2021 BMW X3 Complaints

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 09/25/2026

Active Grill shutter malfunction. Randomly the check engine light came on the code was for the grill shutter. Upon inspection the grill shutter is not closing. This was an extended warranty on several prior X3/ X5 models. This appears to be the same issue, I wanted to make BMW aware so they can reevaluate the extendeded warranty.

STEERING,SUSPENSION — Filed 07/31/2025

My vehicle was serviced at arrowhead bmw and they found most steering bushings were cracked front and rear, and only wanted $4,500.00 for repair

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 09/11/2026

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V438000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive with the unrepaired recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the concern. The contact was informed that the remedy was unavailable. The contact was advised that if he did not feel safe driving the vehicle, the vehicle should not be driven. The contact had not experienced a failure.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 07/01/2026

The contact owned a 2021 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle in front suddenly stopped, and the contact moved over to the left lane and into the grass due to incoming traffic. The vehicle was 50 to 100 feet from a tree, and the vehicle crashed. The contact stated that the braking system and Forward Collision Avoidance failed to operate as designed. The driver's left arm was fractured. Medical attention was provided. The driver’s arm was still in a cast. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the bank. The driver test drove a 2024 and 2025 BMW X5, and the Forward Collision Avoidance feature failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was towed. There was smoke coming from the driver’s side front of the vehicle. The air bags deployed, and there was smoke coming from the air bags. BMW customer service was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 74,000.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 09/04/2026

On XXX, while in the parking lot, after placing the car in 'park' I then placed the auto into 'reverse' to straighten out the auto in the parking in the space. However, the car automatically changed back to 'park.' Then tried to place the auto in 'drive' and again the the auto switched back to 'park.' I then turned off the engine and decided to begin the process again but experienced the same problem. After doing this once more and while the the auto was in the 'drive' position, and even though my foot was off the gas pedal, to my surprise the engine revered up with a rapid unintended acceleration. Before I could react, the auto went over the dividing curb and the parking island separating the row of cars. It then proceeded to slam into the auto in the parking space in front of my car before I could react. Extensive damage to both automobiles occurred. Both cars in now in their respective repair shops, which will be coved by my insurance. The accident occurred at the Gym located at [XXX]. The accident was reported toXXX and officer [XXX] badge # XXX responded. Their Accident Report will be available next week at the Englewood Police Department - report #XXX. Please let me know if any clarification is required. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 08/25/2026

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V438000 (Electrical System). The local dealer confirmed that the remedy was not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 07/08/2026

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine hesitated while turning over. 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. The failure mileage was 76,494.

ENGINE — Filed 07/24/2026

The engine mounts on my BMW X3 have failed. It is a known national issue with the car, it can be exacerbated by the star/stop feature. There are no warnings or recalls and the repair is several thousand dollara.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 07/10/2026

I am writing to report a known safety-related defect on my 2021 BMW X3, VIN [XXX]. 1 The vehicle was diagnosed at BMW of Manhasset, an authorized BMW dealer, with a coolant leak originating from the heat management module and oil filter housing. This is not ordinary wear and tear. BMW's own service bulletin SIB 11 10 25 identifies this failure mode as a known issue affecting B46/B48/B58-equipped vehicles, which includes my X3. 3 4 5 The same defect is also the subject of an active U.S. class action, XXX. v. BMW of North America, LLC (D.N.J.), covering the same engine families. This defect presents a genuine safety risk, not merely a cost issue. The oil filter housing's internal wall structures, which separate the oil and coolant passages, are prone to failing or warping, and the gaskets sealing those passages are prone to premature failure. When this occurs, coolant can leak into the oil sump or drain externally, which can cause sudden engine overheating and/or engine failure, sometimes within minutes of the leak developing. If oil escapes and contacts the hot exhaust, it can also create a fire risk. A vehicle experiencing this failure is not safe to continue driving, and the risk of sudden, catastrophic engine damage or fire warrants a recall rather than leaving affected owners to discover and pay for this known defect on their own. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE — Filed 07/10/2026

There is an open safety recall for the engine starter on this vehicle. I contacted the local BMW dealer on 7/10/26 to have the recall fixed they advised me that they cannot address the recall because BMW North America has not sent the parts out for them to do so. I would like this on record in case there is any future damage to my vehicle due to the recall.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 06/17/2026

2021 BMW X3 M40i VIN# [XXX] Starter failed with the following BMW codes: [XXX] Starter Malfunction was displayed on the Dash and car took multiple attempts or waiting 10 seconds to start. I had the starter replaced by the Dealer, who confirmed the starter required replacing. I was told it was not part of the recall based upon VIN of car? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

LANE DEPARTURE — Filed 04/01/2026

Lane keep assist performance has been degrading to the point that it very quickly disables itself when overcorrecting or an oscillation of the steering wheel is developed while system is trying to keep the car inside the lane (which eventually also disables the system). System always had a bit of “bounce” between the two sides of the lane and struggled to keep the vehicle exactly in the middle of the lane. But it is much worse now and I am now more often than not disabling it. System feels unsafe now. The KAFAS (camera) module is having random faults now that disable the system but go away and Lane Assist can be re-engaged without any change in the performance I described above. As an engineer I would simply call the Lane Assist control algorithm unstable with an oscillation that gets amplified. I’ve done simple tests where I center the vehicle inside the lane, engage the feature, and take my hands off the steering wheel (vehicle has some limited hands free capability—goal is to eliminate any disturbance from my hands to be the potential trigger for the oscillation). I used to be able to do this and now it rarely works and forces me to quickly take over. Another observation has been that the camera is also used to follow a vehicle ahead of me (in lieu of centering in the lane) and this rarely works now to the point of trusting it. Nothing recent has changed on the vehicle. At first I thought it may be a wheel alignment problem but when the camera module started to have sporadic errors I eliminated that root cause (recall that Lane Assist system always oscillated when engaged, but was definitely usable before). Seems like both problems originate at the camera module. Vehicle did have a windshield replacement and camera was recalibrated many months before this problem developed. Performance was the same immediately before and after replacement.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 06/01/2026

The contact’s wife owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle on several occasions, the vehicle failed to start. The message "Vehicle Failed to Start - Contact Dealer" was displayed. The contact stated that for the vehicle to start, the contact had to turn the power off in the vehicle power, lock and unlock the doors using the key fob, and then, after several attempts, the vehicle eventually started. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V056000 (Electrical System). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 06/05/2026

Car suffered a complete electrical failure when stopped at a traffic light. No warnings on dash, wipers made one swipe then vehicle completely shut down. Hazards did not work. Car was towed to dealership

ENGINE — Filed 05/30/2026

Explosion, fires while the vehicle was off and parked

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 06/03/2026

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V636000(ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced the failure.

ENGINE — Filed 04/30/2026

Filing regarding NHTSA Recalls 25V-636 and 26V-056. My 2021 BMW X3 M40i (VIN: [XXX] , built September 2020) contains the recall-affected starter part number ending in 997 — confirmed by a BMW Level 1 certified technician — not the non-recall part number ending in 505. BMW denied coverage based solely on manufacture date, with no consideration of the actual components installed. My vehicle displays an active fire risk. On April 30, 2026, my dashboard displayed Engine cannot be started, Starter system fault. Call Roadside Assistance, and Repeat start attempt — all photographed and timestamped. Fault codes 216119, 35AE00, and 8040A9 were confirmed by diagnostic scan. BMW of Catonsville (Work Order XXX) attributed the fault to the battery and charged me $280.50. I replaced the battery with a BMW OEM unit on May 13, 2026 at a cost of $590.31. On May 21, 2026, the identical starter fault returned — conclusively disproving the battery diagnosis and confirming the starter as the root cause. BMW denied recall coverage by phone through BMW of Catonsville. No written denial was provided. I am requesting NHTSA investigate whether the recall scope incorrectly excludes vehicles built with the recall-affected starter component, compel BMW to expand coverage to include my VIN, replace my starter at no cost, and reimburse my out-of-pocket costs of $870.81. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

SEATS — Filed 09/01/2025

The driver's seat frame is loose, it has a play and a when accelerating or reducing speeds. The frames produce a click and some noise is heard coming from the seat frame when accelerating or reducing speed. I am the original owner of this BMW 2021 X3.at 34,500 miles. as of this date.

ENGINE — Filed 05/05/2026

The oil pump is exhibiting erratic oil pressure behavior, verified by certified BMW technicians. This behavior has been documented by BMW to indicate that the oil pump can fail without warning, leading to an Uncommanded Loss of Propulsion Angle. The sudden and unexpected loss of power-assisted steering and braking, when the engine stalls in active traffic, can lead to death of the occupants or other drivers that the uncommanded automobile may collide with. Additionally, the thermoplastics in the oil pump component tend to shatter during cold starts, leaving occupants stranded in cold weather, and again, potentially leading to death. BMW is aware of this safety concern but is not offering a remedy at this time.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 09/30/2025

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V636000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. 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.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 04/27/2026

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V636000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. 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.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 03/20/2026

Car spontaneously caught on fire. Total loss. Drove car home from haircut appointment 5 to 10 minutes away. Parked car as normal and went inside. Within approximately 5 minutes loud knock on door “Your car is on fire!” I came out of my home and saw my car in driveway with fire erupting from engine area onto windshield, and through hole in middle of hood. Took a few seconds of video, then ran into house for large fire extinguisher. Emptied fire extinguisher contents into hole of hood and into fire area coming out from engine area onto windshield.

AIR BAGS — Filed 06/18/2025

The contact owned a 2021 BMW X3. The contact stated while parked and occupied in the vehicle, while shifting the gear shift into park, the vehicle accelerated independently and collided with a Tesla occupied by a mom and daughter, which was in front of her. The contact mentioned that the Tesla collided with another vehicle. The vehicle then reversed independently at a high speed and then accelerated again, and collided a second time with the Tesla and then into a BMW several times. The contact, while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. After accelerating independently, the vehicle came to a complete stop. The contact stated that no air bags deployed. The vehicle was towed was B&D Towing, and the vehicle was then towed to Copart. The contact sustained an injury in her lower back. The contact mentioned the doctor informed her that she sustained whiplash as well. No medical attention was required. No police report was filed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The contact mentioned that the seat belt had retracted during the impact. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and they informed her that they would send someone from BMW to inspect the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 57,303.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE — Filed 01/25/2023

I was slowly pulling into a parking space and as I applied pressure to the brakes, there was no response. In fact the car seemed to rev up and accelerate, jumping the curb and ramming a tree. I was able to steer away from the tree to avoid hitting the center of the front end, but smashing the left front. Even after hitting the tree the car did not slow and I’m trying to pump the brakes, there was no response… I kept going over a grassy area, across a sidewalk and back into the driveway in front of the building, finally the brakes engaged and the car came to a stop. I was then able to pull into another space safely out of the way. I was so lucky it was only 7:15 am and no pedestrians were around and no other vehicles. So I did not hit anyone and did not injure myself.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — Filed 04/12/2021

ON APRIL 12, 2021 I WAS DRIVING MY 2021 BMW X3 AND AS I WAS PULLING UP INTO A PARKING STALL, MY VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO COLLIDE WITH A BRICK WALL.