There are 1 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2016 BMW X3in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
BOTH HEADLIGHT LENSES ARE CRACKING AND PITTED ON THE INSIDE OF THE LENSES. VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE 2ND TIME AT THE DEALER THEY HAD A REGIONAL TECH MANAGER CHECK THE HEADLIGHTS.THE CONCLUSION HE CAME TO IS THAT THE PITTING AND CRACKING IS ON THE OUTSIDE AND THEREFORE NOT A DEFECT. WELL, A CHILD COULD SEE AND TELL, EVEN BY TOUCHING THE FACE OF THE HEADLIGHTS THAT THIS IS ON THE INSIDE OF THE PLASTIC HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AT NIGHT, AS WELL AS A CLEAR MATERIALS DEFECT. I BELIEVE THAT BMW DOES KNOW THAT THEY ARE DEFECTIVE, AND SIMPLY DOESN'T WANT TO PAY FOR THE HEADLIGHTS. THEY SAID I COULD REPLACE THEM MYSELF IF I WANTED TO AT A COST OF $5000.00.
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 May 4, 2026