Problems with paintwork and corrosion on BMW: affected models and engines

In 5 models from BMW there are 5 documented faults with paintwork and corrosion. The most important: rust on the rear wheel arches, sills and suspension mounting points, rust on the sill edges and rattling panoramic roof on the Active Tourer and fragile bodywork paint.

Reviewed on 29 October 2026How we work

Documented faults, from most to least important

Severity × frequency. Below each one, the BMW models it appears in.

- Medium severityFrequency: CommonBMW Serie 3 E36Rust on the rear wheel arches, sills and suspension mounting pointsCorrosion is the most repeated weak point in the E36 guides: it appears mainly along the rear edge of the rear wheel arches, on the sills and at the jacking points, and fiches-auto.fr also cites it on the rear subframe and suspension mountings. According to one guide, cars built before 1994 rust more.
- Low severityFrequency: OccasionalBMW Serie 2 Active Tourer F45Rust on the sill edges and rattling panoramic roof on the Active TourerAUTO BILD, citing TÜV Report data, mentions surface rust on the sill edges and panoramic roofs that rattle on the Active Tourer F45. These are minor defects that only turn up occasionally.
- Low severityFrequency: OccasionalBMW Serie 4 F32Fragile bodywork paintAccording to the owner reports collected by fiches-auto.fr, the 4 Series paintwork is the most repeated non-mechanical complaint: 8 mentions of fragile paint among 103 reports. No official recall is recorded.
- Low severityFrequency: OccasionalBMW Serie 7 E65Paint degradation on door handles and bodywork corrosionAccording to testimonies collected by fiches-auto.fr, 5 of 64 owners of the 7 Series E65 cite paint degrading on the door handles and spots of rust, as well as misting of the headlights.
- Low severityFrequency: RareBMW Serie 1 F20Tailgate corrosion (early cars)It is an isolated fault, not a widespread one: gebrauchtwagenberater.de reports isolated cases of rust on the F20's tailgate, mainly on cars built up to 2012.

By BMW model

Open yours to see only the faults that affect it, by engine and by year.

Frequently asked questions

What faults with paintwork and corrosion do BMW cars have?

Which BMW models have the most problems with paintwork and corrosion?

BMW Serie 3 E36 (1 fault), BMW Serie 7 E65 (1 fault), BMW Serie 1 F20 (1 fault) and BMW Serie 2 Active Tourer F45 (1 fault).