CSR

BMW · NHTSA safety record

2024 BMW X3

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

35

Complaints

4

Crashes

0

Fires

2

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2024 BMW X3 have filed 35 safety complaints with NHTSA between August 2023 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 8 of them (23%). The typical failure was reported at 17,903 miles, the median across the 5 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 4 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (4)

STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM

26V524000 · August 12, 2026

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2024-2026 X3 sDrive30i, X3 30 xDrive, and X3 M50 xDrive vehicles. The steering spindle may have been incorrectly attached to the steering column.
The risk
An incorrectly attached steering spindle can lead to a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the steering connection and replace hardware or replace the spindle and column, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 2, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 2, 2026.

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

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

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

STEERING

23V770000 · November 16, 2023

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2024 2 Series Coupe (230i), 330i, X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i vehicles. The steering gear may not have been tightened properly, which can allow it to loosen.
The risk
A loose steering gear can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 11, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 201 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 35.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8 23%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 6 17%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 14%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 4 11%
POWER TRAIN 4 11%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 11%
ENGINE 3 9%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 3 9%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 6%
STEERING 2 6%
STRUCTURE 2 6%
AIR BAGS 1 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 16.

2023 2025 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.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

1 injured · crash · towed · 17,000 miles

The contact owned a 2024 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH and turning right, the vehicle unintentionally continued accelerating and veering to the right. The contact stated that she had depressed the brake pedal, but the brakes did not respond. The contact stated that the vehicle jumped the curb, the contact was not able to steer the vehicle back onto the roadway because the steering wheel was seized. The contact stated that the vehicle hit a traffic sign and side-swiped a street light pole. The contact stated that the vehicle then crashed into a parked vehicle head-on and stopped. The contact stated that the air bags had not deployed during the

NHTSA complaint 11659896, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Insert, Padding

1 injured

[XXX] old infant's face was cut and bleeding from the Chicco Fit360 ClearTex Rotating Car Seat's safety straps with included pads INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint 11735435. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

crash · towed

Driving on the highway, unexpectedly i was not able to turn anymore. On the road was something I wanted to not hit, but steering did not work as usual. The car was forced to the left into the wall and the only thing i was able to do was using the breaks steady and slowly. Steering in the other direction did not work and in the end i hit the divider wall on the left shoulder

NHTSA complaint 11678605. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

crash · towed

I started to pull forward from a pharmacy drive-through at an intended low speed (approximately10/15 mph) for a right turn onto a driveway. The car was on auto-hold and in drive gear. When I turned right, the vehicle went into a full throttle acceleration and continued until impact. Brakes were totally ineffective. A TWO-LINE BRIGHT YELLOW MESSAGE FLASHED IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, "TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION". There was no automatic braking or forward collision function. I made a hard left turn in about 40 feet to avoid a shopping center parking lot. The vehicle continued until colliding with a concrete filled bollard and an automotive electric charging station. The vehicle charging at this

NHTSA complaint 11740159, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
I was pulling out of a parking spot and my X3 completely stalled and lost power. I got infomation on my screen to take my car to my dealer as soon as possible. I was able to start and drive it home. The following week I took it to the dealer for the problem. My local BMW dealer has had my X3 since July 27th over 2 weeks. They said they waiting for a code or fix for what happened. I don’t know if it’s a power train or engine problem. My X3 only has 21,000 miles on it. My concern is this problem could have happened on highway and I could have had a different outcome.

NHTSA complaint 11755469. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Since purchasing my vehicle, I have experienced numerous ongoing issues that BMW has failed to address. The problems include: A squealing and beeping noise coming from the engine. The headlights turning on by themselves. Interior lights turning on without warning. The vehicle shaking while driving. The check engine light repeatedly coming on. A recent gasoline smell that required me to take the vehicle to the shop due to safety concerns. The roof making a popping noise when driving over uneven driveways or surfaces. I have documented many of these issues with multiple videos. Despite providing evidence and repeatedly reporting these problems, BMW has ignored my concerns and has not

NHTSA complaint 11750438, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving on the interstate at about 65-70 MPH when the sunroof exploded without apparent cause. This caused glass to be scattered throughout the vehicle and given the sudden event, sound and disruption to driving I would say that this is a safety issue. The same day this happened I dropped the car off at the dealer for repair estimate and coincidentally there was another BMW, a new X7, that just had the same thing happen without cause. This makes me think that there is a manufacturing defect.

NHTSA complaint 11749474. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

towed · 17,903 miles

The contact owns a 2024 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH, attempting to park the vehicle in the park the vehicle, while depressing the brake pedal the vehicle unintendedly accelerated independently causing the vehicle to drove over the curb and the contact mention due to the impact the rear passenger tire was damaged and before the brake pedal she could hear the vehicle began to decelerate independently and while depressing the brake pedal with her left foot . No warnings light illuminated A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where they inspected the vehicle, and they informed the consumer there was no failure. The contact mention that this failure had

NHTSA complaint 11742130, 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 14 2
2025 35 9
2023 11 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 2024 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.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst