NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 BMW X3. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEED 55 - 65 MILES PER HR, THEN STUDENTLY I GOT A MESSAGE, ENGINE LOSS POWER, AND THE CAR SUDDENLY STOP. I WAS ABLE TO SLIDE TO THE SIDE OFF ROAD. CAR WAS TOWED TO BMX DEALER. THE I RECEIVED LATER, I HAD ENGINE FAILURE. THEY SAID IT IS COMMON PROBLEM DUE TO MANUFACTURER PROBLEM. CAR WAS 106,117 MILES. REALLY SURPRISING TO SEE CAR ENGINE FAILED THIS WAY. SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG WITH THE MANUFACTURE. ALSO SO DANGEROUS FOR A CAR TO FAILED STUDENTLY ON ROAD THIS WAY. RISK OF ACCIDENTS.
FOR THE PAST 3 MONTHS, I KEEP GETTING THIS MESSAGE ON THE DASHBOARD: DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION: DRIVE MODERATELY. MAXIMUM DRIVETRAIN OUTPUT AVAILABLE. CONSULT SERVICE CENTER. I HAD THE TURBO, VACUUM HOSE, REPLACED LAST MONTH. NOW IT IS DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?? PLEASE ADVISE!!
VEHICLE HAD POOR ACCELERATION WHEN DRIVING ON THE ROAD. BROUGHT IT INTO BMW SERVICE CENTER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN AND OIL CHAIN HAD FAILED AND I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. NO PRIOR PROBLEMS BEFORE THIS. ONLY 90000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE.
FAULTY TIMING CHAIN AND GUIDES. BMW IS ALREADY AWARE OF THIS ISSUES WITH THE N20 TYPE OF ENGINE AND EXTENDED OUT A WARRANTY MANY OF THE VEHICLES BUT MOST OF THE TIMING CHAIN FAIL JUST AFTER THE 70K MILE LIMIT IMPOSED IN THE EXTENSION. BMW OFFERED ME NO HELP IN THIS MATTER AND I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR A REPAIR ON A VEHICLE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED.
STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, WARNING LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING A DRIVERTRAIN PROBLEM, CAR LOST POWER. RESTARTED CAR; WOULD ONLY MOVE SLOWLY (AT 20-30MPH). COMPUTER RECOMMENDED DRIVING MODERATELY. LATER GOT THE PROBLEM FIXED BY LOCAL DEALER. ABOUT 5 MONTHS LATER, SAME ISSUE OCCURRED. STARTED CAR AT WORK TO DRIVE HOME. SAME WARNING LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING THE SAME ISSUE. CAR WOULD MOVE ONLY AT UP TO 30MPH. LUCKY BOTH TIMES THE PROBLEM CAME UP AT LOCAL STREETS. IF ON HIGHWAY, CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES WOULD OCCUR.
DRIVE TRAIN LIGHT CAME ON AS I WAS ON PARKWAY AND CAR LOST POWER GOING FROM 55 TO 30 MPH. INFORMED THAT THERE IS A TIMING CHAIN ISSUE
INTERMITTENT WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYING PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. SERVICE ADVISER STATED THIS IS COMMON ON X3S. EXACT ISSUE WAS DEFECTIVE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT (COST $1380). COMMON DEFECTS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL, BUT NO RECALL EXISTS FOR THIS ISSUE.
AT APPROX. 60,200 MILES, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A SECONDARY ROAD, MOVING AT ABOUT 45 MPH AND RECEIVED THE DRIVE TRAIN WARNING AND AS I WAS PULLING OVER, I RECEIVED THE LOW ENGINE PRESSURE WARNING. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND HAVE MY VEHICLE TOWED.
I HAVE A 2013 BMW X3 WITH 85K MILES AND WAS DRIVING ON A 4-LANE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH WHEN A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING A DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION AND THAT I SHOULD 'DRIVE MODERATELY'. WITHIN SECONDS, A SECOND WARNING LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING LOW OIL PRESSURE AND THAT I SHOULD 'ADD A QUART OF OIL'. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE CAR SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT ME TOUCHING THE GEAR SHIFT. I TURNED THE CAR OFF TO CHECK THE OWNER'S MANUAL ABOUT THE DRIVETRAIN WARNING LIGHT, AND THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. THE ENTIRE SCENARIO LASTED ABOUT 10-15 SECONDS, AND PRIOR TO THIS, I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR AND WAS DILIGENT ABOUT PERFORMING ROUTINE SERVICE ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST BMW DEALERSHIP. I RECEIVED A CALL THE FOLLOWING DAY NOTIFYING ME THAT CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED TO THE ENGINE AND THAT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE! APPARENTLY, THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDE BROKE, THE PIECES FELL INTO THE OIL PAN AND LODGED AGAINST THE SCREEN THAT KEEPS DEBRIS OUT OF THE ENGINE, AND STARVED THE ENGINE OF OIL. WHILE I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE $12,000 REPAIR BILL, I AM EQUALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DANGER THAT IS POSED BY THE SUDDEN AND COMPLETE DISABLEMENT OF THE VEHICLE THAT COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH TO THE CAR OWNER OR TO ANOTHER DRIVER WHO ENCOUNTERS THE DISABLED CAR ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM. I SPOKE WITH 3 SERVICE ADVISORS AT 3 DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS, AND THE SERVICE ADVISORS SAID 'IT IS A RECURRING PROBLEM'. I ALSO REVIEWED NHTSA AND CARCOMPLAINTS.COM WEBSITES AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. I ANTICIPATE MORE INCIDENCES OF TIMING CHAIN GUIDE FAILURE MORE DRIVERS REACH 75K PLUS MILES.
DRIVING THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE SCREEN ON THE CAR FLASHES A 'DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION ERROR', NO PRIOR ISSUES OR WARNINGS AND IT SAID TO DRIVE MODERATELY, NO OTHER WARNING OR TO STOP. I PULLED INTO THE NEAREST DEALER WHICH WAS LESS THAN A MILE AWAY AND TURNED THE CAR OFF, THE SERVICE MANAGER CAME OUT AND TRIED TO TURN THE CAR BACK ON AND COULDN'T, SO THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY AND WERE ABLE TO START IT EXCEPT THEY COULDN'T GET THE CAR OUT OF PARK, THE CAR WAS FLAT BEDDED TO THE BMW DEALER AND AFTER A MONTH THEY LET ME KNOW THAT MY CAR HAD COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN BREAKING WHICH CAUSED THE 'CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE'. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF OTHER STORIES THAT MIRROR MY EXPERIENCE TO A TEE, SOME HOWEVER WERE NOT AS LUCKY AS I WAS TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY/ROAD BEFORE THEIR CAR COMPLETELY LOCKED UP AND DID NOT MOVE. BMW ADMITS THAT THESE CARS HAVE ISSUES WITH THE TIMING CHAIN MATERIAL THEY USED, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE PLASTIC; HOWEVER, DUE TO THE COST OF REPLACING ALL OF THESE PARTS IN THE KNOWN CARS THAT THEY WOULD COST BMW NA MORE $500 MILLION. IF THE NHTSA DOES NOT STEP IN AND FORCE THEM TO FIX THESE FAULTY PARTS THEY WILL END UP HAVING ONE OF THESE BMW'S WITH THE N20 OR N26 ENGINES FAIL WHILE DRIVING ON A ROAD AND SOMEONE IS GOING TO END UP GETTING KILLED BECAUSE OF IT. BMW IS HIDING THE SEVERITY OF THESE FAILURES IN THEIR PARTS AND BECAUSE NOBODY HAS DIED OR FACED AN INJURY THEY WILL NOT TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND ISSUE A RECALL, THEY JUST EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THESE PARTS FOR AN ADDITIONAL 10K MILES BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE PLASTIC TIMING CHAIN LASTS ON AVERAGE TO ABOUT 70K WHICH IS WHY THE WARRANTY IS NOW FOR 7 YEARS/70K MILES OR WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. IN CLOSING, MY CAR ENGINE FACED ENGINE FAILURE AND COMPLETELY SEIZED AT 77K MILES.
VARIOUS FAILURES IN POWER TRAIN INCLUDING TRANSFER CASE, TURBO, HIGH PRESSURE FUEL INJECTION, AND TRANSMISSION. FAILURES HAVE HAPPENED WHILE TRAVELING ON CALIFORNIA FREEWAYS. FAILURES SOMETIMES REQUIRE TOWING. SOMETIMES CAUTION DRIVER TO PROCEED AT LOWER SPEEDS.
AT ROUGHLY 71,000 MILES, WHILE PARKED AT A RED LIGHT, 200 MILES FROM HOME ON A HOLIDAY WEEKEND, MY CAR HAD A MAINTENANCE WARNING AND WOULDN'T MOVE.THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIRS WERE AROUND $7,000. ACCORDING TO ONLINE FORUMS, THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM.
THE BRAKES ARE LESS OR NOT RESPONSIVE IN CITY DRIVE. I NOTIFIED 3 TIMES TO DEALER BUT THEY SAID NO PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. IT MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG IN ELECTRONICS. ALOT OF OTHER OWNERS OF 2013 BMW X3 HAVE SAME COMPLAINT. IT IS VERY RISKY. IT HAPPENED 3 OUT OF 4 TIMES WHIKE DRIVING IN 35 MPH LIMITS. THOUGH THE BRAKES FEEL GOOD AT HIGH SPEED OR HIGHWAY LIMITS
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60-70 MILES, THE LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT THEN CAR COMPLETELY LOST ALL POWER INCLUDING BREAKS AND STEERING. LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO A SERVICE LANE. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART AND HAD TOW TO THE DEALER. DEALER PERFORMED AN OIL ANALYSIS AND FOUND LOTS OF METAL SHAVINGS/PARTICLES IN THE OIL WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SEIZE. MEANWHILE THE OIL WAS JUST CHANGED 3 WEEKS PRIOR. CLEARLY THIS IS MANUFACTURE DEFECT. BMW NORTH AMERICA DOES NOT WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE NUMEROUS CLASS ACTIONS SUITS REGARDING TIMING CHAIN FAILURE WHICH CAUSES THE ENGINE TO SEIZE DUE TO FAILURE OF PLASTIC TIMING CHAIN GUIDES. HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO REPAIR DEFECTIVE ENGINE. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC IF SOMEONE WAS SERIOUSLY HURT OR EVEN KILLED. BMW DOES NOT VALUE THE SAFETY OF THEIR CONSUMERS NOR DO THEY STAND BY THEIR PRODUCTS. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS "ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE" TO ANYONE!
ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 10PM DURING INCLEMENT RAINY WEATHER 350 MILES FROM MY HOME. FIRST, THE OIL PRESSURE WARNING REDUCE SPEED APPEARED. WHILE TRYING TO SAFELY GET OFF THE FREEWAY THE DRIVE TRAIN WARNING APPEARED. AT THAT TIME, VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND I PULLED TO THE SHOULDER IMMEDIATELY. AFTER VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST EUROPEAN CAR MECHANIC, THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AND INDICATED THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHICH CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE. THE TIMING CHAIN IS ONLY WARRANTED UP TO 70K MILES. VEHICLE HAS 83K MILE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT ENGINE ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE AND BMW SHOULD OFFER A RECALL FOR FAILED COMPONENTS. UNACCEPTABLE TO HAVE A FAILED ENGINE AND I PLAN TO TAKE THIS ISSUE TO BMW CORPORATE.
DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AND THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH - THE ENGINE STOPPED COMPLETELY IN MAY 2018 AND DIED. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. I NO LONGER OWN THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE.
AS WITH OTHER BMW'S, THESE TOO HAVE FAULTY OCCUPANCY SENSORS WHICH SHOULD NOT BE GOING BAD ACROSS OTHER LINES. THERE IS NO REASON THIS VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL FOR EXACTLY THE SAME REASON AS OTHERS ARE RECALLED FOR FAULTY SENSORS.
DIGEST: - ENGINE STOPPED OPERATION SUDDENLY WHEN RUNNING ON A CITY STREET, I FELT DANGEROUS SINCE THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME HONKED LOUDLY. - THE ENGINE WAS SEIZED. THE DEALER AND BMW CUSTOMER CENTER DETERMINE THAT REASON IS LACKING IN ENGINE OIL CHANGE. - THE TRUE ROOT CAUSE IS THAT THE CAR HAS NO ENGINE OIL LEVEL WARNING MESSAGE OR SIGN SHOWN ON EITHER CLUSTER OR CONTROL DISPLAY. DESCRIPTION: WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON CITY ROAD THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED. THERE WAS A NEAR ACCIDENT SINCE THE CAR BEHIND HONKED LOUDLY. SINCE THE ENGINE OIL IS RELATED THE CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE, I BELIEVE ALL PASSENGER CAR SHOULD BE EQUIPPED WITH ENGINE OIL WARNING FEATURE (I SEE IT IN FMVSS REQUIREMENT). BMW OWNER'S MANUAL DESCRIBES "THE OIL LEVEL IS MONITORED ELECTRONICALLY DURING DRIVING AND SHOWN ON THE CONTROL DISPLAY" (SEE ATTACHED 1), BUT MY CAR DID NOT SHOW THIS KIND OF WARNING. THERE ARE TWO POSSIBILITIES: (1) THE FUNCTION OF WARNING DEFECTED OR (2) THIS FUNCTION WAS NOT ACTUALLY EQUIPPED ORIGINALLY (MANUFACTURER LIES TO CONSUMER). EACH WAY, THERE IS A DESIGN DEFECT. BY THE WAY, I CHECKED THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL AFTER THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTROL DISPLAY SHOWS GREEN "ENGINE OIL LEVEL IS OK (SEE ATTACHED 2) I BELIEVE THAT SAME DEFECT EXISTS IN MULTIPLE MODELS OF BMW CAR. THERE ARE POTENTIALLY MORE DRIVERS WILL MISS THE ENGINE OIL CHANGE BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ENGINE OIL CHANGE WARNING. THEREFORE THERE ARE HIGH POTENTIAL HIGHWAY ACCIDENTS HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE SINCE THIS DEFECT. BMW SHOULD IMMEDIATELY RECALL ALL MODELS WITH THIS DEFECT. I SEE THERE IS A RECALL CASE IN NHTSA WEBSITE DUE TO "LACK OF DRIVER WARNING FOR LOW ENGINE OIL PRESSURE", RECALL NUMBER IS 13V592000.
LAST WEEK WHEN IN CITY TRAFFIC, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN, THEN LIFTED MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. MY CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND I IMMEDIATELY BRAKED AGAIN TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP. THIS WAS NOT NORMAL, HAD NOT HAPPENED BEFORE, AND I DECIDED TO MENTION IT DURING MY NEXT VISIT TO BMW SERVICE. LAST SATURDAY, FEB. 17, I WAS DRIVING 20 -25 MPH IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, APPROACHING A RED LIGHT ON RIVER RD, BETHESDA. THERE WAS ONE CAR AT THE LIGHT. I BRAKED TO SLOW DOWN, AND REALIZED THAT THE CAR WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN, BRAKED AGAIN AND IT LURCHED FORWARD AND ACCELERATED. I SAW THE SPEED THE SPEEDOMETER MOVING BETWEEN 20-25, AND THE TACHOMETER VARYING WILDLY BETWEEN 1.5 - 2.5. I PRESSED VERY HARD ON THE BRAKE, WHICH WAS HARDER TO PRESS DOWN THAN EVER BEFORE, PRESSED THE PARK BUTTON AND FINALLY GOT THE CAR TO GO INTO PARK BEFORE I ARRIVED AT THE STOPPED VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN LESS THAN 10 SECONDS. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED BMW AND TOOK MY CAR IN, EXPLAINING WHAT HAPPENED, STILL VERY SHAKEN AND AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. AFTERWARDS, I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET, AND READ ABOUT OTHER 2013 X3 DRIVERS WITH THE SAME EXPERIENCE. IT DID NOT APPEAR THAT BMW WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM OR THAT THEY REPAIRED THE CARS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ONE PERSON DID HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND TOTALED THE CAR. THUS FAR, BMW HAS TOLD ME THEY CANNOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I REQUESTED THE SERVICE MANAGER TO GET INVOLVED AND WILL ASK TO SPEAK TO THE FACTORY REP AS WELL. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD PUTTING MY LIFE AND OTHERS AT RISK. IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE MY CAR. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED WITH NHTSA AND WHAT NHTSA HAS DONE TO ADDRESS THIS SERIOUS SAFETY FLAW.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 75MPH AND PUT THE CAR INTO SPORT MODE, IT SUDDENLY WENT FROM 2000 RPM CRUISING TO 6000 RPM AND BACK TO ZERO. THE CAR HAD LOST COMPLETE POWER. I PUSHED THE GAS AND NOTHING HAPPENED; LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PULL OVER. I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. THE RADIO, AIR, AND WINDOWS STILL WORKED BUT NOTHING ELSE. I HAD AAA TOW THE CAR TO THE CLOSEST BMW DEALERSHIP. THE BMW DEALERSHIP CALLED ME TO ASK IF I HAD A DEAD BATTERY; I TOLD THEM BATTERIES DO NOT DIE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. BMW THEN CALLED ME BACK TO TELL ME THAT THE ENGINE SEIZED AND IT WAS TOTAL FAILURE, BUT THEY COULD NOT TELL ME ANYTHING SPECIFIC WHEN I ASKED. THEY SAID I COULD PAY $6,000 IN LABOR TO HAVE A MECHANIC RIP IT APART TO FIND THE EXACT CAUSE AND THEN PAY THE ADDITIONAL COST TO HAVE WHATEVER WAS BROKEN REPLACED OR THAT I COULD GO AHEAD AND PAY $10,000 UPFRONT TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. A 2013 CAR, THAT HAS ROUTINE MAINTENANCE SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS HAPPEN. I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT FROM THIS, AND NOW I HAVE NO CAR TO DRIVE.
START/STOP SWITCH CAUSES TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION STOPPING FORWARD MOTION OF VEHICLE FROM STANDING START CAUSING FAILURE TO PROCEED SUDDENLY. TURNING OFF THE SYSTEM IS THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING. DANGEROUS SITUATION PULLING INTO TRAFFIC IS THE RESULT. THIS HAS HAPPENED DAILY.
VEHICLE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDE BREAKING, I WAS TOLD IT IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND DAMAGED OTHER PARTS OF THE ENGINE THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AS WELL TOTALING $7,000. AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE RECURRING ON 2013 BMW X3S. ADDITIONALLY, THE REPORTS I HAVE RESEARCHED ONLINE INCLUDE NEW VEHICLES TO OLDER BMWS RANGING FROM 30,000 MILEAGE TO 100,000 MILEAGE. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED AT ABOUT 57,000 AND WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I AM AWAITING FOR A CALL FROM BMW NORTH AMERICA TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING THEY CAN DO. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THESE PARTS WHEN THEY IDENTIFIED THEY WERE FAULTY BUT SINCE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED I NEVER RECEIVED THIS NOTICE.
WHILE DRIVING IN A LOW SPEED STREET THE ENGINE WITH ANY NOTICE, LOST ALL THE POWER SUDDENLY AND DID NOT ACCELERATE. IT SHOWED A MESSAGE ON THE SCREEN INDICATING A TOTAL LACK A POWER; THE THROTTLE DID NOT WORK AND DESPITE THE ENGINE KEPT RUNNING IT STAYED AT THE MINIMUM RPM. IT HAPPENED TWICE IN A THREE MONTHS PERIOD. THE FIRST TIME (OCTOBER 2017) THE LOCAL IMPORT SERVICE SHOP DID NOT FIND ANY ABNORMALITY AND JUST RESET THE COMPUTER FAILURE SIGNAL. THE SECOND TIME IN DECEMBER THEY IDENTIFIED A FAILURE IN A REGULATOR OF THE ADMISSION SYSTEM. THE CAR IS STILL AT THE SHOP BECAUSE WE WROTE TO BMW HEADQUARTERS IN GERMANY AND ARE STILL WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. WE CONSIDER THAT FAILURE AS A MAJOR AND HAZARDOUS QUALITY ISSUE AND HAVE REQUESTED A FULL REPAIR DESPITE THE WARRANTY IS ALREADY DUE. THE LOCAL DEALER REFUSED TO DO IT SO. THE VEHICLE IS BMW X3 2013 WITH 42.000 KMS AND ALL THE OFFICIAL WARRANTY CHECKS AND MAINTENANCE AT THE OFFICIAL BMW DEALER. DESPITE I LIVE IN PANAMA AND THE CAR WAS BOUGHT HERE AND NOT IN THE US AND MAYBE IT IS NOT YOUR JURISDICTION, I THINK THE FAILURE IS EXTREMELY RISKY AND COULD CAUSE A FATAL ACCIDENT IF IT HAPPENS IN A HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEED AND IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC SUCH AS TRUCKS AND HAULERS. BMW SELLS THE SAME CAR IN THE US AND OTHER MODELS WITH THE SAME ENGINE.I THINK IT WOULD BE OF YOUR INTEREST TO INVESTIGATE IF THE SAME FAILURE HAS OCCURRED IN THE US TERRITORY OR ACCIDENTS WITH THESE VEHICLES HAVE HAPPENED DUE TO A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. I HAVE THE QUOTATION FOR THE REPAIR ISSUED BY THE LOCAL DEALER IN US DOLLARS. IF YOU THINKS IT IS IMPORTANT I AM FULLY AVAILABLE TO SEND IT TO YOU. AS I DO NOT LIVE IN THE US I AM WRITING WITH MY SISTERS ADDRESS IN FLORIDA. MY HOME ADDRESS IN PANAMA IS: CALLE FONTANA # 23. PH COSTA SERENA. COSTA DEL ESTE. PANAM CITY. PANAMA. ZIP CODE 11111. MOBILE PHONE: (507) 6249 8159. HOME: (507) 3941823
I AM ON ENGINE NUMBER 3 ON MY 2013 BMW X3. FIRST ENGINE LOCKED UP WHILE REPAIR SHOP WAS INVESTIGATING WHY EGINE LIGHT WAS ON. NO RECALL OR NOTICES AT THAT TIME FOR VEHCLE AND OVER THE 50K MILE WARRANTY. CHEAPEST REPAIR WAS FINDING A USED ENGINE, $8,000 VS $14,000 FOR BMW TO REPAIR. TURNS OUT THIS WAS A HIGHLY NOTED ISSUE WITH N20 CODE. WHILE IN SHOP FOR REPLACEMENT NOTICE COMES FROM BMW FOR EXTENDED MILEAGE SERVICE (NOT A RECALL). AFTER REPAIR I SUBMITTED WARRANTLY PAPERWORK BASED ON LETTER FROM BMW WITH RECEIPTS FROM DEALERSHIP, ONLY TO BE DENIED. 2 YEARS LATER DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE 85 IN NORTH CAROLINA SUMMER WITH AN INFANT AND 3 YEAR OLD ENGINE STALLED OUT AND LOCKED UP. TOOK TO MECHANIC TO LEARN SAME ISSUE AS BEFORE HAPPENED STILL NO RECALL - BUT THERE WAS A KIT NOT FOR A DIFFERENT TIMING CHAIN! I SPENT $6,000 THIS TIME TO REBUILD AS THE VALUE FOR SCRAPPING WAS MINIMAL, MECHANIC WHICH IS A BMW SPECIALIST WOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER BUYING FOR SCRAP DUE TO THIS KNOWN ISSUE. HE ALSO REFERRED ME TO THE CLASS-ACTION SUITS OPEN FOR THIS. I HAVE YET TO RECEIVE A DIME FOR THE MFG DEFECT. A KNOWN ISSUE HAS BEEN FOUND, A FIX HAS BEEN RELEASED BUT NO OWNERSHIP OF THE DEFECT BY BMW.
I OWN A 2013 BMW X3 AND I RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION OF A TIMING CHAIN ISSUE FROM BMW. APPARENTLY, THIS WAS AN ISSUE ONLY FOR THE 2013 N20 ENGINES, WHERE THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDE IS PRONE TO BREAKING DUE TO THE USE OF A SOFT METAL, WHICH TYPICALLY RESULTS IN A COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. BMW WILL REIMBURSE YOU ON THIS REPAIR IF THIS BREAKS PRIOR TO 7 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP OR 70K MILES. I'D HATE TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE I HAVE TO BE BROKEN DOWN, GET THE CAR TOWED AND PAY FOR REPAIRS SO I WANTED TO KNOW IF THIS COULD BE FIXED WHILE STILL UNDER THE LIMITED WARRANTY COVERED BY BMW, WHICH THEY STATED THEY WOULD NOT AS IT IS NOT A RECALL. THE FACT THAT THIS ISSUE CAN RESULT IN 'CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE', IS NOT A RECALL, AND BWM IS NOT WILLING TO PROACTIVELY REPLACE A KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART TELLS ME THEY ARE NOT CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY OF THEIR OWNERS OR TO STAND BY THEIR OWN MANUFACTURING MISTAKES.
TAIL LIGHTS WILL FAIL WITH NO WARNING LIGHT OR MESSAGE DISPLAYED IN DASH BOARD. X3'S EQUIPPED WITH HID HEADLAMPS COME WITH FOUR LED TAIL LAMPS. IN EACH LAMP, THERE IS A CIRCUIT BOARD THAT WILL FAIL DUE TO POOR QUALITY CONTROL (THE RESISTORS AND/OR CAPACITORS WILL GET DETACHED FROM CIRCUIT BOARD) , THEREFORE, THE LAMPS WILL STOP WORKING. USUALLY, WHEN LIGHTS BURN OUT, THE DASH WARNS THE DRIVER, BUT NOT FOR THIS FAILURE. THE OWNER COULD BE DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH NO TAIL LAMPS, AND IT COULD LEAD TO A REAR END COLLISION
EMISSIONS PROBLEM AND REDUCED ENGIN POWER PROBLEM. BMW 2017 X3 ISSUE: WORN WASTE GATE VALVE/REPLACE TURBOCHARGER AND OIL FEED LINE TO THE TURBOCHARGER JULY 11, 2017: MILEAGE =79998/80008. ENGINE/SERVICE LIGHT ON. BMW DEALER CHECK, VEHICLE TEST, REPLACED VACUUM HOSE, TEST DROVE 10 MILES, NO WARNING. TJH ADVISED WARRANTY EXPIRED. SERVICE CHARGE= $168.42 AUG 10, 2017: MILEAGE = 81700. BMW CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DIAGNOSTICS, AIR PRESSURE TOO LOW, TURBOCHARGER WASTE GATE SHAFT WORN. TJH ADVISED WARRANTY EXPIRED. SERVICE CHARGE = $125. AUG 10, 2017:MILEAGE = 81700. BMW OBSERVATION: WASTE GATE SHAFT WORN. SERVICE NEEDED: REPLACE TURBOCHARGER AND ENGINE OIL FEED LINE TO THE TURBOCHARGER. WARRANTY EXPIRED. SERVICE FEE = $4,111.50 CALIFORNIA AND STATES THAT FOLLOW CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS LAW, SUCH AS PA, REQUIRE WARRANTY ON TURBOCHARGER TO BE EXTENDED TO 100,000 MILES.
SUNDAY, 9/10/17 @ 11:30AM I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON 294 IN CHICAGO AND THE OIL PRESSURE MESSAGE CAME ON, SHORTLY FOLLOWED BY ENGINE TRAIN MESSAGE SUGGESTING I PULL OVER AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE!! THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO GET TO AN EXIT AT LAKE COOK ROAD JUST AS THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING. IT WOULD NOT START AND WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP WHEREBY THEY SAID IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN AND THE ENGINE IS PROBABLY SHOT. THIS CAR HAS 71K MILES AND HAS BEEN SERVICED RELIGIOUSLY YET WARRANTY EXPIRED. NEW TO BMW I NEVER EXPECTED SOMETHING LIKE THIS!
ENGINE COOLANT PUMP AND THERMOSTAT FAILED AT 52000 MILES. IT'S 2000 MILES AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. IT WAS FAILED WAY TOO EARLY BY ANY MEASURE FOR ANY ON ROAD VEHICLE. I HAD ENGINE OVERHEAT WARNING, POSSIBLY DUE TO COOLANT PUMP FAILURE. HOWEVER, THE OIL TEMPERATURE GAUGE ON THE DASH SHOWED NORMAL TEMPERATURE. AFTER VEHICLE STOPPED, TRIED TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE WITH HOOD OPENED. WITH OIL TEMPERATURE GAUGE SAYING NORMAL TEMPERATURE, COOLANT WAS OVER HEATING, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE INJURY FROM CONFUSION. ONE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SAYING NORMAL WHILE THE COOLANT WAS OVER HEATING. BMW SHOULD ADDRESS THIS ISSUE ON THEIR OWN. THEY IGNORE THIS PROBLEM AND PASSES TO CUSTOMERS. THIS SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED FOR RECALL.
WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 10:30 A.M. ON THE 8/8/2017 THE CAR LOST POWER AS IF IT RAN OUT OF GASOLINE. THANK GOD HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SERVICE LANE WITHOUT GETTING INTO A MAJOR ACCIDENT (HE IS ALWAYS COOL UNDER PRESSURE AS HE RETIRED AS A CAPTAIN IN THE ARMY). HE SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, AND RESTARTED A FEW MINUTES LATER WHEN "DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION" MESSAGE CAME ON. HE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE AND WAS TOLD TO BRING THE CAR IN ON 8/10/2017 IN THE MORNING. HE TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND WAS TOLD HE WILL RECEIVE A CALL BACK THAT EVENING. HE WAS NEVER CONTACTED, AND 3 DAYS LATER WENT TO CHECK WHAT HAPPENED. HE WAS TOLD THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAS TO BE REPLACED AND IT WILL COST AT LEAST $2,700.00 PLUS... ALMOST A YEAR AGO I WENT TO THEM BECAUSE I HAD WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE TAILPIPE. SO THEY WERE AWARE THERE WAS A PROBLEM ALREADY AND THEY SHOULD HAVE CHANGED THE TIMING BELT AT THAT TIME (WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY.) INSTEAD THEY TOTALLY DISREGARD PEOPLE'S SAFETY AND SECURITY AND CREATE UNNECESSARY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. I SPENT MORE THAN $50,00 0 ON THE BRAND NEW VEHICLE AND IT ALMOST KILLED MY HUSBAND, READING THROUGH YOUR WEBSITE I SAW MANY OTHERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS SOMETHING MUST BE DONE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED.
THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAS STOPPED WORK AND ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH. THE BRAKE GUILD AND BRAKE PADS ALL CHECK OK BUT VACUUM HAS BEEN LOST TO THE BOOSTER. YOU CAN HERE THE CAM MAKING NOISE WHEN YOU START THE VEHICLE AND THE NOISE HAS BEEN SINCE WE PURCHASED IT AND BMW STATES THAT'S NORMAL. I FEEL LIKE THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT DONE CORRECTLY. ALSO THERE SEEM TO BE A DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION THAT BMW CAN NOT FIGURE OUT. PLEASE HELP
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW X3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE LOW OIL PRESSURE AND DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THEN STALLED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE BILL JACOBS BMW DEALER (LOCATED AT 2495 AURORA AVE, NAPERVILLE, IL 60540). THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WERE METAL SHAVINGS IN THE OIL, CAUSING IT NOT TO HAVE COMPRESSION. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE REPAIR COST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD PAY HALF OF THE REPAIR FEES. THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OTHER HALF. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,300.
STEERING DRIVES OFF THE ROAD TIRES BLEW. AIRBAGS RECALL
ON JULY 9TH I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY 495 SOUTH IN MASSACHUSETTS WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDENLY MY CAR LOST POWER TOTALLY SHUT DOWN AND WENT INTO NEUTRAL. I HAD A VERY EXTREMELY HARD TO MOVING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE CAR STARTED SMOKING AND BLEW UP ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I BARELY MADE IT OUT OF THE CAR. I HAVE VIDEO OF THE CAR ENGULFED IN FLAMES
I HAVE A 2013 X3 28I THAT WAS PURCHASED FAIRLY NEW WITH 15K MILES ON IT AND HAS HAD ALL BMW RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE AT A BMW DEALER. I HAVE EXACTLY 50K MILES ON THE CAR. A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, WITH NO WARNING THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND BLEW THE ENGINE. I HAD JUST TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP A COUPLE OF WEEKS PRIOR FOR MAINTENANCE AND THEY SAID EVERYTHING LOOKED GREAT. THE DEALER FIRST TOLD ME IT WAS GOING TO COST OVER 20K TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. BMW GOT INVOLVED AND NOW I'M TOLD IT WILL COST JUST OVER 15K PLUS TAXES. I STARTED CHECKING ONLINE AND NOTICED THAT BMW HAS HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE TIMING CHAIN, HOWEVER THEY DON'T LIST THE X3 AS ONE OF THE CARS WITH THE PROBLEM. AT 4 YEARS OLD AND 50K MILES, I WOULD THINK THE TIMING CHAIN SHOULDN'T BREAK, AND DEFINITELY SHOULDN'T COST 1/3 OF A NEW CAR TO REPAIR.
DRIVING (2013 X3 28I) VEHICLE WITHOUT CONCERNS, INCIDENTS OR WARNINGS UNTIL THE OIL PRESSURE WARNING" LIGHT CAME ON. SLOWING DOWN TO TRY AND MAKE IT THE MILE LEFT TO MAKE IT HOME. AFTER THE "OIL PRESSURE WARNING" CAME ONE, LESS THAN A MINUTE LATER THERE WAS A "DRIVE-TRAIN MALFUNCTION" WARNING. NOW LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO PULL OVER, IT WAS LESS THAN ANOTHER MINUTE WHEN CAR LOCKED UP AND STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. LIVING ON A CURVY ROAD, I WAS IN A VERY BAD SITUATION, DUE TO BEING BETWEEN TWO CURVES, JUST AFTER DARK. CAR WOULD NOT START OR GO INTO NEUTRAL. IT HAS BEEN 10 WEEKS AND CAR DIAGNOSIS HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. WITHOUT WARNINGS AND TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. I WAS NOT HURT IN ANY WAY, AND THANKFULLY SOMEONE STOPPED TO BLOCK THE CURVE SO PEOPLE WOULD SLOW DOWN. I WAS STUCK WAITING FOR HELP FOR AN HOUR. TOW-TRUCK DRIVER COULDN'T GET INTO NEUTRAL TO LOAD ON HIS TRUCK. I DID BUY THIS AS A 1 OWNER, LEASE RETURN, AND PUT THE TOP ASC WARRANTY ON IT. THE OWNER OF A QUALITY IMPORT REPAIR SHOP SAYS HE HAS NO IDEA AND HAS NEVER COME ACROSS ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. SHORT OF PULLING EVERYTHING APART TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT A SPECIFIC PROBLEM, HE DOES NOT WANT TO TRY AND REPAIR IT. GOING TO HAVE TO TOW IT TO THE DEALER AND HOPE THEY WILL GIVE SOME ANSWERS. 10 WEEKS AND NO CLOSER TO AN ANSWER THAN ON DAY ONE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW X3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED FOR A FEW MINUTES BUT STALLED AGAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED TO A SERVICE STATION AND LATER TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED COGGIN BMW OF TREASURE COAST IN FT. PIERCE LOCATED AT 4429 US-1, FORT PIERCE, FL 34982, (772) 742-5582 AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. *LN CONSUMER HAS 2 DIAGNOSTIC TESTING DONE WITHIN FEW DAYS OF EACH OTHER. CONSUMER HAS A 10 YEARS 120,000 MILES LIMITED WARRANTY WHICH COVERS TIMING CHAIN AND OIL PUMP CHAIN.*JB
EARLIER THIS YEAR WHILE DRIVING MY 2013 BMW X3 ON THE HIGHWAY IT BROKE DOWN WITH LITTLE WARNING. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO GET TO AN EXIT RAMP BEFORE MY CAR COMPLETELY FAILED. AFTER HAVING IT FLAT BEDDED TO A MECHANIC WHO HAD TO PUSH THE VEHICLE INTO THE SHOP THEY VERIFIED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD CRANK OVER AND NOT START. IT WAS RELATIVELY CLEAR FROM THE SOUND THE ENGINE WAS MAKING DURING THE STARTER ENGAGEMENT THAT THE CAMSHAFT TIMING WAS OFF. THE VALVE COVER WAS REMOVED AND THE MECHANIC VERIFIED THAT THE TIMING WAS INDEED OFF. THE TIMING CHAIN HAD JUMPED TIME ON BOTH THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST CAMSHAFTS. THE TIMING WAS OFF DUE TO EXCESSIVE SLACK IN THE TIMING CHAIN DUE TO A FAILED CHAIN TENSIONER. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON A 2013 BMW WITH MAINLY HIGHWAY MILES. I WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW ENGINE THAT WILL COST UPWARDS OF $15,000 OR BUY A SLIGHTLY USED ONE FOR APPROXIMATELY $9,000. I'VE REACHED OUT TOT HE DEALER AND BMW NA WITH NO RELIEF. SIMILAR ISSUES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE X5 AND OTHER BMW CARS WHICH WERE RECALLED BUT FOR SOME REASON NO RECALL WAS SENT OUT ON THE N20 ENGINE FOR THE X3. FROM A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH THERE ARE MANY X3 OWNERS THAT HAVE THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEMS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO GET RELIEF FOR THESE OWNERS. UNFORTUNATELY THIS ONCE PROUD VEHICLE MAKER THAT NO LONGER BACKS THE LONGEVITY OF THE LUXURY CAR THEY BUILD.
SHIFTING IS ERRATIC, ESPECIALLY ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. BOTH WIFE AND MYSELF NOTICED THIS ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS DRIVING BY OURSELVES. DEALER SAYS THERE ARE NO CODES AND IT DRIVES LIKE ALL OTHER X3'S. IT DOES NOT DRIVE LIKE OTHER X3'S AS WE WERE GIVEN A NEW X3 AS A LOANER.
2013 BMW X3. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE BRAKE REPAIRS NOT COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. *LD *JS
I HAVE 3 PARTS IN MY VEHICLE THAT ARE NOW IDENTIFIED AS NEEDING REPLACEMENT BY MY MECHANIC. I WENT TO THE MECHANIC AFTER MY VEHICLE WENT INTO "LIMP" MODE WHILE DRIVING AT 45MPH IN NORMAL CONDITIONS AND I RECEIVED A MESSAGE STATING MY VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING. MY MECHANIC ADVISED THAT I NEED A NEW WATER PUMP, A NEW THERMOSTAT, AND WHILE IT'S NOT RELATED, I ALSO NEED A NEW OIL HOUSING GASKET. IT SOUNDS LIKE THESE ARE ALL COMMON FAILURES ON THESE VEHICLES AND MY MECHANIC NOTED "IT'S NOT A MATTER OF IF THESE ITEMS WILL FAIL, BUT WHEN". MOREOVER, ONE SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH WILL TELL YOU THE SAME. IF THESE PARTS ARE TRULY AN ISSUE, WHY ARE THEN NOT RECALLED? MY CAR GOING INTO LIMP MODE WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY CONCERN, PARTICULARLY IN POPULATED METRO AREAS WITH A TODDLER IN THE BACK SEAT. UNFORTUNATELY, TO REPAIR THESE 3 PARTS, I'VE BEEN QUOTED $1500 FOR THE REPAIRS, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS FOR A CAR THAT HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT.
ENGINE OVERHEAT WARNING DUE TO WATER PUMP ISSUES. JUST UNDER 5 YEARS OF BRAND NEW PURCHASE. SEE SIMILAR PART HAS EXCESSIVE COMPLAINTS. HTTP://X3.XBIMMERS.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=1219853&PAGE=2 BMW INITIALLY CHARGED ME AS A THERMOSTAT ISSUE, AND REPLACED IT AFTER 3 MONTHS BACK-ORDERED PARTS. 1 DAY AFTER THERMOSTAT REPLACEMENT, SYMPTOMS RE-APPEARED. THIS TIME THEY ARE REPLACING OTHER PARTS. WITH NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT IT, IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A RECALL. EVERY REPAIR WITH BMW IS VERY EXPENSIVE.
MY CAR HAS APPROX 78000 MILES ON IT. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED ROUTINELY AT BMW DEALERS AT ALL THE RECOMMENDED TIME MARKS BY THE MANUFACTURE. RECENTLY, MY CAR STALLED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP. AFTER 1 WEEK OF RUNNING DIAGNOSTIC TESTS, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAS BROKEN, AND PIECES FROM THE CHAIN FLEW INTO THE ENGINE AND COMPLETELY RUINED IT.
TIMING CHAIN MALFUNCTION/ENGINE FAILURE
THE BAFFLES ARE LOOSE IN MY MUFFLER CAUSING A TERRIBLE NOISE. I BELIEVE THIS IS ALSO CAUSING MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. MY CAR IS RUNNING RICH. BMW SAYS IT'S ANNOYING BUT NOT CAUSING AND ISSUES ON MY CAR. THEY SAY IT'S $1,200 TO FIX. IT STARTED OUT ONLY MAKING THE NOISE SOMETIMES. IT THEN PROGRESSED TO WHEN STANDING STILL. NOW IT DOES IT EVEN WHEN DRIVING. PEOPLE CONSTANTLY ASK ME WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY CAR.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW X3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WARNING INDICATORS FLASHED FOR THE OIL PRESSURE LOW AND DRIVE TRAIN, AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO COAST AND RANDOMLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE AND DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT METAL SHAVINGS WERE IN THE OIL. FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WAS REQUIRED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A SECOND INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR FURTHER TESTING. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.
THIS MESSAGE JUST KEEP POPPING UP ON THE SCREEN "PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION." PASSENGER AIRBAGS INDICATED AS OFF EVEN THE PASSENGER SEAT IS OCCUPIED. I HAD CONTACTED BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS, AND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR AIRBAG SENSOR ISSUE BUT NOT INCLUDING THE MODEL X3.
ENGINE HOOD LATCH FAILURE
ON YEAR AFTER PUCHASING CAR, AND AFTER WARRANTY PERIOD, STARTING GETTING DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION ERROR. SMOKED ON TURNING ON IGNITION A COUPLE OF TIMES. TOOK TO BMW AND WAS TOLD IT NEEDED A TURBO. WAS TOLD BY BMW MECHANIC THAT EVERY ONE OF THIS MODEL NEEDED A NEW TURBO. $6000. INTERNET BLOG SITES ALSO INDICATE THAT THE TURBO GOES OUT ALL THE TIME. IF IT IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT NEW THEN THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. PEOPLE CAN'T PAY $6000 ON NEW CARS FOR TURBOS WHEN THEY KNOW IT IS DEFECTIVE.
HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR APPROX. 5 MINUTES IN RESIDENTIAL AREA. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING & BLACK SMOKE THRU DASHBOARD. COULD SEE FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. WITHIN 5-6 MINUTES CAR WAS FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. NOTHING LEFT EXCEPT FOR THE FRAME. TOTAL LOSS, ALMOST NO WARNING.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026