BMW 3 Series Touring 2012-2019 Reliability & Common Problems

Is the BMW 3 Series Touring reliable?

Overall, the BMW 3 Series Touring is relaible, as long as it is well maintained with regular servicing and repairs.

In What Car?'s Reliabilty Survey, the diesel 3 Series ranked fourth out of 24 cars in the executive car class with an excellent score of 96.5%. The petrol versions were equally good, achieving a marginally lower score of 92%.

The 3 Series Touring isn't totally free of problems (see below) but parts are easy to source and there are plenty of dealers and independent specialists to call upon should you ever need to use them.

Engine: The timing chain on early ‘M47’ four-cylinder diesels can stretch and snap. If you hear a rattle or ticking on start-up, walk away.

Check the rocker covers for oil leaks as the gasket can wear. It’s £50-£80 for a new one. The diesel particulate filter (DPF) can get clogged up without regular higher-speed driving, so make sure the car doesn’t go into limp mode.

Specialists can force a regeneration to clear it, but if that doesn’t work it will need to be replaced for around £500. Check the flexi pipe from the DPF to the exhaust too, as it can crack.

Gearbox: A driveline fault warning on the dash doesn’t necessarily mean the gearbox is faulty; it can appear when the coolant temperature sensor has failed.

A vibration through the clutch pedal, rattling sound or juddering when accelerating could mean the dual-mass flywheel will soon need to be replaced.

An owner’s view

Perdeep Singh Thiara: “I’ve owned my F31 335d for more than five years. I had it slightly fettled with a stage-two tune, which helped cut the 0-60mph time to 4.2sec and pushed the top speed up to 172mph, and yet it will still do 60mpg-plus if I sit in the slow lane at 58mph.“BMW says the gearbox, differential and transfer box have a lifetime fill of oil, but component supplier ZF advises a service every 60,000 miles. You can feel the gearbox becoming less responsive and slushier over time. Getting these parts serviced at a specialist costs about £700.”

Also worth knowing

There are several trims to choose from, including SE, Sport, Luxury and, most commonly, M Sport.

All versions get BMW’s iDrive infotainment system, which is intuitive, graphically strong and easy to control while driving.

Cars previously used by the police often come up for sale for very reasonable money. Of course, some have battle scars, but we did find a tidy 330d that had been fitted with a brand-new engine by BMW for £11,000.

Sam Phillips

Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website.

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport.

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.