Newest first. Many cover only part of a model year, so check your VIN with BMW before booking a repair.
Transport Canada · listed for this model year
Issue: Under certain conditions, the windshield wiping system may not meet certain requirements of Canadian regulations. Safety Risk: This small error does not affect safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. BMW has made changes to ensure that all new vehicles meet Canadian regulations.
2026285 · 25,552 units in campaign · Transport Canada
Applies only if the manufacturer confirms your VIN · repair by an authorized dealer
Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine starter may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the starter could overheat. Safety Risk: A starter that overheats can create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: To reduce the safety risk, BMW recommends not using the remote start function and not leaving the vehicle unattended with the engine running until the recall repairs have been completed. BMW will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the engine starter.
2026040 · 6,958 units in campaign · Transport Canada
Applies only if the manufacturer confirms your VIN · repair by an authorized dealer
Issue: On certain vehicles, water could leak into the starter relay and cause it to corrode. If this happens, the relay could short circuit and the starter could overheat. Safety Risk: A short circuit and/or a starter that overheats can create a fire risk, even while the vehicle is parked and turned off. Corrective Actions: To reduce the safety risk, BMW advises that you should park your vehicle outdoors and away from other vehicles or structures until the recall repairs have been completed. BMW will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the engine starter.
2025499 · 17,761 units in campaign · Transport Canada
Applies only if the manufacturer confirms your VIN · repair by an authorized dealer
Issue: On certain vehicles, the tire and loading information label does not list that there is no spare tire in both official languages. The label reads as "NONE" when it should read as "NONE / AUCUN". Canadian regulations require the information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: This error does not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. The company has corrected the tire and loading information label for all new vehicles.
2024544 · 587,250 units in campaign · Transport Canada
Applies only if the manufacturer confirms your VIN · repair by an authorized dealer
Issue: On certain plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), debris may have entered the high-voltage battery during production. As a result, the battery could short circuit. Note: This recall is for potentially affected vehicles that did not have battery cell module(s) replaced as a part of TC Recall No. 2020-464. Under this new recall the battery cell module(s) must be replaced. Safety Risk: A short circuit in the battery could create a fire risk. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail and inform you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the battery cell module(s) of the high-voltage battery. BMW recommends that you should not charge your vehicle and that you should not drive the vehicle in manual mode, sport mode or use the shift paddles until the recall repairs have been completed. BMW also recommends that you should drain the high-voltage battery via iDrive, by setting/leaving the charging state at 30%, until the recall repairs have been completed.
2021596 · 170 units in campaign · Transport Canada
Applies only if the manufacturer confirms your VIN · repair by an authorized dealer
Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger seat belt assemblies may contain defective automatic locking retractors (ALR). As a result, the seat belts may not properly lock to secure a child seat. Safety Risk: A seat belt that is not properly locked could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the seat belts. They will be replaced, if necessary.
2021448 · 1,615 units in campaign · Transport Canada
Applies only if the manufacturer confirms your VIN · repair by an authorized dealer
Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the rearview camera image not to appear correctly in the central display. Canadian regulations require the rearview image to display when the transmission is shifted into reverse gear. Safety Risk: A rearview camera image that does not display correctly could reduce a driver's ability to see behind the vehicle while backing up. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the rearview camera software, if necessary.
2021078 · 2,263 units in campaign · Transport Canada
Applies only if the manufacturer confirms your VIN · repair by an authorized dealer
Issue: On certain vehicles, an internal part in the integrated brake system could fail during hard braking. If this happens, there would be a reduction in brake boost and the antilock brake system (ABS) would turn off. This can cause an increase in brake pedal effort that is required to stop the vehicle. Safety Risk: A sudden increase in brake pedal force and a loss of ABS braking could lead to an increase in stopping distance. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer replace the integrated brake system (hydraulic unit and master cylinder).
2021061 · 45 units in campaign · Transport Canada
Applies only if the manufacturer confirms your VIN · repair by an authorized dealer
Issue: On certain vehicles, the bolts that connect the 48-V battery cables to the starter-generator may not have been installed correctly. As a result, the electrical connections could overheat. Safety Risk: Electrical connections that overheat could increase the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the bolts connecting the 48-V battery cables to the starter-generator and replace them, if necessary.
2020605 · 130 units in campaign · Transport Canada
Applies only if the manufacturer confirms your VIN · repair by an authorized dealer
Issue: On certain plug-In hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), debris may have entered the high-voltage battery during production. As a result, the battery could short circuit. Safety Risk: A short circuit in the battery could create a fire risk. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail and inform you to take your vehicle to a dealer to test the high-voltage battery. The cell module(s) will be replaced, if necessary. BMW recommends that you should not charge your vehicle and that you should not drive the vehicle in manual mode, sport mode or use the shift paddles until the recall repairs have been completed. BMW also recommends that you should drain the high-voltage battery via iDrive, by setting/leaving the charging state at 30%, until the recall repairs have been completed.
2020464 · 194 units in campaign · Transport Canada
Applies only if the manufacturer confirms your VIN · repair by an authorized dealer
2021 BMW 3 Series recall questions
Transport Canada lists 10 recalls for the 2021 BMW 3 Series model year. That counts campaigns naming this model year, not recalls on your vehicle: many cover only a VIN range or production window, and some only vehicles found on inspection.
Enter your VIN in BMW's Canadian recall lookup, or call a BMW dealer with your VIN. In Canada the manufacturer is responsible for showing recall and repair status for each VIN, so its lookup is the authoritative answer. Cardog uses your VIN only to find the model year; the recalls shown here are listed for that model year and are not matched to your VIN.
Not necessarily. NHTSA campaigns cover vehicles sold in the United States, and NHTSA's VIN lookup has no Canadian data. When a defect also affects Canadian vehicles, the manufacturer files a separate notice with Transport Canada, often under a different number and sometimes covering a different set of vehicles. For a Canadian vehicle, go by the Transport Canada listing and BMW's Canadian lookup.
Safety recall repairs are normally done at no charge by an authorized BMW dealer. The manufacturer's notice for each campaign sets out the remedy and any conditions, so confirm with the dealer when you book.
Once BMW's lookup or a dealer confirms a recall applies, book the repair with an authorized BMW dealer and bring your VIN. If the manufacturer's notice says not to drive the vehicle or to park it outside, follow that instruction. Parts can take time, so book early.
Follow the manufacturer's notice for that recall. Most allow normal driving until the repair; some tell owners to stop driving or to park outside until it is fixed. Cardog does not grade recalls by severity: the manufacturer's notice and your dealer are the source.
Manufacturers must notify owners they have on record. If you bought the vehicle used or have moved, update your details with BMW Canada so notices reach you, and check the manufacturer's lookup from time to time.
Related recall checks
Compare recall listings with alternatives to the 2021 BMW 3 Series.