A used BMW M3 is worth having with paperwork for its known weak spots: on the 2007 to 2013 V8 car that means invoices for new rod bearings, and without them the whole engine's at risk.
2 known faults, 2 rated high severity in our database; owners report 21.8 mpg, 80% of the official figure. Everything below is built from that data and the archived owner history, not from a press car.
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Check a BMW M3 advert (free) →An E90 or E92 M3 (2007 to 2013) is only worth buying with receipts showing the 4.0 V8's rod bearings have been replaced. Early bearing wear is a High-severity known fault on this engine, and it can spin a bearing and wreck the engine between 50,000 and 80,000 miles. A car with those invoices is the one to go for; one without them, near or past that mileage, is a bet on the whole engine.
The E46 M3 (2000 to 2006) has a High-severity known fault of its own: the rear subframe and the floor around it can crack and pull away from the body, usually between 80,000 and 150,000 miles. Only buy one once that area's been inspected on a ramp, and pass on any car that creaks or pops from the back over bumps, clunks as you pull away or change gear, or feels loose at the rear.
The 2014 to 2018 M3 has no known faults logged and no owner reports of trouble, but an empty record isn't a clean one, so there's little on record either way. Buy one on its own history and condition, and don't assume it's the safer choice simply because nothing's been written against it.
The 4.0 V8 (S65) in the 2007 to 2013 car is only a sound buy once its connecting rod bearings have been replaced, because they wear early, spin and destroy the engine, with trouble showing between 50,000 and 80,000 miles. Specialists treat new bearings as preventative work to get done before 70,000 miles, and skipping it can cost you the engine.
The V8 runs a timing chain, not a belt. The bearings are its real weakness, but on high-mileage engines the chain tensioners and guides can wear, so a rattle isn't something to shrug off. There's nothing on record about the engine or gearbox in the 2014 to 2018 car going wrong, and nothing proving them either, so it's the service history you're really buying.
Ask for the invoice naming the rod bearing replacement on any 2007 to 2013 V8 car, and check it was done before 70,000 miles, the point specialists work to. With the engine running, listen low down for a metallic knock, and ask whether copper-coloured flakes have ever turned up in the oil filter, since both point to worn bearings.
Coil springs come next. One owner of a 2008 car had both front springs break in quick succession, each one cutting into the inner wall of a front tyre, and both snapped where the coating had come off. Another report described a run of rear spring failures. Look at every spring for bare or rusty patches and check the inside edges of the tyres for damage. Get an E46 up on a ramp too, and look for cracks in the floor around the rear subframe.
On the drive, a misfire or black smoke from the exhausts needs a proper diagnosis before you buy: one owner's 2009 car did both at 50,000 miles, and the dealer found no compression on cylinder one. If the battery's weak, don't panic straight away; a paired phone near a car that hasn't fully shut down can keep the Bluetooth searching and drain it.
Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.
It's a good buy only with proof the rod bearings have been done, because bearing wear on the S65 V8 is a High-severity known fault that can take out the engine between 50,000 and 80,000 miles. A car that's had them replaced, with the invoice in the folder, is the one to have; one without, close to that mileage, isn't.
Away from the engine, springs are what owners have reported. One had both fronts fail on a 2008 car, damaging the tyres from the inside, and another report mentioned a spate of rear spring breakages. Nothing on record shows a fix, so check the springs on any car whatever its year, and ask whether any have already been replaced.
One owner's 2009 car started misfiring and blowing black smoke at 50,000 miles, and cylinder one turned out to have lost compression. That's one car, but at that mileage any rough running on this V8 needs a full explanation before money changes hands, and a high-mileage engine that rattles needs its chain tensioners and guides looked at.
Real-world economy on this generation: BMW M3 20.4 mpg.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
Paste any BMW M3 advert and we check it against the faults, the MOT record and these figures in seconds.
Check an advert now (free) →Owners report 21.8 mpg across the BMW M3 engines with data, about 80% of the official figure, from 148 submissions.
BMW M3 Real MPG by engine →The 2014 to 2018 M3 is seriously quick, with strong pull wherever the needle sits on the rev counter, yet the ride's smoother than you'd expect from a car this fast. It's easy to use as an everyday car, and its economy is much improved.
Each of the pair of M buttons on the wheel stores its own set-up, with the steering, the throttle and the suspension each adjusted on their own, so the car can be made to suit the way you drive. It also means two cars can feel quite different, so don't judge the model on one someone else has set up; try your own settings.
A used BMW M3 is worth having with paperwork for its known weak spots: on the 2007 to 2013 V8 car that means invoices for new rod bearings, and without them the whole engine's at risk. Our database holds 2 known BMW M3 faults, 2 rated high severity, and the sections above say which generation and engine carry them.
Ask for the invoice naming the rod bearing replacement on any 2007 to 2013 V8 car, and check it was done before 70,000 miles, the point specialists work to. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories and ask for invoices for any work the seller mentions. Then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against every known BMW M3 fault before you travel.
Owners report 21.8 mpg on average, about 80% of the official figure, from 148 submissions. Chain (S65, 4.0 V8): no fixed replacement interval, so budget for it if the history does not show it done. The known faults page lists a rough repair cost against each fault. BMW M3 Real MPG by engine.
If you used the Honest John car-by-car reviews before the site closed in 2026, this is where the BMW M3 buying advice now lives. It is written from the archived owner reports and model notes (archived page, 13 items read for this model), our own known-faults database, the confirmed service intervals and the Real MPG figures. Every number on the page comes from that data, not from the text. The same data feeds our free advert check.
CarAdCheck is not affiliated with Honest John or Volkswagen Financial Services. What happened to Honest John, and where each feature lives now.
The BMW M3 is one decision. Reading the advert, the history and the seller are the rest, and these cover them.
Looking at a BMW M3 right now? Check the advert before you go and see it.