10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 1 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 3 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 27,446 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
The BMW SUDDENLY ACCELERATES WHEN Stopped. This has happened multiple times' and is extremely dangerous. I have to put the vehicle in neutral and hit the gas pedal to stop it from racing. No codes come up when my mechanic scans the computer.
- Huntington, NY, USA
When I attempt to accelerate in my 2007 BMW X3, it appears to skip. Also, when it is time for the gear to change, it does not change at the appropriate time.
- Hull, GA, USA
My 2007 X3 was involved in a bizarre and freaky solo accident. My house is on sloped hill with a level driveway. The road leading to the driveway is about 20-25 feet below the driveway. On Apr. 18, 2013, upon entering the driveway, the car suddenly accelerated, hit concrete columns (on the edge of the driveway, meant for retaining walls) 3 times and went airborne from the edge of the driveway onto the street below. The car hit the street surface on its roof, rolled over once and came to a stop on its 4 tires. Driver and front passenger had seatbelts on and received minor injuries. The rear passenger was ejected from the car and suffered major injuries and still remains hospitalized 18 days after the accident. I have contacted BMW of North America and they have assured me that they will investigate this accident. After doing searches online, I am becoming more and more convinced that this is in fact a car malfunction and not a driver error. forum.roadfly.com/threads/13163648-sudden-acceleration-with-08-X3-anyone-else I would like to establish contact with other BMW owners that have had similar experience.
- San Jose, CA, USA
After multiple attempts to remedy the situation, BMW has been unable to resolve the transmission and the intermittent loss of power and most recently "limp-home" mode occurrence associated with the drivetrain on the 2007 BMW X3. The symptoms 1st presented itself as a loss of power from a start. Upon pressing the accelerator, the vehicle did not respond and then responded with a surge or lurching forward. This makes for unpredictable and dangerously erratic vehicle performance. After multiple visits (+4) and multiple complaints along with the sound of gear or differential noise, the dealership finally did some type of ECU update that appeared to resolve the problem. The noise never subsided and recently the car was inoperable forcing a tow after upon pressing the accelerator the vehicle went into transmission limp-mode. As usual, the symptoms "can't be duplicated" once codes are cleared yet the ECU is throwing multiple codes for transmission limp-mode and code 56be for clutch gears 2 and 6. I believe that this is a very dangerous situation to either press the accelerator and for it to be non-responsive then have a delayed vehicle surge not proportional to the input and timing of the accelerator depression and/or press the accelerator and experience significantly curtailed vehicle power due to the "limp-home" condition. This has been a recurring issue since the purchase of the vehicle on 5/31/2009.
- Carlsbad, CA, USA
The contact owns a 2007 BMW X3. The contact stated that when the vehicle was in drive or reverse, it would lurch forward or backward about 100 feet suddenly. When the contact tried to change lanes and accelerate, the vehicle would begin to decelerate. The vehicle felt as if someone were applying the brakes. The contact also noticed a wailing sound from the rear end. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer but the failure could not be duplicated. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 31,000 and the current mileage was 33,000.
- Beverly Hills , CA, USA
The transmission on the 2007 BMW X3 (GM6 transmission) hesitates in acceleration during drive mode. It has become unsafe to make a fast lane change. I almost got rear-ended today. I live in a mountain top community so driving down hill the down shift in manual (steptronic) 4th to 3rd and 3rd to 2nd pretty much allows the car to lung forward as if in neutral. In relying on the transmission to safely slow the car it practically forces you into the rear of another car or does not allow me to safe slow the car without having to use hard breaking. My car has been in the shop 5 times now. I am being told "this is just the way it is" I spent 6 hours with the BMW regional engineer test driving and doing software modifications. We compared this to a 2008 model. Any X3 with the same transmission is going to have the same issue.
- Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA
Vehicle failed to move for several seconds when accelerator was pushed. This occurs infrequently when vehicle is coasting at a few mph.
- Las Vegas, NV, USA
- Huntington, NY, USA