2012 Bmw M3 - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2012 BMW M3 has not been rated for crash safety by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, it does come equipped with standard electronic stability control, which is a positive safety feature that can help prevent accidents by enhancing vehicle stability. Unfortunately, this model does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems which are additional safety features that can help prevent accidents.

It is worth noting that there have been 6 complaints filed for this model and 3 recalls issued, indicating a slightly higher number of reported issues compared to other vehicles. Additionally, there is 1 ongoing investigation related to this car. Overall, while the presence of stability control is a plus for safety, the lack of crash safety ratings and advanced warning systems, coupled with the number of complaints and recalls, suggest that potential buyers should exercise caution when considering the 2012 BMW M3 for its safety features.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

6

Recall Count

3

Investigation Count

1

Safety Rating

Not Rated

Search Vehicle Details

Advanced Search

The advanced search lets you search by safety ratings and features. This will return a list of vehicles that match your search criteria.

Safety Features

2012 BMW M3 2 DR RWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2012 BMW M3 2 DR RWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2012 BMW M3 2 DR RWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2012 BMW M3 2 DR RWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2012 Score 2022 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Front Crash Driver Side Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2012 Score 2022 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2012 Score 2022 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Complaints for the 2012 Bmw M3

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"when i called bmw to have my defective airbag replaced they do not have the part available. the defect can apparently lead to serious injury or death so i think it is imperative that they do this immediately."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2017-02-10

Complaint:
"tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2012 bmw m3. the contact stated that nhtsa campaign number: 16v071000 ( air bags) exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. the contact received the recall notification in march of 2016. the dealer ( braman motorcars 2901 okeechobee blvd, west palm beach, fl, 33409) stated that the parts were unavailable for the repair, and recommended the contact to speak to the manufacturer. the manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that parts were unavailable for the recall repair, and informed the contact that he would be notified when the parts were available and no further assistance was offered. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect...updated 08/22/17 *bf **updated 08/31/17*lj updated 12/5/2017*js *tr"
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2016-09-03

Complaint:
"tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2012 bmw m3. the contact stated that the recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 16v071000 (air bags) was received in february. after contacting the dealer and the manufacturer on multiple occasions, the contact was informed that the parts needed for the recall remedy were still not available and no estimated time for receiving the parts could be provided. the contact had not experienced a failure."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2017-03-02

Complaint:
"takata recall is taking too long to replace my drivers side airbag in my 2012 bmw m3 convertible. i called rusnak bmw in westlake village, ca in november 2016 for a status update as to why they still have not contacted me to replace my driver's side takata airbag despite a recall notice in march of 2016. they indicated they have not gotten to my model year and that replacement takata airbags are not coming as quickly as they should."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2018-05-03

Recalls for the 2012 Bmw M3

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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 degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature..."
Consequence:
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

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.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > DRIVER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2020-01-15

Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.
Remedy:

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.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > DRIVER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2016-02-05

BMW Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

BMW ranks 12 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

Related Vehicles

Why not check out other BMW vehicles?

2013 335I
BMW
  • Overall Safety Rating: Not Rated
  • Complaints Count: 58
  • Recall Count: 3
View Car
2015 X3 SDRIVE28I
BMW
  • Overall Safety Rating: 5
  • Complaints Count: 72
  • Recall Count: 6
View Car
2020 X3
BMW
  • Overall Safety Rating: 5
  • Complaints Count: 45
  • Recall Count: 13
View Car
2023 X6
BMW
  • Overall Safety Rating: Not Rated
  • Complaints Count: 0
  • Recall Count: 1
View Car