BMW X3
Registered from 2004 to 2027.
About this model
The BMW X3 is a compact luxury crossover SUV manufactured by BMW since 2003, based on the BMW 3 Series platform. BMW markets the car as a Sports Activity Vehicle, the company's proprietary descriptor for its X-line luxury vehicles.
From the Wikipedia article BMW X3, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The manufacturer has told owners of one of these to stop driving until the repair is done.
- Broken swivel bearings can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Where it stands out against its peers
- Engine: more complaints than 96% of 2013 cars — 65% of its 452 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 21%.
- Power train: more complaints than 90% of 2013 cars — 27% of its 452 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 12%.
- Engine and engine cooling: more complaints than 94% of 2013 cars — 6% of its 452 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 1%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- ENGINE — 174 owners reported this, 2 involving a crash, 2 involving a fire
- POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — 60 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN — 22 owners reported this, 2 involving a crash
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 18 owners reported this, 4 involving a fire
- SERVICE BRAKES — 18 owners reported this
- AIR BAGS — 12 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 10 owners reported this, 2 involving a fire
Crash test
| Overall | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash | ★★★★☆ |
| Side crash | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ |
| Stability control | Standard |
| Forward collision warning | No |
| Lane departure warning | No |
Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 255 hp · 2057 kg · 2870 mm wheelbase · 8.7 L/100km (EPA) · 9.4 L/100km city · 7.8 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2025 | 375 hp · 2057 kg · 2870 mm wheelbase · 8.7 L/100km (EPA) · 9.4 L/100km city · 7.8 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2024 | 382 hp · 1918 kg · 2860 mm wheelbase · 10.2 L/100km (EPA) · 11.2 L/100km city · 9.0 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2023 | 382 hp · 1918 kg · 2860 mm wheelbase · 10.2 L/100km (EPA) · 11.2 L/100km city · 9.0 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2022 | 382 hp · 1918 kg · 2860 mm wheelbase · 10.2 L/100km (EPA) · 11.2 L/100km city · 9.0 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2021 | 248 hp · 1918 kg · 2860 mm wheelbase · 10.2 L/100km (EPA) · 11.2 L/100km city · 8.7 motorway · 348 Wh/km · Suv, 4-door |
| 2020 | 248 hp · 1918 kg · 2860 mm wheelbase · 10.2 L/100km (EPA) · 11.2 L/100km city · 8.7 motorway · 348 Wh/km · Suv, 4-door |
| 2019 | 248 hp · 1918 kg · 2860 mm wheelbase · 9.4 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 8.1 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2018 | 355 hp · 1918 kg · 2860 mm wheelbase · 10.2 L/100km (EPA) · 11.8 L/100km city · 8.7 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2017 | 181 hp · 1919 kg · 2810 mm wheelbase · 9.8 L/100km (EPA) · 11.2 L/100km city · 8.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2016 | 181 hp · 1919 kg · 2810 mm wheelbase · 9.8 L/100km (EPA) · 11.2 L/100km city · 8.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2015 | 241 hp · 1919 kg · 2810 mm wheelbase · 9.8 L/100km (EPA) · 11.2 L/100km city · 8.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
12% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.
- Do not drive
19V678000
Broken swivel bearings can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
BMW has notified owners and instructed them to not drive their vehicles. Dealers will replace the front axle swivel bearings, free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
13V454000
A failure of the brake vacuum pump results in a reduction in braking power that could increase the risk of a crash.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will modify the vehicles to prevent insufficient vacuum pump lubrication, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 31, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
13V570000
In the event of a crash, the air bag could improperly deploy, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the air bag's protection and increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger. In addition, parts or fragments from the air bag system could strike and injure the front passenger or other vehicle occupants.
BMW has notified owners and dealers will replace the instrument panel, free of charge. The recall began on December 11, 2013. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
14V627000
A failure of the brake vacuum pump results in a reduction in braking power that could increase the risk of a crash.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will install a locking ring in the camshaft to retain the camshaft seal disk in the proper location, free of charge. The recall began on December 2, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
14V648000
The driver may not notice that vehicles viewed in the mirror are closer than they appear, increasing the risk of a crash.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side exterior rearview mirror, free of charge. The recall began on December 16, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
16V333000
Damaged lower anchor bars may increase the child's risk of injury in the event of a crash.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will weld a reinforcing bracket to the lower anchor bars and the vehicle body, free of charge. The recall began on July 13, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
16V683000
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator housing could separate from the base plate and result in metal striking the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's front air bag, free of charge. The recall began on November 1, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
16V704000
An increase in pin contact resistance can increase the risk of a fire, even while the vehicle is parked and ignition is off.
The vehicle was repaired at the dealership before sale. Therefore, an owner notification notice will not be issued for this campaign. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
36 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.
Regulator investigations
Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.
High pressure fuel pump failure
Engineering analysis, opened March 2023, still open.
Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.
Loss of power assist braking
Preliminary evaluation, opened September 2013, closed October 2013.
Became recall 13V454000.
Bmw airbag light illumination
Engineering analysis, opened January 2008, closed December 2008.
Bmw airbag light illumination
Preliminary evaluation, opened September 2007, closed January 2008.
What the maker told its dealers
Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.
BMW filed 15 bulletins about the 2026 X3.
- Electrical system: 7
- Steering: 2
- Engine: 1
- Exterior lighting: 1
- Structure: 1
- Suspension: 1
- Wheels: 1
- Other: 1
- Due to an implementation error in various OBD diagnostics in the vehicle's control units, in very rare cases itmay happen that stored fault memory codes (DTCs) and the MIL (warning light) are not… · July 2026
- After programming the vehicle via ISTA/RSU to 25-07-5xx, some of the interior ambient lighting strips (examples circled) may no longer function properly. · May 2026
- Receiver Audio Module Return · May 2026
- Control Arm Return · May 2026
- Check Control message and a significant change in steering feel. · April 2026
- Check Control message and a minimally changed steering feel. · April 2026
- Delivery stop: harness routing · March 2026
- The following message is displayed on the central information display (CID): “Storage space running out”.Afterwards, apps can no longer be updated, and additional content can no longer be loaded. · March 2026
7 more.
Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.