CSR

BMW · NHTSA safety record

2024 BMW X3

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

Owners have filed 38 safety complaints about the 2024 BMW X3 with the US government. Of those, 5 describe a crash, 3 people were injured and no death is recorded. 4 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 11 complaints, 29% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 17,903 miles, the median across the 5 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers August 2023 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

38 complaints on file

38

Complaints

5

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

3

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
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11 · 29%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 6 · 16%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 · 13%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 4 · 11%
POWER TRAIN 4 · 11%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 · 11%
ENGINE 3 · 8%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 3 · 8%
AIR BAGS 2 · 5%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 5%
STEERING 2 · 5%
STRUCTURE 2 · 5%
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 38.

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 2025 at 16.

20 15 10 5
23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2023 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 2024 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

4 on file

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

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.

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.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

I was driving through a green light through an intersection and a car on the opposite side of me had a yield green which they were suppose to wait for me to go and then continue with their left turn, but instead the driver decide to just go and our vehicles collided. The other car, which was a toyota corolla, had damage to their passenger side in which the front bumper looks like it got detached but the airbags were deployed. On my BMW, my entire grill, structural bumper beam, front crumple zone, radiator, driver side beam and bumper were all pretty much destroyed. My hood is dented inward and the insurance company has filed it a total loss. However, due to the extensive damage on my front,

NHTSA complaint 11765697, 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.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2024 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 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 11764068. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2024 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 dealer was not 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA complaint 11760954. 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.

Compare

Other years of the BMW X3

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 17 2 —
2025 38 9 —
2023 15 4 —
2022 78 8 —
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 2024 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