on the flatbed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The fluids were leaking from the vehicle. The contact consulted with an independent mechanic. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was called, but there was no response. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000. The VIN was not available.

Reported

Dec 2025

Incident date

Apr 2024

Mileage

Not provided

Outcome flags

Crash

I rear-ended someone and suspect issue with the automatic emergency braking for my 2023 BMW 330E. The car was totaled and I no longer have it - date of accident [XXX]. My VIN [XXX] ) wasn’t included in current recalls but the model was discontinued, which raises concern. The incident was reported to police and insurance. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Reported

Aug 2025

Incident date

Aug 2023

Mileage

Not provided

Outcome flags

Crash 2 injuries

The dash board becomes so hot that it is too hot to touch the dash board and when this happens all the safety equipment stops working and shows warning on dash that has to be acknowledged and close message. The warning says that some or all safety equipment may or may not be working properly and shows a picture of all sensors with an X through them. This happens on a daily basses

Reported

Aug 2024

Incident date

Aug 2024

Mileage

Not provided

Outcome flags

None reported

I was driving on [XXX] in Vermont on Friday morning, when I heard a very loud pop close to my ear. It sounded like a gun, but I saw that my windows were not broken. I continued to drive but then noticed the sound of rushing air, as though one of my windows was open. It was not. I drove a short distance, then decided to pull over into a parking lot. There, I discovered a huge hole in my sun roof. In addition to the hole, the remaining panel was completely shattered. I called my insurance company who had me drive it to a nearby body shop. They put a camera into the hole to try to see if there was a stone or other object between the glass and the panel inside the car. They found only broken glass. They believe my sunroof shattered because of hot outside temperatures (in the mid 80's) and the fact that I had my air conditioner on. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Reported

Aug 2024

Incident date

Aug 2024

Mileage

Not provided

Outcome flags

None reported

Subject: Concern Regarding Daytime Brightness Levels in BMW 330e Instrument Cluster I am reaching out to express a concern I've encountered with the instrument cluster in my 2023 BMW 330e. It has come to my attention that, unlike many other vehicles, the instrument cluster in my BMW does not maintain full brightness during the day. The absence of manual brightness control, combined with the behavior of the ambient brightness sensor, seems to result in an excessively dim display, especially in bright daylight conditions. I understand that different vehicles may have varying features, but the contrast in brightness levels during the day has been a noticeable and somewhat inconvenient aspect of my driving experience. It has led to difficulty in reading critical information such as speed, fuel levels, and other essential data. I wanted to bring this to your attention not just as an individual driver but with the hope that you can consider the feedback in the broader context of user experience. Full brightness during the day is a common expectation among drivers, and I believe addressing this concern could enhance the satisfaction of BMW customers.

Reported

Jan 2024

Incident date

Jan 2024

Mileage

Not provided

Outcome flags

None reported

:**Complaint Regarding 2023 330e Instrument Cluster Brightness Issue** - I wish to report a safety concern regarding the instrument cluster brightness in my 2023 BMW 330e. The instrument cluster features an auto-dimming screen with no brightness control during the day. The ambient brightness sensor does not accurately detect daylight conditions unless the sunshade on the sunroof is open. This results in an excessively dim instrument cluster that is challenging to read in bright daylight. **Safety Implications:** This issue poses a safety concern as it hinders the driver's ability to access critical information such as speed, fuel levels, and other essential data. It may lead to distractions and decreased situational awareness. **Requested Action:** I kindly request that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigates this issue and collaborates with the manufacturer, BMW, to find a solution promptly. This could involve a software update or a hardware adjustment to the ambient brightness sensor to ensure the instrument cluster remains readable in all lighting conditions.

Reported

Oct 2023

Incident date

Jul 2023

Mileage

Not provided

Outcome flags

None reported

Several 2023 BMW models now feature a new infotainment system called iDrive 8. This new iDrive 8 contains a crucial bug that I believe affects the safety of the driver. This new infotainment system randomly loses the car’s exact GPS location, which makes the car think it’s somewhere else. The location marker just slowly drifts away from its real coordinates to nearby roads for example, without any warning or indication. The problem occurs randomly with no identifiable pattern. When connected to Apple Carplay, the iPhone uses the car’s location. If the problem (location drift) occurs while driving in the city, the driver might receive false directions from the navigation app due to the wrong GPS location, which might lead to wrong way turns into one-way streets. Furthermore, since the car thinks it is located somewhere different than its real location, in the event of an accident or whenever the SOS button is engaged, first responders will get a false location of the car. For example, the car might be on the highway but first responders will get a location indicating the car is in the middle of a nearby lake. Since iPhone uses a car-provided location, in the event of an accident the iPhone 14’s crash detection feature will also be sending first responders an incorrect location. To sum it up, the new infotainment system keeps randomly losing the car’s real location, which leads navigation apps to give the driver wrong directions when using Apple Carplay, which might lead to death if the driver gets instructed to do a wrong-way turn into a one-way street for example. In the event of a crash, the car will be sending wrong coordinates to first responders which might cause significant delays to their response and might lead to the death of the injured people. BMW acknowledged the problem, said there’s no fix at the moment and no timeline for a fix.

Reported

Mar 2023

Incident date

Mar 2023

Mileage

Not provided

Outcome flags

None reported

the backup camera does not have enough lighting or contrast at night. you can't see behind the vehicle, especially on the sides.

Reported

Jan 2023

Incident date

Jan 2023

Mileage

Not provided

Outcome flags

None reported

This is to report an incident with a recently purchased 2023 BMW 330e. Model: BMW | Make: 330e | Color: white Purchase: 17th Sep, 2022 | Dealer: BMW of San Antonio Incident date: 17th November, 2022 | Time: 9AM (approx) | Place: Parking Garage, MD Anderson Blvd, Houston, TX 77030 Incident description: When turning in to park in the parking spot in the garage, the car suddenly shot forward and hit the barrier in front. Airbags did not deploy, although the impact was strong enough to throw the driver hard against her seat belt with slight bruising. The driver does not recall the front proximity sensors giving any warning beeps (as normally happens if the car is too close to a barrier). Damage: The front of the car on the driver's side sustained significant damage, including the proximity sensor on the driver's side becoming non-functional. The engine warning light did not come on, and the car was driveable. Aftermath: The incident was reported to insurance. The car has now been assessed by certified collision specialists repair. Comments: The driver has been driving for over 20 years (12 years in the USA) with an exemplary driving record. She has been parking in the same garage for the last 2 years. It is, of course, entirely possible that she mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake when turning in to park, but it would be unusual, and perhaps unlikely. Also, the amount of damage to the front is testimony to the speed with which the car hit the barrier, when the driver was driving dead slow, maneuvering between cars to edge forward in a parking spot. If the incident is due to a malfunction, it raises the possibility of danger for future drivers. We report this just in case it is - if others report similar issues with this make/ model of the car, perhaps preventive measures can be taken before somebody gets seriously injured.

Reported

Nov 2022

Incident date

Nov 2022

Mileage

Not provided

Outcome flags

Crash

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota GR Supra, 3 Series Sedan (330i xDrive, M340i xDrive, M3), 5 Series Sedan (530i, 530i xDrive, M5), 4 Series Gran Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive), 4 Series Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive), 4 Series Convertible (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive), 8 Series Coupe (840i, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Convertible (840i, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Gran Coupe (850i xDrive, M8), X3 SAV (X3 xDrive30i, X3M), X4 SAV (X4 xDrive30i), X5 SAV (X5 xDrive40i, X5 M50i, X5M), X6 SAV (X6 xDrive40i, X6 M50i, X6M), and Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i vehicles. The weld seam of the integrated transmission control unit's cover may not have been manufactured properly, which could allow automatic transmission oil to leak into the transmission control unit.

Risk: Transmission oil that leaks into the control unit can lead to a seizure of the transmission gears, causing a sudden loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the transmission mechatronics module and the automatic transmission fluid, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 26, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.