2021 BMW 2 Series Reliability Report

A car can refuse to move from a stop with the powertrain warning on. In one such case, oil leaked from the rear differential until it seized and needed replacement. Other reports describe a failed starter motor and weak auxiliary battery that kept the car from starting, and rodent-chewed engine wiring that cut engine power and turned on the service light. One owner in electric mode reports a stall followed by a hard forward jolt, with a shoulder injury afterward.

Motor mounts fail early. Owners report the failure at 52k and about 60,000 miles, with hesitation at startup and an unusual pulling sound. One car was certified pre-owned and still lost its mounts within 30k miles of purchase. The other complaints are about the engine starter recall. Owners say neither BMW nor dealers have a fix or a timeline. One buyer says the selling dealer never explained the open recall before the sale.

Restraint system warnings show up with no crash or damage, saying airbag and seatbelt tensioner function is reduced. One owner was quoted $2700 to clear a passenger restraint fault and worries the airbags will not deploy. A separate crash report describes the car accelerating instead of braking in a parking lot and hitting another vehicle, with one injury. At about 18,000 miles, the leather cover on a steering wheel airbag folded inward and widened the gap, and the dealer recommended replacing the airbag.

Throttle body actuator failure drops the engine into a safe mode. Revs fall to idle and the car can only creep at a few mph, which is dangerous when it happens in a fast freeway lane. Other reports describe an EVAP system failure that left the check engine light on, and gasoline fumes entering the cabin while driving, which the owner links to nausea and other illness.

The plastic arm that hands the seatbelt forward can snap and leave a rigid, jagged edge at eye level. The dealer in that case called it misuse. Another owner reports a retractor that keeps breaking within days of each dealer repair. On one car, buckles in several seats would not release at about 10,000 miles, and one had to be pried loose. The dealer found candy lodged in that buckle.

Engine mounts have failed at around 43,000 miles, found during routine brake service and called unsafe to drive, with a $3000 repair quote just after warranty ran out. A second problem is a car that keeps falling out of alignment and wearing tires fast at low mileage. The owner suspects the front axle support and right front control arm bracket are separating, while the dealer keeps recommending more alignments.

High-voltage electric motor electronics can fail together with the 12V battery, which can shut down steering, braking, electrical power, and propulsion at once. A separate complaint describes vibration at highway speeds from a right front wheel the dealer called out of round. The vibration continued after the repair, and the owner suspects the run-flat tires and low-profile wheels.