The 2018 BMW X3 has 11 safety recalls and 76 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is electrical system (22 complaints).
Recalls11safety recalls
Complaints76filed by owners
Crashes · fires4 · 2reported in complaints
Injuries · deaths2 · 0reported in complaints
Safety recalls
Structure
NHTSA recall 24V764000 · Oct 15, 2024 · 8,725 vehicles
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2022 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3 M vehicles. The attachment for the rear cargo rail may become damaged in a rear crash and result in the cargo rail detaching.
Risk: Interior rear cargo rail detachment during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rear cargo rail attachment bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicles in this recall were previously remedied for this issue under recall number 24V-534 and will need to have the new repair completed.
Problem: 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.
Risk: Interior cargo rail detachment during a rear crash can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification › Front passenger
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i and 2019 X4 xDrive30i, and X4 M40i vehicles. The front passenger seat occupant classification system may have been improperly assembled, which could result in the misclassification of the seat as unoccupied, and deactivate the front air bag.
Risk: A deactivated front air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat foam, which includes the occupant classification system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Components: Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification › Front passenger; Air bags › Frontal
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
NHTSA recall 20V152000 · Mar 18, 2020 · 15 vehicles
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 X4 xDrive30i and X4 M40i, and 2018-2020 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3M vehicles. The instrument panel casing may not have been tightened properly to the passenger air bag.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the air bag could damage the instrument panel and cause small pieces of the panel to strike the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel casing, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Components: Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module; Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 X3 sDrive30i, xDrive30i and M40i and 2019 X4 xDrive30i and M40i vehicles. The front seatback frames may have been improperly welded, allowing the seatback to unexpectedly fold forward or rearward.
Risk: In the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury if the seatback folds forward or rearward.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seats, free of charge. The recall began September 27, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service 1-800-525-7417.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Caliper
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 BMW X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i and certain 2019 X4 xDrive30i and X4 M40i vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the rear brake circuit, free of charge. The recall began August 31, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Exterior lighting › Turn signal
NHTSA recall 18V431000 · Jun 21, 2018 · 5 vehicles
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW X3 xDrive30i and X3 M40i vehicles. The rear turn signals on the outboard side panel will illuminate red, while the inboard turn signals simultaneously illuminate amber. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Turn signals that flash multiple colors may confuse other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear turn signal lights, and replace if necessary, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Lane departure › Lane keep › Steering assist
NHTSA recall 18V374000 · Jun 6, 2018 · 51 vehicles
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 BMW X3 xDrive30i, X3 sDrive30i, and X3 M40i vehicles equipped with the "Active Lane Keeping Assistant" option. The steering wheel may be incompatible with the lane keeping assistant function and may not detect if the driver's hands are off the wheel.
Risk: If the sensors do not properly detect the driver's hands are off the wheel, the driver may not be alerted by one or more warning signals, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the steering wheel, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on July 19, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Structure › Body
NHTSA recall 18V154000 · Mar 7, 2018 · 17,008 vehicles
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW X3 xDrive30i and X3 M40i vehicles. The rear spoiler may not have been properly attached during assembly, or may be missing screws, possibly causing the spoiler to detach while driving.
Risk: If the spoiler detaches while driving, it can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the spoiler, correcting its attachment as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 1, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
NHTSA recall 17V719000 · Nov 15, 2017 · 3,188 vehicles
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive, M2, and X3 xDrive 30i SAV vehicles. These vehicles may have an error in the software for the instrument panel, causing the display to not properly illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Control and Displays."
Risk: If the display does not illuminate during start up or does not illuminate various control and warning symbols while driving, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster display software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 8, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
Fuel economy
X3 xDrive30i
25mpg combined
City / highway
22 / 29 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel Drive · about $3,300/year to fuel
X3 M40i
23mpg combined
City / highway
20 / 27 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
3 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel Drive · about $3,550/year to fuel
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
What owners report
Problem area
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Typical mileage*
Electrical system
22
0
0
0
17,300 mi
Engine
16
0
0
0
—
Unknown or other
12
2
2
2
100 mi
Structure Body
9
0
0
0
—
Steering
7
2
0
0
8,000 mi
Exterior lighting
6
0
0
0
—
Suspension
5
0
0
0
—
Air bags
5
0
0
0
—
Service brakes
4
3
0
2
9,231 mi
Engine and engine cooling
4
0
0
0
114,000 mi
Back over prevention Sensing system › Camera; Rearview system braking
3
0
0
0
—
Seat belts
2
0
0
0
—
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
Aug 30, 2026Electrical system I am reporting a serious safety-related failure involving my 2018 BMW X3. While I was driving on Highway [XXX] in [XXX] on XXX, the vehicle suddenly lost electrical power and became disabled while I was traveling in active highway traffic. The instrument cluster went completely black and the vehicle would not restart. Because the vehicle became disabled unexpectedly while I was on the freeway, I was placed in an extremely dangerous situation with a significant risk of being struck by other vehicles traveling at highway speed. The vehicle also could not properly operate the hazard warning lights after the failure, which significantly increased the danger to me and other motorists because a…
Aug 16, 2026Structure › Body A rock hit the front of the moonroof glass and a minutes later the moonroof tempered glass exploded while driving.
Sep 8, 2026Electrical system My car suddenly lost all power when at a red light in a turn lane on an active roadway. Fortunately, it was daytime because I could not turn on hazards or lights. I couldn't open the trunk and more importantly I couldn't shift into neutral because of the power failure. A tow truck was sent but he didn't have rollers and couldn't jump start the car, so a second tow was called. We ended up there with the car in the road blocking traffic for 3 hours. If it was night, someone could have hit my car. The car was towed to BMW and diagnosed with a faulty alternator, internal failure of the main battery and failure of the second battery. The technician said the battery failures were due to the…
Jan 31, 2026Engine There were several radiatior hose leaks that happened in the winter due to the outdated plastic housing and lines that seized and cracked with colder temperatures. It has become extremely common historically and not considered affordable part or labor to replace.
Aug 1, 2023Structure › Body The sunroof drains of the vehicle become easily clogged. When this happens, water drains into the battery compartment and interior of the vehicle. Although BMW is aware of this, and the attendant danger of having water pooling in the battery compartment, they have not addressed the issue. There are no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the problem.
Feb 21, 2026Engine While driving on the interstate lost coolant through the oil cooler housing. I had to quickly get to the shoulder of the road having to cross several lanes of traffic. The car had to be towed. I had it towed to the dealership where I purchased it as I paid for an extended warranty. Warranty company denied the claim. Through research I am finding this is an issue with BMWs as they part is plastic and does not stand up well with the temperature changes it is subjected to. This needs to be a recall. The car is still in the shop, 45 days later. Approximate cost to repair $2,840.00 plus tax.
Jan 6, 2026Engine BMW installed a part that is failing quite a number of vehicles including this vehicle. The oil filter housing was not properly constructed at the factory. Fails.
Jan 1, 2026Engine Oil pump failure due to plastic brittle materials failing prematurely. It is a common problem that is well documented across the owners that have this vehicle.
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.