BMW X3 Complaints

271 consumer complaints on file.

#11656719April 25, 2025
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
The contact owns a 2024 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V106000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the rear driver’s and rear passenger’s side doors would open with one action instead of two. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 18,114. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655994April 22, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2025 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving 1 MPH in stop and go traffic and approaching another vehicle, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and bucked four times. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655649April 19, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am reporting an unresolved safety recall (NHTSA Recall Number: 25V202) on my 2025 BMW X3 (VIN: [XXX] ). The recall is related to a defect in the electrical connection between the starter-generator and the positive battery cable. This could lead to engine stalling while driving, or in extreme cases, a fire due to overheating and smoldering. The defect creates a serious safety risk to both driver and passengers. I purchased this vehicle under financing, and I am still making monthly payments while being unable to safely use it. There is currently no remedy available, and BMW has not provided a timeline or solution. I am afraid to drive this car due to the potential danger. I am requesting urgent action from NHTSA to escalate the resolution of this safety issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655225April 17, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The oil pump failed and needs to be replaced. Yes it is available for inspection. If the pump does not get replaced, the oil will not flow through the car like it's supposed to and the engine could seize up and stop working. My dealership confirmed that the oil pump has failed. Another service center mentioned that it's a common problem with certain BMWs because of the plastic component that they used. Because of the issues, BMW switched to metal but never issued a recall to fix those who still have the plastic component. The first error message I received said that the engine oil level is low and I need to add 2 qts of oil. When I tried to digitally measure the oil levels after oil was added, it wouldn't work. It would load to about 20% and then go back to the initial screen without taking a reading. I didn't realize that was a symptom at the time but the dealership confirmed it. I took it to the dealership within a day of receiving the error message.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11654166April 11, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was entering 4-lane highway from a side street. While accelerating, the engine suddenly stopped. The dashboard went black, except for a red outline of the car. In the second or two that I was looking for a place to get off the highway, the car restarted, and all indicators returned to normal on the dash. I completed my errands without incident. Since the original incident on Monday, [XXX], I have driven the car on several short errands without incident. I believe this incident may be related to your recall 25V-202. Thank you [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11652103April 1, 2025
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2025 BMW X3. The contact stated that while reaching into the vehicle, his jacket became snagged. After a visual inspection, the contact observed a "D-ring" metal sticking out a 1/4 inch from the interior C-Pillar, creating a potential laceration risk. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 100.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651829March 31, 2025
AIR BAGS
I don't know what happen, but Friday March 28, 2024 after getting gas and I started my vehicle a noticed appeared "Passenger Restraint System Malfunctioned. This is related to my Air Bag, and I am told this is not covered under my extended warranty. This is something should be Bmw responsibility.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11647640March 11, 2025
STEERING
On the evening of Wednesday March 6th 2025, as I turned into the street where I live, my car became difficult to steer. It felt like I had developed a front flat tire on one side, but there was no indication of low tire pressure on the dash. I was moving around 5 miles an hour and with some difficulty, could navigate the car to the curb on my street and park it in front of my home. I could not attend to the car on Thursday or Friday since I was busy at work. On Friday night I contacted BMW towing and arranged the car to be towed on Saturday to the dealer from whom I had purchased the car. The dealer confirmed that the car was not steerable. They put up the car on the rack and sent me a video. They noted that the left tie-rod steering linkage was broken. They noticed scratches on the under side of the car, and "Curb rash" on the wheels suggestive of possible brushing of the front wheels to the curb which may have caused the steering problem. They indicated that because it was caused by accidental damage, it was not covered under warranty. I cannot recall any accidents, big or small , while driving this vehicle. I have brushed along curbs occasionally, but none that should break a steering linkage. The scary part of this whole thing was how I could not steer the car, fortunately it happened at low speeds. It could have been worse if the disruption had occurred at freeway speeds. If a car can become non-steerable by just hitting the curb, because the steering linkage broke, that is not acceptable level of quality from a safety standpoint. I would expect better performance from a BMW. I can understand the car getting out of alignment, but to lose the ability to steer is just not acceptable. I have attached pictures of the broken linkage from the video that was sent by the dealer. I have attached the pictures from the
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11647449March 10, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2022 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle intermittently stalled. The failure had occurred on several occasions. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645729March 1, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Car suddenly wouldnt start and gave drivetrain malfunction. Had to get towed to dealer. Car is a 2025 X3 that is less than a month old and 600 miles driven so practically brand new.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645622February 28, 2025
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
The contact owns a 2024 BMW X3. The contact stated that while making a left turn at 20 MPH, a warning chime sounded followed by an alert on the instrument panel which indicated that the rear passenger’s side door had opened with a child strapped in a car seat by the door. The contact immediately pulled over and closed the door. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V106000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); which the contact linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the recall and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645612February 28, 2025
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Before I heard about the recall, about 1 week prior while we were on the highway my son was as in his car seat and we were about few mile to our destination his door unlocked and opened. We had to pull over to close it and was very alarmed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645133February 26, 2025
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
The driver-side front door sometimes gets stuck and cannot be opened from the outside. Additionally, the left rear door cannot be opened from the inside. This issue has been occurring since [provide the earliest date you remember, e.g., “mid-2023”] and happens intermittently. It poses a serious safety risk in case of an emergency, as passengers may be unable to exit the vehicle quickly. The problem has not been confirmed or repaired by a dealer yet. There were no warning lights or error messages related to this issue. Additionally, the air conditioning system is not functioning properly, and there is no cold air even when the A/C is turned on. This issue started around [2024], and no warning lights were displayed.”
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643698February 19, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While driving away from a stop sign in clear bright daylight weather conditions, the car automatically instituted an emergency stop almost causing the car behind me to rear end my car. I am assuming that it was the "drive off safety feature" and after turning off that safety feature and had no repeat. To be clear, I actually have no idea what software system cause the emergency breaking but there were no obstructions, pedestrians or other things that should have triggered the stop.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11642915February 15, 2025
SEATS
I am reaching out with an official complaint regarding a defect in my BMW X3 M40i, which I purchased in November 2024 from Beverly Hills BMW with a mileage of 8,500 miles. The vehicle was certified under BMW’s CPO program, and I additionally purchased an extended warranty. Shortly I began experiencing discomfort while driving. When my back is fully pressed against the seat and my head rests on the headrest, my line of sight is not straight at the windshield but is instead shifted leftward, closer to the A-pillar. This misalignment significantly impairs visibility, making it difficult to maintain a proper driving position and increasing the risk of an accident. Additionally, this issue causes discomfort in operating the vehicle and results in back pain during long drives. I visited my local BMW dealer in Palm Springs, as the original dealer is quite far, and requested an inspection. The service foreman acknowledged something felt off, and an appointment was scheduled for an engineer’s evaluation on January 27, 2025. However, on January 29, my vehicle was returned to me with the claim that no issues were found. I asked how the engineer had inspected the seat and was informed that measurements were taken. When I requested photographic evidence of these measurements, I received images showing an engineer using nothing more than a simple wooden stick instead of professional measuring instruments such as levels, tape measures, or lasers. This method is completely inadequate for an objective and precise assessment of a potential structural defect. Even in these images, it is apparent that the seat is misaligned. Since the official assessment failed to provide objective results, I conducted my own measurements using a 360-degree laser level and determined that: The driver’s seatback is shifted 2 cm closer to the driver’s door; The seat is rotated at a noticeable angle toward the A-pillar. I hope for your assistance, as the seat frame is damaged and using the car is unsafe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11638813January 27, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car has keyless ignition and was accidentally left on/idling in the garage despite no one in the car and the key fob not present. The car was on for 8.5 hours in the closed garage and filled the house with exhaust, which includes dangerous carbon monoxide fumes, known to be lethal and nearly ended in tragedy. Luckily, my wife woke up for an unrelated reason to check on our daughter and smelled the fumes in the house and found the car running in the garage. Multiple carbon monoxide detectors were in the home and did not go off, so presumably the fumes had not yet reached toxic concentrations by the time the car was turned off. 2 days later, I took the car to the BMW dealership to be inspected for defects and was told by the technician that it was functioning properly and I should assume the engine is running if the keyless ignition button is not turned off. The lack of an auto-shutoff safety feature to prevent this occurrence is completely unsafe and unacceptable. This is a known issue of keyless ignition cars for over a decade and is an easy mistake to make given how quietly the cars run. Many other car manufacturers have already implemented this feature, so it was shocking that such a well-respected car brand like BMW did not include this safety control as a default feature.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11638763January 27, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
As I was pulling into a parking stall at work, I pressed on the brake and the vehicle did not stop. It went up over the sidewalk which is stepped up from the parking lot 4-6". i continued to press the break in as far as I could and the vehicle continued to travel at least 20 and stopped when it hit the building. The vehicle is equipped with the automatic emergency breaking and collision warning in which neither worked. The brick on the building was only scrapped. However, there are windows right at the brick line at the location that my car stopped. The car did not go through the window or the building. If it would have, it could have injured those inside. I was pressing on the breaks so hard that I have an injury to my toe. I have not seen a doctor yet, but it's possible that I broke it as I was pressing that hard. The vehicle has not been inspected by the insurance company, manufacturer, or dealership yet. I called the dealership and asked that it be inspected and a diagnostic run immediately. The dealership said they cannot get me in for a week. My vehicle is equipped with a Event Data Recorder.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11637113January 20, 2025
SEAT BELTS
My vehicle is part of the cargo rails recall, how ever I also experiencing a separate safety issue with the seatbelts that I believe requires urgent attention . Seatbelts falling to block properly during sudden braking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11634641January 7, 2025
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11633271December 30, 2024
WHEELS
Vehicle is not alerting driver that flat tire has occurred. Especially problematic as vehicle has run flats. Pressure sensors are working correctly, and accurately reporting PSI and temperature. Software automatically "resets" tire pressure based off of tire size and set speed, this is not something that a user can control. In other words, I can't "reset" the sensors when the tire has 10 PSI, so that it will think that that is normal. Asked if others have seen similar issues in a forum: [XXX] Right away someone else has had newer car to dealer multiple times with the same issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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