What Owners Report NHTSA ODI · 2,175,102 complaints · MY1998–2026

2019 BMW X3

Typical pattern

13.7% of complaints about the 2019 BMW X3 came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2019 vehicle — around the middle of the 191 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 5.7 yr in service. The most-reported system is electrical system (47 complaints), typically at 5.8 yr or about 9,400 miles.

Complaints
233
Median age at failure
5.7 yr
Median mileage
9,000 n=74
Crash / fire / tow
7.3% of reports
Safety recalls
10

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System
0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y
Electrical system
47 reports · 9,400 mi
5.8 yr
8.5%
Other
43 reports · 7,500 mi
5.3 yr
4.7%
Structure
32 reports · 5,000 mi
3.0 yr
0%
Engine
32 reports · 6,500 mi
6.7 yr
3.1%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

24V764000 2024-10-15
Structure

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2022 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3 M vehicles. The attachment for the rear cargo rail may become damaged in a rear crash and result in the cargo rail detaching.

Interior rear cargo rail detachment during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

24V534000 2024-07-17
Structure

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2023 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3 M vehicles. The attachment for the interior cargo rail may become damaged in a rear crash and result in the cargo rail detaching.

Interior cargo rail detachment during a rear crash can increase the risk of injury.

21V521000 2021-07-08
Air bags:frontal

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i and 2019 X4 xDrive30i, and X4 M40i vehicles. The front passenger seat occupant classification system may have been improperly assembled, which could result in the misclassification of the seat as unoccupied, and deactivate the front air bag.

A deactivated front air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

21V096000 2021-02-19
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series Coupe, Convertible and Grand Coupe, 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le, 745Le xDrive, X5 xDrive45e, X3 xDrive30e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 740i, 740Li, 740Li x

If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

20V152000 2020-03-18
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 X4 xDrive30i and X4 M40i, and 2018-2020 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3M vehicles. The instrument panel casing may not have been tightened properly to the passenger air bag.

In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the air bag could damage the instrument panel and cause small pieces of the panel to strike the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury.

19V684000 2019-09-27
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce C

The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.

19V563000 2019-07-31
Seats

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 X3 sDrive30i, xDrive30i and M40i and 2019 X4 xDrive30i and M40i vehicles. The front seatback frames may have been improperly welded, allowing the seatback to unexpectedly fold forward or rearward.

In the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury if the seatback folds forward or rearward.

19V291000 2019-04-10
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X4 M40i vehicles. The instrument panel assembly may have been improperly manufactured, possibly affecting the deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag.

If the front passenger air bag does not deploy properly in the event of a crash, the occupant has an increased risk of injury.

18V453000 2018-07-06
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 BMW X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i and certain 2019 X4 xDrive30i and X4 M40i vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating, potentially reducing rear brake performance.

A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

18V374000 2018-06-06
Lane departure: lane keep: steering assist

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 BMW X3 xDrive30i, X3 sDrive30i, and X3 M40i vehicles equipped with the "Active Lane Keeping Assistant" option. The steering wheel may be incompatible with the lane keeping assistant function and may not detect if the driver's hands are off the wheel.

If the sensors do not properly detect the driver's hands are off the wheel, the driver may not be alerted by one or more warning signals, increasing the risk of a crash.

In owners’ own words

Structure 1,200 mi 5 mo in service
THE TAILGATE OPENED BY ITSELF WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD A SHORT LOCAL DRIVING BEFORE ENTERING THE HIGHWAY. ABOUT 5 MINS IN THE HIGHWAY AT AROUND 60 MPH, THE TAILGATE OPENED BY ITSELF. THE CAR FELT VERY NOISY AND HARD TO CONTROL (I WAS ON A WINDY HIGHWAY). I HAD TO EXIST THE HIGHWAY, STOP ON A LOCAL STREET, AND CLOSE THE TRUNK. THE SAME RANDOM OPENING ALSO HAPPENED ONCE IN MY GARAGE WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED AND LOCKED, A WEEK AGO. WITH TWO RANDOM OPENING HAPPENED IN ONE WEEK, I AM AFRAID OF DRIVING IT. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE TAILGATE WILL SUDDENLY OPEN AGAIN.
Structure 835 mi 7 mo in service
WHEN SLOWLY DRIVING UP A HILL, THE TAILGATE OPENED AND THE CONTENTS IN THE BACK FELL OUT.
Structure 5,000 mi 7 mo in service
THE TAILGATE OPENS ON ITS OWN. THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT THE KEY FOB BEING NEAR A PERSON OR ANYTHING PRESSING ON IT. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND BMW DEALERS WILL NOT FIX IT, IF THEY DO NOT SEE IT IN PERSON. SO, FAR THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A DRIVEWAY OR IN A PARKING LOT.
Electrical system 9,000 mi 10 mo in service
I'M HAVING ISSUES WITH THE SUV'S "HATCH" DOOR OPENING ON IT'S OWN. I'VE OWNED THE CAR SINCE FEB 2019. TWICE IT HAS OPENED ON ITS OWN WHILE PARKED. YESTERDAY MORNING, IT OPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN SLOW TRAFFIC ON A VERY BUSY ROAD DURING RUSH HOUR, AND I HAD A LOT OF THINGS IN THE TRUNK. THE HATCH WOULD NOT CLOSE WITH THE BUTTON ON THE ARMREST, NOR WITH THE KEY FOB. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND GET OUT, AND CLOSE IT BY PRESSING THE BUTTON ON THE HATCH DOOR ITSELF.

Other X3 model years

2022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004

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