CSR

BMW · NHTSA safety record

2022 BMW X3

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

Owners have filed 78 safety complaints about the 2022 BMW X3 with the US government. Of those, 2 describe a crash, 4 mention a fire, 6 people were injured and no death is recorded. 8 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 14 complaints, 18% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 51,000 miles, the median across the 7 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers November 2021 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

78 complaints on file

78

Complaints

2

Describe a crash

4

Mention fire

6

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.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 18 · 23%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 14 · 18%
STRUCTURE 12 · 15%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 11 · 14%
ENGINE 9 · 12%
LANE DEPARTURE 9 · 12%
POWER TRAIN 8 · 10%
SERVICE BRAKES 5 · 6%
AIR BAGS 3 · 4%
STEERING 3 · 4%
TIRES 3 · 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 · 4%
0 8 15

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 78.

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 2026 at 24.

28 21 14 7
21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2021 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2022 BMW X3, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV RWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 17.1% 17.2%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

8 on file

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

26V438000 · July 8, 2026

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Toyota Supra, 2022-2025 2 Series Coupe, 2021-2023 5 Series, 2022-2026 Z4, 2023-2024 4 Series Gran Coupe, 4 Series Convertible, 4 Series Coupe, 3 Series, 2021-2025 X4, and 2021-2024 X3 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all models. The engine starter may overheat and catch fire due to wear on an internal component.
The risk
Fire increases the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on August 28, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning August 28, 2026. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall 26V056.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 318,495 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

26V056000 · January 30, 2026

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Toyota Supra, 2022-2023 2 Series Coupe, 2021-2024 5 Series (xDrive), 2021-2022 Z4, 2022-2024 4 Series (Gran Coupe), 2021-2024 4 Series (Convertible and xDrive Convertible), 2021-2023 4 Series (Coupe), 2021-2024 3 Series, 2021-2023 X4, 2021-2024 X3 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all models. The engine starter may overheat and catch fire due to wear on an internal component.
The risk
Fire increases the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 24, 2026.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 87,394 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:RELAY

25V636000 · September 23, 2025

Park outside until repaired

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 BMW 330i, 2019-2022 BMW Z4, 2020-2022 BMW 530i, X3, X4, Toyota Supra, 2021-2022 BMW 430i, 430i Convertible, and 2022 BMW 230i vehicles. The engine starter relay may corrode, causing the relay to overheat and short circuit.
The risk
A short circuit in the starter relay may increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is complete. Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 6, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov November 14, 2025.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 199,674 vehicles across all model years covered

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LOCK

25V106000 · February 20, 2025

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022-2024 X3 sDrive30i and X3 xDrive30i vehicles. The second-row seat side door locking modules may not function properly and allow the doors to be unlocked with a single motion. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
The risk
Doors that can be inadvertently unlocked and unlatched may open unexpectedly, increasing the risk of injury to rear seat occupants.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the second-row seat side door locking modules, free of charge. A letter informing owners of the safety risk was mailed on April 21, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 40,736 vehicles across all model years covered

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

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL

22V513000 · July 20, 2022

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022 X1 xDrive 28i, X3 xDrive30i, and 228i Gran Coupe vehicles. The high-pressure fuel rail may crack and result in a fuel leak within the engine compartment.
The risk
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the high-pressure fuel rail, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 19, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

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

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

22V070000 · February 9, 2022

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022 330i, 530i, X3 xDrive30i, and X4 xDrive30i vehicles. The mechatronics unit inside the transmission may not have been assembled properly, which could result in an internal leak.
The risk
An internal transmission leak can result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the transmission mechatronics unit, free of charge. All of the vehicle population for this recall have been repaired. Owner notification letters were not mailed. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 4 vehicles across all model years covered

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.

SERVICE BRAKES

3 injured · crash

on [XXX] I was going into a Parking Garage in Beverly Hills, CA. I got a little too far from the ticket machine so I put the BMWX3 in PARK and PUT the Emergency Brake on so I could open my door, step out and grab the ticket. The car immediately rolled backwards into a Dodge Charger behind me. That woman is suing for $150,000. It caused my insurance to double, I had to have PT on my pelvis. I had to pay the deductible to get the car repaired. BMW will not take responsibility for the malfunction. My Dad was a professional driver for FORD and I have never caused an accident in my [XXX] years of driving. The woman claims that she and her children were injured but no air bags deployed. the car

NHTSA complaint 11721588, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

2 injured · crash · towed

The front collision warning failed and had not given any problem prior to the failure. We were in a car accident where a person turned left (we were going straight) and passed right in front of us when we hit them. The Forward Collision Warning did not display and our vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance. We may of avoided the accident if the sound and display of the warning had triggered.

NHTSA complaint 11550697. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured

Airbags deployed with no impact

NHTSA complaint 11717099. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

fire

My BMW X3 was less then 1 month old with less then 200 miles. On the way home around 11PM I noticed sparks and some coming out the hood. I pulled to the side of the road and as soon as I stepped out of the car flames were coming out from under the car, drivers door. Called 911. Police and fire department showed up within 10 minutes. The fire was put out unfortunately the whole car melted by then. I'm glad I escaped unhurt. Few minutes more I could have been seriously hurt or dead.

NHTSA complaint 11463417. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

80,000 miles

The contact owns a 2022 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V438000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shut off. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and restarted after several attempts. Additionally, the vehicle occasionally failed to start. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA complaint 11766981. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Purchased BMW X3 Feb 2025. On test drive left wheel shimmy on left turn noted. Salesman stated it "was a safety feature he could not turn off". Vehicle continues to have shimmy/vibration on left front wheel with left turns. I have had the tires balanced/rotated and aligned multiple times with no change to left vibration on left turn. I have informed BMW of issue every time the vehicle is in for service. They finally did a "check" on the vehicle and found no issues. The dealer kept my vehicle for a week for the service tech to test drive, he was unable to reproduce the issue. In doing research, BMW Service information Bulletin (Revision 3) replaces SI B27 2 20 May 2024 was located. I

NHTSA complaint 11764787, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2022 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V438000 (Electrical System); however, the part to complete 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 made aware of the issue.

NHTSA complaint 11764806. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Safety Campaign: 26V-056:532 (Tech Code 0012650600 / Bulletin B120126)Incident Chronology & Causal Link:Prior to recall servicing, the vehicle began stalling during start attempts. I contacted BMW and was instructed to bring the vehicle to the franchise dealership due to an active federal safety recall regarding internal starter short-circuiting and overload risks. On August 3, 2026, the dealership (BMW of Winter Park) replaced the starter assembly under the campaign.However, prior to replacement, the starter’s factory defect had already severely overloaded the electrical grid, inducing heavy parasitic drain and cell degradation on my healthy, original 2021 factory BMW AGM battery (which

NHTSA complaint 11764282, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Screen keeps glitching as if it had a false contact Dealer want to charge 1000 just to to the troubleshoot, if the problem is the screen they can replace 2000 if the problem is the computer it will be 10000. The car guarantee expired 2 months ago yet it only has 33k miles. I have taking the car for tt 2 months and the first time that sad it was a software but it still doing it

NHTSA complaint 11763828. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
BMW issued safety recall 26V438 (starter fire risk) for my 2022 BMW X3. On September 11, 2026, BMW Arrowhead confirmed my vehicle is affected but has no parts available and no repair timeframe. I was instructed to park outside due to fire risk and to avoid driving the vehicle. When I asked the dealership for a loaner vehicle given the safety instruction, I was told: "no parts, and because of that we can't give you a loaner because there is no timeframe." I called BMW Customer Relations on September 11, 2026 and was told they would follow up. I am a parent of two minor children and have an 80-mile daily commute, and currently have no safe alternative transportation. Current odometer reading:

NHTSA complaint 11763694, quoted in part. 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 17 2 —
2025 38 9 —
2024 38 4 —
2023 15 4 —
2021 111 11 —
2020 109 16 —
2019 170 10 —
2018 75 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 2022 BMW models

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