1997 BMW 3 Series Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 1about this part
- Share
- 20%of 5 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 199,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 1 complaints about the engine of the 1997 BMW 3 Series, 20% of the 5 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 199,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“When I was at a stop light, my engine began to accelerate with my foot on the brake. When the light turned green the engine continued to revve higher. It did not tamper down until I put the car in neutral. The engine continued to revve when I began to drive again until I came to my destination and placed the car in park and shut the engine off. It drove fine without further incident that day. Before the incident I had turned on the A/C. On tuesday (2 days later) it unintentionally accelerated again at higher revolutions at the same stop light. …”
NHTSA complaint #10748626, filed 2015-08, 199,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10051359Dec 1, 2012Bmw: vehicle does not start: loose ground z6000 *4b. Covered under the terms of the bmw new vehicle/sav limited warranty.
Engine: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 7 | 33% |
| 2012 | 3 | 43% |
| 2010 | 6 | 20% |
| 2009 | 5 | 9% |
| 2008 | 13 | 19% |
| 2007 | 22 | 19% |
| 2006 | 11 | 5% |
| 2003 | 2 | 3% |
| 2002 | 1 | 4% |
| 2000 | 1 | 1% |
| 1997 | 1 | 20% |
Other parts of the 1997 BMW 3 Series
1 complaintsElectrical system
1 complaintsBody and structure
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1997 BMW 3 Series
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology