2011 BMW X3 Electrical System Problems

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)

See attached document for complaint.

The car started lurching and then the power went off. When turned back on and put in gear, the gas pedal did nothing. Then a few minutes later, it would kick back on. I finally got a letter from BMW about a recall. The symptoms matched. However, for the last 10 months, they offered no help. I understand there was no remedy until recently. However, we were out of a car since November 2023 and put $3,000 into engine work trying to fix the car, before the recall came. The recall said to report if the Manufacturer failed to remedy the recall in a timely manner. I'd say 10 months is way over a timely manner. Thanks for your time.

The contact owns a 2011 BMW X3. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing electrical failures. The contact stated that the door lock pins failed to go up or down while using the key fob. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the door lock actuator had failed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred two weeks later. Additionally, the turn signals and the windshield wipers were inoperable while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who informed the contact that the battery needed to be replaced; however, the contact declined the battery replacement because the battery was 5-month-old. AAA inspected the vehicle at the residence and informed the contact that the battery was in good condition. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who made the same assessment and diagnosed that the failure was related to the footwell module. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown warranty extension program. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,486.

FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW DROPPED AND WILL NOT ROLL UP. WAS ON A CITY STREET IN MOTION WHEN OCCURRED.

I CAME OUTSIDE ONE MORNING TO FIND THAT ALL MY WINDOWS WERE ROLLED DOWN, THE SUNROOF WAS ROLLED COMPLETELY BACK, AND THE DOORS WERE UNLOCKED. IT HAD BEEN RAINING HEAVILY THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY SOAKED. THE IDRIVE SYSTEM, RADIO, AND SEATS WERE COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE. ALMOST EVERY LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD WAS ON - LOW TIRE PRESSURE, ABS, AIRBAG LIGHT, PARKING BRAKE MALFUNCTION, CEL, OIL LIGHT, AND OTHERS. UPON FURTHER EXPERIMENTATION, I DISCOVERED THAT THE CAR WOULD OPEN COMPLETELY IF I UNWITTINGLY HELD THE UNLOCK KEY FOR NO MORE THAN 3 SECONDS. 3 SECONDS HAS COST ME THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRING CONNECTORS, THE IDRIVE SYSTEM, REPLACING CARPETS, AND MORE. ON TOP OF THAT, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR ALMOST A MONTH BECAUSE OF THE TIME IT TAKES TO INVESTIGATE THESE ISSUES AND ORDER REPLACEMENT PARTS.

JUNCTION BOX FAILURE. I STARTED HAVING ALL TYPES OF RANDOM ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. WIPERS COME ON AT RANDOM. DOOR LOCKS, BACK WINDOWS, AND TURN SIGNALS WON'T WORK WHEN THIS HAPPENS. I READ THAT THIS ISSUE WAS HAPPENING IN OTHER MODELS, BUT DON'T SEE THAT THE BMW X3 ITSELF WASN'T CALLED OUT. HAD THE ISSUE LOOKED AT BY A MECHANIC AND HE SAID THE STORED CODES WERE FOR MAIN JUNCTION BOX FAILURE OR NO MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM MAIN JUNCTION BOX. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION, ISSUE STILL HAPPENS. SOMETIME WHEN I TURN OFF THE CAR, THE WIPERS ARE STILL GOING. SOMETIMES IF I JUST OPEN THE DOOR, WITHOUT TURNING ON THE CAR, THE WIPERS WILL START TO GO.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW X3. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A U TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (BMW OF LAS VEGAS, 6900 W SAHARA AVE, LAS VEGAS, NV) FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS PERTAINING TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V341000 (STEERING), BUT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

THE SUNROOF STOPPED CLOSING.I TRIED TO OPEN WINDOWS AND SUNROOF USING THE KEYFOB WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I HAD IT CHECKED AND THEY SAID THE FZD ROOF MODULE HAS TO BE REPLACED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW X3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND THE FOLLOWING WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED: "DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION NOT RUNNING AT FULL CAPACITY, REDUCE AND DRIVE MODERATELY". THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED REPLACEMENT AND THE VANOS MALFUNCTIONED. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED THE BATTERY AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL A LOCAL BMW DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V176000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO START AND DUE TO BAD WEATHER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

THE LED TWILIGHTS ARE DEFECTIVE. I'VE HAD THIS HAPPEN ON 2 SEPARATE BMW X3'S I HAVE OWNED FOR A TOTAL OF 4 TAILLIGHTS THAT ARE DEFECTIVE. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND IS REPORTED OVER AND OVER AGAIN BY OTHER OWNERS. IT'S ALMOST CERTAIN THAT IF YOU OWN A BMW X3 F25 (2011-2017) THIS WILL HAPPEN. IT REQUIRES A DIY REPAIR TO THE CIRCUIT BOARD OR REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE TAILLIGHT ($250-300 EACH.). HTTPS://M.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=JDPBM6CP_YO

KEY FOB QUIT WORKING THREE DAYS AFTER THEY PUT NEW BATTERIES IN IT BECAUSE I STATED IT DIDN'T SEEM TO BE WORKING CORRECTLY. BY QUIT WORKING I MEAN: KEYLESS ENTRY WOULD NOT WORK; REMOTE WOULD NOT UNLOCK OR LOCK DOORS OR TAILGATE. I HAD TO TAKE THE METAL KEY TO UNLOCK DOOR. ONCE INSIDE I HAD TO PUT KEY FOB NEXT TO STEERING COLUMN IN ORDER TO GET IT TO START. CALLED DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER, THE MADE APPOINTMENT AND BROUGHT ME LOANER CAR. THEY STATED I'D HAVE IT BACK THAT EVENING. NOT RETURNED. THEN NEXT DAY I WAS TOLD IT HAD TO BE OVER NIGHTED. WHEN IT DIDN'T ARRIVE THE NEXT DAY (DAY THREE) I WAS TOLD IT HAD TO BE SHIPPED FROM NJ. ON DAY 6 I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS ON BACK ORDER AND THAT IT MIGHT TAKE ANOTHER WEEK OR MORE TO GET THE KEY. IT TOOK THEM 10 DAYS TO GET ME THE KEY FOB. *JS

THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE NO LONGER FUNCTIONS, IE, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DON'T WORK, THE HEADLIGHTS OPERATE SPORADICALLY, THE POWER DOOR LOCKS AND POWER WINDOWS DO NOT OPERATE, THE A/C DOESN'T WORK, THE HORN HONKS PERIODICALLY, THE TAILGATE WON'T OPEN TO FACILITATE REPLACEMENT OF FUSES. WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE A CRUCIAL SAFETY ITEM IN THE PACIFIC NW AS ARE HEADLIGHTS. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED IN BELLINGHAM, WA. BMW OFFERED LITTLE ASSISTANCE DESPITE THE SAFETY ISSUES AND THE FACT THAT THE CAR WAS UNDER BMW'S WARRANTY. *TR

THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE NO LONGER FUNCTIONS, IE, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DON'T WORK, THE HEADLIGHTS OPERATE SPORADICALLY, THE POWER DOOR LOCKS AND POWER WINDOWS DO NOT OPERATE, THE A/C DOESN'T WORK, THE HORN HONKS PERIODICALLY, THE TAILGATE WON'T OPEN TO FACILITATE REPLACEMENT OF FUSES. THE FUEL GAUGE IS INOPERATIVE AND THE CRUISE CONTROL DOESN'T WORK. WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE A CRUCIAL SAFETY ITEM IN THE PACIFIC NW AS ARE HEADLIGHTS. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED IN BELLINGHAM, WA. BMW OFFERED LITTLE ASSISTANCE DESPITE THE SAFETY ISSUES AND THE FACT THAT THE CAR WAS UNDER BMW'S WARRANTY. *TR