2011 BMW X3 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
163
Owner Complaints
4
Recalls
25
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2011 BMW X3
The 2011 BMW X3 has received a total of 163 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 4 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV), CHILD SEAT:LATCH STRAP. 25 technical service bulletins have been issued by BMW of North America, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (31 complaints), Engine And Engine Cooling (22 complaints), and Electrical System (21 complaints).
Recalls for the 2011 BMW X3
NHTSA has recorded 4 recalls for the 2011 BMW X3, potentially affecting up to 1,087,076 vehicles.
Recall 23V707000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
| 157,796 vehicles affected
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2010-2012 1 Series Coupe, 1 Series Convertible, 3 Series Sedan, 3 Series Convertible, 2010-2011 3 Series Sportswagon, 3 Series Coupe, 5 Series Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, X3 xDrive 30i, X5 xDrive30i, and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The aluminum bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit can...
Consequence: Loose or broken VANOS unit bolts can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the four VANOS bolts, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed December 18, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed June 19, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service...
View full details →Recall 17V683000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)
| 740,561 vehicles affected
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2011 128i and 2007-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Consequence: An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notification by the end of October 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer...
View full details →Recall 16V333000 — CHILD SEAT:LATCH STRAP
| 188,668 vehicles affected
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2011-2017, X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i and X3 xDrive35i, vehicles manufactured July 2, 2010 to April 14, 2016, 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014 to March 31, 2016, and 2015-2017 x4 xDrive28i, X4 xDrive35i and X4 xDriveM40i vehicles manufactured March3, 2014 to April 15, 2016. The affected vehicles...
Consequence: Damaged lower anchor bars may increase the child's risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will weld a reinforcing bracket to the lower anchor bars and the vehicle body, free of charge. The recall began on July 13, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
View full details →Recall 11V341000 — STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
| 51 vehicles affected
Defect: BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 X3 PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 27, 2011, THROUGH JUNE 8, 2011. A CONTROL MODULE IN THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING (EPS) UNIT MAY MALFUNCTION, RESULTING IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE.
Consequence: SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING AUGUST 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES AT 1-800-525-7417.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2011 BMW X3
163 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2011 BMW X3. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control Esc | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steeringelectric Power Assist System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bagssensoroccupant Classificationfront Passenger | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical Systemstarter Assembly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Coolingengine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systememission Controlcrankcase Pcv | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Trainautomatic Transmission | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitywiper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
I had my car towed into bmw dealership for a vanos recall repair,it went in for the repair the repair was "done" but before picking it up they told me they were unable to qc/start my engine to verify the repair claiming that because my camshaft position sensor was removed (it was removed to ultimately figure out it was the vanos system that failed)and that my car had no battery at the time of the repair they could and would not start my engine to verify the repair and that they turned it over by hand only,upon them releasing the car back to me I brought a battery and started my car and left the dealership within ten miles my engine failed and locked up due to oil starvation,I had it towed back immediately and explained what happened,and they refuse to take any responsibility for my car failing on the road while driving cause my engine to smoke and push the smoke into the cab mid traffic,this happened In July of 2025 and I am still going back and forth trying to get them to take responsibility and replace my engine,they did not follow proper procedures to ensure my vehicle was safe for pickup violating safety standards
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the engine. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); and the vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 140,000.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X3. The contact stated that while his granddaughter was attempting to start the vehicle, there was smoke coming from under the driver’s side hood, and the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the PCV heater had overheated and burned along with the fuse box. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 150,744.
The fuse box in trunk caught fire There are tons of these incidences if you search the web Bmw has done nothing I willhope your “ safety “ agency will. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into neutral. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the engine and redesigned the timing gear assembly. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed the parts were not yet available. The contact called another local dealer, BMW of Northwest Arkansas (2500 SE Moberly Ln, Bentonville, AR 72712, (479)286-3012); but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Safety Rating for the 2011 BMW X3
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2011 BMW X3 in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2011 BMW X3
BMW of North America, LLC has issued 25 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2011 BMW X3. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
B541219 — EQUIPMENT
RATTLE NOISE FROM SUNROOF AREA: There is a rattle noise present from the area of the sunroof most commonly when driving over rough road surfaces.
B110618 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL
TURBO BOOST ACTUATOR ROD LOOSE (DIESEL): Limited engine performance (lack of boost) with a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated.
B611915 — STEERING
Grating or Scraping Noise When Turning Steering Wheel. There is a grating or scraping noise when the steering wheel is turned. The noise comes from the steering column switch cluster (SZL), coil spring or steering wheel. When the steering wheel is turned, the connection between the steering wheel and the...
B512716 — STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE
?RATTLE/ POPPING FROM REAR HATCH AREA . There are two related but separate issues (only one may be present at a time) during driving, especially on uneven surfaces: A. Clicking noises or squeaking noises from the area of the rear hatch. Or B. A popping sound coming from the area...
B511216 — VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
Passenger Side Mirror Dimming Feature Operational Change. INFORMATION The automatically dimming exterior mirror function on the passenger's side has been deleted from the Option Code 430 as noted above. The automatic dimming function will continue to be operational on the driver's side mirror and rear view mirror.
B612115 — ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
The Instrument Cluster Displays Various Check Control Messages. This includes messages for the PDC (Park Distance Control), DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) and windshield washer system. There can be many different fault codes stored in the vehice. Signal invalid. The wiring harness below the micro filter housing (right front area of...
11 13 15 — EQUIPMENT
THE PLASTIC OIL FILTER MIGHT FAIL WHICH WILL CAUSE A LEAKAGE TO THE INTERNAL AND /OR EXTERNAL ENGINE OIL OR COOLANT
B631214 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Check Control Message with Rear Light Failure. Intermittently, a Check Control Message (CCM) is displayed for one or more rear light failures: ? Rear light ? Brake light ? Rear indicator One or more fault codes are registered in the Footwell Module (FRM) for one or more circuits with the...
123414 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
N52T DME Fault CD9304: Diagnostic Hints for Bit-Serial Data Interface Communication. If there is a problem with communication on the Bit-serial data interface bus (BSD), the obvious symptoms are related to the oil service CBS functions. The DME must receive constant communication from the oil level sensor. Whenever this communication...
SIB-12-14-12 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
BMW: DIFFERENT FAULT CODES STORED FOR THE N51, N52K, N52T, AND N55 ENGINES IN THE DME RELATED TO VANOS AND CAMSHAFT POSITION. *KB UPDATED 11/1/13. *PE UPDATED 05/05/2014 *JS
Showing 10 of 25 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2011 BMW X3
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the BMW X3
- 2006 BMW X3 — 176 complaints
- 2007 BMW X3 — 132 complaints
- 2008 BMW X3 — 90 complaints
- 2009 BMW X3 — 23 complaints
- 2010 BMW X3 — 41 complaints
- 2011 BMW X3 (current)
- 2012 BMW X3 — 66 complaints
- 2013 BMW X3 — 343 complaints
- 2014 BMW X3 — 124 complaints
- 2015 BMW X3 — 156 complaints
- 2016 BMW X3 — 115 complaints