CSR
Check a VIN

Look up

About

BMW · NHTSA safety record

2011 BMW X3 SAV

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 13 safety complaints about the 2011 BMW X3 SAV with the US government. Of those, no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the engine and its cooling.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 4 complaints, 31% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 68,300 miles, the median across the 10 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers May 2014 to May 2019 · How this is counted

What is on file

13 complaints on file

13

Complaints

0

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

0

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year. A further 1 defect investigation is open and unresolved.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 4 · 31%
AIR BAGS 3 · 23%
STEERING 3 · 23%
POWER TRAIN 2 · 15%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 · 15%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 · 8%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 8%
SEATS 1 · 8%
STRUCTURE 1 · 8%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 13.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2017 at 4.

8 6 4 2
14 16 17 18 19

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2014 to 2019.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2011 BMW X3 SAV. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

14V176000 · April 10, 2014

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 128i Coupe, 128i Convertible, 328i Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 328i Coupe, 328i Convertible, 328i Sports Wagon and Z4 sDrive 30i, 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 135i Convertible, 335i Sedan, X5 xDrive 35i, and X6 xDrive 35i, 2011 335i xDrive Sedan, 335i Coupe, 335i Convertible, 528i Sedan, 535i Sedan, 535i xDrive Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, and X3 xDrive 35i, 2010 X3 xDrive 30i, and X5 xDrive 30i, 2012 640i Coupe, and 640i Convertible and 2010-2012 535i Gran Turismo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit can loosen over time and may possibly break.
The risk
If the bolts loosen or break the engine may have reduced power or stall. An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four VANOS housing bolts for both VANOS units (intake and exhaust), free of charge. In addition, owners of approximately 170,172 model year 2010-2012 BMW vehicles equipped with inline 6 cylinder engines not covered by this recall, will receive an extended warranty to address this condition. The recall began on September 24, 2014. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 156,137 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations

1 on file

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

EA21002

Still open engineering analysis · opened September 17, 2021

the air bags

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

STEERING

79,000 miles

STEERING IS "STICKY" WHEN TRYING TO MOVE FROM THE CENTER POSITION IN MY 2011 BMW X3 35I-- DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS USED TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN THE CURRENT LANE OF TRAVEL, HIGHER THAN NORMAL RESISTANCE TO TURNING IS FELT. ONCE THE INITIAL RESISTANCE IS OVERCOME, THE RESISTANCE LESSENS, RESULTING IN A TENDENCY TO TURN THE WHEEL FURTHER THAN WAS INTENDED. THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE CAR CENTERED IN MY LANE AND RESULTS IN THE CAR JERKING FROM SIDE TO SIDE WHICH MAKES IT DANGEROUS AND STRESSFUL. TIRES AND ALIGNMENT ARE ALL VERY GOOD AND WEARING CORRECTLY.

NHTSA complaint 11207189. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
NOTHING HAPPENED (YET) BUT BMW SERVICE TELLS ME THERE'S NO RECALLS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF ON MY VEHICLE

NHTSA complaint 11202531. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

64,000 miles

THE COOLANT SYSTEM IS GIVING ME MANY PROBLEMS. THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK DEVELOPED CRACKS IN THE SEAM AND LEAKING. THE THERMOSTAT WAS STUCK, CAUSING ZERO HEAT INTO THE CABIN ON A COLD DAY. THE VEHICLE STALLED ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING IN THE HIGHWAY. IT WOULD NOT RE START THE IGNITION KEPT TRYING, AND AFTER 20 MINUTES STALLED IT FINALLY STARTED, LIMP DRIVING TO MY HOUSE FROM THERE. . THE DISPLAY READS DRIVE MODERATELY /DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION.

NHTSA complaint 11184363. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

70,000 miles

SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING

NHTSA complaint 11132038. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

68,900 miles

ONLY HAVE MY CAR FOR ONLY A YEAR. TAILLIGHT FROM PASSENGER SIDE: THE RUNNING LIGHT DEFECTS WHEN I HIT THE BRAKE THE BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON. I WAS TOLD I NEED TO REPLACE THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY LIGHT AND THIS IS WELL KNOWN FOR THIS CAR. YESTERDAY, WHILE I WAS DRIVING. MY DRIVER RESTRAINT LIGHT CAME ON AND MY A/C OR TEMPERATURE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING, AND CONTROL DISPLAY STOPPED WORKING. I AM NOT ABLE TO MOVE THE DRIVER SEAT. JUST BROUGHT IN TO THE DEALER FOR THE PCV VALVE HEATER RECALL SERVICE. WAS TOLD THIS MAY SOLVE THE ISSUES AND MAY NOT. IF NOT, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THE TAILLIGHT, AIRBAG AND THE CONTROL DISPLAY ISSUES.

NHTSA complaint 11097235. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
IN THE SUMMER OF 2014, THE PANORAMIC MOON ROOF EXPLODED FOR NO REASON. WHILE DRIVING TO WORK, WITH THE MOON ROOF SHADE CLOSED,THERE WAS A VERY LOUD "BANG". AFTER SAFELY PULLING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AN INSPECTION REVEALED NO EVIDENT DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. AFTER PULLING INTO THE LOT AT WORK, A "RAINING' SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE ROOF. AS SOON AS THE SHADE WAS OPENED, SHATTERED GLASS FELL INTO THE CAB OF THE CAR. AN INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED THAT THIS WAS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE. IT WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER AND THE REPAIR WAS DONE AT NO COST AFTER SOME INTENSE CONVERSATION WITH MANAGEMENT. THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OF CONSUMER REPORTS HAD EXTENSIVE COVERAGE OF UNEXPLAINED MOON ROOF EXPLOSIONS.

NHTSA complaint 11056921, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the BMW X3 SAV

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2010 23 3 —

Other 2011 BMW models

328I 577 X5 263 528I 117 535I 112 X3 112 335I 98 550I 84 5 Series 81

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every BMW on this site — 257 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst