The 2013 BMW Activehybrid 3 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 7,727 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.
BMW North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 320i, 320xi, 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi, and ActiveHybrid3 vehicles manufactured October 20, 2011, to June 22, 2015, 2014-2015 328xi Sports Wagon vehicles manufactured March 21, 2013, to March 17, 2015, 2014-2015 328d, 328xd vehicles manufactured…
Consequence
If the side marker lights do not illuminate, the vehicle may be less visible at night, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will upload revised software to correct the issue, free of charge. The recall began on October 7, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or by email at [email protected].
Complaints by component
AIR BAGS
4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2
ENGINE
2
SEAT BELTS
2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1
POWER TRAIN
1
SERVICE BRAKES
1
Total complaints15
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Waste gate rattle or turbo rattle, the vehicle rattles during cold start, rattle upon deceleration,loss of power, check engine illumination, manufacture specific obd troupe code p30ff, engine light turns on and off and off after refilling gas.the turbo charger must be replaced.”
“Waste gate rattle or turbo rattle, the vehicle rattles during cold start, rattle upon deceleration,loss of power, check engine illumination, manufacture specific obd troupe code p30ff, engine light turns on and off and off after refilling gas.the turbo charger must be replaced.”
“Hit a pot hole for the second time blow out a rim but now the indicators say drive train malfunctions and wont start who knows where the oil goes keeps running low even though no leaks haven't seen my car in months put something on the seat it says to lock seat belt these cars are lemons what's…”
“Hit a pot hole for the second time blow out a rim but now the indicators say drive train malfunctions and wont start who knows where the oil goes keeps running low even though no leaks haven't seen my car in months put something on the seat it says to lock seat belt these cars are lemons what's…”
“Hit a pot hole for the second time blow out a rim but now the indicators say drive train malfunctions and wont start who knows where the oil goes keeps running low even though no leaks haven't seen my car in months put something on the seat it says to lock seat belt these cars are lemons what's…”
“Drove a short distance with a women's purse in the front passenger seat. Since that time, I get two fault messages every time I start the car, regarding an error in the passenger air bag or seat belt restraint system. Message states to ensure passenger wears seat belt as they air bag may not…”
“Drove a short distance with a women's purse in the front passenger seat. Since that time, I get two fault messages every time I start the car, regarding an error in the passenger air bag or seat belt restraint system. Message states to ensure passenger wears seat belt as they air bag may not…”
“I purchased 2013 vehicle 3 months ago. I have taken vehicle in for repairs w same error 4xs - error "drivetrain - vehicle can not be restarted" I have been on freeway and on street when error has occurred. Wjen this error occurs vehicles electrical components no longer work. Vehicle can still be…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP22005 Opened 2023-01-27 · closed 2023-08-07
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2013 BMW Activehybrid 3 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.