NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 BMW X3. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated that the Navigation system had become inoperable. Additionally, the message "Emergency Call Malfunction" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the seal of the roof-mounted antenna housing had separated from the vehicle, causing water to leak into the antenna housing wiring and causing the electrical failures. The contact was charged a fee for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: SIB 65 12 22. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was awaiting an email from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
1- Passenger Restraint System Malfunction error codes- related to wiring or front passenger seat- long timeframe and expense to diagnose 2- Engine mounts broken Oct 2023 and again Aug 2025- known issue by BMW service- high repair cost & repeat failure 3- Front crash assist will brake for shadows caused by trees or adjacent trucks and has nearly caused accidents
My 2019 x3 model has been leaking coolant from multiple places. I have already needed to replace the water pump at my mechanic and now there's an additional coolant leak and the radiator and radiator hoses are affected and may need replacement. My dealer has not reported this issue yet and no recall has been declared for my type of vehicle, but I cannot afford to fix this issue out of pocket and it's a manufacturer issue when making these materials for the car, no fault of the driver. This has now become an issue where my car is constantly leaking coolant and causing potential engine damage.
Headlights cycle on and off. Does this frequently. Checked on BMW site Bimmerpost and other people have had the same problem. Google 2019 BMW x3 headlights tuning off and on after shut down.
A faulty seal in the "fin" allowed for water to penetrate and short out the module responsible for the emergency SOS call system and the navigation. This was confirmed by BMW technicians and a known problem. This resulted in an indicator and message that would not go away and a malfunction of the emergency SOS system that would not work in the event of an accident. Navigation was also rendered useless by this module board malfunction. Resulting replacement cost exceeded $1700.
Headlights flash on and off for no apparent reason which is distracting to other drivers both in front of me or approaching my vehicle. This happens all of time now most recently for no apparent reason but I first noticed it more than a year ago. Headlights also go on and off and start to self level multiple times after car has been turned off. This has happend on a number of occasions as well. Normally the rotary light switch is always set in the AUTO position in my car. I have also noticed it happen when the car in parked and off, which can drain the battery.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (STRUCTURE) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The TCB Module and Antenna failed due to a water leak through the sealed roof mounted "Shark Fin" Antenna on top of my vehicle. The vehicle is not completely safe to drive due to the failure of the TCB Module in which the Module activates the "Intelligent Emergency Call" in the case of an accident. Crash and airbag sensors activate an emergency call to the BMW call center in the process, a set of relevant data such as how many passengers and their presumed condition or injury as well as the exact position of the my vehicle is sent automatically to the BMW call center and the nearest emergency service provider. The problem has been inspected and confirmed by my local BMW dealer. There is a warning on my odometer that states "Emergency call system not available."
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact discovered that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I have take out cargo on left side by self
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the engine overheating warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a message was displayed to “Stop Driving and Allow Engine to Cool Down”. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System) however, neither the VIN nor the model year was included. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Shark Fin cover knocked of roof while washing at car wash. Dealer was notified and referred me to an auto body shop. I paid for the replacement repair. Dealer never notified me about the loose shark fin problems (water leaks) that are currently a problem with is model (X-3 xdrive30i 2019). A constant hissing noise is heard over the speaker system since the incident occurred. This is not a safety issue. a recall should be issued for the loose leaking fin problem.
Safety recall involving rear cargo rails hasn’t been rectified for 3 months now.
The vehicle 2019 bmw x3 purchased from dealer with all maintenance performed per BMW specs at dealership, Warned of low coolant. Coolant was added, two days later 0n 6 25 2024 the light came on for low coolant checking vehicle saw large leak. Vehicle was towed to dealership. On 6 26 2024 the visual from BMW stated the the oil filter housing which is made of plastic and warps. They want to replace the oil filter housing but they say the manifold and transmission has to be remove to replace it at a cost of 3119 dollars as estimate. From dealership. The vehicle is low mileage purchased at 30 k from dealership and has been maintained with the reccomendations of the dealership. The time the vehicle will be in shop to do he work will be long and it till unclear of the extended warranty purchased from dealership at time of purchase will cover its replacement and th costs for labor.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated that after a rainstorm, water would leak through the Telematics Control Unit (TCU) located on the roof at the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that the leak caused a short circuit of the TCU wiring harness. The contact stated that a warning for the "Emergency Call System" was illuminated. The contact stated that the message covered the instrument cluster. The contact was unable to see the speedometer or other gauges on the instrument cluster because the message could not be cleared due to the short circuit. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the TCU needed to be resealed and the wiring harness and transponder module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to TSB: SIB 65 12 22 - Roof Mounted Antenna Seal Not Adhering (Structure, Electrical System). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
With only 41,289 miles, "Driver Restraint System Malfunction" notification came on soon after the car was started. BMW dealer advised that it was due to faulty knee airbag module on driver side (fault code 930949-short circuit to ground). The wiring harness going to the knee airbag may have been rubbing against the support tube of the instrument panel. Cost to fix is parts $1,288 and labor $1,282. Total cost not covered by BMW since the car is few months over 4 years old. This wiring faulty seems to be a major concerns for owners as this relates to electrical quality control and should be a recall by BMW.
Per BMW's SIB (Service Bulletin) "SIB 17 03 20" "The O-rings that seal the quick disconnect coolant lines will not seal properly when outside temperatures are at or below -15 degrees C (5 degrees F) et. al BMW - DEFECT CODE: 1712144800 "Coolant hose including quick-release coupling not leak tight" on-going issue since 2019 on the BMW X3 Model G01
Back up camera not engaging
When driving on citi street at 40MPH the vehicle randomly initiated the automatic emergency breaking system. The vehicle almost came to a complete stop in the middle of morning traffic. Almost had the vehicle behind me rear end me. The vehicle was taken to BMW dealer and a software update was performed. This is the second time that this has occurred. The vehicle will periodically still display collision warning light when nothing is even near the vehicle.
Since purchasing the vehicle, the illumination of the instrument cluster, information center screen, and sometimes the climate controls dim partially or completely during daytime driving. This occurs randomly and frequently at times. Reported this to BMW service at least three times since purchasing the vehicle. BMW service could not identify the issue but flashed the on-board software at least twice as a possible fix. Neither episode corrected the problem and BMW says they don't know what is going on since the issue has not reported an error code. I understand this issue, or issues generally similar, has been experienced by other BMW owners across this and other BMW model lines. BMW North America has washed their hands of this isse and the dealeers have no idea how to diagnose and fix it.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH on a main road, the message "Warning - Add Coolant' was displayed, and the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and allowed the engine to cool down. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed due to coolant intrusion. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.
Headlights flash on and off for no apparent reason which is distracting to other drivers both in front of me or approaching my vehicle. This has happened dozens of times now most recently 4/19/24 but I first noticed it more than a year ago. Headlights also go on and off and start to self level multiple times after car has been turned off. This has happend on a number of occasions as well. Normally the rotary light switch is always set in the AUTO position in my car .
The entire cooling system failed and RED WARNING light appeared leading to $6400 quote for repairs from BMW Seattle. BMW refused to do anything to make this right. They already know the thermostat is defective, so is the aux water pump, and the main water pump fails at only 60,000 miles. We could have been stranded on the side of the highway and these excessive repairs should all be covered under manufacturer extended warranty. We spoke to attorneys in Connecticut who will build a class action in this case. BMW wouldn't even meet us half way on repair costs and we were without our vehicle for months. It was an independent shop that finally told us the truth that the AUX Water Pumps are well known for failing on this vehicle causing extensive cooling system and engine repairs.
I am reporting repeated coolant system failures and overheating on my 2019 BMW X3 . I have had 4 coolant-related repairs in under 3 years, including the coolant reservoir boiling after service. Most recently, the problem recurred despite prior repairs. This is a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle with warranty history, and I believe this is a systemic engine/cooling defect that poses a risk of engine failure or fire. Other owners may be affected. A recall or investigation is warranted.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the message "Driving Assistance Reduced and Pedestrian Warning not Working" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH in stop and go traffic, the Collision Warning feature failed to function as intended. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the rearview camera was not working as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the KAFAS (Camera Assisted Driver Assistance Program) system was heated and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V096000 (Back Over Prevention). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated that while performing a visual inspection of the vehicle, she noticed that the engine oil was leaking from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the oil filter housing had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 11-02-20. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 100,000.
On the 2019 BMW X3, we’ve experienced the tailgate opening while the vehicle is in traffic, and the transmission is in ‘D’ drive. The safety hazard I’m suggesting be investigated is that the buttons on the remote key fob to the vehicle, including lock, unlock, tailgate, and panic, ALL work even if the vehicle is turned on and driving. This poses a serious safety risk to not only occupants of the vehicle, objects or animals that may be in the trunk, but also to other motorists on the road. We’ve personally had this happen three times, all in cases where we were in live traffic on an active roadway. One case in particular our dog was in the trunk and we had to pull over in the middle of traffic while the dog thankfully stayed seated in the trunk area. I believe this happens because it’s very common for the key fob to be in a pocket or purse while operating the vehicle, where it’s very possible for the buttons to be pressed inadvertently. In my opinion, the key fob should not be functional while the car’s ignition is on. No other car I’ve ever owned has had a key fob whose buttons still work while the ignition is on. Happy give further comment if need be. Thanks
The X3 suddenly slowed down to stoppage on an interstate highway, and the car "shifted" to Neutral by itself. I had to shift back to "Drive" and then drive away. It happened twice in September to October 2023, with my family and other kids in the car. Luckily there was traffic, driving speed was relatively low. Contacted two BMW dealerships and the only thing they could do was change the battery. They said maybe the battery wasn't functioning fully. However, BMW shouldn't stop my car on a highway just because the battery may be relatively low. No warning about battery was ever observed. Four pictures attached: Error Message 1 - Increased Steering Effort on 10.13.23 Error Message 2 - Transmission (suddenly "auto-shifted" to Neutral) Error Message 3 - Four-wheel-drive system Error Message 4 - Front monitor suddenly turned on?
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the seat belt warning light illuminated. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle seemed to return to normal functionality however, the failure had become a regular occurrence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 36,000.
My car, a 2019 X3, displayed a malfunction notification "Driver Restraint System Malfunction" along with the airbag indicator glowing in red in my dashboard all of a sudden when I turned-on my parked car. The malfunction notification has remained ever since, whenever the car is turned-on or driven. My local BMW dealer inspected & diagnosed the issue as a harness failure, requiring a replacement of the air bag harnesses of both knee airbags, and potentially the ACSM module in the center console as well. As per this diagnosis, the failure was caused due to a short-circuit. If this issue was left unattended, it would have prevented the deployment of airbags in the event of a crash, resulting in the death of the driver or severe injuries. A manufacturing fault or other quality issues are clearly to blame for such short-circuits. I request NHTSA to investigate the issue and pursue a recall notice for such faulty driver restraint (harness in this case) control modules.
URO Parts Engine Oil Filter Housing There was no sensors that went off to indicate that there was an issue with my coolant or my oil and I went to drive my car and broke down on the side of the road. The dealership and the repair shop and mechanics I’ve called have told me that this is a common issue with Bmw because of how it's made. If I knew that there was a problem because of the sensors I would’ve never had to break down on the side of the road and be less stranded without a vehicle.
I am writing about the BMW Telematics Control Unit (TCB). This is a safety device installed on all BMWs for the past 6 years or more. It is an electronic tracking and communication device that is activated either automatically on manually in the event of an emergency. For minor emergencies such as a flat tire or running out of gas, the driver can call for roadside assistance. For serious emergencies such as accidents the system automatically contacts the BMW emergency center who contacts local emergency assistance providers such as police, fire, ambulance. The system provides information such as the vehicle's exact location and the severity of the accident. Obviously, this can be lifesaving information. I have no way to determine how frequently these systems fail, but judging from the countless number of accounts described on the internet and the number of YouTube videos I see, it would appear that these systems are very unreliable. These systems fail for a number of different reasons and are very expensive to repair. This is a serious safety issue. In my own case, water had leaked through the roof aerial and damaged the electronic communication device rendering it useless. Cost of repair would be nearly $3,000. There is at least one BMW Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that applies to this issue for my vehicle. It is number B651222. There are probably many other TSB's that apply to other models and other causes of failure of this device. BMW owners have spent a lot of money for this device with the expectation of providing themselves with some additional safety in the event of an emergency. This is largely a false sense of security because these devices are very unreliable. I respectly request the the NHTSA look in to this issue. I believe that there are many people that are unknowingly in a dangerous situation.
While driving normally down interstate the sunroof suddenly exploded.
The headlights will flicker on and off randomly. They will also go from low beams to high beams randomly. This is with the headlights switch set to automatic. I've never tried any other settings.
Oil Filter Housing according to BMW tech this is a common issue in this part- yes available for inspection upon request, my safety was put at risk due to coolant leaking which can be flammable, also could cause engine malfunction/shutdown while driving. The problem has been confirmed by BMW dealership. A complaint with the manufacturer BMW of america was put in. No other lamps or messages, car simply began to leak coolant and oil profusely.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The contact added coolant to the reservoir. The coolant warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant was needed. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The contact mentioned she was concerned about a vehicle fire. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at 42 MPH, the sunroof exploded without impact. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 41,578.
Water has leaked through the rear shark fin antenna causing multiple electrical issues. SOS system faults, the car has call the sos help service randomly, GPS, navigation, phone mics no longer work, occasionally get random idrive errors and shutdowns. I realized the shark fin cover was just hanging out on top of the vehicle so clearly the sealer has long since failed. Had little quirks in the past but was advised to do a reset which would help but now has failed completely
We were towing a rental travel trailer (~3500 Ib), going east bound on highway 80 near Martinez, CA. The travel trailer suddenly went into oscillation, the amplitude got larger and larger, and finally both SUV and trailer landed on the sides on the embankment. The SUV was supposedly in "tow" mode, so the feature "Trailer Stabilization Control" should have been activated to reduce the sway/oscillation (and perhaps issued some warnings). However, we only got traction control alarm just prior to the crash.
Unable to feel vibration in steering wheel for the lane departure warning system.
While driving, an error message appeared on the car screen that said: Passenger restraint system malfunction: Contact BMW Carefully drive to the closest service center. Passenger restraint system is limited. Increased risk of injury in case of a collision. Continue wearing safety belt. 1) What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Passenger restraint system 2) How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Increased risk of injury in case of collision 3) Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The dealer ran a diagnostic and no fault was found. They tried to claim that there was water on the seat because an umbrella was on the seat. It was not raining before or during the time the message appeared. The umbrella has not been used for quite some time and was not wet. 4) Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Just the dealer. 5) Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? None. This appears to be a random deactivation of the passenger restraint system.
Multiple times while driving, my key FOB in my pocket has opened the trunk. Extremely dangerous, and apparently very easy to accidentally press. Same thing with the alarm, almost caused me to have an accident.
Was driving on the freeway, not more than 60mph, no over bridges, no potholes, no people, and heard some exploded over my head. I pulled the car over and saw the sunroof was shattered. I didn’t see any heavy object flying. After reaching home, I searched online what could be the reasons and found there were 100s of cases like this already reports.
On May 20, 2022 at around 10 AM. I pulled into my work parking lot. I proceeded to park the car in front of the main building. I put the car on park but the car accelerated on its own at high speed. It curved around the bushes yanking them out and then smashed into the building. The airbags opened. I called 911 for help. Ambulance took me to a hospital nearby. I lost a lot of blood due to a large cut in my mouth. I had some other minor injuries including a fracture in my sternum and nose.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly brake and would stop abruptly though there were no other vehicles or objects nearby. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who duplicated the failure. However, the dealer was advised by the manufacturer that the vehicle was operating as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failures and the concerns he had regarding the vehicle's safety. The failure mileage was 31,000.
I own a 2019 BMW x3 that I leased in December 2018 and then purchased in Dec 2021 at the end of the lease. It has about 22k miles on it. A few weeks ago, a warning light came on, telling me that my rear brakes needed to be inspected. I took it in and the dealer told me that rear brake PADS and ROTORS had to be replaced. They should not have to be replaced so soon especially since I am not a teenager, and my driving is 90% on freeways. I am in my sixties and my family and I have owned/leased more than 25 foreign and domestic cars and have never come across one that required a complete brake replacement with so few miles. When I contacted the Service Department at my dealer, they said this is a common problem with all BMW’s and especially X3s. I asked even if we assume that the pads need replacement, why the need to replace the rotors at the same time. They said the original rotors are so thin that they cannot be machined. They have seen many that had warped at low miles, some that had cracked and a few that had broken into pieces. They said that they and other area dealers have brought this serios concern to BMW of North America but they keep getting ignored. They said that I was lucky that my braked did not seize and that I did not get into a serious accident. Please investigate this serious safety issue before someone dies. Thank you.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026