BMW · X3 · 2019
10
Recalls
155
Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
The 2019 BMW X3 has 10 recalls and 155 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: unknown or other (24 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
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Rollover Resistance
17.2% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
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.
Remedy Status
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.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X4 M40i vehicles. The instrument panel assembly may have been improperly manufactured, possibly affecting the deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag.
Remedy Status
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
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."
Remedy Status
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.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series Coupe, Convertible and Grand Coupe, 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le, 745Le xDrive, X5 xDrive45e, X3 xDrive30e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 740i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, M760i Drive, M760Li xDrive, 750Li xDrive Alpina, Alpina B7 xDrive, and 2021 4 Series Coupe 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive vehicles. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy Status
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
The vehicle's Telematics Control Box (TCB), located beneath the roof-mounted shark fin antenna, failed due to water intrusion and internal corrosion. The failure produced the following fault codes confirmed by BMW of Norwood, MA: B7F341 (backup battery hardware defective), B7F33C (internal ECU error), and B7F327 (microphone short circuit to ground), along with cascading faults across multiple other vehicle modules. Symptoms included a persistent 'Emergency Call System Malfunction' warning on the instrument cluster, loss of GPS/navigation accuracy, and loss of odometer display. The shark fin antenna base seal — a foam tape and adhesive system — had likely deteriorated after approximately 6-7 years of service, consistent with a pattern of failures reported by numerous other owners of 2017-2023 BMW X1, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, M440i, M550i, 330, 340i, and 750i vehicles. BMW dealer quoted $3,300 for repair. An independent BMW specialist quoted $3,500. BMW North America declined to cover the repair as the vehicle is out of warranty, despite acknowledging the issue as known. This failure mode is the subject of active class action litigation (Craft v. BMW of North America LLC, Case No. 1:24-cv-06826, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey) and an ongoing investigation by Sauder Schelkopf LLC on behalf of affected owners. SAFETY CONCERN: The failure disables the Intelligent Emergency Call system, which automatically contacts emergency services in the event of a serious accident. Additionally, the persistent warning obscures the instrument cluster including the odometer display, impairing normal vehicle operation. Water intrusion reaching vehicle electronics represents a broader safety risk if it propagates to safety-critical modules. ACTION REQUESTED: Formal investigation into the adequacy of the shark fin antenna sealing design across affected model years, and consideration of a recall or extended warranty to cover TCB replacement costs for affected owners.
I am reporting a water intrusion issue in my 2019 BMW X3 involving both the roof-mounted “shark fin” antenna and the sunroof. Water enters the vehicle during normal rain conditions and has caused failure of the emergency call (SOS) system. This presents a serious safety concern, as the emergency communication system may not function in the event of a crash or emergency. Water intrusion also creates a risk of electrical damage and potential malfunction of critical vehicle systems while driving. The vehicle has been properly maintained, and this issue appears to be related to known defects involving water leaks from roof components in BMW vehicles. The total repair cost to address these issues is $4,650.
PHANTOM BRAKING ISSUE - Twice now while driving 50-55 MPH on clear roads the brakes slammed on without cause - COMPLETE SHUTDOWN - While going thru a restaurant drive thru - the car completely shut down and would not move forward - I had to back up in order to get out of drive thru - thankfully no one was behind me. AFRAID TO DRIVE CAR - bringing it in for service
While driving down the highway at about 60 mph, the vehicle made a loud noise like a gunshot, and the sunroof exploded. Fragments of glass fell from the sunroof onto the backseat and floor board and large chunks of glass fell after. There was not any indication that the sunroof was damaged prior to failure and there were no other cars around that could have caused a rock or other debris to fly up and hit the sunroof. Fragments of glass could have injured the driver and the noise startled the driver and could have caused a wreck.
I'm reporting a safety issue with BMW vehicles equipped with the B58TU engine, primarily 2019-2021 models. These vehicles have an oil pump with an internal plastic component that regulates oil pressure, and this part is fracturing in the field, causing sudden loss of oil pressure. The failure typically occurs during cold starts in low temperatures. When it fails, oil pressure becomes erratic or is lost entirely, often with little to no warning before engine damage or vehicle disablement. Warning signs, when present, include inability to measure oil level electronically, abnormal oil pressure, or sudden drivetrain malfunction warnings. These can rapidly progress to engine shutdown or severe damage from oil starvation. This creates a dangerous situation because the vehicle can become disabled without warning while driving or after startup. This is especially hazardous when cars become immobilized in traffic or during winter conditions when failures occur most frequently, leaving occupants exposed to freezing temperatures while awaiting assistance. Pump replacement requires extensive disassembly and commonly costs $6,000-$8,000, assuming no engine damage. A critical concern: owners cannot determine if their vehicle has the original plastic pump or the later metal revision. BMW's VIN-based parts lookup now shows updated components even when original plastic parts remain installed, and BMW has removed the original plastic part number from dealer networks entirely. Failures are reported across multiple production years, and the scope of affected vehicles remains unclear. Because this condition causes sudden vehicle disablement without adequate warning, especially in cold weather, I believe this warrants investigation as a potential safety-related defect.
My 2019 BMW X3 (G01 chassis) displays a persistent "Emergency Call System Malfunction" warning on the instrument cluster that cannot be dismissed or reset by the owner. The warning appears every time the vehicle is started and remains on the dashboard throughout operation. This is a known defect caused by failure of the Telematics Communication Box (TCB) module, which is commonly triggered by water intrusion through a defective seal on the roof-mounted shark fin antenna housing. BMW has acknowledged this issue through Technical Service Bulletin SIB B65 12 22 (Roof-Mounted Antenna Housing Seal Not Adhering), yet has not issued a recall or offered a no-cost repair to affected owners. This defect presents the following safety concerns: 1. The persistent, non-dismissible warning light desensitizes the driver to critical dashboard warnings, undermining the purpose of the vehicle's warning system. When drivers are conditioned to ignore a permanent warning, they are more likely to overlook new, actionable safety alerts. 2. The emergency call (eCall) system itself is rendered non-functional, meaning the vehicle will not automatically contact emergency services in the event of a serious collision where the driver is incapacitated. 3. The warning creates a visual distraction on the instrument cluster during driving. BMW's only offered remedy is full replacement of the TCB module at a cost of 1,500â“2,500 to the owner, despite this being a manufacturing defect (faulty antenna seal adhesive) and not a wear item. The defective component is located under the headliner and is not accessible for owner maintenance. This issue is widespread across 2017â“2023 BMW models equipped with the shark fin antenna, including the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, 3 Series, and 5 Series. A class action lawsuit has been filed against BMW of North America regarding this defect. Numerous complaints have been submitted to NHTSA and documented extensively on BMW owner forums. I am requesting that NHTSA
On returning to my locked vehicle that had been in the parking ramp for 3 days, I started the car and the display message indicated that my vehicle was completely out of gas and the oil was very low. The vehicle had nearly a full tank of gas when it was parked. The vehicle was towed to the dealership who assessed the vehicle. The service department indicated that the vehicle likely did not sound like it was running because of the idle feature, and as such, I may have thought I shut off the car, but that eventually the idle feature turned off, and the vehicle ran while it was locked until it was out of gas. The service man who sent me a video of my vehicle and described what happened, also showed me another BMW SUV in the hoist next to my vehicle and indicated that same vehicle had the same thing happen as well. BMW replaced the programing/encoding control units software that was original to the vehicle. They indicated that this would improve overall function of the vehicle. The cost of this replacement was $371. This sounds like a design flaw. How can a locked vehicle start back up after a period of time, by itself with no vehicle fob in the vicinity, and run for hours until it is out of gas and the oil is low?
- Frontal Collision warning, Pedestrian warning - yes because safety features were shut off, back up camera doesn't work as well - yes - yes
2019 BMW X3 with operable sunroof. Significant leakage occurred in front and rear of car risking electrical failure and therefore accident. Dealer denies that this is a problem and Bmw takes no responsibility for what is a hidden defect of the drainage system for the sunroof. Hundreds of individuals have the same exact problem. Hundreds are automatically denied any assistance or responsibility by dealer or manufacture. In a prior claim, it appears that Bmw lost and was found guilty of concealment of a manufacturers defect and was instructed to pay $500 million to plaintiff. Examination of law firms indicate that this significant problem affecting hundreds perhaps thousands of Bmw x-3 has not been registered as a significant complaint, notwithstanding the fact that they have already been in court and been found guilty. Please contact me 804-241-2773 Cell. Or rgrossberg@comcast.net. Examination of owner handbook produced by Bmw informs owner that rails and drains for sunroof must be cleaned. But they indicate that problems with this issue are not covered by the warranty. This needs to be verified. Anecdotal Reports indicate that hundreds of complaints have been received. Bmw is denying any responsibility. Conversation with attorneys indicate this is a habitual problem with Bmw. In this case, it’s a manufacturers defect, on disclosed, causes damage, all problems are denied by manufacturer. Consider this a formal submission of a complaint and a violation of variety of rules and laws covering local, state, and federal jurisdiction Richard grossberg 405 Westham Parkway, Richmond, VA 23229
I am reporting a manufacturing defect on BMW vehicles, specifically the 2019 BMW X3 with fewer than 40k miles. According to a vehicle inspection conducted at a BMW dealership on Saturday November 22, 2025, the motor mounts are collapsed. Potential risks are excessive engine vibrations that could cause loss of control while driving, to engine components to fall off the ground while driving. It’s dubious that BMW dealers “discovered “ this issue after the vehicle warranty expired. I request that the matter be investigated and order the manufacturer to extend coverage to a minimum of 120k miles or 6 years from date of service. Please investigate before it’s too late. Thank you.
Reporting a failure of the engine cooling system on my 2019 BMW X3 that developed over time despite repeated repair attempts and ultimately resulted in complete engine failure. Over the past year, the vehicle has experienced ongoing coolant loss and overheating warnings despite multiple coolant-related repairs. When the problem continued, I brought the vehicle to a BMW dealership, where the service department determined that the engine had suffered internal damage consistent with overheating and advised that a full engine replacement was required. These issues occurred during normal driving and created unsafe conditions, including the risk of sudden loss of power or breakdown in traffic. Based on my experience and the repeated nature of the failures despite proper maintenance, it appears that coolant and overheating issues may be persistent in this vehicle model rather than isolated to a single component, and I am concerned that other owners may be experiencing similar safety-related defects. A investigation into this is warranted.
While driving my BMW X3, the engine suddenly failed after the check-engine light came on, which followed several days of intermittent high-temperature warnings. Coolant levels had been consistently monitored, refilled, and topped up as needed, yet the temperature fluctuations persisted. Upon further inspection, the repair shop determined that coolant had been leaking internally into the engine due to a cooling system failure, causing overheating and warping of internal components. This created a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle began losing power while in motion, leaving me unable to safely accelerate or maintain speed in traffic and increasing the risk of a collision and a potential fire. This is a serious matter and BMW should assume responsibility for this. I bought the car assuming it was reliable but having to endure this cost out of pocket for an engineering failure is not okay.
The emergency call system on the vehicle has failed and I am getting an error message. The service center at the dealership informed me that water ingress into the shark fin that houses the system caused the system to short and fail resulting in the need for a complete replacement of the system at a cost of $3100. BMW has issued a service bulletin (SIB 65 12 22-Roof Mounted Antenna Housing Seal Not Adhering) that states that the seal of the room-mounting antenna housing is separating from the vehicle. This will allow water ingress into the vehicle, possibly damaging components and equipment. With the correction of remove and reseal the roof-mounted antenna housing. During the service call, the technician confirmed this defect caused the issue. I contacted BMW and they refused to completely cover the repair stating it is not a safety issue. I disagree, I purchased the vehicle with advanced safety features. My wife travels with the car to rural areas and this feature is critical in her safety in the event of a crash. I feel BMW should cover the repair and that this issue is a safety concern for those who rely on an advanced safety calling system purchased with the car. In reviewing message boards, this seems to be an issue for many owners of BMW SUVs.
Turbo coolant lines/ Oil filter housing failed I am reporting failure of the oil filter housing and turbo coolant lines on my 2019 BMW X3. These parts are leaking coolant due to defective plastic components and sealing surfaces, which causes sudden coolant loss and overheating risk while driving. This is a widespread issue affecting many BMW owners and has been documented in forums, service centers, and BMW technical bulletins. The failure poses a safety hazard, including potential engine failure at highway speeds, loss of power, and risk of breakdown or accident. BMW has not issued a recall or warranty extension, and consumers are being forced to pay out of pocket over $3,000 for what appears to be a systemic design flaw in the cooling system.
2019 BMW X3 - Coolant warning has been going on for the last 6 months and I was refilling coolant every time it went off. I even had the car serviced and they refilled the coolant. Then I was driving the car the engine is overheating warning came on I pulled over. It cooled down. Car was fine but said it needed coolant. I added coolant and noticed it was leaking from multiple spots underneath the car. I had the car towed to a certified BMW mechanic. They did a diagnostic test and inspection and I was told the exhilarator water pump, coolant hose, coolant return line and oil filter house among a list of other things need to be replaced. The repair is estimated at $4700.00
Despite replacing the water pump, coolant expansion tank, hoses, and other related cooling system components, and fully refilling and bleeding the coolant, the issue persisted. Even after these repairs, the engine continued to overheat and show coolant level fluctuations, indicating an underlying problem likely pressure buildup or head gasket failure that was not resolved by replacing standard cooling parts. Dealership has identified further problems and seem like a costly repair that I won’t be able to do out of pocket. BMW needs to address this issue immediately, engine stuttering and loss of sudden power on the high way is not safe!
The radiator hose system has now failed twice due to faulty hoses and connections.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument panel was flickering on and off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Today, I placed my backpack containing my 2019 BMW X3 key fob in the back seat, closed the door, and proceeded to open the driver’s door as usual. Immediately, the car locked itself with the key fob still inside. This is a failure of the anti-lockout safety system. The vehicle’s Comfort Access/keyless entry system is designed to prevent the doors from locking when the key is inside, and it should never lock itself under these circumstances. This malfunction creates a serious safety risk, as occupants or pets could become trapped inside the vehicle. I am submitting this complaint to notify NHTSA of a potential safety defect in the BMW anti-lockout / Comfort Access system. I request an investigation to determine if this defect affects other vehicles of the same model and year.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument was flickering on and off. The contact stated that the failure was persistent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2019 BMW X3 has 10 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 155 owner-reported complaints for the 2019 BMW X3.
The 2019 BMW X3 received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2019 BMW X3 are unknown or other (24 reports), electrical system (19 reports), structure (18 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 10 recalls on record for the 2019 BMW X3. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.