CSR

BMW · NHTSA safety record

2019 BMW X3

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

166

Complaints

5

Crashes

1

Fires

3

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2019 BMW X3 have filed 166 safety complaints with NHTSA between February 2019 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 46 of them (28%). The typical failure was reported at 9,250 miles, the median across the 55 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 10 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (10)

STRUCTURE

24V764000 · October 15, 2024

The defect
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.
The risk
Interior rear cargo rail detachment during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the rear cargo rail attachment bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicles in this recall were previously remedied for this issue under recall number 24V-534 and will need to have the new repair completed.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 8,725 vehicles across all model years covered

STRUCTURE

24V534000 · July 17, 2024

The defect
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.
The risk
Interior cargo rail detachment during a rear crash can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the rear cargo rail attachment bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 282,387 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

21V521000 · July 8, 2021

The defect
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.
The risk
A deactivated front air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the seat foam, which includes the occupant classification system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 138 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

21V096000 · February 19, 2021

The defect
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 xDrive, M760i Drive, M760Li xDrive, 750Li xDrive Alpina, Alpina B7 xDrive, and 2021 4 Series Coupe 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive vehicles. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
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.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 13,858 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

20V152000 · March 18, 2020

The defect
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.
The risk
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.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel casing, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 15 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

19V684000 · September 27, 2019

The defect
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 Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
The risk
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 257,473 vehicles across all model years covered

SEATS

19V563000 · July 31, 2019

The defect
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.
The risk
In the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury if the seatback folds forward or rearward.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seats, free of charge. The recall began September 27, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 20 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

19V291000 · April 10, 2019

The defect
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.
The risk
If the front passenger air bag does not deploy properly in the event of a crash, the occupant has an increased risk of injury.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 50 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

18V453000 · July 6, 2018

The defect
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.
The risk
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the rear brake circuit, free of charge. The recall began August 31, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 5,594 vehicles across all model years covered

LANE DEPARTURE: LANE KEEP: STEERING ASSIST

18V374000 · June 6, 2018

The defect
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.
The risk
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.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the steering wheel, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on July 19, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 51 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 166.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 46 28%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 42 25%
ENGINE 31 19%
STRUCTURE 31 19%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 12 7%
SERVICE BRAKES 12 7%
POWER TRAIN 7 4%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 6 4%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 6 4%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 5 3%
AIR BAGS 4 2%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 2%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 45.

2019 2025 2026
2019 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

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

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

1 injured · crash · towed

My digital gauges were frequently going off center in my vehicle. I scheduled service with the dealer however they did not have a loaner available for weeks so they scheduled the appointment for a few weeks out, my car subsequently completely died on the road and after a minute or two I was rear ended by a truck and the car was completely totaled.

NHTSA complaint 11459758. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · 3,900 miles

AUTOMATIC BRAKING SPONTANEOUSLY ACTIVATED WITHOUT CAUSE. HAPPENED 2 TIMES. MOST RECENT INCIDENT CAUSED INJURIES TO THE DRIVER AND ALMOST CAUSED A SEVERE ACCIDENT. THIS IS A FULL STOP FROM APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH

NHTSA complaint 11268819. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

1 injured

At some point in June 2025, between approximately 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., I was driving southbound on the 110 Freeway in Los Angeles, just south of the 134 interchange, at approximately 45 mph. Traffic was light, with no vehicles in front of me and no vehicles attempting to merge into my lane. Without warning, a bright red alert appeared on the dashboard of my 2019 BMW x3 and the vehicle suddenly applied full braking. The position of my arms at that moment caused an injury to my right elbow, which has remained painful since the incident. In January 2026, under nearly identical circumstances, the emergency warning appeared again. This time, the brakes did not engage. In July, I contacted BMW

NHTSA complaint 11710937, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

crash · towed

On May 20, 2022 at around 10 AM. I pulled into my work parking lot. I proceeded to park the car in front of the main building. I put the car on park but the car accelerated on its own at high speed. It curved around the bushes yanking them out and then smashed into the building. The airbags opened. I called 911 for help. Ambulance took me to a hospital nearby. I lost a lot of blood due to a large cut in my mouth. I had some other minor injuries including a fracture in my sternum and nose.

NHTSA complaint 11472104. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
I was driving in my bmw x3 going about 35 miles an hour and hit a small pothole next thing I know is I got a flat tire when I pulled over the perch plate on the strut had slipped down and hit the tire causing it to blow out and now I'm stuck having to replace the entire strut assembly

NHTSA complaint 11755647. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
I bought my 2019 BMW X3 late 2025 before Christmas. The Carfax was fine and there were no open recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle had been serviced regularly at BMW facilities. Our family mechanic looked at the vehicle before I bought it and performed some basic diagnostics. The vehicle appeared fine. There were no error codes and all of the fluids were topped off. I don't know if the issues with the coolant were there before I purchased the vehicle or if they happened afterwards. There were no warning lights and everything looked good. This car is garage kept and is used a couple of times a week. I did my research on the internet and took my car in for an oil change at a highly-rated

NHTSA complaint 11748660, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious mechanical and safety issue involving my 2019 BMW X3. On or around January 21, 2024, while driving from my home, a warning signal suddenly appeared on my dashboard related to the vehicle’s cooling system/engine. Due to safety concerns, I pulled into a nearby Wawa parking lot, which was the safest available place to stop at the time. I turned the vehicle off and waited approximately 15 minutes before carefully driving the vehicle back home. After inspection and diagnosis, I was informed that the vehicle required extensive repairs, including an engine replacement and cooling system repairs. At the time the coolant warning appeared, the

NHTSA complaint 11740824, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE
While driving our BMW 2019 X3 on the highway, other drivers honked to get my attention that our vehicle's rear hatch was partially open. When we came to a stop light, I had my son riding in the passenger seat press the hatch button on the key fob to close the hatch. Instead this fully opened the back hatch. We continued pressing the fob button in an attempt to get the hatch to close without having to exit the vehicle. Rather than exit the vechicle in the middle of the roadway, we drove about 50 yards until we could pull over safely. A motorcyclist had been following us, and came up behind and communicated that he wanted to press the button to close the hatch. After I gave my consent, he

NHTSA complaint 11740123, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My SOS system has failed due to tsp/atm module defect from faulty shark fin component. My vehicle is off line and im unable to receive emergency services in case of an emergent situation.

NHTSA complaint 11740194. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Rear caliper locking up when in reverse. Knocking noise and crunching sound.

NHTSA complaint 11740195. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the BMW X3

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 14 2
2025 35 9
2024 35 4
2023 11 4
2022 68 8
2021 104 11
2020 109 16
2018 73 11
2017 92 6
2016 82 5
2015 105 7
2014 86 6
2013 226 7
2012 42 2
2011 112 4
2010 32 4

Other 2019 BMW models

Every BMW on this site — 249 vehicles, 484 recall campaigns and 2 open investigation s.

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. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

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.

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