CSR

BMW · NHTSA safety record

2023 BMW X3

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

11

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2023 BMW X3 have filed 11 safety complaints with NHTSA between April 2023 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is the body structure, named in 3 of them (27%). The typical failure was reported at 20 miles, the median across the 1 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 4 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (4)

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

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

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

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

23V821000 · December 6, 2023

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota GR Supra, 3 Series Sedan (330i xDrive, M340i xDrive, M3), 5 Series Sedan (530i, 530i xDrive, M5), 4 Series Gran Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive), 4 Series Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive), 4 Series Convertible (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive), 8 Series Coupe (840i, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Convertible (840i, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Gran Coupe (850i xDrive, M8), X3 SAV (X3 xDrive30i, X3M), X4 SAV (X4 xDrive30i), X5 SAV (X5 xDrive40i, X5 M50i, X5M), X6 SAV (X6 xDrive40i, X6 M50i, X6M), and Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i vehicles. The weld seam of the integrated transmission control unit's cover may not have been manufactured properly, which could allow automatic transmission oil to leak into the transmission control unit.
The risk
Transmission oil that leaks into the control unit can lead to a seizure of the transmission gears, causing a sudden loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the transmission mechatronics module and the automatic transmission fluid, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 26, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 552 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 11.

STRUCTURE 3 27%
ENGINE 2 18%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 9%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 9%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 9%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 1 9%
POWER TRAIN 1 9%
STEERING 1 9%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 9%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2023 at 5.

2023 2026
2023 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.

STRUCTURE:BODY

1 injured

As I was driving today in the freeway my sunroof exploded. As far as I can tell, It was not caused by rocks or other cars, it just exploded putting my wife and I in a dangerous situation having to park on the side of the freeway. We first thought someone shot at us. We stopped the car and it took us a minute to feel safe to go out, trembling, to check car for gun fire. We looked the entire body while the freeway was full, even for a Sunday, and discovered nothing wrong. As we entered the car and closed our door, we heard the noise of shared glass, so we both left the car again to reinspect it putting our lives in danger as other drivers were passing by. We re-enter the car again and the

NHTSA complaint 11618362, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

crash

Sensor for forward collision warning failed to work and I was involved in an accident.

NHTSA complaint 11530911. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Mileage: 31,694 (bought [new]) The engine starter intermittently fails to crank the engine and, per an open manufacturer recall, presents a fire risk while the vehicle is running. On multiple occasions the vehicle struggled to start during normal use. There was no crash, no injury, and no airbag deployment. To isolate the issue I contacted my authorized BMW dealer three times 07/01/2026, 07/16/2026 & 07/27/2026; on each call I was told no recall remedy is currently available and to call back in approximately one month. The vehicle remains subject to the open starter recall with no repair available. No relevant aftermarket equipment is installed.

NHTSA complaint 11753105. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2023 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V056000 (Electrical System) 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 had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA complaint 11737666. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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

NHTSA complaint 11647640, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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

NHTSA complaint 11645133, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

20 miles

The contact owns a 2023 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact depressed the brake pedal however, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact also stated that the failure had previously occurred several times. The vehicle was scheduled for an upcoming service appointment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to schedule an appointment with the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 20.

NHTSA complaint 11571407. 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
2022 68 8
2021 104 11
2020 109 16
2019 166 10
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 2023 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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