2021 BMW X3 complaints

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.

It has been a long time since this safety recall was issued on this vehicle. I keep getting notices from BMW of Clear Lake at 15943 Gulf Freeway to schedule the vehicle for the recall repair, but when I call to schedule I am told that BMW international has not yet made and released the parts to this dealer/service center. I am filing this online complaint as the original safety notice directs, since this safety issue is not being fixed in a timely manner. It should not take this long to implement the repair for this safety issue.

Per the manufacturer, the car requires an oil change every 10,000 miles. However, the engine has a known defect to the manufacturer so that the car only makes it to about 6000 miles before you have to do an oil change. And sometimes the car doesn’t alert you. So your engine could possibly burn up and catch fire. Also, it’s a known issue to them that the back up camera malfunctions suddenly. So it’s really like you don’t have a back up camera at all.

The passenger side daylight running light stopped functioning. I called BMW dealership while it was still under warranty and was told that if it was simply a light needing replacement it would be $500. At the next oil change I had a diagnostic test done and was told that the modules for both daylight running lights had overheated and melted and that a headlight also would need replacement. The cost of this was quoted at $4,200. This is a huge safety concern as this could easily cause an electrical fire. BMW was contacted and refused to cover the cost as it was 2000 miles out of warranty when the oil was changed.

Constant emergency braking when I’m not near another vehicle.

BMW b58 engines have been having issues with oil pumps, common symptoms are the oil level not being able complete above 20%. Which indicates a failing oil pump upon a lot of research it’s a very common issue b58 owners know about, many report having seized engines, low oil pressure warning lights. Lots of complaints have been opened with bmw, with bmws response being to replace oil pump. I have this issue on my car and now have to look into getting the oil pump replaced

The oil pump failed and needs to be replaced. Yes it is available for inspection. If the pump does not get replaced, the oil will not flow through the car like it's supposed to and the engine could seize up and stop working. My dealership confirmed that the oil pump has failed. Another service center mentioned that it's a common problem with certain BMWs because of the plastic component that they used. Because of the issues, BMW switched to metal but never issued a recall to fix those who still have the plastic component. The first error message I received said that the engine oil level is low and I need to add 2 qts of oil. When I tried to digitally measure the oil levels after oil was added, it wouldn't work. It would load to about 20% and then go back to the initial screen without taking a reading. I didn't realize that was a symptom at the time but the dealership confirmed it. I took it to the dealership within a day of receiving the error message.

The car has keyless ignition and was accidentally left on/idling in the garage despite no one in the car and the key fob not present. The car was on for 8.5 hours in the closed garage and filled the house with exhaust, which includes dangerous carbon monoxide fumes, known to be lethal and nearly ended in tragedy. Luckily, my wife woke up for an unrelated reason to check on our daughter and smelled the fumes in the house and found the car running in the garage. Multiple carbon monoxide detectors were in the home and did not go off, so presumably the fumes had not yet reached toxic concentrations by the time the car was turned off. 2 days later, I took the car to the BMW dealership to be inspected for defects and was told by the technician that it was functioning properly and I should assume the engine is running if the keyless ignition button is not turned off. The lack of an auto-shutoff safety feature to prevent this occurrence is completely unsafe and unacceptable. This is a known issue of keyless ignition cars for over a decade and is an easy mistake to make given how quietly the cars run. Many other car manufacturers have already implemented this feature, so it was shocking that such a well-respected car brand like BMW did not include this safety control as a default feature.

My vehicle is part of the cargo rails recall, how ever I also experiencing a separate safety issue with the seatbelts that I believe requires urgent attention . Seatbelts falling to block properly during sudden braking.

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (Structure); 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Upon starting the vehicle, the electronic dashboard comes on, declares “Reduced Driver Assistance” then about 15 seconds later, the entire dashboard goes dark and won’t come back on until the car has been shut down for several minutes. This sequence of events happens 95% of the time that I start the car. Upon restart, the dashboard will stay on about 40% of the time, the other 60% it shuts off again. While I can still see my speed in the heads up display, I have no idea how much gas I have, I can’t get any information from the dahsboard and I can’t use the cruise control. I’ve read about other owners of the 2021 BMW X3 M40i having this same issue however the dealership seems to have no idea and wants me to spend $1,000 in diagnostics to see if they can find the problem….then I would have to pay to have it fixed as well. This seems like a pretty big safety issue.

Vehicle is not alerting driver that flat tire has occurred. Especially problematic as vehicle has run flats. Pressure sensors are working correctly, and accurately reporting PSI and temperature. Software automatically "resets" tire pressure based off of tire size and set speed, this is not something that a user can control. In other words, I can't "reset" the sensors when the tire has 10 PSI, so that it will think that that is normal. Asked if others have seen similar issues in a forum: [XXX] Right away someone else has had newer car to dealer multiple times with the same issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The malfunction involves the collision warning system and sudden braking functionality. The dealership inspection identified a problem with the KAFAS (camera) unit, specifically its housing being deformed from heat, which affected the functionality of the collision sensor and caused the system to malfunction intermittently. The component is still installed in the vehicle and available for inspection if required. The system triggered sudden braking without an actual threat, creating a serious risk of being rear-ended by vehicles behind me. This issue has occurred twice in the last month, with no warning or actual collision risk present. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the problem was confirmed by the dealership. Their inspection found that the KAFAS camera housing is deformed due to heat exposure, causing malfunction warnings and erroneous braking behavior. They stated this is not a covered warranty issue. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The dealership performed an inspection and provided an inspection report, but no other entities (e.g., manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives) have inspected the component or vehicle. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes, the malfunction indicator light for the collision sensor appeared intermittently.

During rain this evening, water intruded from sunroof area. Learned this is extremely common problem alleged to be due to shrinking sunroof seals. This dripping water can potentially cause loss of control of the vehicle due to falling water intrusion causing foot controls to become wet. In addition, electrical malfunctions may occur possibly causing fire or other problems. I am also including a stranger’s video of his car at BMW dealer with tech explaining this is a very common problem, obtained from Facebook.

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The functioning of this feature has never worked. We have had a number of near misses in parking lots when exiting a parking space.

My complaint is that the safety recall was issued nearly 3 months ago on a 2021 model, and no remedy has been provided for it. This is an unsafe situation and are wondering when they will provide a remedy?

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer had referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (STRUCTURE); 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

In June 2023, I purchased a vehicle from Enterprise Car Sales. Around June 2024, I reached out to them with concerns about the vehicle. They recommended I contact either the insurance or warranty company, but neither could address my issue. I then took the vehicle to the dealership, and they agreed to inspect it. They confirmed that the windshield and rear window molding trim were aftermarket parts, which were causing streaks on the window and obstructing the driver’s view. Additionally, the brakes and tires had been replaced with non-recommended parts, though I was willing to cover the cost of replacing these two items out of pocket.

This complaint is not due/regarding an accident. It is a complaint about the response time to remedy a recall which has been months long now. In July 2024, BMW recalled 291,112 X3 models from 2018 to 2023 due to a risk of the interior cargo rail detaching in a crash. The attachment bolts for the rail could become damaged, increasing the risk of injury to passengers. What is taking so long to get this fixed? Seems the remedy is to simply replace bolts. I am unable to use this car while it has a safety recall outstanding. Please expedite this fix, it has been several months and in the meantime this car sits being unproductive.

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (Structure); 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Vehicle has consistently presented with a loud screeching noise from the brakes. When emergency braking needed, there are incidents of a slipping feel to the brakes where they do not seem as through they are applying properly. The slipping feel and noise of the brakes increases during wet/snowy weather. The noise is not a safety concern as much as the slipping feel of the brakes is significantly concerning. When emergency braking is applied, any slipping is putting my safety and the safety of passengers in my vehicle/surrounding vehicles is at high risk. Multiple service appointments surrounding this persistent problem have resulted in dismissive responses from BMW. The service center has inspected the brakes, acknowledged the loud consistent screeching noise, but BMW states the brakes are normal and the noise is expected because they are "sport brakes". BMW now recommends replacing rotors but insists it is only due to the "noise complaint". The vehicle is only serviced at a BMW dealer/service center and has been inspected by BMW. There are no warning lamps or messages related to the problem. The problem was existing when I first purchased the vehicle in 2022, was acknowledged by BMW, and has been persistently reported at every service appointment as not subsiding and in fact increasing in volume. I believe there is a manufacturing problem with the BMW x3 SAV model that impacts the braking system (brake pads and rotors), causing slipping when emergency braking is engaged and

2021 BMW X3- RECALL 24V534---INTERIOR REAR CARGO RAILS--We have contacted BMW dealer several times and no remedy as of (9.3.24) The cargo rails and the vehicle body could separate from the vehicle body. The bolts are what need to be changed out and the dealer says they have no REMEDY. We want to make sure that we are safe. Please HELP! Thank you for your attention to this very time sensitive issue.

I am attempting to file a complain due to the manufacture of my car, not addressing the recall. The recall was initiated on July 17, 2024, and it has now been more than 30 Days. I use my car and also had it on a rental platform to help me with my monthly payments. Now it has been removed from the platform due to it being unsafe to drive on the road and it is also unsafe for me to drive it on the road. I am hoping that through this complaint I can get a resolution.

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact stated while approaching a stop light at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal stiffened while the contact was attempting to stop the vehicle. Due to the failure, the contact ran the red light; however, the brake pedal function returned soon after the failure. The contact was unaware if any warning light was illuminated during the failure. Despite the brake failure, the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to a dealer and remained with the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,500. The VIN was not available.

Driving at highway speeds, the front sun roof exploded into the vehicle. 2nd time this has happened. Previous time was 03/2022.

Sirrus XM Advertising pops up in the middle of the speedometer and stays there. Blocks vision of speedometer. Big Blue square comes on at night distracting driver. Several internet posts and complaints advise that it comes on blocking the rear camera vision. Contacted Sirrus they say they cant do anything about it, it is built into the car. Contacted BMW and their "Genius" squad they don't know how to get rid of it. I see postings of other car brands having the same complaint. Consumers don't spend $70.000.00 for a vehicle to be solicited for a service that they don't want. Besides the safety factor. This is an invasion of privacy and none requested solicitation. Please look into this.

Driving on a highway with occasional traffic lights, my 2021 X3 Plugin hybrid's sunroof's from glass cracked with a loud bang. I had it closed and the sun shade part also was closed. The loud bank also felt like an impact on my head and I felt in a bit of a shock like the time I was hit from behind with a shock and having to think. I first though it was a tire and slowed down to safely exit into a business parking lot to asses the situation. After checking the tires I noticed something on the roof. The glass was cracked and deformed in an upward direction. It was still pushing upward and a 4-6 inch section fell off and onto the top of the sun shade part. In safety, the loud shock caused a brief distraction on a highway going at least 50 MPH. Also if the sun shade was open some of the glass could have fallen on me. I searched online and found previous complaints about 'exploding sunroofs': https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2018/bmw-exploding-sunroof-lawsuit.shtml. I did not see anything coming toward the car or notice other cars possibly slowing down or getting hit by something that would have hit my sunroof and bounced around in the traffic. I mobile detailer helped clean up the glass so I can drive on and able to take it to the dealer.

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving approximately 3 MPH, and slowing to park the vehicle, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact stated the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,307.

Sun roof glass shattered while driving

Both front end tie-rods had to be replaced at 28000 miles. They were making a loud popping noise when steering the vehicle on uneven pavement. The bushings on the tie-rods were worn out and could have failed at any time, resulting in a complete loss of steering control. The vehicle has not been in any accidents or received any damage to wheels and/or tires from hitting any curbs or potholes. In my opinion, this is a dangerous condition which warrants additional investigation. The repair / replacement was performed at the auto dealership where the vehicle was purchased new in April 2021.

I was driving down the street from my home and I slowed down turned right and my car was out of control I steered to the curb. I got out and saw that the tire had blown-up and a large piece of the tire which was cut in half was on the ground. I couldn’t drive the car I called a tow truck driver who was there within 30 min he towed my car to BMW. It hasn’t been fully inspected I am waiting for USAA to inspect with Spectrum collision. Several people from the collision company have said it may be a tire failure.

Severe clunk while in reverse probably coming from rear differential

The BMW X3 went in for a recall to reprogram the DME. After updating the DME software by BMW the DME was no longer talking to other modules. The BMW Assistant Service Manager said and I quote him "IT'S A KNOWN ISSUE WITHOUT A FIX". I ask for clarification and I was told that there were some 100 modules or so that are in the car and that they now no longer reliably talked with other modules as a result of the updating the DME recall software. I was given one example by BMW of possible implications to modules not talking to each other where BMW was not sure if the airbag was getting correct information. BMW when on to say they were not sure what exactly was and was not affected but they considered it now a safety issue. They have had our BMW X3 since February 7th, 2023 after numerous fix attempts. As of today that would be 101 days at the BMW service department. BMW also said there were other BMWs with the same issue. Bottom line BMW treated the issue as a safety issue. Again that safety issue was created by a failed updating the DME software module on a recall. There is a dashboard emissions warning light that appears when the hybrid battery is drained. BMW also indicated that they have no idea what the full extent of failed software update, has done. RECALL . PLEASE PERFORM OPEN RECALL FOR THE DME PROGRAMMING, B121221, ADDDED ON 11/14/2022 AT 4:15 BY [XXX] preformed service Acton 12 12 21. defect code 0012690500. labor ops 00 71 240. ···WARRANTY, INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT

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.

Intermittent Check Engine Light with the Plug In Hybrid X3 30e since January 2023. Vehicle has been taken back to BMW 2 times and released back to me without permanent fix. Vehicle as of April 2023 is currently held at dealership for 3rd time still without fix. Each check engine light results in a trip back to the dealership service center because we wouldn't know what is the severity of the issue. My safety is put at risk because a normal drive suddenly becomes worrisome and interrupted at random times and we have to attempt to safely pull over to call roadside assistance. Currently in communication with local dealership and have reached out to BMW Customer Relations without response yet.

Traveling on 2 lane road with no cars around, bright day, 2:30pm about 40mph. Emergency braking beeped twice and immediately slammed on the brakes. Not sure what it thought it saw- tree shadows? The feature was set to medium. If another car was behind us it would have slammed into us. 5th time in 2 years. The dealer just shrugs and says to not set it to high responsiveness. This is a bad defect.

The check engine light is on. We have taken the vehicle to 2 different BMW dealerships and the problem persists. I have contacted BMW of North America and they have not responded. We are hesitant to drive this vehicle since it is unknown why the "check engine" light is on. Thank you.

On 10/7/22 my wife started her 2021 BMW X3 and the instrument panel did not appear. She drove the vehicle to the local BMW dealership. After being told that the reported problem had not been previously reported by any other X3 owner, the dealer tested the vehicle. A scan returned a fault code, B7F8F9 HU-H. A software reset was performed and a test plan was conducted. Test plan directed technician to program vehicle due to unfavorable software. Vehicle was programmed to the latest integration level. Vehicle was test driven to confirm the repair.

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the sunroof fractured with some pieces of glass detaching from the sunroof assembly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 7,200.

WHILE DRIVING ON A MICHIGAN EXPRESSWAY 1/28/22 THE SUNROOF EXPLODED NOTHING HIT MY VEHICLE THE SUNROOF CAME CRASHING DOWN IN SMALL PICES AND COULD OF CUT A CHILD OR GOT IN ANYONES EYES PLUSH THE SHOCK OF THE EXPLODING GLASS I CONYACTED THE BME DEALER THEY DID NOT HELP PLUS ACTED LIKED THIS VEVER EVER HAPPEND i CONTACTED BMW USA AND THEY ADVISED HARD TO PROVE IT WAS A DEFECT AND IT MUST OF BEEN OUTSIDE FORCE MY INSUREANCE COMPANY DID INSPECT

The side seat rail plastic covers are easily detached from both driver and passenger side of front seats. On one occasion, the driver seat cover detached and slid forward near pedals while driving creating a potentially serious accident.

The contact leased a 2021 BMW X3. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V601000 (Electrical System) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact stated that the tailgate would fall on the contact without warning upon use. On one occasion, the tailgate had fallen on her left arm and the contact had to wrestle her arm out of the vehicle as the tailgate sensor failed to recognize her arm. Once her arm was released, the tailgate locked her purse inside the vehicle. The contact did not suffer any injuries. The contact called the dealer and arrangements were made to drop her off at home and to take her back to the vehicle once a spare key was made. The contact also stated that the car alarm would independently activate without warning while being driven and while stationary. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

My sunroof exploded while driving on the interstate. There was a very loud boom almost like a gunshot. All of the glass came crashing down into the cabin. This was an extremely dangerous situation as I was traveling on the interstate. There was no warning, no rocks or any other object hit the glass to initiate this occurrence. The vehicle will be inspected by the bmw dealer 11/1/21 and my insurance company is in the process of reviewing photos of the damage.

On many cars including mine, and a family members 2021 8 series, BMW uses a light sensor on the instrument cluster to set the daytime dimming of the digital cluster and backup cameras. However, Florida-legal window tint confuses the system, and causes the screens to dim in a way that cannot be overridden or adjusted. There is a setting for screen brightness, however it is only active for night. This has caused difficulties reading the instrument display repeatedly. This is includes: collision warnings, back up camera, vehicle speed, and safety warnings. Here is a video showing the effect on someone else's car. Mine is worse, and driver said that that is gets worse depending on circumstances. https://streamable.com/n4tjp4

The high voltage battery recall has been open for 1 year, which any reasonable person would agree is far in excess of a reasonable amount of time as the issue is one that could lead to a fire / death.