There are 5 owner-reported suspension complaints for the 2004 BMW X3in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I HAVE BEEN ALERTED BY MY LOCAL MECHANIC A FEW YEARS AGO AND IN 2011 BY MY LOCAL BMW DEALER THAT MY LEFT REAR COIL SPRING HAS BROKEN DUE TO RUST. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE LOCAL BMW DEALER THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURANCE FOR ALL BMWS THAT OPERATE IN THE NORTHEAST DUE TO SALT. THE DEALER'S MEMO TO ME STATES: "IF NOT REPLACED, WORN COIL SPRINGS WILL NOT ALLOW THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM TO MOVE AND ADAPT TO CHANGING ROAD IRREGULARITIES". THE BMW DEALER WANTS $640.24 TO REPLACE BOTH REAR SPRINGS. MY VEHICLE NOW HAS 80,000+ MILES ON IT AND I CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE IT FIXED. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED, AS HAS BEEN OUR OTHER VEHICLES, NONE OF WHICH THAT HAS HAD SUSPENSION PROBLEMS DUE TO SALT/RUST. ONE VEHICLE HAS 280,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS A MAJOR DESIGN/PERFORMANCE FLAW THAT MAY HAVE BAD CONSEQUENCES FOR BMW OWNERS. *TR
FRONTAL DIFFERENTIAL AND WINDOW MOTOR WENT BAD AT THE SAME TIME. THE SUV ONLY HAS 80, 000 MILES AND IS HAVING ALL KINDS OF MECHANICAL PROBLEMS ALREADY. I BOUGHT A BMW BECAUSE I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY BUILD GOOD CARS NOT LEMONS. *TR
BROKEN REAR SPRING ON 2004 BMW X3 WITH 50,000 MILES. DEALER STATED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE 3 SERIES AND THEY ARE BEGINNING TO SEE THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE X3. *TR
MY TRANSMISSION/VEHICLE AT 40MPH ON FLAT OR SLIGHT DECENT WILL JERK BACK AND FORTH WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. BMW HAS REPLACED THE TORQUE CONVERTER, TRANSMISSION, TRACTION UNIT, ABS SENSOR UNIT, TO SAY THIS IS NORMAL WITH THE 2.5 ENGINE. I FIND IT SURPRISING THAT THIS IS THE CASE. NOW, SINCE THE REPAIR MY REAR SUSPENSION MAKES NOISES, LIKE THERE IS A PROBLEM. THEY HAVE TIGHTENED IT UP, BUT IT IS BACK TO THE SAME PROBLEM. I SEE THERE IS PENDING LAWSUITS OVER THE REAR SUSPENSION OF CERTAIN BMW VEHICLES. NEEDLESS TO SAY, NOTHING IS FIXED AND NOW NEW PROBLEMS HAVE OCCURRED. THE LOCAL BMW DEALER HAS BEEN REALLY GOOD ABOUT THIS, IT SEEMS THEY ARE UNDER ADVICE FROM BMW. *TR
A PIECE OF THE STRUT COIL SPRING FELL OFF WHILE MY CAR WAS PARKED. IT APPEARS TO BE RUSTED AND JUST CRACKED OFF. I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP SHOWING THEM THE PIECE I FOUND AND THEY ADVISED THAT THIS IS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE AND IT WILL COST ME OVER $500.00 TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED. I ONLY HAVE 57,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND I DON'T FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS AS THE COIL APPEARS TO BE DEFECTIVE. *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026