2006 BMW X3 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
176
Owner Complaints
2
Recalls
3
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2006 BMW X3
The 2006 BMW X3 has received a total of 176 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 2 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION, AIR BAGS:FRONTAL. 3 technical service bulletins have been issued by BMW of North America, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Air Bags (65 complaints), Seats (40 complaints), and Electrical System (13 complaints).
Recalls for the 2006 BMW X3
NHTSA has recorded 2 recalls for the 2006 BMW X3, potentially affecting up to 285,302 vehicles.
Recall 17V605000 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
| 85,302 vehicles affected
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2010 BMW X3 2.5i, X3 3.0i and X3 xDrive30i Sports Activity Vehicles. The front passenger seat occupant detection mat that determines if, and how, the passenger frontal air bag should deploy in a crash may fatigue and develop cracks which could lead to a system failure.
Consequence: Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat occupant detection mat, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. A second notification letter will be sent when parts are available. Owners...
View full details →Recall 08V384000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
| 200,000 vehicles affected
Defect: BMW IS RECALLING 200,000 MY 2006 3 SERIES SPORT SEAT, MY 2004-2006 5 SERIES STANDARD AND SPORT SEAT, AND MY 2004-2006 X3 PASSENGER VEHICLES. DEPENDING ON THE MANNER AND FREQUENCY OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S ENTRY AND EXIT, SMALL CRACKS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE MAT. IF THIS OCCURS, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HEAD PROTECTION SYSTEM,...
Consequence: IN THIS SITUATION THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY EVEN IF A SUFFICIENTLY SEVERE ACCIDENT WOULD OCCUR AND OCCUPANT PROTECTION PROVIDED BY THE SYSTEM WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REWORK THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT SO THAT EXTERNAL FORCE APPLICATION TO THE SEAT DOES NOT CAUSE A CRACK TO THE MAT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 6, 2008. BMW WILL ALSO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THESE...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2006 BMW X3
176 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2006 BMW X3. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 65 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Seats | 40 | 1 | 14 | 12 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 13 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Air Bagsfrontal | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Gasoline | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bagssensoroccupant Classification | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bagssensoroccupant Classificationfront Passenger | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipmentapplianceair Conditioner | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seatsfront Assemblyseat Heatercooler | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Air Bagsfrontalpassenger Sideinflator Module | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control Esc | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Electric | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitysunmoon Roof Assembly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
Dealer states my occupancy detection mat was already reworked, however the original mat is still in the seat and no evidence exists to show what was done to prevent future fatigue of the mat. The date code on the mat is 2005 and the dealer stated it only needed replacing if it showed visible cracking during inspection. They stated it wasn't required to replace it but the date of warranty started from date of inspection.
The contact owns a 2006 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the front passenger's side air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V605000 (Air Bags) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
I can smell a burning smell at times coming out from my blower and the heat and air condition is not functioning properly. Also my rear hatch lights on the interior are always on and when I hit bumps they flash off and on.
The contact owns a 2006 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the contact rear-ended another vehicle. All the air bags except for the passenger’s side air bag deployed upon impact. The contact suffered a migraine from the collision but did not receive medical attention but planned to go to urgent care afterward. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not totaled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. Prior to the failure, the dealer serviced the recall under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V605000 (Air Bags). The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
I turned on my heated seat and within about a minute and a half I smelled a burning smell. Pulled over as I started to feel a burn on my leg because the seat heater has burnt through the leather in my car. This is a known problem at BMW and they have not issued a recall for this.
Safety Rating for the 2006 BMW X3
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2006 BMW X3 in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2006 BMW X3
BMW of North America, LLC has issued 3 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2006 BMW X3. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
SIB-12-05-11 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP
BMW: A SOFTWARE ERROR IS CAUSING THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT OR CHECK GAS CAP LIGHT TO COME ON ALONG WITH STORED TROUBLE CODES. *RM
SIB-24-05-06 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
BMW VEHICLES: DELAYED UPSHIFT MAY OCCUR UPHILL IN 3RD OR 4TH GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT UPSHIFT, USUALLY AFTER GOING UP A SLIGHT INCLINE, AND STAYS IN EITHER 3RD OR 4TH GEAR TOO LONG. CALIBRATON SENSITIVITY IN THE HILL RECOGNITION PROGRAM OF THE EGS TRANSMISSION MODULE. MODELS E83, X3. NO...
SI-B-65-16-08 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
BMW VEHICLE: AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AND FAULT CODE A1 IS STORED. A LOW VOLTAGE CONDITION CAUSED THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR POSITION DATA TO BE LOST. THE BATTERY MAY HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED OR DISCONNECTED. (MODEL E83). *PE
NHTSA Investigations for the 2006 BMW X3
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the BMW X3
- 2004 BMW X3 — 182 complaints
- 2005 BMW X3 — 144 complaints
- 2006 BMW X3 (current)
- 2007 BMW X3 — 132 complaints
- 2008 BMW X3 — 90 complaints
- 2009 BMW X3 — 23 complaints
- 2010 BMW X3 — 41 complaints
- 2011 BMW X3 — 163 complaints